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  1. #1
    Senior Member pedro's Avatar
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    Trip Report: St. John, USVI

    I camped for a week with a friend in the Cinnamon Bay camp ground in the Virgin Islands National Park. We took about the most isolated site in the park, still not very isolated. I used a Hammock Traveller ultralight with rings and 'biner mod. I made a Speer style for my friend. Both were sprayed with Permethrin. I used netting from Joanne's for the bugnets, clipped to the suspension on both ends, with pebbles as weights along the edges. These worked just fine, but I'm going to try sewing the bugnet to one side of the hammock, ala JustJeff for the future. The tarp is a 12' x 12' guidegear with a couple extra tie points sewn on. This gave us loads of coverage for two.

    I tried the collapsable crutch idea for one tree hanging, it worked great! I did find, however, that there is almost no way to sink a stake in this ground so that it can support this kind of load. It's all rock and sand. I tried driving 3/8" steel spikes, and they would just go blunt on the rock without gaining any real purchase. Better by far to just tie off the support to other trees that are too far away to hang from.

    The airline didn't give me any hassle about carrying the crutch on with me, but in the future, I'm just going to take a multi tool so that I can unbolt a plank from the picnic table on site, and use the plank as a support.

    Weather: Highs in the high 80's, low in the high 60's to 70F. Occasional showers, usually at night. The only ice I saw was in my drink.

    Bugs: Mossies and noseeums. Lots of 'em! I had to dose myself with bug repellant before getting out of my hammock in the AM, or else I'd be chewed up before I could even get coffee on. And this is not the buggy season! To be clear, I am sweetmeat to the bugs.

    The snorkling was excellent, and the coral is definately coming back to life from it's recent bout with bleaching. More predator fish are also in evidence, which is a very good sign.

    FYI: I found that my gearskin clone makes an excellent carry-on bag. It can be packed just right for the airlines' allowable dimensions.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Good report, Pedro! Quite different from all of the snow and ice reports we are getting lately. And that is pretty wild with the crutch support!

  3. #3
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
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    limp?

    so Pedro....did you go through security using the crutch as though you needed it??? I suppose it went through the x-ray machine, did you limp through the metal detector

    very unique hang you got to do, thanks for sharing

    Grizz

  4. #4
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    That reminds me that there is a "Jungle"(rain forest) in Puerto Rico, the only one in a US National Forest. That would be a most appropriate place to hang.
    Thanks for sharing.

  5. #5
    Senior Member pedro's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Good report, Pedro! Quite different from all of the snow and ice reports we are getting lately. And that is pretty wild with the crutch support!

    Thanks, BB58! For safety, I replaced the hinge pins on the crutch with 1/4" stainless bolts and wingnuts. At about 2 lbs, it seems like a good option (if there are no picnic tables to scrounge wood from).


    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    so Pedro....did you go through security using the crutch as though you needed it??? I suppose it went through the x-ray machine, did you limp through the metal detector
    very unique hang you got to do, thanks for sharing

    Grizz
    Grizz, I just couldn't bring myself to fake a limp through security. We were placed in the emergency exit seats anyway, and I would have had a hard time explaining how I was competent to open the exit if I was walking on crutches! Nice legroom in that aisle, though. Actually, I carried two of them on with me, bungeed together. Nobody hassled me. Airline policy is that they're legit carry on in addition to your other stuff.


    Quote Originally Posted by Take-a-knee View Post
    That reminds me that there is a "Jungle"(rain forest) in Puerto Rico, the only one in a US National Forest. That would be a most appropriate place to hang.
    Thanks for sharing.
    I'm game. It's cheaper than going to the VI. Shall we plan a group hang for, say, end of January 2010?

    Thanks for the feedback, guys!

  6. #6
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    The crutch idea is too good! what a paradise ... snorkeling and sun and sandy hammocks! Looks like a great holiday.
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

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