Reality Check; need advise on the best direction to take

[Law Dawg (ret)]

Hammocks are perfect for bad knees (DAMHIK) and kids are made out of rubber. Get your hammock rig and have the sprouts ground dwell until they get motivated to mow some lawns and buy their own.

[mbnow]

Hi Gideon,

Well i think i am about to get strung up for saying this.....

But i personally think you should start with a simple cheap tent from Sierra Trading post first and take a cheap Eno nest or Grand trunk hammock with you to set up, take naps in etc and get the feel for it.
The reason for the tent thing is, as simple as hammocks are, being your first foray in backpacking i would recommend getting out onto the trail first. I would only set up the tent once in the backyard just to make sure it all works, would not even sleep in it.

A simple 2 or 3 man tent, sleep pad, and sleeping bag may not be as comfortable or lightweight as a hammock but i think your goal should be to first get out there and see how the hike/ camp thing goes.

The tarp tents look great and simple, but i think take a little experience setting up right (i speak from absolutely NO experience there) and as with the hammocks and insulation, you are taking a chance on it not going as planned. Therefore detracting from the true goal which is to be hiking and sleeping outside.
Get out there, find a nice easy hiking loop, maybe 2-3 miles in, go at a nice easy pace. Set up camp, sleep the night, and hike out in the morning.
Keep it simple for now is my advice. Like you, i over research everything. (is that even possible?)

Good luck, and let the adventures begin!

Ok guys, i will put my blindfold on now and stand against the wall.

Matt.

[Boothill]

But i personally think you should start with a simple cheap tent from Sierra Trading post first and take a cheap Eno nest or Grand trunk hammock with you to set up, take naps in etc and get the feel for it.

A simple 2 or 3 man tent, sleep pad, and sleeping bag may not be as comfortable or lightweight as a hammock but i think your goal should be to first get out there and see how the hike/ camp thing goes.

this would actually be my advise too

boot

[DivaB]

I think everyone here is sharing some very good advice for you. I do want to add my two cents in on the Grand Trunk UL. I think it'll be great for your younger kids and maybe for you. My son (at the time 13) found the GT UL too narrow and quickly out grew it...I never could get comfortable in it. If you are a small, light weight man, than it may be just fine, and a lot of individuals like that hammock....but a lot of us just found it too small for a good nights sleep.

As for knees....my son and I both have bad knees. He is heading for his 2nd, reconstructive, open knee surgery in a couple of weeks, he is only 14. We don't do long hikes, but we love getting out, we love our time together, we love the people we meet on group hangs and the experiences are just priceless.

[perdidochas]

Hi everyone; I introduced myself in that section. I'm 51 with a bad knee that will be a limiting factor to backpacking. Always wanted to backpack but never did it. Can't explain it to you but I've decided I want to do some backpack camping before I simply can't. I feel like I'm running out of time and this is something I want to do.

I'm retired AF, living in a town I'm not from with a buys job, a wife and six kids. I don't have any friends in this area and normally I'd be solo hiking but I want to introduce my kids' to this. The older ones rolled their idea when I told them about this but a few of the younger ones are willing to give it a go.

here's where I need a reality check. I'm thinking the most I'll do is 2 day, one night trips, 2 - 4 times a year if that. I'm thinking I'll only take one kid with me at a time for a number of reasons. They range from 11 - 14. It would be great if the 3 young ones could come with me but I think it would be hard to carry the right gear and manage it. So I thought I'd take one kid at a time so i could basically invest in two sets of gear.

Like I said, I would expect most trips to be overnighters or three day trips at the most. I'll realistically only be doing this late spring through early spring so night time temperatures around 50 at the lowest unless I camp in a creek bottom and get suprised, then it could get down to 40 but normally it'll be in the 60's or higher when I'm out there.

I started looking at the shelters and have now read a LOT of what you've all written about hammocks. I analyze things alot; I like that part of it. Based on what I've read, if I was a younger man and going to be doing this all solo, I'd go with a hammock and probably a Warbonnet Black Bird. It seems to be one of the best desings/values, etc. But to get 2 of these would be very expensive for my needs.

So I looked at TarpTents Squall 2. It would let me be with my kid, I could use it solo, and cost wise it seems like a good value. http://www.tarptent.com/squall2.html


My third option was to go with bivy tents like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Aqua-Quest-Wat.../dp/B0056SOA48 I liked the idea of how simple this would be. Cost is decent becasue I'd buy two of them for what one WBBB set up would cost me.

I even toyed with the idea of just a tarp, groundcloth and bag but I feel I need bug protection here in Missouri; especially for my kid.

I then considered getting two hennessy hammock set ups. They're lower cost so I can get two of those for just a bit over $300. Seems the Hennessy models are still one of the better units, not quite on par with a WBBB but close and perhaps a better value for a guy like me.

I read a lot on insulating a hammock and figure for a 3 season guy like me I could get by with nothing or just a oversized pad.

