One of the things that I do (besides work and bees and hunting) is teach marksmanship for the Appleseed (Appleseedinfo.org) program. To be 100% honest, that was what got me into looking at hammocks and realizing that maybe backpacking wasn't impossible.
Twenty years ago, I hurt my back. Though I haven't had surgery, I have learned to live with pain. The worst of that pain is getting up in the morning. When I started teaching with Appleseed, I found myself camping regularly. While a tent and an airbed works ok, I wanted to find a better (and cooler in the Summers in NC, VA, AL, etc) way to sleep. That desire and Shug's videos brought me here.
Two weeks ago I spent 7 nights in my WBBB. This was the second experience with it (the first being a 30f night back in April). It worked great. I used a pad for some insulation since I thought it too hot for the Ptarmigian from Stormcrow. It was also the maiden voyage for my JRB 11x10 cat tarp. It was a voyage with thunderstorms, winds and heavy rain. But the tarp and storm shield kept me dry.
For those 7 nights I slept better than I have in years. Also, for the first time in years, I awoke in the morning without back pain. Not without much back pain, not without some back pain, but without any back pain. That's not even true in my bed. It's particularly not true after spending 10 hours a day standing, teaching, demoing rifle positions and coaching shooters on a concrete pad.
So, now I'm figuring out how to hang at home. I spoke with Ed Speer last week and he was kind enough to take the time to explain the pipe hammock stand that he uses. I think that one will soon take the place of my bed here at the house. If it works, I will be a full time hammocker. Can I get a "whoooo buddy" from the choir?
About the title. I bailed from the hammock for one night after the Rifleman's Bootcamp was over and headed to the Day's Inn in Siler City, NC. While the AC and the 30 minute shower were nice, and the king size bed looked great with 5 pillows, I awoke the next morning and it took me 30 minutes to reach an upright position. That's why I wish it had been 8 nights.
I still haven't decided on a house hammock. I'm leaning toward either the dbl traveler or a Speer. I really like the lay of the Blackbird and that is pushing me toward the Traveler. But I have also heard that the Speer is really good when you find the sweet spot. Any advice from the forum would be appreciated.
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