ok so I had been planning on taking my first hammock trip. I had hoped to make to the hot springs hang, but couldn't make the 3 plus hour trip. So I had to settle on a 1 hour trip to the uwharrie's.
I usually hike/camp with my 8yo son. All week I had been preparing the hammocks I purchased. The gt tree sling for him and the bias camper for me. The problem with my son is he has been getting in trouble in school so I had to wait until Friday to see if we felt he was good enough to go. Well he wasn't so I had packed up and never finished the new suspension for the gt. My wife gets home and we caved and let him go. Now its 615 and I am packed for 1. In 15 minutes I try and remember all I need and throw it into a pack and we he'd out.
we get to the wood run trail head at about 750 and its already dark. So now we set off down the trail and find the campsite we know is only a short distance.
so now starts me hammocking. I first set up the gt on a tree I don't like, but didn't want to put our packs down in the dark. So I put the packs in the hammock and look for a better spot ( one of the trees is not large enough and leans heavily even with only the packs in it). I find a better spot, not perfect but better. So I am now operating by head lamp and pull out all my stuffs. I can now set up the bias( awesome set up btw very well made more on that as I go). I have zero issues figuring out whoopies and tree strap (msh). Because I am setting up 2 hammocks under one tarp( not the right one for this job diamond fly from mosquito) I plan in using the same tree for one end. I then set the bias up for me. I have a ccf and alps pad and then transfer the gear to this hammock. I now set up the gt with stock suspension because I didn't think my son was going it doesn't have whoopies and Wal-Mart straps. When I set it up it was the right length but a little high for my son but figured I would fix it after I set up the tarp.
ok so if I thought I didn't know how to set up the hammocks I knew I would be lost on the tarp. I usually know how to make knots... The kind you need to sit down and figure out how to undo with a needle. I had been on the animated knots site all day and practicing with nylon string. That and a night at the holiday in makes me an expert. The main thing I take away from this is to make the knots where the tension is alway fighting against the knot and not open to the pull. It might not make sense to someone else but in the end it works for me. I run the line over the bias and push it to the inside as much as I can. I hang the tarp over the line and then secure each side to the tree. Centering it over both hammocks. Its a big diamond ( 13' long and 10 wide). I then stake out the 2 sides trying to make sure I get as much cover over each one. I actually get a fee bowlines in there for the ridgeline around the trees but settle for shoe lace for the ones pulling the tarp longways. I now go to lower the gt, and either because the trees get bigger or maybe because then lean further away I wind up short. I have few other supplies and am not willing to alter the bias however in hindsight I could have easily slipped off the whoopie and switched it to the gt. In stead I took out any overhand knots and raised it up some. Wow I am finally done.
we are a half mile into the uwharrie national forest, its me and my son and I have just set up 2 hammocks for the first time in the dark and my son is bouncing around singing with joy reporting about every bug he finds and can't wait to sleep for the first time in the hammock. At this point I don't remember when it started but I can hear a large group of people ( I hope it was teenagers because I would hate to think adults would be that disrespectful). I can see the woods are lit up and very loud music is playing. Its probably a quarter mile away and I can hear the music well enough to sing along. So now I go to put my son in the hammock. The gt is still a little high so I hop him in. And have him lay back on a 3/4 rei lite core only partially filled and he is in his mummy. Well I am not sure if I hung it wrong or if its just not ment for sleeping, but no matter how I arrange him it looks like if he moves he will fall out. I take him and out a few time thinking maybe its twisted. In the end I switch him to the bias. I am now very nervous that I am in over my head. I get him in and snug and even tho I can see the bias is perfect I have him flip, scoot pop up and sit up without any fears of him ejecting. I even take my fleece and zip it up by his head and pull it down as far as it will go to hold the whole thing together better( saw shug do this to keep his feet warm). Now I try and get set up in the gt. I try laying with my feet in one direction and then switch to the other. I inflate and deflate the pad several times. I finally open the valve completely and pull my bag out from under me. So I am only using the pad for r-value. I crawl into the hammock and cover myself with my bag and finally get as comfortable as I can. The disco is still going at 1100 and my son was asleep in 30 seconds. I am now laying there with my kabar bull doser in a gt with suspension I am not sure about and I still feel if I move to much I will experience newtons theories.
I fall asleep at some point but as I wake and try and listen for my son to make sure he is ok I realize the party continued until at least 3am. Thankfully neither of us bounced. My son was up at 6 still acting like we were in Disney and swinging while he sang. In my rush I forgot to bring food for him for breakfast so I helped him start a fire and I packed it all down.
if anyone is still with me, first let me say thanks for letting me bore you. As a whole I loved it. I knew when I saw my first hh I would end up hanging. The only question I have would be about the gt. Is it not right for hammocking, or was it strung to tight? I figured it would have worked for my son. I will be practicing my knots. I will also practise knowing which ones to use where. I will need to improve my skills for my bugnets with ridgelines.
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Originally Posted by spaceweaseal
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