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Thread: SA says hi!

  1. #1
    New Member AcidHawk's Avatar
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    SA says hi!

    Hi,

    I have 2 boys 13 and 11 years old. Late last year we did a bushveld survival course and absolutely loved it. At the time we made our own shelters but had to sleep on the ground. The instructor had a really comfy looking mattress and, not only did we freeze but, I am sure that more rocks crept under me during the night. I am sure there were not as many when I first went to sleep.

    Anyway, on the second day the instructors wife arrived and he set her up in a awesome looking hammock and tarp (we call it a basha). Needless to say she slept like a baby and didn't want to get out of bed the next morning! We on the other hand, had been up before the sun as we just couldn't take being uncomfortable for another second.

    I have not been able to do very many trips since the course but my lads are begging to get out into the bush again. When we have been out it's been in a tent and on the ground!

    As a certifiable DIYer, I came across a few hammock sites in my research amongst which was this forum. I have lurked for a while and have decided to join in on the fun.

    After reading a few posts and watching a few YouTube videos I decided to grab a queen-size sheet, loop the end through a knot I found on the web and string it up between my stairs and a door frame (I did bend a piece of steel to fashion a hook for the door frame). Both my kids got into it and begged me to leave it there for them to spend the night in. They both commented on how comfortable it was. Pity I didn't take pictures of it. Couldn't get much simpler than 2 pieces of rope and a sheet.

    So now we are going round our tiny complex home looking for where we are going to be putting eye hooks up so we can hang whenever we need to. This weekend I am also going to build one of those wooden hanging frames that have recently been discussed on this forum. I am also on the lookout for material etc to start making my own hammocks.

    Oh well that's me, hopefully not too boring a story.

    BTW I have to buy my own thread injector as my wife doesn't have one?!? Don't tell my mates

    Cheers
    AcidHawk

  2. #2
    New Member AcidHawk's Avatar
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    Actually the other reason I started actively looking into the hammock thing was that a few nights ago, my boys and I put up a shelter in the garden (tiny piece of grass in the back). We set up our sleeping bags etc and were ready for a night out in "the wild"

    Needless to say it started to pour with rain. At first we were not worried as we had a very good shelter up. Problem was that our garden flooded and the patch we were sleeping on ended up 14cm under water. We, and all our gear, were drenched.

    It was then that I remembered our survival training and the instructors wife in the hammock. I checked out our yard and have a little idea of how us boys can setup our hammocks without having to worry about getting wet anymore.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by AcidHawk View Post
    BTW I have to buy my own thread injector as my wife doesn't have one?!? Don't tell my mates
    Welcome aboard! You'll come out of the closet about your sewing habit once you have all kinds of DIY gear that's better than anything your friends have.

    Are wait-a-bit trees real and are they as grabby as that one in "The Gods Must Be Crazy"?
    .. truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. - Herman Melville

  4. #4
    Senior Member Tedinski's Avatar
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    Welcome to HF AcidHawk!

    Where in SA do you live? I have friends that like to camp and like to forge iron (how's that for a mix?) near Johannesburg.

    Sounds like you've got a couple of great boys there... pretty soon (a couple more years?) they'll be running the power tools, including the thread injector, for themselves!

  5. #5
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    Haha, that's great. I'll have to remember to refer to it as a power tool. Never looked at it that way before.
    .. truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. - Herman Melville

  6. #6
    New Member AcidHawk's Avatar
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    Location

    I am situated in Benoni. As for the iron forge thing... seems we have more than just hanging in common.

  7. #7
    New Member AcidHawk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vitamaltz View Post
    Welcome aboard! You'll come out of the closet about your sewing habit once you have all kinds of DIY gear that's better than anything your friends have.

    Are wait-a-bit trees real and are they as grabby as that one in "The Gods Must Be Crazy"?
    Wait-a-bit trees (or Wag-n-bietjie) are VERY real. They are from the Acacia Family Check Here and can be a real pain. I have cycled through them a few times while mountain biking. they rip your clothes and do even worse things to your skin.

    I am sure they even jump out in front of you!

  8. #8
    Senior Member gargoyle's Avatar
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    Welcome aboard AcidHawk, can't wait to see what your pics include. Nice to see the global embrace of the hammock!!
    Ambulo tua ambulo.

  9. #9
    Senior Member kayaknut01's Avatar
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    welcome acid hawk, i got my rugby skills cut in S.A. was there for awhile on a student exchange program, loved johannesburg where i stayed. my temporary father during my stay owned a few diamond mines. we would go to the cape often for holiday.
    cheers
    i do not remember the question, however i believe beer is the answer

  10. #10
    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    Welcome to HF AcidHawk! I hope you will post pictures from your corner of the world.


    "Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."
    - Mark Twain
    “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”
    - John Burroughs

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