I was interested in wild camping (tents etc), wanted to branch out alittle and lighten my load, and while looking on ebay for a bivvy bag I stumbled across hammocks for sale, spent some money from a work long service award and have been experimenting since, about a year now, much more comfortable than ground dwelling (i'm in my fifties) and loving it,
A bit difficult in the uk but risking the legal side, lol
Several camping, hiking, and hunting trips where I did not sleep well on the hard ground while reading that all you guys were sleeping comfy up in the trees. Broad shoulders and being a side sleeper contributed to this as well, but you guys encouraged me to give it a try
at the time i started this thread, it never crossed my mind that it could reach 1000 posts.. but it looks like it's well on the way. wonder if we can make it before the end of the year?
whats a couple hundred new converts? it can be done, i say.
I became a hanger after I tore a disc in my back. I was looking for ultralight camping techniques that would allow me to still camp and stumbled upon shugemery. His videos are the best for gear reviews so I tested it out with a grand trunk an came to find out it reduced the pressure from my lower back and gave me relief when I slept. I now have a permanent hammock setup in my back yard. It's my gear testing spot for my DIY ideas and I've been sleeping in a hammock for about 3 months now. Much love shug for your informative and entertaining videos.
And while researching and watching Mike Dixon on YouTube, I noticed he used a hammock and then clicked on a Shug video and it was all over after that. I have an ENO doublenest as my first hammock. I love it and maybe I'll upgrade when mosquito season hits. I really want to start camping with it but it depends on my dog. I'm going to start training him to hang so I can DIY his own hammock (he's a 70lb smooth collie) and we can ditch the tent. I'll be sure to post pics if I can get him to do it. Here's hopin'.
I'd always loved hiking, but my only camping experiences had been with car camping. I knew enough to know that I didn't know enough to be safe out on my own, so I stuck to day trips. When my son joined a scout troop last year, I started tagging along on the campouts and soaking up some knowledge from the other dads.
I saw some of the ENO hammocks at REI and I asked one of the associates about it one day. When he told me that people camped in them, I just laughed at first. But the more I camped, the more I discovered that the ground feels a lot harder at 40+ years old than it did when I was 20.
So I bought a Hennessey in the spring and the rest is history. I had my first cold weather campout this past weekend (Bought a KAQ quilt from Paul at Arrowhead - Thanks!), and I've been working on a no-tree suspension system for contingency use that I hope to post pictures of to the No Trees? No problem - Ground Anchors thread if I get time this weekend (thanks to XeX and others for some great ideas).
I got into it after sleeping in a standard hammock on a boating weekend with a buddy. I had the option of sleeping in the cabin or on the deck during a wonderful weather weekend in a standard rope hammock. After those few nights I looked into the hammock thing for my backpacking.
For me, I realized it wasn't rocket science. I'm 62 yrs. old, and have been camping since I was 2 mo. old. Been thinking about hammocks for about 2 years after reading about it in several magazines. A few months ago started researching on-line, found HF and joined. Saw what everyone else had to say, bought my own hammock, and am looking forward to a Fall full of backpacking adventure with a friend and my son-in-law.
I got bit by the hanging bug by riding across campus (I work at Elon U.) and noticing a student "chilling" in a hammock. After seeing him a few times it made me want one. I went online, found this site, and, after reading forums about different aspects of hammocking, I puchased my doublenest. Now, I'm hooked! Thanks HF for the wealth of information and kindness of all whom I've read here.
Honestly...I saw shug's videos on YouTube
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