Short live report from my new Claytor JH

[TheWild]

My Claytor arrived today, so right now I'm having a go at my first hang in the comfort of my dark frontyard
Still a complete noob, so I'll have to look into tying the knots properly tomorrow - for now I'm hanging firmly in my driveway
Didn't setup the tarp, but luckily I decided to setup the hammock under my carport - we just had a massive amount of rain pouring down, so that could have ruined my first hang a bit

The Claytor is really comfortable, and I won't hesitate recommending it to other people starting just starting out in the world of hammocking. My 4 year old son also approved it earlier and made his dad promise to buy him one as well
Guess I'll be placing another order soon!

Looking forward to testing the Jungle Hammock in the woods soon - without the internet access, pizza slices and stack of books

I've read somewhere, that without pics it didn't happen, so please ignore this entire post, as my digital camera is out of order

Happy hanging to all
/TheWild

[Poppabear]

Congrats on the new hammock!

[TheWild]

Congrats on the new hammock!

Thanks Poppabear

[TheWild]

I've now completed my first hang and here's a few thoughts, observations and lessons learned:


1. Sleeping in hammocks seems to be easier on the back than a bed.. I woke up feeling refreshed and pain free for the first time in a long time. That lower back is usually killing me in the morning.
2. Once in the hammock, a 4 year old won't willingly leave the hammock... even if it's yours and you have been waiting impatiently for it to arrive
3. I'll have to practise setting up the hammock before taking it on trips.. I managed to tie it securely, but taking the time learning a few knots will surely be rewarded later.
4. Rocking hammocks remind me of my newborn son in the cradle.. A great way to understand your children and why they feel safe in the cradle
5. I'm getting an UQ at some point!.. even though the Claytor has a space for a pad, it's somewhat difficult to keep your body on the pad the entire time. I can imagine how cold that would be in autumn and winter.
6. Using an open synthetic sleeping bag as TQ will work just fine for us beginners.. but not as cool or lightweight as the real TQs


And a few notes on animal encounters:

7. When you're hanging in the yard, your own cat can scare the cr** out of you in the middle of the night...
8. When you're hanging in the yard, it's really cozy hanging with a purring cat in the middle of the night
9. If you keep chickens and a rooster in the backyard, the rooster WILL wake you up really early in the morning no matter how comfortable the hammock is
10. Pigeons make a really nice ambience when relaxing in the hammock... just make sure that they aren't right above you

/Hanger for life: TheWild

[NCPatrick]

Nice report! Congrats on your new hammock!

[TheWild]

Nice report! Congrats on your new hammock!

Thanks

/TheWild

[soundmanob]

Good report Wild and welcome to hammocking. Love my Claytor and I originally used the standard suspension and learned the knots from the www.mosquitohammock.com site. Well worth your time and you may find it lays wider because the gathered end is not bunched so tightly. I used the bolan for the loop and truckers hitch with the free end.

I've moved on to a couple suspensions since then and now use the Whoopie slings for simplicity and lightweight properties. Easy to change out to them when you are ready...

If you want to learn more feel free to PM me or just pose a question to the forum. They are great bunch of guys and gals here.

Everett

[TheWild]

If you want to learn more feel free to PM me or just pose a question to the forum. They are great bunch of guys and gals here.

Thanks Everett, that's very kind of you! I just might take you up on your offer, at some point

And you're so right, HF has a great bunch of guys and gals.... Being "hammockly impaired" you'll find all the help you need on HF. I've been a member of a few other forums in the past, and have never encountered such kindness AND politeness as I experience here.

[Bubba]

LOL. So the cat scares you then the purring helps calms you down. Looking forward to hearing how it goes in the woods.

[TheWild]

LOL. So the cat scares you then the purring helps calms you down. Looking forward to hearing how it goes in the woods.

LOL yeah....Oddly enough

I'm already planning a trip to the woods.... too bad that something as trivial as work, has to come in my way of packing the bag and head out now

/TheWild