So cheap you'd think I was Scottish

[NailedDown]

Hello Hanging Community,

I'm not new to back pack camping. However, I have never camped in a hammock, never slept in a hammock, never seen a camping hammock in real life and can only recall ever climbing into a hammock once in my life. I do remember that it was very comfortable though.

So why am I here?

My wife has recently started talking about wanting to hike the West Coast Trail here on Vancouver Island, BC. That won't happen until at least next summer as you must book your trip in advance. Hiking on this trail is very controlled. Our kids are both under 10 but are now old enough to carry a small pack. It's time to get them into backpacking. There's a little resistance from the kids at the moment so being the resourceful dad that I am (internet to the rescue), I started looking for MYOG information. Get the kids involved in making their gear and then using their gear... MAKE THIS FUN! We will be making penny stoves shortly. Then I stumbled on a YouTube video by Hiking Dad who put together a series of videos on making a hammock/bug net. Very cool! I showed this to my daughter and her face lit up. What dad can refuse that??? . Hiking Dad referenced this forum in his video so I did a search and here I am.

Okay, so that's how I got here. Where does the cheap Scottish thing come into play? Before I brought camping hammocks to my daughters attention, I looked up the price. Roughly $150 a pop at Mountain Equipment Co-Op before you start adding in the extras. $150 + top quilt + bottom quilt + + +... (x4 ) Holy defecation Batman! And that's when my Scottish side reared it's head and took over.

The eventual goal is to build (4) camping hammocks and related gear. 2 full size and 2 not so full size. No need for kids to carry a lot more weight than they have to. I will have a few questions (okay a lot of questions) before that happens though.

[Cali]

Woot has Yukon hammocks for sale for $20 each without netting and $25 each for netted hammocks. May be the best route to take at the moment.

[DanglingModifier]

Howdy from another Scot!

I don't mean to sound discouraging, but it can be challenging to find a spot to hang two hammocks in close enough proximity to establish an intimate campsite, let alone four hammocks. Be sure to do your homework on where/how you will hang, and don't rule out lugging a couple light man made struts in order to open up your options for proximate hanging.

[99Star]

On the cheap angle: Wal-mart Equip $15ish online order, store pickup , without net and only blue color.

[The Old Boot]

Welcome to the site!

Be forewarned that there are simply no Canadian suppliers of DIY materials and other than MEC and a few outfitters, no real choice in hammock gear. Done properly, bringing it all in from the US can actually be less expensive than you think.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. There's a bunch of us Canadians who DIY our own gear who've gotten the supply end of things already figured out so you don't have to re-invent the wheel....

[NailedDown]

Hey there, Thanks for the leads. Unfortunately, I'm in Canada and Woot is US only. Wal-mart, never really considered but then I'm still back into modifying a net and need to add a fly.

DanglingModifier, Very good point and I haven't given this a lot of thought (though it has crossed my mind). Similarly, where do I find 2 "flat" spots in the bush to try and erect (2) two man tents close together? A friend and myself were hiking in the Walbran park here on the island. It took us a long time to find an area suitable enough for my little pup tent (yes, one of those 40 year old, bright orange boy scout tents) and his bivy bag. There's going to be challenges no matter how I approach this, hammocks or tents. Another issue in our area is the sheer size of the trees... (Douglas Fir, Cedar and Arbutus are the most common and they are huge) tree straps are going to need to be quite long. Because of the trees being as big as they are, there's usually a decent amount of space between them. These struts you mention might be exactly what I need. I do not suffer from gram-i-tis so an extra pound in my pack is not going to get my knickers in a twist.

[NailedDown]

Thanks Old Boot. Oh, the joys of Canada Eh.

[The Old Boot]

With trees that big you might be able to get away without separator struts. With tree straps you can hang one from the left side of the tree and one from the right side...as opposed to bringing the suspension straight out from the middle of the tree.

Maybe you can answer a question for me Nailed Down.

I'm headed west for 2 1/2 weeks of mainland camping touring. Me in my hammock and a pair of ground dwellers. We'll be using BC Parks and other campsites but not privately owned ones.

I have a proliferation of tree straps and stock of material.

Should I be carrying 15 or 20' tree straps as well as my assortment of 4 and 6' ones?

[oldpappy]

Maybe DIY will meet your interests. These don't require sewing:
Hammock:
Walmart has nylon - usuall on sale. I'd use 4 yards to make a comfortable hammock. No need to finish any of the edges.
Here's how you do the ends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJlEQpcbM1I

The HUG Bugnet, use a $5 window sheer also from Walmart:
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...k-Half-Bug-Net
These window panels have finished edges - no need for the optional grosgain.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays-...ingMethod=p13n

You'll need webbing (for tree huggers). For your hammock suspension you can use webbing or 50 feet of 7/64" Amsteel - all inexpensive.

You probably have pads and sleeping bags from tent camping, so all you need to figure out is a tarp.
Make one, try it, what you learn goes into the 2nd one.

[DanglingModifier]

where do I find 2 "flat" spots in the bush to try and erect (2) two man tents close together? There's going to be challenges no matter how I approach this, hammocks or tents.

I hear you. It can be hard to find a good place to set up a tent. Harder still to put two near each other. It all depends on the terrain whether it will be easier to hang a hammock or put up a tent. With that said, keep in mind that what you're talking about doing for the family is analogous to finding four spots for tents, not two. You could get very lucky and find a single strong hub tree with four other trees just the right distance away, letting you do a hub and spoke setup with your four hammocks. That's like winning the hammock lottery. In my experience it's more common to find one good hanging spot, then another 50 feet away from it, and another 100 feet away, etc. One strut that let's you share a tree can go a long way. Big trees can make it harder because of their distance apart as much as their girth.

Browse the forum for hammock stands, paying particular attention to the Handy Hammock and other pole and strut-based options.