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  1. #21
    Member slinky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slinky View Post
    Assuming the world hasn't ended as we know it, Max and I will be there.
    Oh, no. No sites available on the springfeild.
    Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away.

    Slinky

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by slinky View Post
    Oh, no. No sites available on the springfeild.
    Instructions on how to reserve a site will be coming later.

  3. #23
    Senior Member Rat's Avatar
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    The Rat Mischief is in!

    Stop looking for reservations, they are gone, we are attempting to streamline the process a little; wait for the FAQ post all will be revealed.
    "I aim to misbehave." - Capt. Mal Reynolds
    Mind of a Rat Youtube Channel

  4. #24
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    I'm going to tentatively add the Warner Family in running for this as well. Assuming Zort can get the time off. Yes Zort I know what assuming does.

  5. #25
    Senior Member UncleMJM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rat View Post
    ...all will be revealed...
    Here we go...
    Texas Fall Group Hang 2019

    Looking back to last year to reminisce and forward to post Covid-19 hangs in 2021


    Texas Hammock Hangers Facebook Group

  6. #26
    Senior Member UncleMJM's Avatar
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    Frequently Asked Questions

    Frequently Asked Questions come up every year and to help simplify planning and to put us all on the same page, the planning team has put together the answers to the most commonly asked ones.


    FAQs


    If I have questions, whom do I ask?
    I’m pleased and thankful that Oldgringo, and Rat are teaming with UncleMJM and Alan for the behind the scenes planning for what promises to be our best annual hang yet. Each of these guys is among the handful of folks that have been part of this event from the start and are committed to helping continue it as the family friendly, fun event that it has become. If you have questions that are not addressed here, please feel free to post them and if others do not answer them on the thread, one of us will be glad to answer it.

    What is this thing? When and where is it? Are there enough trees? What does it cost? What do we do about food? What do we actually do at a group hang?

    What?
    The 7th Annual Texas Fall Group Hang is a family friendly, group, car camping outing for those who like to bring everything; (the location has showers and porcelain facilities for those who won’t leave home without them); day hikes for those inclined; lake paddling, fishing; pot luck dinners; Dutch oven cooking; DIY play time; lots of show and tell along with a little gear trading; group buys; stove tests; drawings for prizes, and some wonderful campfire fellowship. In the past there have been several "classes" ranging from splicing to foraging and from bush craft to Dutch oven cooking. If you have a skill to teach or an interest to learn, let the group know on here and the odds are good it can be shared.

    When?
    The Annual Texas Fall Group Hang is the weekend of the second Saturday in November, (This year that falls on 11/13-15, 2015)


    Where?
    Fairfield Lake State Park, Fairfield, TX. Most of us will camp in the Springfield (water only) section but for those who prefer to backpack some there is a primitive area and for those with stuff to plug in there are sites close by with electricity.


    This will be the 7th year that we've had our group hang at Fairfield, (and several of us hang there regularly throughout the year), and as good as Texas State Parks are, there are not any that are as hammock friendly as Fairfield. There are plenty of trees, however if one plans on bringing the kitchen sink and you have some simple stands, bring them along and have even more options. We also love "show and tell" and stands are fun for that too.

    One of the great things about this particular state park is that we have a long and very positive relationship with it and as a result, they allow us to camp where the trees are best. There is a 2 vehicle max and 8 person max per rented site, however the lines between sites can be blurred to help with getting the best trees for hanging.

    What is this going to cost me?
    There are no fees to HF or the organizers for the group event itself.

    Everyone brings their own food and gear, so the only costs are the state park fees for entrance/day use and campsites. The State Park charges a day use fee that is $4.00 per adult per day. (Children 12 and under are free.) The Park Service folks at the entry gate collect the entrance fee. If you have a State Park Pass, this fee is waived for all occupants of the vehicle.

    Second there is a campsite fee. Campsites accommodate a maximum of 8 people and 2 vehicles for the improved sites and 4 people for the primitive sites. Site fees per night are $9 for primitive, $12 for water only, and $18 for water/electric.

    How do I reserve a site?
    Go to the park website and follow the links to reserve a site.

    Some folks like to do this individually so they can have the privacy of their own site and not share with someone they haven’t met. And that's completely cool.

    Others don't mind sharing a site and splitting the cost. They typically communicate off line and make their reservation together. Upon arrival they still pay the entry fee at the gate and when they get to the camping area they meet up with the others sharing the site.

    We use one site or open space as the main gathering area for communication, information, coffee, campfire and potluck dinners and then spread out to our individual sites the rest of the time.

    I think I want to go but not positive I can yet. How do I sign up?
    Add your name and info to the Google doc spreadsheet and participant list to show your interest.

