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  1. #11
    New Member
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    Oct 2011
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    Truckee, CA
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    I'm actually planning to spend 4 months wandering aimlessly on the Big Island this winter. Last time I was there a few years back was my first experience with ultralight hiking and I've been a convert ever since. The airline lost my luggage on that trip so I was stranded there with nothing but $50, my cellphone, and a copy of 'Walden' that I had picked up at a bookstore during one of my layovers. I flew into Hilo, so naturally it was raining when I got off the plane. So I asked around at the airport until I found someone to give me a few trash bags, improvised a poncho and walked into town. Picked up a sweatshirt, hydration pack, pie-tin, 5lb bag of rice, and a couple lighters. That was my gear for the 3 week trip along with some supplemental fruit from the farmers markets. I used trash bags as a sleeping bag to stay warm at night, sleeping on restaurant patios, gazebos, or wherever else I could stay dry.

    The airline finally got my bags to me when I had about 5 days left. Suddenly all my gear felt absolutely useless as I was digging through all the crap I had packed. I emptied my pack, stuffed it all into the airporter bag, and talked one of the guys at the airport into holding on to it until I flew out. All I kept from my 50lbs of gear was my sleeping bag (a godsend at that point), tent rainfly, my knife and sierra saw (I actually had fully cooked rice that night!), and my toothbrush (using chewed up sticks just doesn't cut it).

    Needless to say, it was one of the most trying, miserable, and yet amazing trips I have ever taken.

    This time I'm flying in on the 'dry' side of the island...with my GT Nano 7 Hammock, GoLite Poncho/Tarp, and a MacCat tarp safely tucked into my carry-on bag. Don't make the same mistake twice!

    Hopefully I can find some good spots to pitch that are off the beaten path...not doing the car rental thing, strictly hiking and thumbing it to see what I can see.

    Anyway, the real reason I posted was to see how it was on the north side of the island as far as potential for pitching a hammock...does it seem like there are lots of potential spots, or am I going to be sleeping in the dirt again?

  2. #12
    Senior Member
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    May 2010
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    Arizona
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    rain = trees

    @the above poster
    Some of the real estate sites with Big Island maps, have one that shows rainfall.

    The north side is like the other sides, ranging from low, almost treeless desert in the rainshadow of the older volcano, to full rainforest where the coast is exposed to the tradewinds. The good news is, it is more sparsely populated, with the dense housing concentrated along the roads. Not sure how the residents of the more remote areas feel about visitors camping on their land.

    Some of the beach parks have camping sites that you can reserve in advance of your visit, demand is high enough that applying in person at the office in Hilo is usually too late so that is not recommended by the travel books. With a four month visit, you are on a different schedule. Don't be surprised if a local comes in behind you and does get a permit for what you were told was full. That is just how it is in some places there.

  3. #13
    New Member apnonimus's Avatar
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    May 2009
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    Auburn, KS
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    Hawaii is great for hammocking.

    One of my favorite places is north of Kona about 3-5 miles. Going along the Queen's highway, right in front of the West Hawaii Veteran's cemetery sign, there is a 4wd road to your left. The road is about 1 mile long, but when you get to the end, there is unpoliced free camping and a 10 minute walk to Makalawena (south). Spent quite a few nights out here, sleeping and waking to ocean sounds, blue water/white sand beach swims in the morning with sea turtles. Amazing.


  4. #14
    Senior Member flatline's Avatar
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    Nov 2010
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    high point, nc
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    Quote Originally Posted by slowhike View Post
    I was thinking we had at least one or more HF members living in Hawaii, but I don't see them on the HF Google map.
    these members signed from Hawaii on the Member Dispersal spreadsheet.

    Hawaii

    bkrownd (Upper Waiakea)
    mcjhr (ookala)
    nbmorton (Honolulu)

  5. #15
    slowhike's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    Winston-Salem, NC
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    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  6. #16
    Senior Member SanAntoneTY's Avatar
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    Oct 2011
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    San Antonio, Tx
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    Quote Originally Posted by slowhike View Post
    I was thinking we had at least one or more HF members living in Hawaii, but I don't see them on the HF Google map.
    how would one tag themself on this google map
    Ty

  7. #17
    slowhike's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    Winston-Salem, NC
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    Quote Originally Posted by SanAntoneTY View Post
    how would one tag themself on this google map
    Look on the home page & you'll see the HF Google Map there. It's been a while since I looked into it but I think some of the HF members more familiar with that Google feature have been helping people get placed on the map.
    Hopefully someone will offer advice.
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  8. #18
    New Member
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    Jun 2011
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    Evergreen, CO
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    Yeah- I'd say this place could kick your ***.... in a good way!

    Sounds like an awesome trip!

  9. #19
    Senior Member Scottybdiving's Avatar
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    Sep 2009
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    Spicewood, TX
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    Man, what a diverse Island. One side looks like you are on the moon, and the other is the wettest jungle in the US. Oh, and a 13,000 ' peak with snow in between.
    We are now ready to start our way down the Great Unknown.We are three quarters of a mile in the depth of the earth.We have an unknown distance yet to run, an unknow river yet to explore.What falls there are, we know not; what rocks beset the channel, we know not; what walls rise over the river, we know not. Ah, well! We may conjecture many things. The men talk as cheerfully as ever; jests are bandied about freely this morning; but to me the cheer is somber and the jests are ghastly. Powell 1869

  10. #20
    What folks failed to say was that:
    To get to Waimanu, you have to get into Waipio Valley first, then drive down to the black Sand Beach, get across the river to the other side, trudge the length of the beach, then cut inland, to the trailhead that dog legs UP along the side of the mountain "Z" like, then cuts across into Waimanu. The other options is to go in from the small town of Hawi where Pololu Valley begins once down the trail to the beach and then towards Waimanu. It's a tough hike either way to get into Waimanu. Pig hunters often travel into Waimanu for a few days to hunt goats or pigs with packs of dogs. Also, be aware of the ocean and surf conditions. It's dangerous and you can drown very easily and there are NO Lifeguards, NO anybody around on these very remote beach's to save your tushy if you get into trouble. All 3 valleys are in very remote locations so plan accordingly for rain, windy conditions AND, the chance of getting Leptospirosis from the running streams a good possibility IF, you don't carry nor use some sort of water purification for drinking or cooking. Take a water filter that gets down to 2 microns or boil your water until it comes to a rolling boil. ALOT of campers use the "pills", yet don't wait the "prescribed time", drink the water and still get sick. Don't, expect to "live off the land" unless you know what your picking and eating off tree's or shrubs here in Hawaii. Disneyland, is in California, not Hawaii, like some visitors think it is. Common sense, a well planned hike and a few necessaryitems in your pack should get you through to having a good time. Deviate, from these simple "rules of the road" and your trip may turn into a fiasco in Paradise.
    Aloha, KauaiSurfrider / Kauai K-9 Search & Rescue Unit, Kauai, Hawaii
    Last edited by KauaiSurfrider; 01-03-2012 at 04:05.

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