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  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Poll: How did you get into hanging?

    I just thought it would be fun to ask people what set of circumstances lead them to hammocking. (from the dark to the light) No one in my circle of friends hammock camps although all are outdoors folks who regularly camp.

    I'll start. My daughter graduated from college last year and of course with graduation comes the obligatory "graduation gift". I decided to be blunt and ask her exactly what she wanted. Much to my surprise she said she wanted a "camping hammock". She knew little of them and I even less but she knew she wanted one. After a bit of googling with no advice from anyone I decided on a fully decked out Clark Jungle Hammock which she has come to love. This of course piqued my interest and after borrowing it a few times and many happy hours of research, settled on Claytor Jungle Hammocks for both my wife and me. Looking back, I wish I had been introduced to hanging many years ago which would have relieved me of many years of suffering on the ground!

    How'd you become introduced to hanging?

    Miguel

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Just by chance I had a weekend off in Sept sometime in '05. I was able to put together a hiking trip with a friend (my only friend at the time who hikes). I was in my TNF tadpole tent on a cc pad and he was in a mesh hammock, sleeping bag, and cheap blue tarp. He said he really didn't know what he was doing other than it was comfortable. I wanted to try it out but did not trust my weight in it. Needless to say I didn't sleep very well. But it evened out when he woke up with bugs crawling on his back.

    When I got back I starting doing some web searching and reading. I came across Rock's site and then later WB. A month later I order my HH. Sometime in that time period I decided to do a thru hike.

    Funny how things tend to work out in the end.
    Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
    The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".

  3. #3
    Senior Member headchange4u's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    Kentucky
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    I first learned about true hammock camping on WB and when I saw the HH it was love at first site. I have 2 Speer type hammocks but my HH is my favorite.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Perkolady's Avatar
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    Nov 2006
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    NE GA
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    A few years ago, I started reading about it on WB, and ordered my first HH.

    It was love at first night!

    Then, came the second...
    And soon, I will make my own

    Perkolady

  5. #5
    Senior Member Ewker's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    Chelem, Yucatan, Mexico
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    I am not into hammocking as of yet. First time I laid in a hammock was 2 yrs ago at Trail Days. Hennessy Hammocks was there showing their products out. I thought I would see what the all the fuss was about. I walked over looked at them and some guy came up and asked if I wanted to lay in one. I said sure and tried to figure out how to get in it. He finally showed me how...lol.
    Now I only was in the hammock for maybe 5 minutes. Maybe it was the way you had to get in or the way you had to lay in it or a combo of both but I was not impressed with it.

    I had a normal weaved hammock that quite a few people have in their yards. Those are easy to get in and out of but I have flipped over in one.

    That is my experience with hammocks. Yes I bought one a few months ago from Sportsman Guide but it still hasn't been hung or laid in.

  6. #6
    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    BFE, NC
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    I wanted to upgrade some VERY old gear this summer and came across Sgt. Rock's site as a gear review source. I started reading about hammocks there, then migrated to WB, then the Yahoo group, then here when it was started. Long is the road that leads...
    "Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson

  7. #7
    Senior Member Doctari's Avatar
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    Cincinnati, Oh
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    I was converted by the evil crowd at White Blaze.

    What convinced me was my last trip using my tent (Nomad): I'm over 50 years old, crawling on the ground stopped being fun about 50 years ago Anyway, I had read a few posts about hammocking, thought it all silly (Honest, I did) but after that last trip in a tent, I got to thinking that in a hammock, getting out of bed was just like at home, swing around, put your feet on the ground, stand up. AND, I have missed my tarp since switching to the Nomad tent, so, After Hammock Engineer let me lay in his HH for a few minutes, I decided to "take the plunge".

    My first hammock was a Byer, not exactly the best, but comfy enough to convince me that I was on the right track.

    Then, when visiting the Carolina Ren fest, I stayed in a tent, I slept on TWO pads, on soft ground, Misery.

    I'll never go to ground again.


    Doctari.

  8. #8
    Crash's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    Pburg, NJ (On the Delaware River)
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    Sgt. Rock Rocks!

    I was camping in Pa. and hate sleeping on rocks.
    While surfing Sgt. Rock's Hiking HQ site popped up one day and he got me interested in hammocks.
    I researched & bought the original Hennessey hammock - the Coccoon.
    I loved it and won't part from it.
    THANX SARGE!

    Any hammock is better than no hammock.
    Last edited by Crash; 12-27-2006 at 20:29.
    "Courage Grows Strong at a Wound" - Stewart Clan Motto

  9. #9
    slowhike's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    Winston-Salem, NC
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    i took a small group backpacking several years ago & one young guy brought a hammock to sleep in.
    i was a little concerned for him getting a decent nights sleep<g>. but he said he slept great! ummm... that stuck in my mind & came back to me occasionally as i tried to get comfortable on my pads.
    for the last few years of my ground dwelling days i regularly carried two pads & sometimes three.
    still woke up stiff & sore.
    when i finally got a computer & began to research lightweight backpacking, i started to see hammock talk.
    it may have been on the yahoo group backpacking light at first, i'm not sure. then i discovered the hammockcamping yahoo group.
    but i was still thinking that i would be forced to sleep on my back & in the shape of a banana<g>. but people said that wasn't the case.
    i bought an eagle's nest at the local outfitter in early 05 & the rest is history.
    i have learned a ton from ed speer & others on the hammockcamping yahoo group. i talked to ed about this great new hammock forum & hopefully he will join in later as his schedule allows.
    since spring 05 i have slept all but maybe two nights in a hammock, both at home & on the trail.
    i believe it comforts me as it cradles me in it's arms & rocks me... oh yeah... it don't have arms... or does it??? ...tim
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  10. #10
    Senior Member Grinder's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    winter haven, florida
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    Years ago, I stumbled onto an ad for Hennessy Hammocks. I was intrigued by the size of the thing when packed. BUT, I'd be damned if I was gonna spend $200 on a whim for a test. I tried and tried to get a steal on eBay, but never could get under $100 and finally gave up.

    After last summer, with 8000 miles of motorcycle camping on two separate trips, I was looking for ways to reduce my traveling load and again checked out the hennessy's. Still too many $.

    I searched "Hammocks" and found Justjeffs site and Risk's site for a test hammock. $10 I was willing to risk on a whim.

    One thing led to another, and three hammocks later, I think I got a plan and the equipment to carry it out. This weekend, on Springer Mountain, we'll see if I'm right or wrong.

    Miles of Smiles
    Tom

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