I had a little buddy in the backyard with me for a test hang for the first time on Saturday night--my 5 year old son, in a hammock I made for him from dollar-fifty bin fabric from WM. He was on a blue pad in his 15 deg TNF Tigger bag, and says he was comfortable all night, even with me constantly checking on him (he's just a little guy). I really love those bags. I got one for my daughter, too, and they are simple and keep the kids warm. They are synthetic, which means they are a bit heavy and don't compress a lot, but I don't have to worry about the kids rolling off their pads as much, either.
I was pretty pleased that it worked out, considering that this was my first DIY hammock project and all. We hung it up a week ago along with mine in order to get the bugs worked out. When hanging from the same trees, I need to hang the bottom of his just a few inches above the bottom of mine so that we "match up" when hanging.
I made the bottom out of ripstop (nylon I assume--the bolt wasn't marked) and the bug net out of some fine netting they had on clearance. It wasn't noseeum, and it's a bit heavy and stiff, but it worked pretty well. I attached it to one side only, and it flips up and over the ridgeline, and hangs over the other side. I sewed some pockets on the inside bottom edge so my little guy can store stuff there, but also so the weight will keep the netting firmly in place. I got the netting idea from Risk's site. The ends can gap a bit, but I think a loop of shock cord would keep the ends closed up pretty well. Total cost: $9.50.
I'm really excited about this hammock and how it will keep ME off the ground as well as my son. I started taking my children on an overnight backpacking trip for their birthdays last year, which they think is pretty awesome. They love to spend a couple days 1 on 1 with Dad, and the woods provide endless fascination. Only problem (for me, that is) was that we had to take my backpacking tent, which meant I couldn't use my hammock. The kids aren't old enough to want to sleep in a separate tent, and I wouldn't feel comfortable enough letting them yet. Now, we have the best of both worlds! If you'd like to see a slide show of last year's trip at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonsaih...30312550/show/
Bookmarks