This weekend was the "First Annual Jay Allan Gresham Memorial Camping Trip" to celebrate the life of my brother, and I took the opportunity to not only spend time with my (and my brothers) friends but to proselytize to others about the benefits of hammocks and hammock camping.

Friday morning, my best friend and my other brother got to Poinsett State Park near Sumter, SC and started to set up camp.





Another friend we had growing up came in from Wilson, NC that night, and we had a good time reminiscing over grape soda and pork chops cooked over the campfire.

That's when I noticed our neighbor setting up an ENO DoubleNest. I dropped what I was doing (proving to my brother that you can split a log with two hatchets and a sledgehammer) and taught him all I know (which took about five minutes) regarding gearing up on a budget.

Saturday night was spent in mosquito hell. They were coming into my Hug bugnet from the open sides (I guess maybe I did it wrong?) and gathering in squadrons to buzz in my ear and wake me up. Devilish buggers.

Saturday breakfast wasn't special, but Saturday lunch was my now famous Cowboy Stew.





Saturday night, Jay's best friend showed up with his father who competes nationally in barbecue contests. We had a pretty serious spread (pulled pork, a few different types of sauces, pork and beans, green beans, slaw, and nanner pudding) and a good time was had by all. We shared our 'cue with the neighbors (who had only brought peanut butter and bread, but no knife with which to spread the peanut butter, and the girl was all sorts of pregnant), toasted Jay with his liquor of choice (Smirnoff...paint thinner), and it was another few hours of catching up with the guys we grew up with.

I sprayed ALL OF MY GEAR EVER with Off spray and never saw another visit from the dreaded skeeter.

Sunday morning brought Dixiecrats (onion sausage wrapped in white bread with mustard) and some high fives as one headed back to North Carolina, with the promise that next year we'd be back.

Trip Report: Completed.