I'm giving it a try as a way to extend my kayak trips. Weight isn't so much an issue when kayak camping as space is, but hammocks are smaller than tents, so I'm still ahead.
And, of course, comfort! I'm hoping to actually be able to sleep at night, and not be all bleary eyed as I paddle away from the campsite the next day.
Kathy
I started because one of the guys that I work with does it and was telling me how great it was. I finally bought a hammock and love doing it now.
I went on my first hike this February. My buddy, an experienced hiker, introduced me to the ENO hammocks. I couldn't believe how comfortable they were and how easy to hang with the Slap Straps. After that, I was hooked and had a hammock within a few weeks.
I have lived in the piney woods my entire life. That being said, my dad worked every waking hour to keep us fed, and a roof over our heads, so I never had the opportunity to experience camping in my own back yard. I recently got into kayaking and kayak fishing, which has rekindled my passion for the great outdoors.
Last summer a couple of friends and I decided to make trip out to a local lake and camp on an island there. It was a miserable experience! The ground was hard, and the tent was too hot to stay in. We decided after an hour of trying to get comfortable to pack our bags and go home. Summer in Louisiana can be ridiculous!
After our failed excursion, I began doing some research on what could be used to keep me cool in Louisiana heat, and not give me back pain for a month. That's when I came across the concept of camping hammocks. I was enthralled! I just purchased my first hammock and tested it out yesterday afternoon. I'm hooked.
The only hammock I had ever tried was a backyard hammock with a slide together steel frame and it was easy to fall out of. Have done a bit of tent camping, and was trying to put together a light weight tent for scooter (small motorcycle) camping. While looking for materials I came across this forum (YAAY!) and got excited! Hammock camping makes so much more sense to me. I just bought my first real hammock from REI, a Eno DN, and have yet to set it up. No trees here ior near my apartment, so I am looking for ways to make a portable stand that will collapse down to a total of about 30 inches, so I can carry it on my scooter. It also needs to be about 7 feet high when extended so the hammock will be about 18 inches off the ground when I sit up in it.
The poles people use that are only about 4 or 5 feet high don't seem to make it high enough to me.
Any ideas you have about what size aluminum tubing I could try would be most appreciated. I am 6' 4" and weigh a bit over 230 pounds. I am heading to Loew's and HD tomorrow to see what they have in pluming, electrical, and even the garden shop.
PeteZ
The Army issued us hammocks and mesquio nets instead of shelter halves at one of my duty stations.We would put sticks in the ends of them to spread them apart so as not to get all squeezed togather. I never wanted to sleep in a hammock again after that. But when I wanted to start backpacking I thought a hammock would be the best way for me to go. Luckily I ran across this website and yall convinced me that this was the way to go. I got my hammock on Monday and have only hung it under the carport but I can tell its way better than that old military hammock. Well, thats the begining of my story. Hopefully there will be lots more to it with a happy ending of course.
i got hooked watching shug
I live in PA, so no shortage of trees. I recently started backpacking/hiking
Previously I was strictly a car camper. I was looking at lightweight camping and stumbled upon HF and then Shug's videos. Looked like perfect lightweight option. I've never looked back. Only thing is I wish I had known the cost of the lightweight gear BC it can get pricey. Still though, wouldn't change a thing
What got me into it was i was in Wisconsin kayaking with my uncle on the Wisconsin river. As we were messing around buy the **** he asked me if i wanted to come back for canoe acopiea ( not sure on the spelling), is a big gear show. When we got to the show i saw a booth with hammocks and it was eno's booth well after about ten minutes i got one and well the rest is history and iv been doing it for about ten years now and love it
I'm a whitewater guide and some of the trips I've been on brought us to some less-than-comfortable riverbeds at the end of the day. On one trip one of my buddies brought his own hammock, and he let me test it out for a nap on one of our layover days. I always wanted one after that, but I had never actively looked into what was available. A couple years later I found myself with an ENO, and now I'm just slowly piecing together my hammock-camping "arsenal".
I may be dumb, but at least I'm ugly!
I've done so much, with so little, for so long, now I can do anything with nothing.
It's not peer pressure, it's just your turn.
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