Howdy From Gastonia, NC

[laziboie]

Howdy Yall!

For all yall northern / yankee types, that's how we say Hi in the South (right after we take a swig of some good sweet tea).

Well not too much to my story, I've been an outdoorsman all of my life. I grew up in scouting and hiked all over the NC, SC, VA and TN areas all through my high school years.

I made Eagle, graduated high school, then life kicked in. I went on to college and joined the Air Force where I earned a BSBA with a concentration in Project Management. I served 4 years of active duty stationed at Hurlburt Field in Florida working on MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft.

I left the Air Force and moved back home where I joined the NC Air National Guard as a SATCOM operator / maintainer. I now work in RF transmissions for the 263rd Combat Communications Squadron in Albemarle, NC.

I have a 1.5 yo daughter and am married to my awesome wife. I have not been camping that much since high school and I committed to begin going more frequently.

I've always been a traditional tent hiker and want to go lightweight so I got myself a GTUL, ordered some amsteel to make my own whoopies, gonna make my own straps...just need to figure out a tarp...but on a budget.

Anyway, that would be about it.

Have a good one,
Matt

[flatline]

welcome to Hammock Forums and hey from high point nc.

there is a ton of stuff here to read, learn and ask about.
if it's hammock related it's here or still waiting to be invented.
hang on and have fun.

__bob__

[CJK]

Welcome from Raleigh.

[eagleJ]

How yall doin! In south east Gtown myself, worked on aircraft for a few years myself. Both sons are Eagles, I've been a leader for about 17 years. We'll have to " hang " together sometime.

[Yotey]

Welcome from Maine. The damp and muddy north at the moment.

One of my best friends is just starting a job at alligator river national park NC. She got down there yesterday :P.

A tarp on a budget means different things for different people, but I think that the tadpole tarp from wilderness logic is a great value. It's one of the less expensive made in USA tarps, has a lot of coverage for its weight and a lot of nice options. You can also check out the DIY sections for some ideas. Maybe you can get your whole family in hammocks ^_~

[gunner76]

welcome to the madness from down on the coast.

Hope you can make it to the Smoked Butt Hang in April. You will lots of friendly folks, eat some good food and best of all...get to see lots of different hammock setups. I always find group hangs very educational as you can see how something is being done versus just reading about it.

Bring the family and a tent and join the fun. I will be bringing some extra gear ( like tarps ) if you need to borrow one.

[Shug]

A Whooooo Buddy to ya'
I grew up in Charlotte....went to Belmont Abbey College for a year and romped Gastonia quites often.
Shug

[TallPaul]

Welcome from Charlotte! Come join us on a group hang - there's usually one popping up here in NC or SC.

[Weaver]

Hey y'all back at you from God's country--Tennessee. You are set to have lots of fun!

[mountain_man_mike]

Hi Matt and welcome to the forum. You are in the same neck of the woods as "eaglejon" from this forum and if you get a chance to hike with him, I recommend it highly. He is a great guy to hang around. I saw him in camp and the first 30 seconds of our daily hike last summer. I hike at a glacial pace so it's pretty much what I expected.

There are a bunch of cottage industry makers of fine tarps represented in the forum and I have not heard a gripe about any of them. If you are of a DIY preference, there are suppliers of DIY gear also. I have had good luck with an eBay seller called "fabricsupplier" that has great prices on light fabrics, but everyone has their favorites.

Good luck to you and your family,

Mike