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  1. #21
    Senior Member timabababaluka's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Clovis, CA
    Hammock
    DIY gathered end
    Tarp
    9x10 tyvek
    Insulation
    ww blue ccf pad
    Suspension
    whoopies & toggles
    Posts
    921
    Images
    11
    Denial is a form of DIY self-preservation for me--otherwise I'd never do it again . I actually enjoy the research, pretrips, and even budgeting, but the little gremlin-y things that go wrong in what should be a fairly straight forward project are kryptonite to my DIY spirit. So denial is a VERY important part of any of my projects. The process is fairly simple:

    First off, there is no such thing as time--clocks, watches, sundials are merely wrist, wall, and garden decorations. Ornamental only. When folks ask how long a project took I tell them, "Oh, well I didn't really keep track of the time. I nickle-and-dimed it over the course of a day or two." Read this as, "I obsessively worked on this, neglecting food, family, and personal hygene, taking breaks only when I became so frustrated I was ready to heap it all in the back yard and burn it, or when I discovered I needed (yet another) extra something from the hardware or sewing store."

    Nope, time cannot exist. Otherwise I'd be forced to say things like:

    "It took me 6 hours to make a rolled hem for 60" x 12 ft rectangle of polyester jacket liner"

    "How long to whip my gathered ends? Lemesee... five minutes per whipped side, multiplied by the 8 times I redid them. Factor in rehanging the hammock and retesting the lay each time--about 2 hours."

    "My first set of whoopie slings? Hmmm... I started at around 9:00 after the kids went to bed, and I went to bed at 12:00. The next morning I made the other sling. 6 hours."

    The ability to say "Oh, off and on, I guess it took a couple of days..."

    Priceless.
    You're gonna need a bigger hammock

  2. #22
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Maryville, TN
    Hammock
    Argon X90 Experimental hammock
    Tarp
    7'x9' cuben tarp
    Insulation
    Pads and quilts
    Suspension
    Kevlar + dynaglide
    Posts
    2,178
    Images
    92
    only when it comes to plumbing projects.
    NO SNIVELING!
    www.hikinghq.net - Hiking H.Q.
    www.bmtguide.com - the BMT Thru Hiker's Guide

  3. #23
    QiWiz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Hammock
    Banyan bridge, BIAS gathered
    Tarp
    ZPacks w doors
    Insulation
    HG; JRB
    Suspension
    Straps & beckett
    Posts
    598

    DIY time flies

    when you are having fun! DIY is fun, or should be. If it's not fun, why DIY?

    Just sayin'
    Find the LIGHT STUFF at QiWiz.net

    The lightest cathole trowels, wood burning stoves, windscreens, spatulas,
    cooking options, titanium and aluminum pots, and buck saws on the planet

  4. #24
    Senior Member Old River Rat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Deville, La.
    Hammock
    GrizzBridge Rhino
    Tarp
    Speer Winter Tarp
    Insulation
    HammockGear TQ/UQ
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    572
    in all my activities, the planning and preparation are always just as exciting to me as the actual thing. i do not DIY as of yet, but i cannot wait to invest in a thread injector and give something a try. i will probably start out with simple things like stuff sacks. you can never find just the right size for the equipment it holds. so that makes stuff sacks a good start. anyway, i always enjoy posts and videos on DIY. keep em coming. thanks.

  5. #25
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Northern Ky
    Hammock
    currently my DIY bridge
    Tarp
    8 x 10 sil tarp
    Insulation
    DIY tq,pads
    Suspension
    whoopie sling
    Posts
    588
    Quote Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams View Post
    My main payback from doing DIY is in the activity itself ( an admittedly poor substitute for actually using the gear---something I can't do an hour here or an afternoon there like I can in the project room). I'm not in denial at all, I especially like taking on projects I've not done before, or try to work out how to implement a new design feature. I know making this stuff takes me a long time...that's the point!

    YMMV
    I agree. Its the research time spent figuring out how to do a project that I enjoy. That and figuring out how to make the project work once I've screwed something up. To me the point of DIY is to really understand how the item works, what kind of adjustments can be made to the standard designs and to have the knowledge to make repairs in the field (or woods!)

    All that, and it just feels good to be in the wilds with equiptment I made myself.

  6. #26
    Senior Member JohnSawyer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    San Diego, CA
    Hammock
    WB RidgeRunner
    Tarp
    8x10 DIY (speer)
    Insulation
    KAQ Lost River
    Suspension
    Straps
    Posts
    4,631
    Images
    108
    I am not in denial! No way! I make gear so fast and cheap that I could have . . .um . . . well . . . worked for minimum wage and bought a BB, Burro, Phoenix, a Golite Jam, Cuben tarps, CF hiking poles, titanium cook set etc...

    So for now, I'm stuck with all this crummy gear I made and a cheap $40 pack I bought on craigslist!

    But I had fun learning and doing it!
    "Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda


  7. #27
    Senior Member timabababaluka's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Clovis, CA
    Hammock
    DIY gathered end
    Tarp
    9x10 tyvek
    Insulation
    ww blue ccf pad
    Suspension
    whoopies & toggles
    Posts
    921
    Images
    11
    Quote Originally Posted by JohnSawyer View Post
    So for now, I'm stuck with all this crummy gear I made and a cheap $40 pack I bought on craigslist!

    But I had fun learning and doing it!
    I love my crummy gear!
    You're gonna need a bigger hammock

  8. #28
    Senior Member olddog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Lakeland, Fl
    Hammock
    WL Snipe
    Tarp
    WL Tadpole
    Insulation
    WL SS UQ, WL SS TQ
    Suspension
    Dutch speedhooks
    Posts
    4,323
    Images
    3
    Quote Originally Posted by MAD777 View Post
    Totally true! Plus, I have to cut my fabric on the floor. At 60, i can't stay down there long enough to measure and cut everything in one session. So, my projects just lay there while I try to straighten out my back over and over again!
    Have the same problem Mike. When the back gets bad enough it's time to hit the hammock. That's where I do most of my mental planning.
    Most of us end up poorer here but richer for being here. Olddog, Fulltime hammocker, 365 nights a year.

  9. #29
    New Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Alabama
    Posts
    15
    I sure hope reading these forums doesn't count, because I'm having a big time learning from you folks.

  10. #30
    Senior Member doogie's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Birdsboro, PA
    Hammock
    Hammeck Envy or DIY
    Tarp
    DIY hex or winter
    Insulation
    WL 3/4 UQ, DIY TQ
    Suspension
    Speed Hooks (IGD)
    Posts
    1,455
    Images
    138
    I've kept quiet on this one so far, but here's my take. As others have stated, I get a lot of enjoyment from research, planning, and building stuff. My latest is a new tarp. I look at the cost of materials as entertainment expenses. My materials cost less than a round of golf on the weekend, and the building will keep me occupied a lot longer, and when I'm done I have free gear

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