    When you know for sure that you are going the next thing to do is to reserve a site by “type”. (The State Parks do not reserve specific sites, only types of sites.)

    If you plan to stay at one of the 50 primitive, hike in sites or the 96 improved sites with water and electricity, simply contact the State Park reservation system and make a reservation.

    If you plan to stay at one of the 35 water only sites, (Springfield Loop, aka where the bulk of us hang each year), we have a different system in place this year. UncleMJM has booked and paid for the entire loop already to assure that we have the space to ourselves. (In years where we haven’t done this, we have been in competition with random ground dwellers for the sites with the best trees so this should be much better.) The way that we will do it is when you decide you are ready to reserve a spot, send a PM to Oldgringo giving him your name, your HF screen name and the number of sites you plan to occupy. He will send you PayPal instructions for your site cost. Include your Screen Name with your PayPal transaction. The cost per site for the hang is $36.00. This will cover Thursday arrivals through Sunday departures.

    The spreadsheet will be updated to show that you have paid and Rat will handle the logistics of site assignments/locations closer to the date of the event.

    Factors taken into consideration for site assignment include the number of hammocks per site, pets, affinity groups, accessibility issues and requests as possible. It is possible that we may overlap some sites among those where folks want to share while not infringing on the space of folks who prefer not to share.

    Where access to the lake is desired, if waterfront sites are not available, paths to launch can still be accessible. The most heavily weighed factor in site assignment is hammock-hanging options as that is the purpose of the event.
    Last edited by UncleMJM; 07-28-2015 at 20:20.
    Texas Fall Group Hang 2019

    Looking back to last year to reminisce and forward to post Covid-19 hangs in 2021


    Texas Hammock Hangers Facebook Group

  7. #27
    Senior Member UncleMJM's Avatar
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    More FAQs...

    What do folks do about food?
    Food planning is usually on the top of most folks question list so here are a few tidbits of info: UncleMJM and his bride host breakfast on Saturday morning at their campsite. The breakfast taco fixings will be provided and Oldgringo usually has a pot or two of coffee made. Saturday night is traditionally a potluck dinner with some crazy creative outdoor cooks sharing some good eats. Bring whatever you like and share it. Sometimes other meal plans are tossed out to the group but usually other meals are on our own. Everyone is responsible for his or her own plate/bowl/& utensils but if forgotten, there’s usually something paper or plastic brought by someone.

    How much food do we need to bring for Saturday for the potluck; do we need to bring food for 100, or will a main or side dish of 8-10 servings do? Some will fix big pots of food, (chili, soup, stew, gumbo…), but most likely the 8-10 servings concept makes sense. If you are bringing finicky eaters, a good idea is to fix something you know they will like and know that there will be a wide assortment for the adventurous palates in the family.

    When do we eat?
    Saturday breakfast at UncleMJM’s site is around 9:00.


    With sunset at 5:30, we shoot for food on the buffet table for the potluck Saturday night at 5:00.

    How many will be attending?
    Our group has grown every year. Last year there were over 100 folks and the space can accommodate more. Don’t worry, they won’t run out of space. Fairfield Lake State Park has 35 sites in the “water only” area where we are camping and we have all of them reserved in advance. There is a maximum of 8 per site allowed and at only 50% of that it could hold 140. In addition there are 96 sites with “full hook ups”, 8 overflow sites, and 50 “primitive” hike-in spots.

    This is my first group hang, what should I remember to bring?
    Everyone should plan on coming completely “self-contained” as on any camping trip. Group specific things might include a comfortable chair for camp fire lounging, a dish for the Saturday night pot luck, any spare gear you’d like to show off, sell, or trade. Also if you have some item you’d like to donate to the Saturday night drawing feel free to do so.

    Can I bring the whole family?
    Yes. This is a great place for kids and first time camping spouses/s.o. and friendly furry family members too as long as they stay leashed and do not disturb others.

    What if I am brand new to this or don’t even own a hammock?---but it sounds like a wonderful way to camp.
    Hammocks are the best way to camp; however, we also welcome the occasional ground dweller or “steel tarp on wheels” occupant. If one does not own a hammock, post that to the planning thread and the odds are good someone may offer a spare for “testing”. If it's your first time out and you need help setting up, just ask, someone will be glad to help out. Also frequently folks bring extra gear to sell or trade so it may be a good place to pick up what is needed.

    What about firewood?
    State Park rules prohibit gathering of wood. Typically several folks bring wood for the “group camp fire”. For fires at individual sites, individuals will need to plan on bringing wood or purchasing it at the park.

    Where can I find park maps, rules, and more information like rules relating to fishing, alcohol, and quiet hours…?

