Poll: "Campouts" forum??

**headchange4u** · 12-06-2006, 15:19

This site is not quite 2 months old and already there has been a winter camp out planned. Ewker and I have been discussing a section hike on the Sheltowee Trace sometime this spring. Other members had expressed interest in the Red River Gorge and I had thought about trying to plan a hike there in the spring also.

I think it would be cool to have a forum here on the site where trips could be planned and members could post trips they will be taking.

Large group campouts can be proposed and planned and individual members could also post any weekend or overnight trips they may be taking in case they want some company. It would also be the place to mention other events or gatherings that may be of interest to members here. Trip reports could be posted here also.

Do you guys and gals think that this forum would be a good idea or just continue as we do now?

**FanaticFringer** · 12-06-2006, 16:15

Sounds like a great idea.

**headchange4u** · 12-06-2006, 16:20

I was also thinking this might be a good place for those who are just beginning to use hammock or those who are curious about hammock camping to hook up with a hanger and get some experience hanging on the trail.

**Ewker** · 12-06-2006, 16:37

Originally Posted by headchange4u

I was also thinking this might be a good place for those who are just beginning to use hammock or those who are curious about hammock camping to hook up with a hanger and get some experience hanging on the trail.

so which one of you are bringing the rope

**Coffee** · 12-06-2006, 20:07

Sounds good to me.

I think it would keep all of that stuff in one place instead of in the general forum.

**slowhike** · 12-06-2006, 22:16

seems like it would be good to have a place to organise trips here.

**Just Jeff** · 12-07-2006, 03:22

Curious about the 'no' vote...anyone wanna say why it's not a good idea?

**Peter_pan** · 12-07-2006, 10:04

Originally Posted by Just Jeff

Curious about the 'no' vote...anyone wanna say why it's not a good idea?

Sure.... Personally, I believe that things are more inviting and inclusive in the general forum.... too many specialty forms give the appearance that they are pigeon hole subects..... that they may not be of general interest... may be skipped by newbees, when often there is good general info, especially for newbees.

This site is quite small, to date...easy to get around on...quick to read... The facts are: that Backpacking is a nitche sport to start...Hammocks are an ever smaller nitche, but growing, within that nitche...

Let the forum grow... then index subjects into subforums, if/where necessary... Heck, we have forms that have never been posted... sorta screams "new site" or "no interest"... neither are the impressions that we want to give lurking visitors/newbees to hammocking.

BTW, there is considerably less hammock talk for the general public on WB... and the bias of many posters over there against hammocking is not off set by a ready and constant visibility of discussions of hammocking and its merits, as it was before we created this specialty forum.... Think about it ... several of us have had to post over there for newbees or questioners to come to this forum... They do not necessarily find it on there own, at this time....True, as a gear maker, I may have a bias... But ... as advocates, we should all think of our visibility and of our perceptions of inclusiveness in the sport.

But then I'm probably the only no vote... Hung Jury? Recommend thinking about these points for a while.

Pan

**Ewker** · 12-07-2006, 10:25

this site http://www.thebackpacker.com/trips/ has the best trips page out there. It is probably the only backpacking website that has a trips page.

There are trips all over the place. Someone will post a trip and people sign up.
It is a great way to meet folks who backpack whether they hammock or not.