Hammock popularity growing in Scouting

**raleighbuckner** · 04-03-2013, 19:12

One of my fine fox patrol mates brought his hammock to wood badge this fall (S5-549-12). He's the one that got me started down the hammock trail.

Still working on my ticket items, hope to have them finished soon.

**hecta_g** · 04-04-2013, 15:12

MM Mike, just read the menu. Totally digging it!

You do all your cooking on a dutch? My first exposure to D.O. cooking was when I took 16 guys from our small group at church to Carter's Lake and had 3 D.O.s going.

Did a variation of Chicken In Milk from foodtv with veggies and rolls. Finished it with some good ole Peach Cobbler.

Oh...I'm getting hungry now.

**hecta_g** · 04-08-2013, 09:11

Okay, with my first hang coming this weekend I was going to use my army net hammock and thought how I was going to keep my sleeping bag in it through the night so I found a great deal on a "normal" hammock at Walmart for $25.

In addition to that, I have 50% off coupon for Joanns and plan on making my bug net this week since I finished working on my taxes and my wife has okayed me moving on with my list of projects.

I'll try to document as much as I can.

**mountain_man_mike** · 04-08-2013, 13:28

Originally Posted by hecta_g

MM Mike, just read the menu. Totally digging it!

You do all your cooking on a dutch? My first exposure to D.O. cooking was when I took 16 guys from our small group at church to Carter's Lake and had 3 D.O.s going.

Did a variation of Chicken In Milk from foodtv with veggies and rolls. Finished it with some good ole Peach Cobbler.

Oh...I'm getting hungry now.

Thank you hecta. Some meals were done in DO, but we had close to 70 people between campers, staff and council representatives so most meals were done in the camp's kitchen. There was a lot of starting one meal right after serving another and prepping for tonight this morning, sometimes even prepping for tomorrow tonight. All in all we had a kitchen crew of 6 working our almost straight through 5am to 11pm, but the response from the campers and staff was worth it.

**samjaynes** · 05-01-2013, 21:56

Glad to see this thread - I have been wanting to get my boys interested in Hammock camping, and actually get them to make their own. Maybe this time they wont put the tent away wet, and leave it like that until next month :-)

Anyway - I would like your feedback on how you approached it with the boys. How did your nights go? Comfortable? Wandering around at night?

**hecta_g** · 05-02-2013, 08:09

My first time hanging was on my oldest first backpacking trip after crossing over. He wasn't ready so I thought I'd be the first among our group.

To be honest, it was the best sleep I've had and since it was my first I wasn't totally prepared or equipped. Even with that it was better than sleeping on the ground.

I've gotten my wife into it so the next step is to get her one and then just make boys theirs. As for setting up for the whole family, my plan is to have the 4 of us hanging at our next Cub Scout campout this coming Fall. Looking at a double decker side-by-side configuration.

I'm a huge DIYer and look forward to making a tarp that can cover the 4 of us.

The boys seem interested and as long as I can make it easy for them I'm sure that it will be a GO!

**camoxjeep** · 05-06-2013, 22:05

Just got off of Staff for our WoodBadge Course S6-204-13, my course was S6-204-2011-1 (Beavers). Anyways I have been using my hammock for about a year now (WB Blackbird) and had tons of interest in hammocking from the participants. I have already converted a few in our Troop. I decided instead of my usual Dutch Oven Cooking class I teach at University of Scouting I am going to do a course on "Introduction to Hammocks" while using the LNT principles. I will be using my knowledge I have gained here to help me along the way. Thanks HF

**Big Bacon** · 05-06-2013, 22:10

Originally Posted by camoxjeep

Just got off of Staff for our WoodBadge Course S6-204-13, my course was S6-204-2011-1 (Beavers). Anyways I have been using my hammock for about a year now (WB Blackbird) and had tons of interest in hammocking from the participants. I have already converted a few in our Troop. I decided instead of my usual Dutch Oven Cooking class I teach at University of Scouting I am going to do a course on "Introduction to Hammocks" while using the LNT principles. I will be using my knowledge I have gained here to help me along the way. Thanks HF

Good deal. Spread the love. That's what scouting is for me, learning and teaching

**jbrescue** · 05-07-2013, 06:09

If I missed it I apologize, where can we get the hammock merit badges? I assume you had them made for the boys. I love this idea. We thought we had come up with it this weekend at our Spring Camporee. I think we should petition Nationals to add it.

**hecta_g** · 05-07-2013, 07:49

Originally Posted by camoxjeep

Just got off of Staff for our WoodBadge Course S6-204-13, my course was S6-204-2011-1 (Beavers). Anyways I have been using my hammock for about a year now (WB Blackbird) and had tons of interest in hammocking from the participants. I have already converted a few in our Troop. I decided instead of my usual Dutch Oven Cooking class I teach at University of Scouting I am going to do a course on "Introduction to Hammocks" while using the LNT principles. I will be using my knowledge I have gained here to help me along the way. Thanks HF

Awesome stuff!

Just came off a backpacking weekend with my oldest a few weeks ago and spent my first night in a hammock and LOVED IT!

Trying to get the Mrs and my two boys in a hammock family style by fall campout. Looking at a side-by-side double decker configuration.