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  1. #1
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    Going to the ground

    Hammock on order, never camped with one, so....

    Why would you ever need to go to the ground? I'm thinking that if it is too cold then going to the ground would make things worse, no? If you don't have a pad, sleeping bag, etc. to handle it in a hammock how will it be better on the ground?

    I'm hoping that by hearing the reasons people go to the ground I'll be able to better prepare myself against having to do so.

  2. #2
    Senior Member StumpJumper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WonderMonkey View Post

    Why would you ever need to go to the ground?
    If you live in Central/Southern California like I do, sometimes you don't have a choice! There's a lot of places in the San Rafael Wilderness where you can't even find a group of trees.... much less two to hang from! Hot ... and .... dry.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by HobieCat View Post
    If you live in Central/Southern California like I do, sometimes you don't have a choice! There's a lot of places in the San Rafael Wilderness where you can't even find a group of trees.... much less two to hang from! Hot ... and .... dry.
    OK that makes sense. No way to hang so you can't hang.

  4. #4
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    It all depends on where your at which determines what the weather conditions will be.

    Sleeping in a hammock your under side gets coldest first. The wind blowing under you robs a lot of heat. You can seal up a tarp better on the ground than you can over a hammock. Heavy rain or high winds can also force you to the ground. Lack of trees to hang your hammock from is another thing that can happen.

    Lots of people sleep in hammocks in all weather conditions, it just depends on what your prepared for. I don't go prepared to go to the ground, once its warm enough I don't carry a sleeping pad so sleeping on the ground would have to be a last resort.

  5. #5
    PapaSmurf's Avatar
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    Rules/Regulations/Restrictions.

    Others have reported certain areas with restrictions on attaching anything (including hammocks) to trees. I suppose even if there are no existing rules in place, better be prepared to go to ground if a ranger comes around and says "Take it down".

  6. #6
    Senior Member TinaLouise's Avatar
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    I also don't carry a sleeping pad so me going to ground would have to be a last resort. You also need to be able to use your hiking poles with your hammock if your thinking of using it like a make shift tent/tarp. Lucky for me, my hammock is made so it can be converted to something like a pup-tent. (lucky me... ahh no...I tried this in my back yard and would rather lean against my backpack than try to sleep in my hammock on the ground.) So, the only thing that will cause me to go to ground is lack of trees. And if there's any way for me to find out that there's not gonna be trees, then I'd rather pack a tent and my Exped DAM and just be, relatively speaking, comfortable. Cold, rain, to hot, snow, skeeters, none of those things will make me go to ground. Just lack of trees. Oh and a Ranger telling me I can't hang. In that case, I'd just keep walking.

  7. #7
    Senior Member HappyCamper's Avatar
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    JD and I were hiking on AT in the fall. The temps dipped to freezing and we decided to stay in a hostel shed that had bunk beds and a woodburning stove. He had a Down Air Mattress (DAM pad) for his hammock insulation and used it on the bunk bed. He slept like a king. I didn't have a pad -- only an underquilt. I couldn't sleep at all on the hard plank bunk bed without a pad. So JD won out again because I kept the woodburning stove going all night since I couldn't sleep anyway. No use being awake AND cold.
    Last edited by HappyCamper; 06-16-2010 at 13:48.
    Exercise, eat right, die anyway -- Country Roads bumper sticker
    Fall seven times, standup eight. -- Japanese Proverb

  8. #8
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    The only reasons I can think of that would force me to the ground would be either a lack of something to hang from (trees are not the only game around) or some type of catastrophic failure with my suspension and/or hammock.

    The desert is the only place I can think of quickly that hanging would be exceptionally difficult more often than not. I try to avoid deserts cause I don't really find the beauty in them that some do. Desserts on the other hand, well that would be a thread drift.
    Trust nobody!

  9. #9
    Senior Member eflat7's Avatar
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    I can't remember who it was, but I read a thread on here once that someone forgot their tree straps. Although they improvised and made due, I could see someone (especially myself) forgetting something important and having to sleep on the ground. I recently forgot my stakes and lines. When I went to setup my tarp I was shocked. I could have sworn I packed em. I made due.. but, it could happen.

    When I first started hammock camping, I went all gung ho without an UQ in about 40 Degree weather. Needless to say, I ended up sleeping on the ground beside a fire all night, under the stars.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    Desserts on the other hand, well that would be a thread drift.
    NEVER hesitate in drifting the thread where desserts are concerned. I'm all for it.

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