Concept Proven!

**Boon Booni** · 06-19-2012, 11:00

Hello, new hammock camper. I've always been a ground dweller. I never took the hammock campers that I met seriously, but one day I tried one out and ended up waking up an hour later. Sold on the comfort!

Before I started dropping real $$ on this I needed a proof of concept camp, just to make sure hammocking in the wild was for me.

I may have accumulated at least 2 months worth of time sleeping in hammocks, but all of that is my backyard and my guest bedroom.

Now I've finally got 1 night in the wild.

Super comfortable night, only woke up for the owl hoot off contest that was going on in the tree's above me.

Concept Proven!

That's a Amazonas Mosquito Traveler. I haven't DIY'd a bug net so my favorite DIY hammock wasn't brought along for this trip.
That is a DIY gear hammock though.
That purple UQ is a quick and dirty DIY trimmed down synthetic sleeping bag.

I'm going to ditch the Kelty Noah Tarp. I've already got an Old Man Winter in the mail and 20' of netting to make a bug net.

And I'm thinking about a a Jarbridge River UQ. Even though I keep thinking I really want to go with down, the Jarbridge seems like a very good deal.

Had a fantastic night hanging, I'm really going to like this.

Let the $pending and tweaking begin.

**chickenwing** · 06-19-2012, 11:02

fantastic!! Great pictures and congratulations on a proving a hypothesis.

**dragon360** · 06-19-2012, 11:06

Great setup! Hello and Welcome to the Forums from Canada!

**raiffnuke** · 06-19-2012, 11:08

Welcome to HF from Mass.

**hppyfngy** · 06-19-2012, 11:27

Hey Boon Booni, I know your moniker from ADV.

Welcome,
HFG

**Boon Booni** · 06-19-2012, 11:30

Originally Posted by hppyfngy

Hey Boon Booni, I know your moniker from ADV.

Welcome,
HFG

Thanks.. There's an oval ADV sticker in the first photo on the back of my top box.

**jayf124** · 06-19-2012, 22:37

Great proof of concept! Welcome to the forums.

Jay

**body942** · 06-19-2012, 22:53

Congrats and welcome to the realization that most of us who are willing to actually give it a try realize: it's just-plain-better. I consider myself VERY skeptical, but only had to borrow a buddy's Hennessy for two separate afternoon snoozes before recognizing the potential. I've never looked back (that being said I did spend last night in a tent with my little boys, only car camping but the step back is worth the time with my boys). Nothing is perfect (I don't even sleep well at home many nights) but this hammock thing is great for the many of us whose wilderness sleep has traditionally been a crappy "part of the bargain" just to get out there. Welcome.

**Boon Booni** · 06-20-2012, 22:45

Originally Posted by body942

... but this hammock thing is great for the many of us whose wilderness sleep has traditionally been a crappy "part of the bargain" just to get out there. Welcome.

I'm in my late 30's now, but when I first started camping (late teens) I slept in my sleeping bag on the ground. On moss, on leaves, on boulders, on my families pier, in caves.. anywhere, and the next morning I would wake up well rested with no aches or pains. After a few years got a thermarest to extend cold weather sleeping, and the comfort was a bonus.

Now a days, 2 nights on a thermarest with a luxurylite cot underneath, leaves me aching and sore.

I've slept many nights in a row in a DIY "Knotty" hammock set up in my guest bedroom, and sleep like a baby. (not like a fitful crying baby, but a baby that sleeps through band practice)

Love it!

Thanks for the Welcome.