It's been quite awhile since I checked in on HF - I figure I'm due back.
A few days ago I got back from Rusticatio, a week long Latin immersion program. We had an exceptionally large group this year, so I volunteered to sleep outside to make space.
We hold Rusticatio at the Claymont Mansion, an historic Washington Family home in Charles Town, WV:
This is the back of the house, which looks out on an open field. I set up camp a little ways back in the woods.
I spent the first night without a tarp, then pitched my WB Mamajamba in porch mode for about a week. Once the program was over, I stayed for a couple extra days, during which there were pretty severe storms, so I staked the open side down and threw on the doors (sorry, forgot to take pics). My tarp, needless to say, performed admirably, and I'm willing to bet I slept better than just about anyone else present. All told, I spent eleven straight nights hanging. In the past, the beds at Claymont have been terrible for my back, but I had none of those problems this year.
I only started hammock camping last fall, and I haven't been able to get out on many trips, so I still have quite a lot to figure out. Based on some recommendations I got here, I made an extra long hammock, with the goal of trying some different lengths to see what I like. Having so much time really gave me a chance to play around with different hammock/ridgeline lengths, and I feel like I've got everything about where I want it.
So, now that I've got all of that figured out, the goal is to get out a little more often than last year. If there are any Latin-speakers in the MD/VA/WV region, you should definitely drop me a line.
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