What made you a "hanger"?

[Max B]

For me i was looking for a better backpacking experience which included more comfort, convenience and closeness to nature. Several years ago I found that setting up a tarp was a lot more convenient than setting up a tent and I loved being part of nature instead of having a "house" in the woods. Switching to a hammock and tarp gave more comfort, convenience and closeness in that I no longer have to crawl around on the ground to setup up and get in, I have a more comfortable sleep, I have a comfortable chair, I can look at nature, etc, etc.

[JoeShanks]

Hello all, let me start off by saying I don't have a Hammock quite yet. Hopefully I will before too long and it's all Shugs fault! �� And here I thought I was done by an outdoor equipment this year! Hah! Famous last words for me. Started watching his videos for backpacking entertainment then sort of fell in love with the lifestyle of Hammock camping and I have never even slept in one. Thanks to Shugs recommendation I am looking at the Warbonnet RR and the Superfly tarp. Hopefully I will get a chance to meet a few of you and go on some adventures.
Mr Tmax

[ddhoperator]

Years of manual labor and a good mattress at home make the thought of sleeping on the ground sound like a nightmare. My family always had one of those rope hammocks in our yard, but I never could get comfortable in them. So I bought Grand Trunk Ultralite on sale to try out the "parachute-style" hammock style and it was perfect. So I started doing research, watching Shug's videos and saw that he always seems like he has a good time. With an upcoming camping trip with friends, I bought a HH system and watched more Shug videos and ended up having a great time too in spite of some terrible weather.

[Federico]

As a child, I used to camp with my family in Sardinia, Italy several weeks a year with tents. However our base camp always had a net hammock to chill out in the shade. I loved then and I always had a soft spot for it.
Nowadays I am a hiker in Scandinavia, where wind, rain and ice abound; I always struggled finding the right balance between weight, comfort and isolation from the chill, but never thought to go for a hammock, until I recently saw some hanging in the woods.
And waking up in the morning with a view on a frozen lake....

[MikekiM]

I've been pondering this for a while. I have no idea what prompted me to go to the trees. I know I hate sleeping in a tent, on the ground... It possibly the worst night sleep in the history of ever. I tried tent and tarp.. Hate them both as much as I hate prussiks. I'd like to say it was Shug's videos and he certainly was a contributor.

As far as getting hooked? All it took was one night in the hammock. Best sleep I've ever had. So it made perfect sense on every level. As a backpacker, I want a good night sleep and I don't want to be forced to compromise on location.


Sent from East of Montauk

[Sinfonian]

Well, I first heard about this site from Shug's YouTube channel that I've followed for years. I got my cheap hammock on a Woot sale and splurged on Dutch Gear whoopie slings and tree huggers. It was a year before I found an opportunity to set it up. I took it to summer camp for the scouts and practiced setting it up. I used the tree huggers all wrong. Still that night was the best sleep I've had in 20 plus years. I didn't know what I was missing. I've heard other say it's great for your back but I didn't believe them. Now I know and won't camp without it if I can help it.

My wish list is for a cuben fiber tarp and an under quilt. Some day.

Sinfonian

[Robbman]

My journey with hammocks started almost three years ago, in October 2013. I was planning a 5 day kayak trip for a bunch of my students, and found that they were all planning on hanging, so I borrowed a buddy's Hennessy, practiced setting it up a few times and slept for half a night in my backyard. The trip went great. It was so comfortable compared to tenting, I decided 'I got'a get me one of these." some months later, I got my own Hennessy. After a few more overnight hangs, I vowed, "I'll never sleep on the ground again if I can help it." I also loved that I had a place to sit of the ground after miles of hiking on backpacking trips.

[BEHOLD]

BeholdBungeeHammocks.com here. I have loved hammocks since I was 3, in 1953 and my dad put me into his canvas Navy hammock. I have owned more than a hundred hammocks in my life, and decided it was about time to make one, so here it is! I make them in my living room! I tried to upload a short movie, but it would not take it, so look at my facebook.com/beholdbungeehammocks page to see my hammocks in action, and I do mean action! Thanks, I have enjoyed being a quiet Hammock Forum viewer for years. Time to walk the talk.

[winterbeard]

I’ve been lurking through posts, for about a month, now. Figured it was time to say howdy.
My Mrs. and I have been using a 10 x 13 canvas cabin tent, we bought used, back around 1984 when we were first married. Lots of room, and of course, it held lots of kids.
We acquired a 10 x 8 model, to match it, about ten years later. Good thing, with 4 kids… we needed some GROWING room.
We pitched poly tarps, up to 20 x 40 size, some vacations. Folks would walk by, amazed, at some of the setups. My dad was navy, so we knew a few knots, by default.
My first experience with hammocks back in the seventies, was those little string ones, that they used to sell in kmart, for 4.99.
We would hang them in the back of C-130 Hercules cargo plane, over the rear loading ramp. The USAF would send us temporary duty to fix F-5 aircraft, at various stateside bases. You would get up to 30,000’ or so, and we were permitted to move around the cargo hold. I would go string up my string hammock between two bulkheads, and use my green field jacket for a pillow. I was in heaven for about 2 hours, until the temperatures in there dropped off. Then you would WEAR the field jacket.
A typical flight: 2 hours of swinging asleep … and 2 hours of just swinging.
After a whirlwind romance, and marriage, we built our house back in the oak forests of south Jersey, and settled down to raise 4 children, homeschool, hobby farm, garden, and all the other thrills that go with parenthood. My family surprised me about 5 or 6 birthdays ago, with a big rope hammock. It lasted most of the first summer, before my older boys were a little too rough in it. Boys will be boys.
I had never considered hammocks as a camping shelter, until I happened upon this clown named Sean (Shug) Emery, on youtube. He was all excited about spending a night in 17 degree snowy weather, and getting 12 hours of sleep. I’d a figured 10 hours sleep in a Motel 6 would suffice, but I could not deny the man was thoroughly agitated in spirit, at being out there, in the great outdoors! You just can’t fault enthusiasm like that. Anyway, since then, my wife and I have watched 50 or 100 of his videos, most of them 2 or 3 times. It’s a little scary, when you think that SOME nights… Sean is the last thing she sees….
Anyway, this led to my warbonnet blackbird xlc, and then to her warbonnet ridgerunner. Just like when we go to a restaurant, I have to wait and see what Patti orders, before deciding what Ted wants to eat. Sure enough. I liked the ridgerunner a bit more.
Ryan and Brandon just notified me that my new Ridgerunner has been shipped. YIPPEE !!!
Now, I just hope I don’t hit anybody driving, on the way home to get the mail, tomorrow. HAHAHA

Enjoying the forum. Nice to know you all, and Shug, you rock.
Ted

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”

[Old Magpie]

I still use both options. Depends on the walk, season, and reason.
I'm getting into fly fishing, so a hammock gives me a wider choice of camp sites.