Charlie, from deep South Texas.
Been camping all of my life. Backpacking in the Tetons and the Rockies, tent camping throughout Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Missouri...Pop-ups, Family tents, backpacking tents, sleeping on the ground, "Nessmut"-type camping (primitive), horseback, canvas wall tents...all of that.
I just started with the hammock camping. Everything about it appeals to me: The gear, the rigging, the gadgets, the minimalism, etc.
This forum is amazing. It's packed with stuff I don't know about, yet. And I'm loving it.
I'm a relatively new owner of a Hennessy ASym, and have been setting it up and taking it down about every other night, sleeping in it when I can.
I live on N. Padre Island in Texas, just off the coast of Corpus Christi. Lately (June, 2012), our daytime temps are in the 100's (humidity in the high 80 to 90's) and nighttime dipping all the way down into the upper 70's/lower 80's. I live on the water, literally. If I look down off the back of my deck, I'm looking at salt water.
Yes, it's cooler in the house. Yes, I have fans and air conditioning in there. Yes, I get pretty sweaty when I sleep out in the hammock.
But, for some unknown, maybe primal reason, I love being outside in the hammock. And I guess I like the discomfort. 'Cause when the next day rolls around and I'm at work or doing something else, I'm thinking about when I can get back out in the hammock.
I'm trying to rig this thing every way I can think of. I prob'ly come off as a nut to my neighbors and family, but I'm sleeping out there every night I can. I mean, I'm a grown, **** man. I'm in my 50's, have two kids in their 20's and a great wife. I've been successful in business and made lots of money and have TV, electricity and everything. And there I go, climbing into a hammock hanging off some of my dock structures in the middle of the South Texas summer.........
Many nights, there's no breeze and I pour sweat. But I sit in my hammock and read by an LED light hanging from the line. I try to be out every time there's a storm coming to force myself to compensate for the weather. I WANT to know what the weaknesses of this system are. I look FORWARD to nights when a rainstorm is coming.
I've taken my hammock to the Big Bend National Park and used it exclusively. I've taken it to State Parks in Texas and the Sam Houston National Park. All of it in VERY hot weather. And I still love it.
So, I'm learning...all the time.
And this is an amazing place to help with that.
Thanks for the forum. And thanks to all the contributors for their collective genius.
I've already made adaptations and found gear ideas that make this more fun.
Folks...this is a kick in the ***! What a fun gig.
Oh. And maybe it'll be a different experience when fall rolls around or I'm able to take it to a more temperate clime!
Charlie
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Originally Posted by Halostatue
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