So based on all of this, what would you recommend? Should I go with the bivy, tarptent, or two of the Hennessy Hammocks? Can you think of a way to do this with three kids aged 11, 13, and 14 without spending a fortune but without them being miserable?

Can a hammock with only a Pad at most be comfortable for the temperature ranges I mentioned?

Thank you in advance for any and all advise and I'm going to keep reading. I've spent a lot of time watching Shug's videos Have to admit he's one enteraining guy.

Thanks everyone and sorry for such a LONG post!
Gideon

I only planIt'll be me and one kid

I have a hammock with only a pad. I've stayed comfortably down to the low 40s with a walmart patterned pad, a 40 degree el cheapo walmart bag, a fleece sleeping bag, in a homemade hammock (ring suspension and $4 harbor freight straps) with a guidegear 12x12 tarp. Besides the sleeping bags, which I already had, I probably have spent $70 total.

[Catavarie]

My suggestion has nothing to do with what hammock setup to get but more about how you spend that time outdoors. Perhaps instead of jumping straight into backpacking. Car camping at a state or national park will let you sleep outside and if you pick a campground with good trail access you can still get in a full day's hiking without having to carry all your gear on your back. This would be easier for you knees and less jarring to your body overall, but still allow you to get backpacking type experience with day long hiking and sleeping out in the wilds. I also recommend staying at tent only campgrounds so that you don't have the hum of RV generators keeping you awake at night.

[shhQuiet]

Lots of folks here have given you some good advice, and I'll add my own. BTW, I am a 50-something as well, with bad hips and so-so knees...

I would recommend checking out http://meetup.com/ and see if there are some groups in your area that hike or backpack. Get started slowly with some dayhikes and build your hiking muscles. Take an overnight trip with some like-minded folks that will ease you into it before you try dragging the kids out there.

Another great tip is sleeping in your yard- doesn't matter if it's a bivy, tent or hammock, you'll have that comfy bed calling to you just a few yards away if you can't stand the neighborhood dogs barking.

Sometimes I think new hammock campers should be forced to sleep in a tent for a few nights, just to appreciate how comfortable a hammock can be! If you do decide to go hammock, realize that you probably won't hit that perfect mark without making some mistakes first. Make your mistakes as cheaply as you can! And congrats on your second childhood!

[Gideon]

Wow; I'm impressed A LOT of good advise. I've spent the last few nights reading and discussing it with my youngest son; he's my partner in this.

First, we've done quite a few day hikes of the years and some car camping. I carry two water bladders and when I stop on the trail I have a kid on each tube. Quite the picture We usually hike in the morning and then stop somewhere for a long lunch/rest/play break. They're 11, 13, 14, and 16. The oldest two (22 & 24) still live at home but are too busy. I used to back back (literally) the 24 year old girl into the North Maine woods after brook trout when she was very very young. My pack carried her and diaper changes....literally. I left no trace behind

Now the 16 year old is getting too busyas well so that leaves the youngest 2 girls, youngest son and myself. We don't hike far or fast but they love the woods and we've had some great day trips.

So after reading all your input and a lot on the forum, I went ahead and bought a hennessy Expedition Asym Zip. Got it for $139 delivered. I have an inexpensive one man tent I've used for motorcycle camping. I'll pitch that for my son right buy me and then we'll both mess with the Hammock.

I hate to admit it but I may be a bit of a gear snob. To get gear that I'm satisfied with normally costs a bit. May be a military thing but good quality gear makes certain situations a lot better. When I was younger i'd buy two or three cheap versions of something before getting something that was quality and i often wished I could have figured it out before I'd wasted the money on the cheaper versions.

That's where all of you come in. The internet and forums allows you to learn from the experience of others. It'll never be a substitute for one's own experience but it sure can cut down some of the trial and error.

Neither my wife or I sew or have a machine. I work an intense job with long hours and I'm going to school at night so DIY isn't a good choice right now. I appreciate the quality of the WBBB but @ $139 for the complete package from Hennessy, well that seems like a good value at that price point. Quality enough if I like it but not too much and the ability to sell it and get something back if I don't.

I'd almost forgotten about my motorcycle tent as I call it. It's nice and my son likes the idea. We'll probably do our first over nighter in a local state park or one of the conservation areas. That way we can easily bail if we'd like to and there's still some beautiful scenery. If I really like it and he does too then we'll get another hammock later. I'll make do with pads for now and use one of the cheap sleeping bags we got as a TQ for now.

I've spent a fair amount of time in a cheap net type hammock just taking a snooze when car camping with the kids and this seems like it'll be a lot more comfortable.

If this works out I'll figure out a way to get the three younger ones out with me even it if means another small tent.

As I said I'm busy with school alot so it may be awhile but I'll definitely report back with some pictures. when we get out there. And I'm already planning on ordering the Martin Sike Whoopie kit from Arrowhead Equipment and a set of the snake skins. Gee it always happens to me.

Anyway, I do appreciate all of the advise, the warm welcome and the tons of information and someday it would great to meet shug. I think he probably likes coffee a lot like I do....

God Bless
Gideon