why do most hammockers on hammock forums

[neo]

1. why do most hammockers here on hammock forums spend more time hammocking in thier back yard. than they do on trips like kayaking,hiking,
cycling or any other outdoor activity.

2. why do most hammocker on hammock forums carry way more gear than they did when were on the ground,

lots of people post they need 3 quilts, a pad and all kinds of cloths to camp in the 30's or 20's


i still believe simple gets it done

1 pad
1 quilt
i double bottom hammock neo

[skar578]

i guess since we are all different, we go to different temperatures at different paces. I am planning on making a quilt in the distant future, but want to get enough down, not to much, not to little.

and i would rather have a bulkier quilt then an uncomfortable pad.

[Redtail]

You two questions are based on assumptions with no basis. Seems more like what you want to ask is "why isn't everyone just like me". What works well for you might not work for others. I am very happy you found an effective system that works well for you.

[neo]

You two questions are based on assumptions with no basis. Seems more like what you want to ask is "why isn't everyone just like me". What works well for you might not work for others. I am very happy you found an effective system that works well for you.

no,thats not the case,i am going by what i see in a lot of post over a period of time. neo

[GrizzlyAdams]

Any trip that isn't in the back yard (or stealthing in a city park) is a big production for me---it's at least 1 hour drive to get to a preserve that is interesting (and I have to stealth there too because hanging anything on trees is strictly forbidden!) Weekends have lots of family oriented activities that don't admit to me disappearing on my own to go hang. I'm also in the mode of experimenting with different insulation combinations, to see what's simplest and lightest for a given anticipated low temperature so that when I am able to hit real woods, I'm going prepared.

that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Grizz

[BillyBob58]

I wish I had more time for more overnight hiking trips. For example, I had hoped to attend Neo's Dec get together at MLSP, TN. But just when prospects were looking pretty good, I was reminded of a previous commitment to the wedding of the children of some friends at church on the very Sat. night I had hoped to camp. SIGH!

But even that wouldn't count for what Neo is asking about. That really doesn't count for a multi-day hiking trip, the reason most of us are always looking for gear that is lighter and more suitable for such trips. And don't forget, more comfortable. That's really not much different than a back yard deal, except we can get together and have fun with those of a like mind, and can't bail out without significant inconvenience. Unless you are TNHillBilly and you bring an RV with you! Though I suppose we could bail to our cars if it was really bad, but that would be pretty uncomfortable.

Myself, I am limited to one wonderful, week long deep wilderness trip per year.
On that trip, if all goes well, I will cover 25-50 miles over extremely rugged terrain at high altitude, usually ending up at least 2 long days hike from any trail-head, and then a long drive to any town( or even a house) from the trail head. I have now done this type of trip twice with a hammock after many, many years of going as a ground dweller. I could probably do this more than once a year if I went by myself, but as I have grown older I have lost the desire to do that, and also worry about the risk of solo wilderness travel. I never thought twice about going alone when I was young and full of piss and vinegar. I do now. In the mountains where I most frequently travel, there have been two hiker deaths in the last 10 years that I am aware of. Both were solo. One was a fall with head injury. One was trapped in a rock slide, his leg pinned under a rock. On a "trail". He died of dehydration/starvation before some one came by and found him. He wrote in his journal daily as he lay there trapped. Both would have lived to tell the tale if someone had been with them. Both of these happened the very weeks I was there, two different years. Which is probably why I know about them, I heard about them in the near by towns the day we came out. Any way, I am a little more cautious about solo travel these days.

I am always planning weekend hiking trips somewhere here in the south, but they rarely come together. As with my week long trip, getting my friends( from multiple states) together, with the same weekends off where someone's other family activities don't interfere with at least one day of that weekend, always proves to be a challenge. So it rarely happens, and I'm just grateful we can pull of the planning and actually go that 1 week a year. Plus, I just don't like to do over nighters in the south, even in the mountains, except in cool weather. I can't stand the heat and humidity, especially at sleep time. So I am pretty well limited to half the year at the most. I usually don't even day hike in the summer, except while training for my week long trip to the Rockies.

In the meantime, the backyard serves as pretend time, as well as practice with new gear. Although, I do frequently go on day hikes with a pack, here in the local woods. I go to a state park that has about 4 sq. miles of road-less area, that is also trail-less except for unofficial trails that have been cut by horsemen and dirt bikers. I go several miles off trail, practicing with map and compass. I will do my best to get "lost", and then find my way back practicing these map/compass skills. And recently, with the new toy: GPS. That almost seems like cheating! But, it is a lot of fun. I will often stop and set up a stealth "camp", just to stay in practice. But I have never stayed over night yet, I just pack up and go home as the sun starts setting. Though I keep saying I am going to stay out there stealth fashion someday. It will have to be stealth, as I don't think any over night is allowed out side of the official campgrounds.

Any way, I guess most of us don't go as much as we like just because it's hard to get the time without disrupting family events or causing work schedule problems, complicated by the friends we go with having all of the same problems. I hope I am still able to long distance hike when I finally retire or semi-retire. Especially with my grand kids, one of whom will be old enough pretty soon! ( currently age 6 and 3 )
Bill

[nartoff]

Neo,

1. I really don't see why people are getting defensive over this blatant assumption. If this really mattered, talk about it after a poll. As a reason this assumption might be there, consider when and why people post. I have been out in my hammock on overnight hiking trips at least eight nights in the past few months, yet have only recently posted regarding questions I have on a new setup I am testing in the yard. Going out without testing first isn't smart, and it's only logical that people will post their questions before taking to the field.

2. I find the omission of a tarp from your simple list curious. I was out last night in freezing weather and received over 6 inches of snow during that time. Bottom insulation is a greater concern when you're off the ground, and some people may be in cold enough weather that they desire something extra. As Redtail said, the reason they might have more gear is that they need more.

[Hooch]

1. why do most hammockers here on hammock forums spend more time hammocking in thier back yard. than they do on trips like kayaking,hiking,
cycling or any other outdoor activity.

2. why do most hammocker on hammock forums carry way more gear than they did when were on the ground,

lots of people post they need 3 quilts, a pad and all kinds of cloths to camp in the 30's or 20's


i still believe simple gets it done

1 pad
1 quilt
i double bottom hammock neo

1) A lot of the folks here at HF use their back yard as a test site. It's close, can get inside as a bialout plan just in case and it's a quick travel.

2) What works for one, doesn't always work for the next person. Like someone else said, I'm glad you have a system that works for you, but just because it doesn't work for us, doesn't make it wrong. Jsut like what we use isn't right for you, but that doesn't make it wrong either.

[goosepepper enema]

only an idiot like neo would post something like this
maybe we should ban him from this site.anyone want to start a poll and vote
him off here goosepepper enema

[NCPatrick]

gp_enema, you must have this site confused with some other site... nobody has gotten banned from this site [yet]. There have been folks who banned themselves for some reason or other, but then they came back...