Places to hang

[Moray]

Hi all, I just purchased my first hammock and tarp and I’m looking for a hammock friendly campground where I can overnight and try it out. I live in Rancho Cucamonga CA and don’t mind traveling a bit,I just want a safe area. With the recent fires I’m not sure what my options are. Thanks Ray

[Bizzz]

There is a good campground about 45 minutes from you where the SoCal Hanger's group hang is held each year. The group site is Falcon Crest, but for single sites it's Blue Jay which is about 1/2 mile further up the road. Lots of good sites to hang, but my favorite is site #25.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/clev...a/?recid=47588

[Tyroler Holzhacker]

I used to live in Monterrey CA, and I recall there being a fairly decent population of black widow spiders out there. Wherever you end up hanging, check for the dreaded black widows so as not to wake up to a nasty painful bite. The weather out in Cali is gorgeous though, so enjoy hanging. You may want to invest in a hammock stand to hang wherever you want sans trees.

[Moray]

Bizzz,thanks for the info. I wasn’t sure if that area was open after the fires this year. I might take a ride out today to check it out. Do you know if that area is safe to leave gear hanging while I do a day hike? Tyroler, my new hammock is a WBRR and has bug netting so not to worried about spiders,but thanks for putting that thought in my head!!! Not sure if I can use a stand with a ridgerunner?

[cmc4free]

Bizzz,thanks for the info. I wasn’t sure if that area was open after the fires this year. I might take a ride out today to check it out. Do you know if that area is safe to leave gear hanging while I do a day hike? Tyroler, my new hammock is a WBRR and has bug netting so not to worried about spiders,but thanks for putting that thought in my head!!! Not sure if I can use a stand with a ridgerunner?

I've used the Tensa4 stand with the RR (for one overnight so far) without any trouble. It took a few adjustments to get the proper sit height, but was no problem. The Tensa4 is a bit of an investment though, so if you just want to try it out, you could make a DIY tensahedron stand using 1" EMT conduit or fence rail. If you leave the posts at 9'-10' long each, I think the RR would fit with no trouble at all. I might suggest adding an adjustable ridgeline to the stand, like the commercial Tensa4 has, in order to avoid putting stress on the RR (which has no ridgeline) in the event of any unexpected results. And don't hang higher than you're willing to fall. But this could be a relatively quick project and very minimal expense.

With no personal experience in this area, I think DIY turtledog stands have been used with the RR as well.

Edit:
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...urtleDog-stand

[Bizzz]

Bizzz,thanks for the info. I wasn’t sure if that area was open after the fires this year. I might take a ride out today to check it out. Do you know if that area is safe to leave gear hanging while I do a day hike? Tyroler, my new hammock is a WBRR and has bug netting so not to worried about spiders,but thanks for putting that thought in my head!!! Not sure if I can use a stand with a ridgerunner?

The campground is fairly remote. Once you turn off Ortega Hwy it's about 5 miles, so not a lot of riffraff especially this time of year. I've never had a problem leaving my stuff depending on which site you take (some are more secluded than others). I will usually do a 2-4 hour hike and no problems yet. You know nowadays theft is often opportunity based and it only takes one knucklehead at the right place and time. You can stow your most valuable items (hammock/quilts) in your car until you return just to be on the safe side. Good luck!

[Moray]

I did my first hammock night at Blue Jay last night. I had the whole place to myself or so I thought. The sound of a car wakes me up at midnight. 49 empty campsites and this guy pics the one right next to me to spend the night. Kind of creeped me out and had a bit of trouble falling back to sleep. Besides that it went pretty well. Learned some stuff. Thanks again for the recommendation.

[Bizzz]

I did my first hammock night at Blue Jay last night. I had the whole place to myself or so I thought. The sound of a car wakes me up at midnight. 49 empty campsites and this guy pics the one right next to me to spend the night. Kind of creeped me out and had a bit of trouble falling back to sleep. Besides that it went pretty well. Learned some stuff. Thanks again for the recommendation.

Congrats on your first hang, and I'm happy it worked out for you. I agree about the guy showing up at midnight and setting up right next to you. It's just so odd to me for someone to do that...especially in an empty campground.

[Moray]

Congrats on your first hang, and I'm happy it worked out for you. I agree about the guy showing up at midnight and setting up right next to you. It's just so odd to me for someone to do that...especially in an empty campground.

I didn’t mention the strangest thing,that he slept in his car!

[Trance]

I didn’t mention the strangest thing,that he slept in his car!

I wouldn't not go back to the campground, at least not for a while.