What made you a "hanger"?

[MikeM]

I got the hammock bug from the guys at Zombie Squad. After seeing the comfort and rave reviews I had no choice but to give the hammock a try.
Now that I'm a committed hanger the part I love the most is the DIY and tinkering around that comes with the hammock and associated gear (I actually went out and bought a sewing mach... I mean thread injection device specifically because of the hammock).

-Mike

[hdbint]

I had a net hammock as a kid and loved it but trees in West Texas were scarce. Mostly hung in the backayard from an old swing set. Moved to the Houston area in '89 and got into hiking/camping.

I pulled out the net hammock a few times on trips but it really didn't work that well and I shelved it (along with hiking) due to work/family.

Got back into hiking/camping here a few years ago and my mind wandered back to the old net hammock. Jumped on-line, found this website, bought a sewing machine and the rest is history.

I've always been a DIY'er and a tinkerer so I guess it was second nature to jump into gear making.

I'm seeing hanging has really taken off as well. I see them popping up on alot of outdoor sites I frequent.

[Arson]

---Shug.---

[Captn]

Lower Lumbar F-U-S-I-O-N .....

I found it harder and harder to sleep on the ground as well as getting up in the morning anyway ..... the Surgery caused me to push the button and order my HH Exped.


Youth is soooo wasted on the Young ....

[Ekul]

gotta give credit to Just Jeff. Found him at whiteblaze and then the virus took hold of me. after playing with a HH for a year ive finally graduated to the WBBB----and OOOO what a difference. Quilts make 100% difference in comfort compared to the pad technique.

[Peanutdude]

I was on youtube and I was looking at tents and videos of tents. I then saw some camping hammocks and started searching for that which lead me to Te-wa's videos and Shugs. After watching all of Shug's hammock video's I was pretty convinced I wanted to try it out. I then came here and Everyone gave me great advice for a hammock but I didn't have the money so I bought a GTUL Which i find just amazing. I fell inlove the second I set up and slept in my hammock. I've been trying to get back out and relax in it ever since (about a week or two ago haha)

[Puget]

Started hanging in the 1970's in New England. Was backpacking and was tired of sleeping in puddles, tent condensation, feeling cramped, not being able to wake up and see the moon/sunrise/birds/mountains/trees, having a sore back, not finding level sites, sliding down hill during the night, carrying a heavy tent.

I ran across a $5 nylon net hammock in K-Mart, and got some transparent plastic drop cloth material -- probably from the paint dept. It was wonderful! I would wake up in a pouring rain -- rested, dry, comfortable, watching beautiful trees and birds. When I got up I could stand up. But I often just laid there in luxury for an extra few hours.

Working as a forester in the 70's and 80's in New England and Oregon, the government often paid for Motel rooms for the crew I was with. I offered to save them money and camp out. They said no. So I often took the room, and told my boss I'd be back for breakfast. Then I drove to some nearby beautiful place and went to sleep swinging and looking at snow covered peaks or waterfalls. Beats TV any day!

Life changes and I got out of the hanging habit for the last decade or more. Looking to get back in the habit now and I'm amazed at the revolution in backpacking and hanging gear, and in and attitudes (People being open to light weight rather than condemning it as unsafe)

I enjoy the forum!

[Raul Perez]

ran across the HH website late november last year and thought it would be a cool idea to do. Took it out in the late spring of 2009 and was hooked. Ended up moving over to the WB Blackbird and find it to be more comfortable for me. Now looking to perfect my winter set up to continue camping all year round.

[sodastat]

I bought one of those cheap fishnet hammocks about 15 years ago-I just knew hammock camping was superior to tents with out trying it and I was right, only problem was I kept falling out of the thing trying to get into it with a sleeping bag. Then one day in the Black Hills taking a nap a red squirrel chewed through some of the support cords and that ended hammock camping until I stumbled across the Hennessey site. The bottom entry was genius and I had to have one. Got mine this year and its all I have been using since along with snake skins. I sleep better on the trail than I do at home in bed! Light, quick set up over any terrain and its multipurpose, no more need for pads, Crazy Creeks etc. like the previous posters have already said. Another bonus is these things lend themselves to making gear, its all so simple buts thats what makes these superior to tents.

And this is why my signature is:

[Strapman]

I was introduced to the hammock forum from several members that found the company I work for online about 2 years ago. The idea appealed to me so I tried a few ideas that didn't work out as well as I thought they might. I guess that it's not always better to try to re-invent the wheel. I finally decided to look into getting a hammock specifically designed for hiking. My biggest challenge was not being able to get a feel for the different hammocks by looking online and deciding which one was for me. I went to the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City this last July, met with several manufaturers including Tom Hennessy, and was sold. Now I have a good hammock for kayaking that is light weight and comfortable.
So the reason why I hang?
I don't have to worry about how wet the ground is in the middle of a river.
The hammock is always more comfortable than river rock.
A hammock fits into my drybag better than a tent.
It makes me feel like I have superior insight and inspires jealousy in my buddies that didn't want to listen to me about getting a hammock.