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  1. #1
    Senior Member bmwrider's Avatar
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    What should I bring for my first hang?

    I want to find a better way to sleep so I'm trying a hammock, my HH backpacker should be here tue the 26th, what should I bring with me to get the most comfort for my judgement trip.
    It won't be cold, should be an avarage michigan night in say late aug. early sep. I'm trying to get my stuff together now for the first trip with a hammock.

    I have all the backpacking gear I could need through work, (REI) its just my first night and this trip will be the one to judge my idea to use a hammock, I don't want to make mistakes and decide I don't like hammocks due to doing things wrong.
    I just want to know the stuff that is usually done wrong the first time out.

  2. #2
    Senior Member JalapeñoBen's Avatar
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    May 2011
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    Got your suspension and tarp?


    Bring milk... 'cuz ya gonna sleep like a baby, brah.



    Happy Hangin'
    Ben
    Pass the Apple Pie

  3. #3
    Senior Member trailryder42's Avatar
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    I'd say the first "obvious or maybe not" mistakes to avoid are to make sure you set up with hang (strap) angles of the recommended range(30-35* I believe).

    Having a pillow of some sort for my head is a must for comfort.

    Try different configurations to see what is most comfortable for you. Level, head slightly higher than feet and feet slightly higher than head.

  4. #4
    Senior Member DaleW's Avatar
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    Bottom insulation. You will need something unless it is +70F. Try it at home before you hit the trail.

  5. #5
    Senior Member dragon360's Avatar
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    Patience. First nights are not always the best. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it close to right but you get there.
    The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering. - St. Augustine

    Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.
    - Bob Marley

  6. #6
    Senior Member millarky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dragon360 View Post
    Patience. First nights are not always the best. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get it close to right but you get there.
    so true. took me a few times but once i got dialed in zzzzzzzzzzzzz
    The gene pool needs a life guard.

  7. #7
    Senior Member body942's Avatar
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    +1 on bottom insulation. That seemed like the only part that was foreign to me as a dedicated (pre-hammock) ground sleeper. Took some tweaking, and don't write off an awkward first night, but now I'm sleeping as good as I do in my bed at home. Enjoy.
    -Bill

    "...the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog."
    -LTC D. Grossman

  8. #8
    Senior Member NewtonGT's Avatar
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    its all about practice man. It took me well over 6 nights before I got comfy in it
    Dale Gribble: I'm thinking, "new hammock." For me, laying and swaying in a hammock is like a steady morphine drip without the risk of renal failure.

    Randy : yea but just remember yer roots and where ya come from....you got Hennessy in yer blood son......

  9. #9
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
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    Stuff I've found out:

    1.) Try it in the backyard before going out into the piney wilderness. Hammocks have a slightly sharper learning curve than most shelter systems (in my opinion). It's worth spending a night or two learning the tricks before depending on it as a shelter.

    2.) I also have a Hennessy; make sure that the ridgeline is mostly taut but still has enough sag in it that you can take it in two fingers and turn it ninety degrees while you are lying in the hammock. That means that you have the correct tension on the hammock.

    3.) Make sure that you hit that thirty-degree hang. It makes sooooooo much difference.

    4.) I've found that having my foot end a little higher than my head end improves my sleep, but some folks think different. Try multiple combinations before deciding on one.

    5.) Learn to set up your tarp! Quickly! Trust me, nothing sucks worse than getting soaked when you know that you could've had your tarp up in less than a minute. I recommend keeping your tarp in the snakeskins (if you ordered direct from HH, rather than through a store, one set should come gratis) rather than the hammock. It's more important that you can set up your weather shelter quickly than it is that you can set up your sleep system quickly.

    6.) Keep a drybag stuffed with clothes, a rolled-up CCF pad, or some other pillow-type object (heck, even a real inflatable pillow here will work ) for under your knee. At least, if you sleep like I do. I don't ever need a pillow for my head; the hammock supports it perfectly. However, I find that my left knee hyperextends if I don't have something under it.

    7.) Have fun. Really, that's what this is all about.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Roche's Avatar
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    Having lived in the Great Lakes State for 17 years you have chosen a great time for perfect sleeping weather - in a tent with a sleeping bag. It can get crisp at night.

    Good advice from the other posters. Bottom insulation is a must. Experiment in the backyard or at a local park (near your car). And give it a few times.

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