Hammock Wannabe-convert!

**redcanvas** · 09-21-2011, 10:22

Hello everyone,

I've been following the site for almost a year now, but didn't decide to sign up and really become active on the forums (instead of just enjoying them anonymously) until now.

I'm a 23 year-old gal from Northern Ontario, currently living in the Big Smoke (Toronto, for all you non-Canadians out there!). I'm starting to build up my own gear collection - I got sick of always having to borrow things from friends or rent them from outfitting stores. I'm really interested in becoming a hanger, and wanted to get some more info before I take the plunge and invest in a hammock.

I mostly do a lot of hiking, though periodically I get out and about in the canoe (if I go tripping with someone who has one). I'm not religiously ultralight - I'll take some extra weight if it's an important item - but I tend to prefer my kit to be as light as I can feasibly manage without sacrificing safety or my own level of comfort. On my most recent trip - a 6 day 100km loop - my pack weight at the trailhead was hovering around 30lbs. I've been a tenter up until now, but I'm looking for a lighter option for when I go out on my own (my tent is a 2-person, and not really realistic for me to carry alone).

Anyway, that's a bit about me. Thanks for having me here, and I can't wait to start my hammocking career, haha!

**raiffnuke** · 09-21-2011, 10:29

Welcome to HF from Mass.

**Avenger** · 09-21-2011, 10:30

Welcome to the forum from west Texas!

**chickenwing** · 09-21-2011, 10:32

Greetings from South Carolina. Good luck on the conversion process.

**kkilgroe** · 09-21-2011, 10:32

Welcome from North Carolina.

**Raul Perez** · 09-21-2011, 11:09

Welcome from NY. Check out Shugs videos for a great tutorial. I also breakdown the basics of hammock camping in my blog www.watermonkey.net

**MAD777** · 09-21-2011, 11:38

Welcome from Florida!

You can go light with a hammock setup. Depending on what I take, my skin out weight (minus food & water) varies between 10 - 15 pounds for above freezing conditions and less than 20 pounds into the single digits (fahrenheit).

**HangingKayaker** · 09-21-2011, 11:46

always great to see another Canadian join this craziness!!

**Bubba** · 09-21-2011, 11:58

Welcome from down the 401 from a displaced Torontonian. It may be a much too much to soon but in the past some of us Ontarian got together for a of couple winter hangs and will likely do so again. You are always welcome so keep an eye out for any planning threads.

**redcanvas** · 09-21-2011, 12:09

What a warm welcome, and from so many geographies!

I am super excited to break into the ham mocking community, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for any trips getting planned here in Ontario. Of course, I suppose I'd need a hammock for that first. I'm certainly working on it, and I should see if MEC rents the HH, because that could be an option, too.

Thanks for the hellos and welcomes, can't wait to hole up with some tea (or heck, maybe some scotch) and get have a solid poke around the forums.