Went car camping with the family last week to Elkmont in the GSMNP. This was my first out-of-yard experience with the hammock and things went well. Trails were hiked, bears and yucky bugs were seen and lessons were learned.
Night time temps ranged from about 58* first night to 69* last night and it rained only once (last night). I went equipped with my ENO Doublenest, Guardian bugnet, PLUQ, overquilt (ok - fleece sleeping bag) and cheapie Wally World tarp.
Lesson 1 - not sure I'm going to be able to deal w/ the bugnet. That thing is close, confining and interferes with getting a good hang. Luckily the bugs were not bad at all (aside from a few daddy longlegs that insisted on tap dancing on my melon occasionally in the night).
Lesson 2 - since I changed from the ENO stock suspension to my whoopie slings / tree huggers, I apparently don't have the faintest idea how to attach my PLUQ. Accordingly, I had no under insulation but made do with a fleece jacket and the fleece bag on top of me. Being a warm sleeper can be a good thing, apparently.
Lesson 3 - the dry creek bed over which I pitched my hammock the first night collects a couple of inches of water (spring or seep or something) and this wakes the mosquitoes early in the morning. The mosquitoes excite the daddy longlegs. Awake mosquitoes and excited daddy longlegs tend to make me thrash around comically. Moved my hammock for the second night and reduced my nighttime visitors.
Lesson 4 - Crocs are ok for bumming around the campsite but they STINK for wading in trout streams while fly fishing. I'm thinking of naming my blisters.
Anyway, here are a few pictures for your amusement / amazement.
First two pics are of the first night's rig, before I bagged the guardian for the week. Third pic is my spot for the rest of the week. I did the tarp a bit high up until the last night - when we expected and got some rain. Fourth pic is the view from Chimney Tops - short steep trail. The last is my dad surviving a vicious bear attack...
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