For years, I've car camped at a lake where I teach people to Scuba dive. One year I felt like I didn't spend enough weekends camping so I decided to go backpacking. A few miles in, I clearly needed to lighten the load and besides, I don't sleep well on a thermarest. I saw a camping hammock set up and started thinking.
It turns out that I could shave 8 or 9 pounds off my load, so I got an all in one, amateur proof setup. The first time I set it up, one end was tied to my house and the other to the rack of my truck. I got in and it was the most comfortable thing I ever laid down in. I took a 3 hour nap. Now it's replaced my car camping tent, pillow and sleeping pad. I got drybags for my clothes, etc that I hang on the suspension, but I may add a little gear tent at some point.
I got into hammock camping for 2 reasons.
1) I am a city boy. I never really saw the appeal of camping when I was younger. That was what crazy people did. As I got older I started trying new things I hadn't done to get out of my box. I started by hiking and found out I actually enjoyed it. So I thought why not try camping too? I knew i didn't want to go the tent route as I toss and turn in my sleep. So hammock was really my only choice.
2) I also got into it in honor of my uncle who died. He was a avid backpacker and hiked all around the world. He was an awesome influence in my life and I wanted a way to remember him.
I have always been a camper, and spent plenty of time traveling and camping around Aus, hunting, fishing,canoe and boat trips...all the good stuff. Whilst I love my swag, and generally have heaps of room to carry it, the hammock has been the only way to go on my motorcycle, and on overnight canoe trips. Packs small and is super comphy. Spring and summer , I carry it in my 4x4 ute,and do prefer to use it over the swag. It has the added bonus of being up off the ground, and away from the snakes and spiders we get to camp with over here,not that I have very often had a problem with them, but a bit more piece of mind I guess. Also doubles as a great lounge chair , by the river with a fishing rod in one hand and a beer in the other.
I had a friend at a church I worked at who had in interest in hammock camping. He invited me along and because I had issues with my neck and found no problems when hammock camping, I was hooked.
While 'dreaming' of a hike and reading other's experience on the AT I choose to hang. In 2015-16 it was a thought process. Now, I have a hammock with an anticipated March 1,2020 NOBO AT hike, if I should live so long...
Waking up on the ground resulted in me hurting. Wanted to sleep on air, or close to it.
Six years ago, I bought a ten dollar net hammock to string up behind the shop I work in to take breaks in. It was so comfortable, I started researching hanging a hammock to sleep in every night at home. In doing that, I discovered Hennessy hammocks, and thought that sounded worlds better than sleeping in a tent on the ground, and bought one to replace my squirrel damaged tent.
I've been sleeping in the air ever since.
First started learning a bunch of knots on youtube and came across some fella talking about tarps and bushcraft. I thought to myself, "Hound, you enjoy camping, hell you love it. Why not check in more to this bushcraft style". I started watching videos and got hooked on the idea of hammocking. While reviewing tarp ridge and guy lines I came across a youtube video posted by Shuggety Shug Shug of the third Shug. From there I became obsessed with hammocking, tarps and backpacking.
I am not really a die hard hanger yet as I am still learning but I know I never slept great on a mat and did ok on a cot. I want to get away from car camping so a hammock makes sense for sleeping. I am not sleeping better in a hammock vs my bed at home but have surpassed the comfort of sleeping on the ground. There is way more to this than I would have ever thought and I am improving my setup every time I am out.
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