Paradigms, fools and their hammocks:)

**smalls** · 02-05-2011, 12:08

First let me say I'm still a total newb. I have 2 nights in a hammock.

I have a back injury that, while managed pretty well right now, has the potential to cause an awful lot of discomfort. I did a lot of hiking and camping prior to the injury 5 years ago, but only in the last year have I recuperated to the point where I can get back in the woods. Sleeping on the ground still causes issues though.

I was reading AWOL On The Appalachian Trail around Thanksgiving this year, and there was a very brief mention of someone hiking the trail using a hammock. It was interesting, but I can't really sleep on my back, so I didn't put a lot of thought into it. Then just on a whim I googled 'side sleeping in a hammock', and this forum popped up, along with Shug's videos.

I'm an engineer, and love homebrewing anything and everything I can. I'm a ham radio operator and build a lot of my own equipment for that, so hammock camping is just a perfect fit all around.

**Riverpirate** · 02-05-2011, 16:26

For me it was about finding a better way to camp. As a prostaffer for Ocean Kayak I do a lot of traveling around the SE for seminars and tournaments and fishing trips. Motel rooms got expensive. So I started camping a lot. I was tired of trying to get comfortable sleeping on the ground so I started searching the net for a better way. I found hammocks and them hammock forums and now I look forward to camping.

**grok** · 02-05-2011, 16:39

Originally Posted by Riverpirate

For me it was about finding a better way to camp. As a prostaffer for Ocean Kayak I do a lot of traveling around the SE for seminars and tournaments and fishing trips. Motel rooms got expensive. So I started camping a lot. I was tired of trying to get comfortable sleeping on the ground so I started searching the net for a better way. I found hammocks and them hammock forums and now I look forward to camping.

Need an assistant? Will travel, no hotel necessary.

**packeagle** · 02-05-2011, 16:51

I have to thank a small Hennessy Hammock Display at NOAC in 2006. From that time on I was set on Hammock Camping eventually. When NOAC 2009 came around I was on a hunt for the Hennessey display. I ended walking away with a deal on a display model Explorer Deluxe. Stumbled on Hammock forum in my search for more information on hammock camping and have been hooked ever since.

**creativeKayt** · 02-05-2011, 22:07

I was researching tiny houses and thought about putting a hammock in to save space. I found this forum and jumped in with both feet.

Just to link --- other "What made you a hanger?" stories are captured here: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=6675

Some great reads! I enjoy reading about everybuggy's journeys.

**Slanket** · 02-06-2011, 10:10

I originally just bought an Eno Doublenest to use as a place to relax while backpacking and car camping. After learning about people just using tarps and a sleep pad I started to wonder if anyone did the same thing with a hammock. Not long after that I ran into a couple of hammock campers on Reddit, which is a website where people make their own sections (subreddits) dedicated to whatever and users vote on and comment on links people submit.

I found them on the Hiking and Camping subreddit. One of them mentioned this place and I was amazed at what people were coming up with. I ended up making a couple of new subreddits dedicated to hammock camping and ultralight camping.

Still learning about knots and whatnot, but I'm having a lot of fun learning about all the different aspects of hammock camping.

**Shug** · 02-06-2011, 10:23

I was out on a trip and trying to have a breakfast in my TarpTent and was leaning on my arm out of the front of the tent and my arm was numb. I was shimming stuff sacks under me and squirming to get comfy.
I remembered I had an old Lawson hammock at home. 5 pounds though.
Hooked it up at home and started tweaking.
Went online and found JustJeff's and Risk's sites and was enthralled!!!!!
Then I found this place!!!!!
It has been on ever since.
Hammocks reinvigorated my backpacking making it more fun and cradled me in comfort. now I happily have "Breakfast From The Hammock" with no dead arms!
Shug

**zukiguy** · 02-06-2011, 10:38

I picked up an old military surplus GI hammock at a yard sale some time around '99. I rigged it up tight as a guitar string and it promptly tossed me out onto the ground a few times before I started surfing the net. I knew their had to be a better way....

I ended up lurking on Sgt Rock's and Risk's pages for lots of good info. As to get going on the cheap I got a promotional HH off e-bay. It was one of the old style expeditions in a bright red with "Snap-On" logos all over it. It slept good but I'm 6' so a little more length would have been better and I wanted to save some weight. I pawned that one off cheap to one of my hiking buddies. He's never really embraced the hammock thing though so it's sitting somewhere in the bottom of his gear pile now.

I ordered a backpacker ultralight from an online reseller and as it turns out they sent me an explorer ultralight by accident (good since the backpacker model is a bit shorter). That was about 8 years ago. A zipper mod, new suspension, and OES tarp later I'm hooked.

**lowclass** · 02-08-2011, 23:19

I have been backpack hunting and camping for as long as I can remember and hammocking for about half that time. I rmember on one trip loseing the tent poles(left them in the truck) and having to cram into a two man tent with my father. We had to level out a spot on a hill side and I ended up sleeping on a bolder. I ended up buying an eight dollar hammock at wally world and using my cowboy bedroll as my weather protection. Packed like that for years comfortably until I had to move into a new home with my better half and she gave my hammock away???? Still have no idea why... Decided to buy a new one and everytime I typed anything hammock related into a search this site kept popping up, drove me nuts I hated forums. Now I have a clark nx-250 and am thinking of a WBBB just can't decide on what one to pick. I do sometimes miss the old set up something about the cowboy bedroll I never had CBS.

**Sprite** · 02-08-2011, 23:27

Fun topic!
I spent seven months on the AT crawling around in my TarpTent while two of my hiking partners were hanging, above all the mud and puddles. Every time I knelt to crawl inside and then crawl to turn around, my knees just got so sore. I was really jealous that my partners didn't have to kneel and crawl all the time. And I was sick of trying to find the perfect, flat camping spot only to get flooded anyway.
I've only tented a couple times since then, and I regret the soreness each time. Hammock forever.