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

**dejoha** · 12-06-2012, 17:20

I had the opportunity to work with Andrew Skurka this past summer in sparking his interest in hammock camping. He had been looking into it while working on his book, so we arranged for him to get some "hang time" with some locals in Colorado. Skurka eventually picked up a Warbonnet hammock from Brandon.

Skurka shared his thoughts with Alan Dixon, a well-known backpacking evangelist from Backpacking Lite, who has seemingly embraced hammocks in his new review that Skurka recently posted:

> http://andrewskurka.com/2012/hammock...disadvantages/

This is Part I of a 3-part review.

**pgibson** · 12-06-2012, 17:46

Excellent primer, well written and reasurched. I'll be watching for the next parts to published.

**grannypat** · 12-06-2012, 18:32

Look forward to the next in the series. "Fanatical cult"?

Yep, probably.

**Triggerhpy** · 12-07-2012, 01:18

Originally Posted by pgibson

Excellent primer, well written and reasurched. I'll be watching for the next parts to published.

Ditto Bro.

**DCAD** · 12-07-2012, 08:58

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It's a great community. -Alan

**PapaSmurf** · 12-07-2012, 09:13

Here's the link to part II

Hammock Camping – Part II: Types of backpacking hammocks, and spec comparison to ground systems
http://andrewskurka.com/2012/hammock...em-comparison/

**Floridahanger** · 12-08-2012, 22:12

Originally Posted by DCAD

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It's a great community. -Alan

Alan, welcome to the most comfortable, outdoor sleeping you will experience, forum. And full of friendly folks at that.

**gunner76** · 12-09-2012, 09:48

I couldn't tell you how many people I've talked to that absolutely refuse to switch to hammocks even after complaining about being uncomfortable sleeping on the ground.

That just means more trees for the rest of us.

Seems to me that hammock hangers are more nature oriented ( and true "tree hugers") as we need trees to hang from so we are not going to be wacking away at trees just because they are in the way of setting up a tent.

**BillyBob58** · 12-09-2012, 15:08

Originally Posted by DCAD

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It's a great community. -Alan

Hi Alan, welcome to HF! I camp and hike mostly in the south east, so I can verify that your ( or actually Andrew's ) comments about how unlikely it is to be without a place to hang ( in the east ) are right on. Still, my 1st ever night in a hammock was a week spent right at tree line in WY's Wind River Mountains, a trip that was repeated a couple of years later. Finding usable trees is definitely more challenging, but still 2 of us in the group on the 1st trip and 4 hangers on the 2nd trip, managed to find trees. But it did take more searching than in MS, TN or NC!

Bill