Alan Dixon's 3-Part Review of Hammock Camping (courtesy Andrew Skurka)

[DemostiX]

For convenience, this URL works. It is where Skurka describes his just-about-to-happen introduction to hammocks.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-H...eywords=skurka

Whether you follow Skurka or not in his faves and understandings, the last chapter on how he assembles different kits for different trips is informative and busts some smelly orthodoxies.

[Trambo]

Fanatical following? Sure if you also count things like
automobiles and shoes. Nice writeup

[mad goat]

always nice to comment on threads I missed the first time around

It was nice to see those articles when they came out. Well written, and a good introduction to hammocking that may have made some UL ground dwellers take notice that it could be done lightweight and that it had some definite upsides.

Skurka's book has some good info in it, though I would not classify it as a good read. His writing style is a bit more like a tech manual then an engaging outdoors book filled with witty prose and anecdotes to support his points. (Say what you will about Ray Jardine, but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading his books, even if I didn't put all of his ideas into practice.)

He clearly tries to make the distinction that his hiking style is not ultra-light, which he felt has some negative connotations and potentially drives people away from investigating more. He calls his hiking style "Ultimate Hiking", which sounds a bit silly to me, but the distinction he tries to make is that he uses whatever works best for his style, which is "hike all day, never stop hiking, eat power bars, never stop hiking, make camp quickly after it gets dark, sleep, hike all day, never stop hiking."

Because of this, his methods and his criteria for gear selection are vastly different than mine (weekend backpacker who gets out for a week or two each year). This book might have more relevant information for the adventure racing crowd than it does for me.

An example of where he differs with the UL crowd is his use of fleece. Most UL folk have gone gonzo for down puffy jackets or synthetic puffy jackets, but Andrew prefers fleece since it really stays warm when wet, dries easily, is far more durable, and can be far cheaper than the puffy counterparts.

But all that said, his book does point out that your gear selection needs to support your goals for your trip, the weather conditions, and emergency scenarios.

[mad goat]

Another good read on the difference between hiking styles is by Pmags

If ya'll haven't read this.... do it now! Just be aware that Pmags is more interested in getting out and hiking, than he is in telling you what gear to use.

Hike My Hike D**n It!
http://goo.gl/bN2dDk

[TheFirePitGuy]

I noticed the first comment on the first series: space/emergency blankets work well under hammocks in place of quilts for added warmth. Don't think that on will get much traction on this site. Overall, I think all three series was a great read and a good endorsement of hammocking.