Noobie from Louisiana

Although I have been backpacking for over thirty years, I have only dabbled with hammock camping for the last three years or so. Frankly, my experience with hammock camping has been mixed but I want to try again. The four nights I have used my hammock, each night I have gotten a serious headache and gotten no sleep at all, something I have never experienced on the ground. But a lot of places in the south where I like to hike, the only established campsites are very well worn because the flat spots are few (mostly in the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains). I get tired of camping in such sites and want to be able to set up camp almost wherever I feel like.

I have decided to change hammocks and have ordered a Warbonnet Blackbird. I hope this helps my sleeping issues. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Gerry
Ruston, Louisiana

Welcome to HF!

As far as the headaches are concerned, are you sure you had the hammock fairly level? I've hung occasionally with my feet too high, and that has given me headaches. The accepted norm is to hang with your foot-end slightly higher than your head-end... but maybe you're a person who sleeps better with your head-end slightly higher?

Welcome to the forum Taedawood. I have a blackbird and like it very much. For the most part its the most comfortable thing i have to lay in. There is a sweet spot in it and took me a couple of weeks to find it and it might be different for other folks. I like that i can lay on my side also. A good piece of gear. You'll be wanting a good tarp next. Let us know how things go with the WBBB.

Gerry, Welcome to the forums. As already mentioned it sounds as your headaches may be traced to pitching your hammock with your head lower than your feet. The WBBB is the cadilac of hammocks. Brandons website has a good video on how to pitch it correctly. Also Shug's videos may be helpful to you.

Thanks for the welcome. I don't know if I had the foot end too high or not since it's been over a year since I last used my hammock. Right now it is too darn hot to try it again so I will wait until my BB comes in and the weather cools off some.

It makes me long for having a cool basement like the house I grew up in back east. My wife already knows I'm crazy, especially about hiking, so she would not be surprised if we had a basement to see me sleep in a tarp hung from the ceiling joists!!:D