Ladies Sub Forum?

[hppyfngy]

What are you ladies going to talk about?

You're gonna talk about me aren't you? I knew it.

[Just Jeff]

We'll discuss this among the mods and make a decision. A few things come to mind:

- The open forums are about hammocking only, and there aren't enough female-specific hammock questions to warrant a subforum there. It would have to go into the Donating Members section where the other non-hammock outdoor-related discussion happens.
- As NCPatrick said, we honestly aren't looking for more donations. Our only concern is that we have enough funding to keep the forum running smoothly (all mod work is strictly volunteer), and we're comfortable in that regard. HF is not designed to make profits. And frankly, the mod team would much prefer to minimize the off-topic discussion anywhere on the forum so we can concentrate on hammocks. We understand that this may result in fewer posts, but hopefully those posts will be higher quality and focused on our primary mission area.
- We wouldn't restrict the forum to female-only access. It would be an organizational issue for outdoors-related topics, like the other DM subforums, rather than an access-based subforum.

So, we'll consider it and post back when we have a decision.

[MAD777]

As a guy, I think it would be nice to have a sub-forum so women can find their issues easily and it would probably encourage more participation from women. I'm all for an inclusive policy that encourages and supports diversity of all kinds.

[titanium_hiker]

I would find it helpful, as often times the more you venture out into the world of camping(men or women) you run into issues you never thought of until it happens. I do my best to research the threads for what MAY come up in my next trip, but it would be nice to have one place for the ladies info. I'm in the beginning stages of planning an AT thru-hike and it is a LOT easier to go to the subforums instead of picking through search threads that happen to mention the AT in some response.

Comet Seeker specifically and others generally,

Hey, good news! There already exists a great AT related forum, which is run by some of the wonderful mods here, it's called whiteblaze.net. I recommend checking it out- I am an Australian and probably won't ever thru-hike the AT (unless someone decides to give me all the time and money I would need) but I really enjoyed learning all about the AT and the different ways of hiking it. Also on Whiteblaze, there is a woman's specific forum, which deals issues such as monthly cycles (not of the bike kind), peeing in the woods, safety, fitness, specific gear.

As Jeff has said- whether you're a female or a male, there is no difference in hammock (the only big difference is height and warmth, and shortness or cold-sleeping isn't an exclusively female thing) and so I don't think we need to 'raise awareness' of female specific hanging issues.

Re topic/thread burial, this is an issue that happens on every forum. A solution would be to contribute to the hammock wiki or to write an article about Female hanging/hiking issues- then this would be found easily, you could even link to it in your signature.
To repeat what has been said upthread- it's the internet, it doesn't have to be published-book perfect.

(So why did hammock forums move from whiteblaze? a few reasons, the biggest one is that one subforum was not enough to meaningfully talk about hammocks, tarps, underquilts, suspension, top quilts, socks, IX, DIY, brands, etc without the forum becoming swamped. However, the original hammock sub forum still exists!)

And I also apologize for not contributing to the wiki as yet, as I am finishing up my teaching diploma and am on placement at the moment.

Oh! and I'm female. I don't usually see the need to announce that generally as it's usually just not relevant to the discussion, but it is here.

[titanium_hiker]

I'm putting this separately as it's not really hammock forums related...

I find it troubling that we have to lay out a mat anywhere on the internet and say "Hey, girls are welcome here!" I know there are icky places, and even not-icky places which have a strong 'male' feel to them, but this is not one of them- it's got a 'hammock, outdoorsy' feel to it- and sorry guys, but that's not an exclusively male thing. We talk about sewing here! (sorry- thread injecting. )

Having to say "hey, girls are welcome here" implies that in most places, they are not. Perhaps this is the case, but I think we help the issue by ACTING OUT that women are welcome instead of having to slap a banner on. Because, it's the internet. Go where-ever you want.

TH

[Paul Zissou]

I'm putting this separately as it's not really hammock forums related...

I find it troubling that we have to lay out a mat anywhere on the internet and say "Hey, girls are welcome here!" I know there are icky places, and even not-icky places which have a strong 'male' feel to them, but this is not one of them- it's got a 'hammock, outdoorsy' feel to it- and sorry guys, but that's not an exclusively male thing. We talk about sewing here! (sorry- thread injecting. )

Having to say "hey, girls are welcome here" implies that in most places, they are not. Perhaps this is the case, but I think we help the issue by ACTING OUT that women are welcome instead of having to slap a banner on. Because, it's the internet. Go where-ever you want.

TH

Solid point

[bigfoot2]

I think it's a wonderful idea!


BF
And yes....Tweety MADE me say that..... After 23 years of marriage, I just acquiesce to her demands.

[Comet_Seeker]

Thanks titanium_hiker! I will go check that out

[thorwren]

Hmm, I can see both sides... I have spoken with lots of customers whose wives/girlfriends won't hang, until they hear that I or other women plan to be there. For some women, camping, hanging, or hiking is a bit intimidating, and having a fellow female in the midst of a largely male environment makes them more at ease. How many women have organized a hang in general on HF? Maybe we would if we knew each other better, we might be more inclined. I love fly fishing, and would love to go with a fellow female, but meetup forums show almost all men, or women WITH their men.... Just too awkward...

Quite frankly, I am not enthusiastic about men helping me with anything on the trail, because I do not want to seem helpless, another female they have to "babysit". Poor Stormcrow usually has to stand by and listen to me yell at him to leave me alone and let me figure it out. I think women may feel more empowered if they have each other's support to feel independent. Therefore, I can understand why HappyCamper suggested it. It is not to exclude the men, but for the women to feel a bit more connected and encouragment to get out there......with or without the boys. If this seems like a biased opinion because I am a woman, that's because I am!

[oldgringo]

These "fellow females" have piqued my curiosity.