Hanging in AZ

[Rsquared]

I am the proud new hanger and recovering ground pounder.

I am a dual-sport rider and love to travel. When I was in Ecuador this summer I met a girl with a Hennessey Hammock. I was really intrigued by it as the only time I had used a hammock was on the beaches or in the homes of friends throughout Central and South America. I never thought of using them for camping as I had not seen one sturdy enough to go camping with, let alone protect me from mosquitoes and rain. I filed this in the back of my mind.

When I got back a few months ago I pretty much lost that file when school started and went back to tents. A few weeks ago I was invited to go on a dig by of my professors and low and behold up pops "HAMMOCKS!!!". As mentioned I travel by motorcycle, for fun and because it is the only vehicle I own, and the chance to not have to sleep with a rock in my spine after a few hundred miles of riding was pretty **** appealing (not to mention the space savings). Due to the fact that HH was the only camping hammock I knew of I checked out their site and was intrigued. Luckily (or unfortunately in some cases) for me I can't make a purchase over $100 without doing ridiculous amounts of research I had until January 2nd to absorb as much Hammock knowledge as I could.

My research led me to this site and, thankfully, also to Ed Speer Hammocks and Warbonnet Hammocks (I really appreciate the way they represent themselves, unlike others [not too hard to figure out who I am referring to], they answered my emails personally, and they are small "local" businesses that make their products by hand and obviously take great pride in their work). I was really torn between the two as I liked the combo of the Hammock w/ Winter Tarp from Speer but I also saw the immense amount of love for the Blackbird. I decided to go for a Blackbird with a Speer Winter Tarp. Unfortunately, Brandon was on vacation and I wouldn't get the hammock on time. I tried looking for a used one on multiple sites but they were scarce and the ones that were posted sold quick, a sign that I was after the right hammock. With these difficulties I ordered the combo from Speer. I was happy but there was something nagging me still.... None the less I resigned myself to accepting that the Blackbird was out of reach for the time being.

On Christmas day I got a surprisingly generous gift from a friend. Later that day I was just browsing the forum and I saw "FS:Warbonnet 1.1 dbl Blackbird" in the marketplace. My eyes shot out of my head when I saw that there were no replies. I quickly jumped on the opportunity and started a very efficient and pleasant transaction with redbeard (thank you again for making that purchase and my first interaction with this board so friendly and courteous).

Now I my Hammock equipment list is as such:

Hammock: WB Blackbird 1.1 DL and Speer
Tarp: Speer Winter Tarp
Insulation: Sleeping Bag + Clothes
Suspension: Whoopie Sling

I received the Speer first and tested it out immediately. After laying in it I was confident that if I did not find a Blackbird by the time I had to leave I would still be very happy. I found it to be a really quality hammock and soon realized that I will probably be hanging for the rest of my days. I just received my BB today and it is something special. During my research one of the things that pointed me to the BB was that fact that there are lots of anecdotes about people going from HH/Clark/etc. to the WBBB but I have yet to find the reverse. I now see why.

Now I have two hammocks and am a few days away from a week long trip with them. I look forward to testing them both out but I have a feeling it will end up being a wash between these two quality products. I am having a fun time practicing hanging in my garage and tying my friends stuff up with all the knots I am learning (they prefer the slippery buntline hitch . I don't know how I made it 24 years in my life without knowing what a prusik knot was, amazing knot, shame on me)

Thanks to all on this forum, as I read though many a post and learned so much recently. I think that hammocks are an excellent addition to my gear, as well as my life, and will make motorcycle travel that much more fun and rewarding for me.

I want to add a special word of thanks to Shug . I watched all of your youtube videos and they were very informative and helpful in preparing me to make this hammocking venture as successful as possible. Thank you, I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and humor.

[Just Jeff]

Great story...hope your trips turn out better now that you'll have good nights' sleep!

You'll probably want more insulation below you than the crushed bottom layer of the sleeping bag and some clothes. Pads are cheap, warm and bulky...and available at most camping stores. Underquilts are relatively expensive, warm and comfortable...and may not get to you before your trip.

[mbiraman]

Great report. So cool that you ended up with a couple of good hammocks. I feel fortunate to have come into the hammock life. For now it hangs mostly in my living room but will be doing more outdoor stuff soon. Jeff has good advice about the extra insulation under you. I've got an 85 , 750 Shadow.

[Rsquared]

Jeff, I forgot to mention that I had got a pad and a space blanket for insulation as well. I read about that in the thread here titled "Sleeping bags in hammock not getting proper appreciation ". This was one of the reasons I liked the Blackbird, as the dual layer option seemed to be a smart choice to allow me to easily add bottom insulation without the expense of an underquilt and without the frustration of having it shift around too much.

[pgibson]

Yah a very cool story, and Welcome. Shug is the man, not only dose he put out a ton of good information about gear but he makes it so much fun to watch. Every new video I have my 2 boys crowding around me watching along and "WOO BUDDYING" at every thing he dose or says. Sounds like you are getting together some nice gear, the BB is hard to beat

[Rsquared]

mbiraman nice to meet you and it is good to see another rider around here

I may actually be heading up your way around mid-February. I am going to try to sneak off on a long weekend to check out the Olympics. I have never been to one and it would give me an excuse to go to BC again (beautiful place). Crossing my fingers that work and school will allow me to do this.