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Thread: Howdy Pardner!

  1. #1
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    Howdy Pardner!

    Hello! I have been browsing awhile now and thought I would introduce myself....

    I am from Wichita, Kansas. I am 27, and started getting into biking seriously when I was about 24. I decided to quit smoking, and I needed something to burn off some stress. (Also, I had an extra hour of time to "burn" a day, so I had to fill it with something!)

    Well, this led to me being interested in bike-touring. I have chosen to go the camping route rather than the credit card route, and have rather enjoyed many campsites over the years much more than I ever would some terribly over-priced hotel. And, I have had a few nights that I would probably trade in! (Like the night I slept in a ditch, exausted from trying to find the campsite that ended up being about 1/8 mile away! Sheesh....)

    I have done a few trips. One from Wichita to the middle of Missouri where I learned what it is like to make every mistake probable including choosing heavy gear, not preparing for the weight properly, cooking very bland food that made me blow all my money from days 6-8 on yummy greasy local food, and probably more stuff that I cannot remember!

    Then I did a trip the next year from Steamboat Springs to Salida, Colorado on my mountain bike with my girlfriend. For this trip, I cut probably 6 or 7 lbs. on the sleeping system alone...and there were two of us! Although the altitude negated that advantage rather well, leaving our Kansas lungs heaving for O2 that wasn't there...and we just kept climbing for almost the whole time!

    The last trip was through Missouri again, but this time along a rail-trail with my mom. It was awesome to have my mom as my touring partner, as it really strengthened our bond...I am sure you understand.

    But the last time I was feeling guilty about being gone so long, and my schedule is giving me two days off at a time, so this is what brings me to hammocking! I am looking to do overnighters where I ride about 50 miles, set up my hammock and sleep, then get up and ride back. This way, I am just gone for the evening, night, and morning...

    So, I am trying to go as light as possible! Anyway, that is me, and I appriciate you taking the time to read about what brought me to hammocking. I have plenty of questions as I develop my system, and I am excited to be able to get advice from some people who know what they are doing...Thanks!

  2. #2
    Senior Member Preacha Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Narwhalin View Post
    Hello! I have been browsing awhile now and thought I would introduce myself....

    I am from Wichita, Kansas. I am 27, and started getting into biking seriously when I was about 24. I decided to quit smoking, and I needed something to burn off some stress. (Also, I had an extra hour of time to "burn" a day, so I had to fill it with something!)

    Well, this led to me being interested in bike-touring. I have chosen to go the camping route rather than the credit card route, and have rather enjoyed many campsites over the years much more than I ever would some terribly over-priced hotel. And, I have had a few nights that I would probably trade in! (Like the night I slept in a ditch, exausted from trying to find the campsite that ended up being about 1/8 mile away! Sheesh....)

    I have done a few trips. One from Wichita to the middle of Missouri where I learned what it is like to make every mistake probable including choosing heavy gear, not preparing for the weight properly, cooking very bland food that made me blow all my money from days 6-8 on yummy greasy local food, and probably more stuff that I cannot remember!

    Then I did a trip the next year from Steamboat Springs to Salida, Colorado on my mountain bike with my girlfriend. For this trip, I cut probably 6 or 7 lbs. on the sleeping system alone...and there were two of us! Although the altitude negated that advantage rather well, leaving our Kansas lungs heaving for O2 that wasn't there...and we just kept climbing for almost the whole time!

    The last trip was through Missouri again, but this time along a rail-trail with my mom. It was awesome to have my mom as my touring partner, as it really strengthened our bond...I am sure you understand.

    But the last time I was feeling guilty about being gone so long, and my schedule is giving me two days off at a time, so this is what brings me to hammocking! I am looking to do overnighters where I ride about 50 miles, set up my hammock and sleep, then get up and ride back. This way, I am just gone for the evening, night, and morning...

    So, I am trying to go as light as possible! Anyway, that is me, and I appriciate you taking the time to read about what brought me to hammocking. I have plenty of questions as I develop my system, and I am excited to be able to get advice from some people who know what they are doing...Thanks!
    Welcome Aboard,

    It is good to have you here, and if you are interested, the 5th weekend in March I am hosting a hang at Devil's Den State Park just South of Fayetteville, Arkansas. You will be able to see a lot of different hammock set ups there, and it will also be a great time to relax with fellow hangers.

