Most of us are older and like to figure stuff out. Young people have the attention span of a Hummingbird. So I think it is partially an age thing.
Most of us are older and like to figure stuff out. Young people have the attention span of a Hummingbird. So I think it is partially an age thing.
The older I get, the harder the ground is.
Love is blind. Marriage is an eye opener.
I am an avid tinkerer and that seems to come from something inside that says "let's look at this differently and see what I can make to achieve all these objectives that meet my personal style", realizing that it is my personal style and others may or may not choose to follow that path, but we do so with respect for one another and with the help of a lot of folks here I am still on that journey. Thank you one and all for your continued support, ideas, witicisms and concern... for people and the planet.
Happy Trails to one and all.
Enjoy the outdoors wisely and elevate your perspective.
Modified Penny Wood Stove instructional Video-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fPlHqsYy38
Hammock Wheel https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...09#post1035609
Another Really cool JC Penny Puffer instructional- https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...141#post953141
Wow, I didn't mean to start a landslide! I love the reponses so far. Much like life...everybody has their own reasons for doing anything. Sorry I don't remember all the names, but YES, as I got older I really hated the sore hips and shoulders and sleepless nights on the ground! Those roots are a killer and too often sites don't have many options. The good news is that in Minnesnowta we have lots of trees and so hangin' can happen almost anywhere, especially in the BWCAW.
Let the stimulating conversation continue!
4 dog
I think we tinker because we don't want to be dumped on the ground in the middle of the night so we faff about with our suspension firstly... is it reliable? How can I make it lighter / simpler / stronger / smaller to pack away?
Then we look at improving comfort by adding tie-outs, ridgelines, organizers, bug nets, socks, tarps, pillows, underquilts, pads etc etc.
Then, once we're fully satisfied with the comfort level we find that the weight has crept up and up so we look at ways of lightening the load and on it goes.
I guess tinkering is just how we find what suits us best. Just when I think I've found the perfect set-up for me, I find someone on HF has found a better way of doing it and so I incorporate that idea too. It's a perpetual journey of comfort and innovation and it's awesome!
I agree with others that hammock camping is still maturing. Sleeping on the ground has not only been around a while, it's also more engrained in our culture. Sure, there's innovations in materials, but it's still sleeping on the ground. It's still pad and bag.
Although we've seen a lot of great stuff by way of insulation, I think this is the one area with the most innovation yet to come. Other areas of hammock camping have matured faster, primarily due to borrowing from others, e.g., tarps, and bug netting.
Hammocks change the game completely, and let's be honest, it's a trick to adapt ground-based insulation techniques in a hammock. Top quilts with their backs missing is a brilliant idea for hammocks, but it is still a strange concept for main stream. Under quilts are the same. As a community, we're still trying to find that super simple method to attach an under quilt -- something that works every time that even the newbie can figure out.
If we lived in the tropics where hammocks originated, we probably wouldn't be innovating as mucho perhaps. But as we push hammocks in the temperate zones and more extreme climates, we will also be pushing innovation to adapt hammocks to these conditions.
And as another has stated, innovation will also continue to fuel the fringes of faster, less expensive, lighter, and less bulky.
Author and illustrator: The Ultimate Hang: An Illustrated Guide To Hammock Camping
dehoja,
Bought your book and REALLY enjoyed it! I'd HIGHLY recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about "hanging". As you mentioned, I suspect things will continue to evolve with time. You'd better start planning Book 2 soon!
To Caribou: I used to think somebody in their 60's was all but ancient...now I are one! Getting up off the ground was my major reason for hammocking.
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