I am new to hanging and my introduction to it was by chance. Years ago a friend of mine gave me a cheap hammock and told me to try it. This I did 2 weeks ago out in a forest and I immediacy had an epiphany. Home and recharging. One week ago I got my Hennessy Hammock and 2 days ago I set up camp in the woods. Had a warm and snug nights sleep in rain and temperatures down to 36 - 41 F (2-5 C). Loved it.
So what brought me to Hammock Forums.
Shug’s videos.
Best,
Torben
My son is a boy scout (14) and has been in scouting since he was 9 so I've been one of those dads who camps "once a month" for going on 5 years now. I've always enjoyed camping but in all my years of camping I don't think I've ever got more than a few good nights worth of sleep. So, a few years ago I started experimenting. I've tried every type of tent, mini-cot, air mattress, bivy combo you can imagine, and everything seemed to always come down to two factors - weight and comfort. I could get comfort with a big air mattress, but I always had to worry about location, cold weather (hence DAM's), etc. It seemed no matter what I tried I always had trouble sleeping comfortably and soundly. About 6 months ago I literally stumbled across a link to hammockforums while googling for ideas on making my own tarp. When I hit the site it was like a brand new experience. I had never heard of hammock camping before that. I researched everything and ended going with a Clark NX-150. I've had exactly 5 hangs in my hammock, and I'll be the first to admit I'm still making adjustments, but I'll never go back to the ground. There's no better feeling than being able to get out of bed in the morning without your back hurting and crawling around. I'm a newbie, but I'm definitely hooked!
I'm not a hanger yet, technically, looking to hike the Appalachian next year and while reading post on their sights I noticed talk about hammocks, have been checking in to them...Hennessy explorer deluxe a sym, not sure of classic or zip, seems to be what i am leaning towards...not sure what the suspension types mean, webbing and some other such...and the warbonnet looks ok too so i will be going to stores to try them out...i've never liked camping on the ground especially in the rain and hanging seems ever so much dryer, and now can be warmer too with the right additions to the hammock...looking forward to it...and to this forum...thanks for being here..
Serenity
Greetings Fellow Travelers
... *not* because of Shug. In fairness, I started hanging (two awkward nights a couple of decades ago constitutes a start, right?) before youtube existed or Shug probably would have influenced me.
Anyway, I had my first backpacking trip planned w/ a couple of buddies and I decided that an Army surplus jungle hammock looked more interesting than a tent so I bought one. I humped that thing and a surplus intermediate cold weather mummy bag in a surplus ALICE pack while wearing surplus jungle boots (sensing a pattern yet?) way back into Zaleski with my buddies. At the start of the trip I had a 102* temp. It rained the entire time and I wasn't smart enough to put insoles in my boots. Mole skin - what the heck is that?
When we got to our camp site, my feet were raw and bloody (extra, comfie shoes - who brings those), my temp felt like it was climbing and it was time to string my hammock for the first time... with 550 cord. After some fussing (not much tho - I'm not a complete knot noob) I got the thing strung tight as a banjo string between a couple of likely trees. I think I used two strands of 550 on each end - for safety, you know.
After dinner and the requisite goofing off w/ buddies it was time to turn in. Somehow I mounted the hammock and climbed in the mummy bag to attempt to drift off. Oh yeah, the concept of a diagonal lay was a foreign one to me. Did I mention that I'm a stomach sleeper? I squirmed around for a while as the now torrential rains started driving all of the neighborhood mosquitoes to seek shelter beneath my tarp (a nice heavy one). One little frigger buzzed away for hours right by my head (but on the other side of my netting).
Eventually I drifted off only to wake up on my stomach with my mummy bag twisted around (zipper on back). Oh yeah - apparently I'm somewhat claustrophobic. That happened a few more times through the night and the second night was much the same.
Thank heavens for a forum like this one where nearly every thread brings me an 'aha! moment' as I learn something new. I'm planning another backpacking trip (same buddies) to the Smokies this time and plan to make all new mistakes with much nicer gear and with a much greater sense of style.
I like to be different by doing things that have good reasons behind them that unenlightened people don't. Always seeking something better that soothes my soul, and the hammock achieves that for sure.- George
Comfort was the main reason I decided to try hammock camping.
The fact that I can hang it almost anywhere in the woods is an added bonus.
I love to hear so many on here say what I've been thinking: I'll never go back to the ground!
Bought a Hennessey nine years ago. Saw it hanging from the ceiling at REI. Thought, that looks interesting, I'll give it a go. First night in it I slept like a rock for close to 13 hours. Never looked back after that. Just sold that first one and bought a new one. They last darn near forever. Another plus.
In part, I blame RAW.Thanks, Reuben!
Let me 'splain.
I'm new to hammock camping and to HammockForums.net, but I have been camping most of my life and, as I said in the introduce y'self thread, hanging in hammocks since I was a kid.
When I was a kid, we made makeshift hammocks out of the cloths my dad used as dropcloths in his painting business. They were hot polyester blends, but I loved hanging in the trees.
On a road trip in the summer of '94, I spent a few nights sleeping in my net hammock. I loved it, even the June night spent hanging in San Antonio and the one later in June hanging in a KOA in Needles, CA. It was warm in both places.
I had a net hammock with me on my deployment to Baghdad in '04 and used it quite a few times, usually hanging from the trunks of date palm trees.
I've had a Pawley's Island hammock hanging on the porch for years.
In addition to that little bit of hanging experience, I ride motorcycles, and I have carried a net hammock on my bikes for years to use as a camp lounge or for afternoon naps.
A couple of years ago at a motorcycle get-together in Hot Springs, NC, I checked out RAW's set-up and was impressed with it. I've seen Reuben at a couple of other motorcycle campouts, and I know how much he enjoys his hammock. I've been intrigued with the idea of using a camping hammock instead of one of my tents since I saw his hammock system.
I met another forum member here, Calico Jack (who has yet to post) at a motorcycle campground last month and checked out his hammock. It's a cool DIY HH style with a DIY tarp.
So there has been an ad in our local little classified paper for a couple of Hennessys for a while now. I called, went and saw them and bought both.A green one for stealth camping, and one in look-a'-me yella.
They are unused -- the green one is even still wrapped as it came from the factory. They are a few years old and have just the rope-style suspension, so I am researching tree-friendly suspension systems.
I'm a high school teacher, and I get to do quite a bit of motorcycle riding and camping in the summers. I'm really looking forward to doing a bunch of nights in a hammock over the next few months.
BTW, I have really been enjoying -- and learning from -- Shug's and Grizz's videos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Chris
Oh, yeah, in that post up there ^^^^^^^^^^^^^, I forgot to mention another big reason: I have a less-than-stellar back, so becoming a hanger will be easier on it than sleeping on the ground, I hope.
Chris
The rock hard ground.What made you a "hanger"?
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