Do you feel superior in any kind of way over those who grovel on the ground?

[Scottybdiving]

I don't get many opportunities to hang (FL state parks don't allow) and last time (ab a year ago) on a kayak river camping trip, I was able to find trees on the first night but not on the second - too far back in the buggy bushes.

I have a reverse feeling...those with dome tents are set up in no time, while I"m still struggling to get the tarp up.

But I have arthritis and sleep apnea so getting a good nights sleep...priceless.

Since then, I've bought all sorts of goodies and will do a lot of practicing.

going on a mini-backpack trip on March 6-7. I'll report back.

After a lot of tweaking and improvement, there's no way I could put up a tent and fly faster than my tarp and hammock. Maybe if it is raining, it would take me longer, but I would stay a lot dryer since the tarp would go up 1st and come down last.

I am of the opinion not to try to encourage everyone to try a hammock. In fact, on my upcoming trip to Middle Fork of the Salmon River in June, I am not going to encourage others in my group, since trees may be limited at some camp sites. I told them about using a hammock when I started, but that's the last I will mention of it. We will see who feels superior when they get up off the ground and do the "Zombie WalK" in the morning

[BillyBob58]

That looks like a hang glider landed in the field!

LOL! That's kind of what it felt like! This was on my first hammock hike ever, on the 3rd night. On the 1st night I nearly froze to death in the hammock, bailed out for the ground about 0200. Second night had the RUNS, which sped up my learning curve for getting in and out of the HHSS. But at least I slept both comfortable and warm, things were just beginning to come together.

But I had such severe altitude sickness (worse ever) that I was slow as molasses and could not make it over the pass and down the other side to the trees. This pass:


So we had to give up and camp on the moon for the 3rd night. Boy, that was a bad night. The ground was very uneven tundra, is the word "hummocks"? Lots of 1 foot high hills and valleys to lay on. We were kind of worried about a storm with severe wind blowing up in this extremely exposed place. It was a wide tarp pitched pretty low, hoping to minimize the square footage of "sail".

Early the next morning, I made it over the pass and down to the trees, here:


I know that HH tarp pitch looked ridiculous, but I was still deep in the learning curve. However, though it wasn't pretty but I slept wonderful that night. And this was the view from my hammock, looking around 360*, with the tarp pulled back:

BTW, this is WY's Warbonnet Peak!( I know, WBG's namesake is in Idaho, just sayin!)


Camped just right of center of this pic, other side of the lake, in those trees to the right, in the background:


By this time, the cursed hammock was really starting to grow on me! Now, this is not a total hijack, because it's about how I slept on the ground AND hung from the trees on this one trip. And I did feel superior to myself, comfort wise, on some of the nights on this trip. Guess which ones? But when it was necessary to go to the ground, to the ground I went with out hesitation. Thank goodness I always carry a pad.

[peanuts]

amen

*this message is too short.................

[stormcrow]

I have bad back problems, and tend to throw it out, recently, a lot! Once I do, it's more than a week before I'm back in commission.......UNLESS my hammock is up in the living room, then bless my soul, it is almost just a one night's sleep before I feel almost normal! Now, if I sleep in the bed, I've had a bad night. I've joined the ranks of Doctari and Cannibal!

I feel like I should be proselytizing to the local chiropractors! I feel enlightened, and sad that such a debilitating condition might, with my type of problems, be a simple solution for others. Superior? No, but I wish others would open their minds to unorthodox ideas, and discover something actually can work!

[Hawk-eye]

.... Superior? No, but I wish others would open their minds to unorthodox ideas, and discover something actually can work!

Yeah like eating slugs and scratching the inside of your head with a tent stake huh?

Sorry pal ... just had to ... and by the way still get a laugh out of you and Shug snagging hooks out of each other's nose in the gorge! Quality entertainment!!!

[ref103]

i found the whole hammock thing early in my camping/hiking ventures. thank goodness. seems to me that we hangers are a far more open minded group. we don't look at other's set-ups on the ground or in the trees and think " what an idiot!" we think either : "this is the way i do it, if it helps you to try it" , or, " hey, if that works for you great!", or, "man, i got to try that."

the whole general ideal of this forum is an open minded, non-judgemental, try this, try that, but overall I AM COMFORTABLE.

we're just as accepting of wally world ccf pad as 350$ UQ and TQ. If i showed up at a group hand with a sheet for a hammock, a 9$ utility tarp, 2 wool army blankets to lay on and 2 on me, and a vietnam era alice pack you would all be accept me the same as a 10 yr hanging veteran and offer any suggestions or help you could.

[MacEntyre]

These tents make me feel inferior...

[thorwren]

WHOOPS - that comment left my Stormcrow was MINE, I accidentally wrote under HIS name - and I don't eat slugs....Or impale myself with tent stakes.....yet.

[GrizzlyAdams]

WHOOPS - that comment left my Stormcrow was MINE, I accidentally wrote under HIS name - and I don't eat slugs....Or impale myself with tent stakes.....yet.

yes, I could tell it was you. That post had a number of advanced vocabulary words---unusual for Stormcrow, all spelled correctly

[Hawk-eye]

yes, I could tell it was you. That post had a number of advanced vocabulary words---unusual for Stormcrow, all spelled correctly

HAAAA ... it's pick on Ginger boy day! That's alright Stormcrow ... we all love ya pal!