View Full Version : Oh no! no way to hang what now?
m_walker
08-23-2008, 03:44
oh my goodness what have I found on the internet:D I am a newbie, so what do you all do when there are no trees? Do you pack a sleeping pad and just use the hammock as a bivvy?
m
Sometime you can be stuck somewhere that doesn't have trees. You may be above tree line, in the desert, or the forest is so dense that you can't find a good place to hang. There are a few remedies, but you should plan on being able to go to the ground. Many of the hammocks can be set up on the ground like a bivy using trekking poles. I don't think it is really done often in the field. It's still the ground but you get rain and bug protection. You may be able to hang on some boulders. Having climbing equipment will be real helpful for this.
If there was a possibility that I wouldn't have any trees I would take a pad for under hammock insulation. You can still use your tarp for rain protection.
My remedy is to only go where there are trees within walking distance. It is pretty easy here on the east coast.
slowhike
08-23-2008, 07:35
Welcome to HF M Walker.
What parts of the world do you usually hike in? I hike in the SE of the US & the only times I've seen someone really have to go to the ground was when there was when an old hammock ripped down the center. This was Ed Speer testing a hammock to failure & it failed him on a winter hike on Mt Mitchel, NC. There have been other cases no doubt, that's just my personal experience.
Most people agree that it's a good idea to have at least a 3/4 length ccf pad to use in case of such emergencies as well as for extra warmth in the hammock & a sit pad.
bear bag hanger
08-23-2008, 11:01
The most likly place you'll be when you can't hang your hammock is at a camp ground where they don't allow it. I've run into this a half dozen times since I started hanging about six years ago. Generally, you set up your tarp on the ground and attach the ends of the hammock to the ends of the tarp, being careful not to actually hang from your tent or hiking poles. I think the mosquito (or Clayton hammocks) are the best at this. The Hennessee is the most difficult to goto ground with (using the underneath entry makes getting in and out difficult), but it can be done.
I always carry a ccf pad with me, mostly for warmth when I'm hanging, but it works as ground insulation in a pinch.
FanaticFringer
08-23-2008, 15:10
I keep hiking till I find some trees. Which around here is mabye 10 feet or so.:D
slowhike
08-23-2008, 15:15
If for some reason you decide to use your hammock on the ground some time, I would strongly suggest that you use a ground cloth or even your ccf pad BETWEEN the ground & the hammock to avoid damaging the part of the hammock that holds you off the ground<G>.
m_walker
08-23-2008, 17:25
I love the idea of hanging above ground, but I have plans to hike in different areas, desert, brushy areas, above the treeline etc. I'll just have to give this thing a try do they have a couples set up?
m
FanaticFringer
08-23-2008, 17:37
I love the idea of hanging above ground, but I have plans to hike in different areas, desert, brushy areas, above the treeline etc. I'll just have to give this thing a try do they have a couples set up?
m
You can relax or maybe nap as a couple in a hammock such as a Eno or Treklight double hammock. The consensus around here is that it is not very comfy for sleeping.
www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4790&highlight=couples+hammock
oh my goodness what have I found on the internet:D I am a newbie, so what do you all do when there are no trees? Do you pack a sleeping pad and just use the hammock as a bivvy?
m
Ask and ye shall receive. Here's one alternative in this thread.
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5434
Miguel
Just Jeff
08-23-2008, 17:41
You wouldn't use a hammer to turn a screw, and you wouldn't use a hammock above treeline. Maybe a better analogy is that you wouldn't use a four season bag in the summer...but that doesn't mean four season bags are useless.
Pick the right tool for the job. Or pick the right trip for the tool, if you really love your tool enough...
EVERY tool is a hammer! Except a screwdriver; that's a chisel.:rolleyes:
Schneiderlein
08-24-2008, 15:51
EVERY tool is a hammer! Except a screwdriver; that's a chisel.:rolleyes:
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
swampfox
08-24-2008, 17:41
EVERY tool is a hammer! Except a screwdriver; that's a chisel.:rolleyes:
::D
I'm writin' that one down.
riverkeeper
08-31-2008, 00:31
Sppousie thinks fine knives are pry bars, screwdrivers and chisels.
6 feet over
08-31-2008, 02:13
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.
::D
I'm writin' that one down.
Nice! The way I heard it was: "To a hammer, everything is a nail."
--
Excellent posts, both this one and the one that was linked. They answered another question I had posted elsewhere here.
I'm really coming to appreciate the versatility of a good tarp.