    Fishing from the bank in a State Park does not require a fishing license.

    1. There is a no public consumption rule at State Parks.
    2. Remember, this is a family event.
    The park has quiet hours from 10pm – 6am
    Here's the link concerning park rules and regulations.

    What’s the weather forecast?
    The weather is usually cool enough for campfires and too cool for swimming. We’ve experienced temperatures from 40* to 80*, skies range from clear and sunny to misty and rainy. Here's one site's best forecast guess.

    On site communication – How do we know about what is happening and when?
    We will have one site designated as the “Hospitality Site”. It is easily identified as the place with the Texas Hang Banner and a bunch of chairs in a circle. That will be where we have information about the pot luck dinner, Saturday night campfire, prize drawing, possibly some show and tell, sometimes a “pay it forward” type swap table and other hammock related activities. There is usually a message board close by the banner posting what is going on there as well as a list of any non-hammock related activities and where/when they will take place.

    Interested in off topic ramblings as we get closer? Check out the Texas Hammock Hangers page on FB. Just be sure to cross post the good stuff to this thread The intent and hope is that all the planning conversations, (regardless of where they start), end up here so all are on the same page.
    Texas Fall Group Hang 2019

    Looking back to last year to reminisce and forward to post Covid-19 hangs in 2021


    Texas Hammock Hangers Facebook Group

  8. #28
    Senior Member UncleMJM's Avatar
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    FAQs tres

    Can I bring gear to sell, trade or give away?
    Absolutely. This is a great venue to help clean out your gear closet or supplement it with that item that you’ve wanted but didn’t want to buy until you saw it in person.

    Can I Come As A Vendor And Set Up For Sales?
    From time to time we have had folks join in on this annual hang who are also vendors of hammock related items and they have been wonderful additions to the community. Part of what makes it work so well is that they were there as fellow hangers and not set up in "business mode".

    Sure we talked about their gear, especially that which they were personally using at the hang or items they donated to the Saturday night give-away-drawing, and many times folks have placed gear orders after seeing things in person or getting to know the vendor personally, but they were not there in the same way that one might get a booth at a festival or trade show.

    So, if you have gear or stuff you normally take camping, by all means that's fair game for impromptu show and tell when folks visit your site or while sitting around a campfire, but please don't bring a store to set up for business.

    What is the Saturday night tree prize? Do I need to plan on bringing something to donate?
    Since we have no doors for door prizes, we give away tree prizes. After everyone has stuffed themselves full from the pot-luck dinner Saturday night...we all huddle around the fire, rub our bellies, nurse our aching stomachs with Pepto, and wait with great anticipation (not unlike Charlie Brown waiting for the Great Pumpkin to make his appearance) for the official prize drawing to begin.

    Pens, pencils, and scraps of paper are passed around so that everyone can write their names down for the drawing. Those scraps are placed into some sort of container, then we typically nominate Mark (our version of Vanna White) to display and describe an item randomly taken from the prize box. His hand then gently dips into the container where the names on scrap paper eagerly await their chance at being selected. The name is read out loud, exclamations are made, merry-making ensues, and the selected winner comes to claim the prize! The process continues until all items from the prize box have been depleted.

    It's not necessary to donate an item in order to participate, but no one will object if you bring something for the prize box.

    The pay-it-forward trade table sounds self explanatory enough, but maybe a quick explanation?
    The way the Pay It Forward table has worked in the past was a table was set up Friday afternoon. People who wanted to play placed their item/s on the table. Those who put items out could come back later and trade for anything on there that they liked throughout the day, evening and all day Saturday. If your item wasn't picked up or if you choose not to take an item, the items left at the end of the potluck dinner Saturday night were added to the prize give away.
    Texas Fall Group Hang 2019

    Looking back to last year to reminisce and forward to post Covid-19 hangs in 2021


    Texas Hammock Hangers Facebook Group

  9. #29
    Senior Member UncleMJM's Avatar
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    Whew

    Those are just the most commonly asked questions. Got more? Go for it!
    Texas Fall Group Hang 2019

    Looking back to last year to reminisce and forward to post Covid-19 hangs in 2021


    Texas Hammock Hangers Facebook Group

  10. #30
    Senior Member UncleMJM's Avatar
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    Just to get us kick started, I have added the forum names of those who have already indicated they were planning on coming. Please update the rest of the information. From here forward, please add yourselves.

    Oldgringo, aka "The Checotah Territory Banker" will be the only one to edit the "$Pd" column though.

    Planning Spreadsheet
    Texas Fall Group Hang 2019

    Looking back to last year to reminisce and forward to post Covid-19 hangs in 2021


    Texas Hammock Hangers Facebook Group

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