View Full Version : First night out in my hammock
Big Jim Mac
07-11-2010, 18:47
Mailman delivered my long-awaited bugnet from REI so I got it set up Friday night, along with the Doublenest, ENO Pro Fly and the new carabiners and tent stakes I got from REI. After mowing the grass and taking care of some other chores, I decided to spend the night in the hammock. It was already 11 pm so plenty dark, but I grabbed my NF Cat's Meow bag and a Thermarest pad and headed into the woods. Don't recommend trying your first sleeping bag lay in the dark. I stuffed the bag and pad in the hammock, then stuffed myself in and tried to get inside the bag. You have to be a gymnast to pull this off which I am not at 6-1 and 210 pounds. Never could get the bag past my chest. The pad was another story, it was pretty much pointing straight up at the foot end and very little of it was under me. Still managed a pretty good night's sleep, using my pillow as a blanket for my chest. It was a relatively cool night. Woke up in the morning with an owl softly hooting and bullfrogs croaking in the nearby pond. BTW, I left the hammock set up and we had a big storm blow through this afternoon, tornado 60 miles south. Went out to see how it fared. No problems, and the ground underneath the tarp was completely dry.
Interesting first night out. My first night out I struggled with my sleeping bag. Gargoyle gave me a great tip that drastically reduced the problem with getting in the bag. Put a tarp or small pad or anything you can stand on in front of your hammock. Then put your sleeping bag on like a big body sock. Then get into your hammock. The pad will behave much better when you are not wrestling with you bag. I hope this helps.
Bags in a hammock can be a bear. Bags that are long enough on the ground just don't seem to fit when in the hammock. Add the challenge of trying to stay on a pad and you might as well be a circus performer.
All part of the fun. :D
Big Jim Mac
07-11-2010, 20:56
I had the same idea about putting it on first.
Just Jeff
07-11-2010, 22:32
When I use a bag in the hammock, I lay it over me like a quilt and zip it up as much as I can...about up to my butt. Then I grab the bag near my shoulders with one hand and my waist with the other hand, and roll over. Now I'm inside. A little readjusting and I can zip it up.
Doing that on a pad ain't easy... :jj:
Or you can just lay on the pad and throw the bag over you like a blanket, instead of climbing inside.
Big Jim Mac
07-12-2010, 06:29
Funny, but I've been reading all these posts and you just don't get it until you get outside and see for yourself! I'm ready for some Whoopie slings, top and bottom quilts, etc.!! I'm working on a stand, at some point my ENO might end up there and I'll get something like the Warbonnet Blackbird for camping. Of course I have a couple of sons who will need hammocks too. It's a vicious circle...
Perkolady
07-12-2010, 06:56
Congratulation on your first hammock night!
I've been using a hammock for a lonnnng time now, but I still learn something every time. I find it's a process... (addiction) :lol:
Enjoy!!
My first night in a hammock was spent about three weeks ago when we had the super Moon. I was on a Scout outing with my sons Troop at Red river gorge. Man I learned alot of things I need to work on that night. But still better than being on the ground right.
johndavis709
04-11-2011, 01:29
HI,
Haha nice post.
Well I had an outing last week with my friends. My friends are very lean so they easily slipped in , but I am a little overweight, so it was a task for me to slip in my hammock., Still had a wonderful experience. :)
DerNageler
11-29-2011, 11:37
I used a ENO Single Nest for my first hammock night out. I tried out two different hammocks during the weekend. It was under freezing but using my BA Lost Ranger and Insulated pad was able to stay almost too warm. I too would not recommend trying out your bag in the dark until trying it out a few times in daylight to get used to sleeping bag and pad placement first. Also was helpful to not look stupid in front of my friends who laught at me wanting to hammock. They were waiting for me to fly out of the hammock or do some tumble. The hardest thing I found with using a bag was zipping the bag up. I still like the bag zipped.
pellet gun
11-29-2011, 11:50
Funny, but I've been reading all these posts and you just don't get it until you get outside and see for yourself! I'm ready for some Whoopie slings, top and bottom quilts, etc.!! I'm working on a stand, at some point my ENO might end up there and I'll get something like the Warbonnet Blackbird for camping. Of course I have a couple of sons who will need hammocks too. It's a vicious circle...
haha, I know the feeling!
jons4real
12-06-2011, 18:44
That is awesome! Congrats on the first hang.
Grasshopper
12-06-2011, 19:02
I used a tip I saw in one of Shug's videos. I spent a cool night here in the south (35 Degrees). I had a walmart blue pad underneath me. I had my mummy bag zipped up short of my knee. I just took the rest of the bag and stuffed it around where the pad didn't cover. I slept like a baby all night.... actually started to sweat a little