Yet another reason to hang…

**6 feet over** · 01-07-2009, 20:22

I stole this quote from a hunting forum:

“I have a friend who was bitten twice by copperheads. He didn't go to the doctor and said he stayed drunk for the first 12 hours to kill the pain. He had massive swelling but his skin didn't break open. One of the times was sleeping under a tarp and it crawled up next to him sleeping.”

The whole no floor tarp camping philosophy seems a little too much for me. It’s great as gear for the ever possible and unplanned: “I guess I’m sleeping away from base camp tonight”, but to have this be your plan is more than I’m willing to sign up for.

Any of you guys do the tarp/no floor method?

**Ramblinrev** · 01-07-2009, 21:46

I won't but I know lots that do... and PA is real copperhead timber rattler territory.

**BillyBob58** · 01-07-2009, 21:48

You mean without a hammock? No. But several years before switching to hammocks, I was using a floor-less tarp in country where snakes were not a concern.

**JayS** · 01-07-2009, 22:28

Used tarps and floorless pyramid tents a lot before hammocking. And enjoyed it more than most tents... but not nearly as much as being off the ground! Never had a problem with critters big or small. Except once when my dog insisted on walking out, sleeping in the rain for a while, then coming back and curling up next to me.

**Mrprez** · 01-07-2009, 23:03

I wonder if anyone has ever had any critters walk or crawl down their straps and into the hammock?

**T-BACK** · 01-07-2009, 23:14

I tarped with only a bottomless bugnet and groundcloth for years before I took to the air. The only animal I ever had an encounter with directly was the occasional armadillo. They seem to go over, under, or through whatever is in front of them. Never around. I have never had, or known anyone who has had a snake snuggle up with them while sleeping. It always seems to be a friend of a friend. Unless he had two dry bites (possible but very unlikely), Mr. Snakemagnet would have had severe tissue damage at the site of the bite. This would have been made worse by the alcohol. I think this is either an urban (or woodland) legend. If not this man needs to be studied by the medical community, and he needs to get a hammock.

**T-BACK** · 01-07-2009, 23:24

Originally Posted by Mrprez

I wonder if anyone has ever had any critters walk or crawl down their straps and into the hammock?

I've never had anything on my straps (that I know of) except the occasional dragonfly. Once I tied my hammock off to a tree and climbed in for the night. As I started to journal by the light of my headlamp, I noticed two big eyes staring at me from above. I had treed a raccoon and he was still there in the morning. I was a little worried since I was using my foodbag as a pillow under my knees. I just had a funny thought. I don't worry about bears coming after my food but let me spot a raccoon, squirrel, or chipmunk and I'm instantly on alert.

**angrysparrow** · 01-07-2009, 23:25

Originally Posted by Mrprez

I wonder if anyone has ever had any critters walk or crawl down their straps and into the hammock?

There's a story in one of the older threads about a barking squirrel on a HH ridgeline, but that's the only one I recall.

**jeffjenn** · 01-08-2009, 01:12

I had a raccoon try to jump in my hennessy with me one night. Actually I'm not sure if he wanted in the hammock or was trying to get in the UQ, but it was too close for me!

**angrysparrow** · 01-08-2009, 01:16

Originally Posted by jeffjenn

I had a raccoon try to jump in my hennessy with me one night. Actually I'm not sure if he wanted in the hammock or was trying to get in the UQ, but it was too close for me!

Sure he didn't want the PowerBar in your pocket?