    Dwight
    Psalm 19:1-3 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard."

  3. #3
    Senior Member headchange4u's Avatar
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    Howdy amd welcome to Hammock Forums!
    “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it." -Terry Pratchett



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  4. #4
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    Howdy Narwhalin and welcome to the Forums!

    You've made a great choice moving to hammocks. My winter weight is about 6 pounds for my whole sleep system, so it can be done and done in style.

    Wichita East High Class of 1988. Go Blue Aces!
    Trust nobody!

  5. #5
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    That sounds like a blast. One of these days I'll get around to getting a motorcycle and do some touring on it.
    Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
    The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".

  6. #6
    slowhike's Avatar
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    welcome to HF.
    i smoked for about 10 years & quit about 25 years ago! GOOD MOVE!!!
    good move on the hammock too!

    here's an early thread about biking w/ hammocks...
    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...highlight=bike
    use the search box to find a few more that bike w/ their hammocks.
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  7. #7
    Senior Member angrysparrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slowhike View Post
    use the search box to find a few more that bike w/ their hammocks.
    The search feature on the forum itself is really not very effective, sadly.

    This Google search
    will yield far better results.

    Welcome to the forum!
    “I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

  8. #8
    Senior Member froldt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hammock engineer View Post
    That sounds like a blast. One of these days I'll get around to getting a motorcycle and do some touring on it.
    Being the DIY-er that you are, I've got an older Suzuki that needs a going over that I wouldn't mind parting with. (The money would help with the upcoming wedding.)
    If you don't mind a road trip (I know I wouldn't!) I could help provide you with another project!

    Narwhalin, it's sort of ironic that you posted when you did. I've been perusing the hammock forums for a few weeks now, and have been considering taking up bicycle touring. I sold my car over Christmas break and plan to fix up my road bike/buy a new one as my sole means of transportation during school.

  9. #9
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    I've been training for the Colorado Trail Race this summer http://www.climbingdreams.net/ctr/ and have been doing a lot of local rides where I ride all day, camp that night, then ride home the next day. I got in to hammocks a couple months ago. Let me tell you, it's been a revelation. My body is so much more refreshed the next day! Here is a link to a write up I did for one of my training rides...http://web.mac.com/travis_katie/iWeb...13A18199D.html

    I just made my first hammock yesterday and the pics of me in my hammock already seem so old. I got a Speer Peapod now (no silly pads for me) and will be using a light weight top quilt. The weight is actually about the same as my bivy (maybe a bit heavier) but it's worth it because I'm so much more refreshed the next day. I'm mainly riding off road so it's a bit more scaled down than road touring but the wife and I will be doing a 3 week road tour in France this summer and we're only bringing hammocks. If we have to go to ground we'll use our pads (yeah, just in case) and the rain fly set up to the bikes as the tarp. I already did it in the front yard and under the 8x10 there is a ton of room under there for 2 people. Anyway, if you have any questions just pm me.

    Wow, my first contribution to the forums!

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by froldt View Post
    Narwhalin, it's sort of ironic that you posted when you did. I've been perusing the hammock forums for a few weeks now, and have been considering taking up bicycle touring. I sold my car over Christmas break and plan to fix up my road bike/buy a new one as my sole means of transportation during school.
    I highly recommend bicycle touring. It is unbelievably wholesome, just like hiking. The way I look at it, you are going at the perfect speed because you are fast enough to make it somewhere, but slow enough to be able to stop and catch the views.

    The funny thing is, I ride a recumbent bike. Here is a picture of the model I ride, the Rans Tailwind, for anyone who is interested or hasn't ever seen a recumbent: http://www.ransbikes.com/images06/ta...lwindangle.jpg I am pretty sure when folks see me hammocking with my recumbent, they will think I am certifiably nuts! But, I know I am on to something, here...

    Thanks, everyone for the warm welcome!

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