What made you a "hanger"?

[kayaknbikehanger]

Hi all,

I grew up enjoying hammocks as a kid. My mother was from Venezuela and that was part of the culture there. When mom and dad were first married in the 40's they made a canoe/skiff trip from the backcountry of Venezuela to the coast camping in their "wedding hammock" with bug netting. They remember hearing Jaguars in the jungle and keeping a nice fire going all night. It was wet season and they boated out because the roads were flooded. Dad had to get back to report for duty to his naval base.

I rediscovered hammocks while camping on Orcus Island on a kayak trip a few years ago. I figured out on-line what the set-up I saw was and ordered my Hennessy H. I've used it on multi day sea kayak trips in the San Juan Islands as well as Northern Calif. lakes. Last summer I did a five day bike tour down the Southern Oregon / Northern Calif coast camping in State Parks and sleeping so comfortably in my hammock. I've taken up backpacking again as I can once more enjoy sleeping in the woods. My back wasn't doing well sleeping on the ground for some years. I had figured that season of life was over for me.

I'm pretty comfortable with the set up I've been using for a couple of years. I have two Big Agnes sleeping bags with the bottom pocket for a pad. One is a light down bag with a mummy shaped insulated air core pad for bike and backpack hanging. I have a bigger synthetic bag for camping out of my kayak. Down makes me nervous for kayak camping.

I did most of my hammock research on the Hammock Forums, but didn't post as I had more questions than information to share.

[ConnieD]

Except for the family hammock in a metal frame in summer in the backyard, my first "hammock" hang was a Choinard PeaPod for big wall mountainclimbing. I also used it under my Hobie cat.

I haven't considered hammock camping, again, until I realized this might be a good thing for kayak camping.

I started paying more attention to the hammock threads at White Blaze, and I came over here once or twice. Then, I saw a hammock on sale link in White Blaze forum. I decided to take a chance I would not be throwing my money away.

I also saw that Jacks-R-Better had their Mt. Washington Convertible quilt system that looked practical.

I purchased the Grand Trunk Travel hammock "on sale" and realized I could make this model hammock using more lightweight materials.

I saw two or three pages on making a hammock out of silk I thought I bookmarked. I did bookmark the page to order the silk.

I checked back in this forum, and I saw the whoopie sling video. I also found webbing slings for trees. I also found information about making the hammock and about making a top quilt and an underquilt.

I has read people are using their hammock, either as a hammock or as a bivy.

I had already looked into making a catenary-cut tarp.

I had been closing in on making a Climateshield Combat quilt, over at BPL forum.

I thought this is a good time to get going on this. So, I'm here.

[bigred72]

It started back in the army. I was in mechanized artillery, so needed something I could setup and take down quick, so I bought a web style hammock and loved it. Got out of the army, vowed never to go out into the woods again. Got involved in Boy Scouts and camping and cursed for two years of camping on the ground. The light bulb went and though I knew I could go out and buy a hammock (probably for cheaper than what it cost me to make my first one), I love DIY projects. Since then I've been hooked. I am trying to convince my fellow Boy Scouts and leaders as to why they should hang in a hammock............

[attrezzo]

Started playing around with kayak touring and hated carrying that gigantic tent around.

Enter a El-cheapo hammock bliss hammock. It was cheap, comfortable, and far better than the rocky bank of a river. I have yet to get the wife out on one in a camping trip but I doubt it'll take much to convince her that this is the way to camp.

[Gumbi]

I've always loved camping and had gone on a few short backpacking trips. It made me realize that my gear was too heavy and I was ill prepared.

I started googling backpacking websites, which took me to Whiteblaze and backpackinglight.com. In my quest for lightweight, I made several different alcohol stoves and bought a grease pot (this alone probably saved me 2-3 pounds on gear!).

When it came to shelter options, what could I do? I don't have much money. I can't go out and buy the latest and greatest lightweight tent. I saw a thread on Whiteblaze about hammocking, though, and was interested. I then checked out Sgt. Rock's website, and Just Jeff's website and decided to make my own hammock. I spent about $25 on a king-size bed sheet, a polytarp, and 50 ft. of 1/4" cord at walmart and made a hammock.
It wasn't the lightest, but several pounds lighter than what I had. AND IT WAS CHEAP! I really liked the fact that I could get a very comfortable night's sleep. I didn't wake up every couple of hours because another part of my body went numb from the pressure of sleeping on the ground. I won't go back if I can help it.

[Cogneato]

What sold me was Shug's video on the Warbonnet Blackbird. My brother had sent me a link to Shug's channel, and to the Warbonnet site, and I just checked it out. It was a common sense decision to purchase that hammock. I didn't even have to research other hammocks to realize that the BB was the one for me. I'm a little guy, so the Yeti almost covers me fully, and the hammock provides more than enough room for me. When I lay in the BB, I can extend my arms all the way and place my palms flat on the bugnet.

What really got me on the hammock, though, was the absence of critter paranoia and the ground. The first night I "slept" in my BB, I couldn't sleep. I was too excited . Just thinking about that Seedhouse SL2 makes me wanna slap myself.

I love hammocks. They are comfortable, quick to set up and pack up, can be used in multiple ways (chair, bivy, bed, etc.), and they provide by far the best sleep you can have. Hammocks are God's way of saying.....relax guy.

[HappyCamper]

I love hammocks. They are comfortable, quick to set up and pack up, can be used in multiple ways (chair, bivy, bed, etc.), and they provide by far the best sleep you can have. Hammocks are God's way of saying.....relax guy.

Welcome Cogneato! Your post made me laugh and think of Cannibal's tagline . . . "If you don't love your hammock, you just don't know how to love"

[Cookie]

I have been backpacking for 15 years. I noticed that more often than not, my tents would leak from the ground side. Sometimes when it rained hard enough, the campsite would flood with an inch or 2 of water and there I was, sleeping in a puddle again. Another problem with tents was finding the sweet spot to pitch it. It could take longer to find the flat ground to pitch than to enjoy the campsite.

Then the light bulb came on! Duh, why not sleep above all this mess in a hammock? My first try was a Hennesee. I hated the claustrophobic feel of the permanent bug net and the bottom entry. I bought the Clark about 2 years ago and the HH has been in the closet ever since.

I love the Clark but thanks to the Forums I read up on 2Q / ZQ Mod 2 and have just ordered it. I hope this will let me get the HH out of moth-balls and try it again.

[Shug]

What sold me was Shug's video on the Warbonnet Blackbird. My brother had sent me a link to Shug's channel, and to the Warbonnet site, and I just checked it out. It was a common sense decision to purchase that hammock. I didn't even have to research other hammocks to realize that the BB was the one for me. I'm a little guy, so the Yeti almost covers me fully, and the hammock provides more than enough room for me. When I lay in the BB, I can extend my arms all the way and place my palms flat on the bugnet.

What really got me on the hammock, though, was the absence of critter paranoia and the ground. The first night I "slept" in my BB, I couldn't sleep. I was too excited . Just thinking about that Seedhouse SL2 makes me wanna slap myself.

I love hammocks. They are comfortable, quick to set up and pack up, can be used in multiple ways (chair, bivy, bed, etc.), and they provide by far the best sleep you can have. Hammocks are God's way of saying.....relax guy.

Shug just wept!!!!
That is a right goodie.....
Shug

[HappyCamper]

I love the Clark but thanks to the Forums I read up on Q2 / ZQ Mod 2 and have just ordered it. I hope this will let me get the HH out of moth-balls and try it again.

It will! It will! It's a whole new ballgame with the HH with the zip mod. You'll be hanging more than ever I'm willing to bet.