How long have you been hanging?

**slowhike** · 12-12-2008, 21:49

Originally Posted by animalcontrol

cogitate
–verb (used without object) 1. to think hard; ponder; meditate: to cogitate about a problem.

Yeah, sometimes I'm better at cogitating than actually working on the problem<G>.

I somehow became interested in hammocks for camping in early 05. I ended up getting an ENO double, found Ed Speer's Yahoo group & I was hooked!
By spring 05, I had a backpacking friend convinced well enough that he bought a HH & a Speer at Trail Days!
He's hooked too... & now has a girlfriend that loves her hammock. I have several near by friends that now camp in a hammock.

I also started sleeping in a hammock at home shortly after trying one. The bed's been leaning against the wall ever since.

**Hooch** · 12-13-2008, 09:33

I got my first hammock in August of '05. I was taking my son, and a friend's son on a camping trip to Hot Springs, NC. As we got near Asheville, it dawned on me that all we had for shelter was a 2 person tent and there were 3 of us. So we stopped in at the Mast Store in Asheville and looked around at tents, possibly to buy a larger one. When one of the sales folks stepped up to me, I explained my predicament and he promptly suggested an ENO SingleNest. I bought it, got to the campground, strung it up with several strands of 550 cord and never looked back after my first night's rest. Now my son has his own hammocks (yes, plural) because he loves them as much as I do.

**Mrprez** · 12-13-2008, 10:06

I bought my first hammock in 2002, a Clarke Deluxe. I promptly took it out on an overnight from Woodys Gap to Woods Hole Shelter where I set it up and slept overnight for 15 hours! I was plenty warm all night in the fall weather using a 3/8 CCF pad and 20* sleeping bag. It was the best nights sleep I had ever had in the woods. I did several section hikes with it until I got hurt and couldn't hike anymore. I sold that one while I recuperated. When I was ready to hike again, I found Speer Hammocks and ordered a kit. That also worked well, but it wasn't until last year when I bought the PeaPod was I totally comfortable in it. I currently will be using a HH Explorer Ultralight and the HHSS on my May section hike in 09. I never could get used to the bugnet in the Speer. I had the HH modified with the #2 zipper mod. I also have a Byer which I have setup twice. It won't ever get used by me!

**ringtail-THFKAfood** · 12-13-2008, 11:43

I hike primarily in the Colorado Rockies above 10,000 feet. Frost on the 4th of July is normal. On 2004 Memorial Day weekend there was an over night low of 15 at 10,900 feet in Lost Creek Wilderness Area. On 2004 Labor Day weekend there was 6' of snow in Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. August 16, 2008 there was about 4" of snow above Copper Mountain ski area. Leadville Colorado is 10,000 feet high and one of my favorite local sayings is: “Hope summer this year is on a weekend.”

I starting using a Hennessy Expedition in the summer of 2003. I went through a lot of trial and error. I used a Big Agnes Zirkle for a while and then replaced that with a ccf pad and quilt. Then a JRB 3 season set. Colorado is very arid and bugs are generally not a big problem below 50 degrees. I only use the Hennessy for the short bug season. I combine that with a JRB Nest, JRB Stealth and poncho fly. This kit is carried in a Six Moon Designs Starlite.

My “go to” is a Claytor No Net. Above is a MacCat Deluxe with a loose hang line that includes a Hennessy pocket. Top insulation is Nunatak Arc Alpinist and bottom is a double layer of .375" ccf pads. Suspension is JRB Tri-glides and webbing. I carry this kit in a zpacks Blast 32. With some added clothes this kit is comfortable to about 15 and I could probably survive a 0 night.

My “ground & air” kit is the a Travel UL. The fly is a JRB 8'X8' with a loose hang line with Hennessy pocket. Top insulation is a JRB No Sniveler. On bottom is a Speer SPE with 60" Big Agnes Insulated Air Core and ccf wings. Suspension is JRB Tri-glides and webbing. I carry this kit in a Six Moon Designs Essence.

For desert hanging I use JRB Tri-glides with 30' webbing and #5 & #7 cams with the “ground & air” kit. This kit is carried in a McHale 0-SARC which provides a 7 quart water carry capacity.

There is a hammock stand on my patio for testing. It is rigged with an Eagle Nest for family use.

The only upgrade under current consideration is replacing the Hennessy with a double layer Warbonnet Blackbird.

**HikerRanky** · 12-13-2008, 12:40

Been getting back into backpacking over the last couple of years... Have always hated sleeping on the ground... so like a good project manager would do, began looking for alternatives, and found hammocks.

My first hammock is a used HH Deluxe Explorer with descending rings and straps.... Love the comfort factor, and have been experiencing my best sleep while out on the trail.

After the holidays, will be placing an order for a dbl 1.7 Blackbird. Saw Shadowmoss's dbl 1.1 at a recent Nashville WB get together, and absolutely fell in love with it...

Randy

**neo** · 12-13-2008, 15:36

i started hanging in may 2002 in a non asym hennessey ultra lite backpacker,i started 4 season hanging in nov 2004

neo

**Baerman** · 12-13-2008, 15:52

Went on a hike with some WBer's last Feburary on the Coosa Backcountry Trail and HF's own Youngblood and showed me the way. I've been messing around and using hammocks since then.

Baerman

**myingon** · 08-25-2015, 17:36

The first time I spent a night in a hammock was in the summer of 1977. I have spent years using fishnet hammocks when ever there are trees to make use of. Only a year ago did I finally pickup an ENO doublenest. My last fishnet has finally succumbed to time and use. I will continue to camp using what many consider a minimalist approach, using a hammock when possible, a pad when not. Hammocks unfortunately require something to hang from.

**barbermike** · 08-25-2015, 20:18

Had to be early 2000s when I used a lightweight roll up fishnet hammock at boy scout camp. In the summers it would be sweltering in the heavy canvas platform tents. We would simply just hop in our big green Coleman sleeping bags and then lay back in the hammock outside of our tents. funny how as kids we never worried about weather back then.

Started camping and backpacking with an ENO around 2010 and very quickly moved to DIY ripstop hammocks and DIY painters plastic tarps. Used that stuff for a few years and was plenty happy with it. Finally this year purchased my first commercially made hammock from Dutch because I wanted to try out the Hexon1.6 fabric. Was getting tired of my bare skin sticking to the ripstop. Also finally upgraded to a Silnylon tarp.