I'm being Hammock Born TONIGHT!!!!

[Mack-Attack]

I've been reading(lurking around this forum and other sites) for quite a while. I ordered a Hennessy Explorer Deluxe A-Sym. I was hoping to recieve it today. Came home from work....not here....bummed out. Went to a Mexican restuarant met some friends. After 3 Margarittas....I really needed to get home. Drove up and there was box on my front porch.

My Hennessy arrived. Well I only had about 15 minutes left of daylight but I opened the box...and proceeded to go out the back door. Reading the directions.....it just didn't click. Now darkness has arrived and put my headlamp on and got my wireless laptop and called up Shanes page on the knot tying. THIRD Time was the charm...took that many tries to get the hammock at height I wanted.

Now the Canopy.....boy was I lost....after an hour of trying to get the thing right...came inside...called up the Hennessy website, read one paragraph.....it was a breeze.

Well now I've just grabbed a small blanket and as soon as I sign off here....I'm going to crawl in the woooomb.

Thanx to many of you who have written on the forum..

Night all. I'm off to sleep my first hammock night in my back yard.

Cheers,
Mack:dance

[Ramble~On]

Well Mack Attack as its your first night in a hammock and that was your first post on WB...

:welcome to WB
and
:welcome to the hanging world.

[Doctari]

Yea, don't leave us "Hanging" :p

How was it?!?

[peter_pan]

Welcome to the hanging crowd....

How was your first hang out? What was the weather like? The Sleep?

Pan

[Mack-Attack]

Welcome to the hanging crowd....

How was your first hang out? What was the weather like? The Sleep?

Pan


Thanx all for the geetings.

My maiden voyage (fisrt night in hammock) went fairly well as this is a BIG learning process for me. I realize that I plan on sleeping in the hammock several times at home before a Colorado camping/fishing trip at the end of the month of July 06.

Weather for first night. Went to bed 75 degrees, 80% humidity, forecasted low 68, possilbe chance of rain in early morning.

I got into the hammock very gingerly (expecting hammock to crash) and wiggled/jiggled/rolled getting my blanket in position. Hammock stayed suspended...:)

I have a very bad time sleeping. Usually takes me a long time to fall asleep and if I wake up in the middle of the night, if I don't go back to sleep quickly, I'm up for 2-3 hours.

After getting comfortable. I also had a pillow. I noticed the closeness of the canopy. I'm somewhat clostrophobic but I did notice distance and the moon was in the west when I looked below the edge of the canopy.

I figured I fell asleep in about 10-15 minutes. I woke up about 3:15 a.m. a little cool. I was thinking of toughing it out, but this was a learning experiece so I got up, hiked 150ft into the house, and retrieved my sleeping bag. Pulling the blanket out of the hamock, I position the sleeping bag unzipped except for foot area and I entered. Also the zipper was on left side. I did read somewhere a person recommended if you are a right handed person to get a left sided zipper.

I got back into the hammock and did a giration getting positioned with the bag. I actually think my heart rate increased 20/30 beats per minute. After getting situated, I waited for my body to cool back down again. After getting relaxed and almost asleep. I knew I had some cool spots and did not want to battle zipping up the bag but new I needed to. I reached for the zipper..........ziiiiiiip....smooth as butter. I was glad. Fell back to sleep.

I woke up again about 4:45 in the "I don't know where I am" mode. I focused on the closeness of the canopy and I was out of the hammock in about 2 seconds. Standing outside of the hammock I was disappointed that I exited the way I did. I walked into the house and went to bed.

I woke up in the house about 8:30. I usually always wake up at 5:45 a.m. I haven't slept this long in a very long time so I am really happy in the length of the sleep and the deepness also. At 8:30, temperature 66 degrees and it was lightly raining. I love to sleep in the rain so again I was disappointed that I wasn't in the hammock.

I'm planning to sleep in the hammock several more times and practicing taking down and putting up the next two weeks.

I have ordered a Big Agnes bag and pad and am looking forward in getting those.

Things that surpriseded me and what I need to do: The coolness hammock. Putting hammock up/down. Lashes so it comes fast. Work on getting used to the closeness of canopy.


Thanx again for the greetings. I'm really looking forward in learning this way of camping/sleeping/relaxaton/chilling out.

Cheers,
Mack

[hammock engineer]

welcome to the group.

If you do not like the tarp being so close. Look into getting an aftermarket tarp. Attach the tarp to the trees instead of the hammock. JRB and McCat tarps are really good. There are also a few low cost options. This will help prevent sag and give you more working space with a bigger tarp. You can also hang it higher to give you a sense of a bigger space.

[neo]

I've been reading(lurking around this forum and other sites) for quite a while. I ordered a Hennessy Explorer Deluxe A-Sym. I was hoping to recieve it today. Came home from work....not here....bummed out. Went to a Mexican restuarant met some friends. After 3 Margarittas....I really needed to get home. Drove up and there was box on my front porch.

My Hennessy arrived. Well I only had about 15 minutes left of daylight but I opened the box...and proceeded to go out the back door. Reading the directions.....it just didn't click. Now darkness has arrived and put my headlamp on and got my wireless laptop and called up Shanes page on the knot tying. THIRD Time was the charm...took that many tries to get the hammock at height I wanted.

Now the Canopy.....boy was I lost....after an hour of trying to get the thing right...came inside...called up the Hennessy website, read one paragraph.....it was a breeze.

Well now I've just grabbed a small blanket and as soon as I sign off here....I'm going to crawl in the woooomb.

Thanx to many of you who have written on the forum..

Night all. I'm off to sleep my first hammock night in my back yard.

Cheers,
Mack:dance

:) happy hammock hanging to ya :cool: neo

[Doctari]

My biggest "complaint" about the hammock, I sleep too well (gosh that sounds weird). lately I have been sleeping in mine everynight at home, so 2 of 3 nights almost since I got the hammock. Trouble with that is, I can't get up in the AM, and I gots to be up for work by 03:15 every third day.

Welcome to the hanging crowd, glad you had a good first night.


Doctari.

[Spock]

Mack-Attack,
Good report - complete enough to give you feedback on it. So...

Hammocks ARE cool. Even in high summer, you may cool down enough to be uncomfortable underneath by 3 or 4 a.m. There are several fixes and everyone seems to have his own. Google 'hammock camping' for lots of sites. The easiest fix - especially in moderate weather, is to use a sleeping pad inside the hammock. This can be a very thin closed cell foam pad. Its only function is insulation. It should be slippery so you can arrange it easily while lying on it.

The rainfly IS close on a HH. If you leave it attached to the hammock, it is always there and easy to set up fast, but when you get in the hammock, your weight shortens the ridgeline and causes the fly to sag. There are 2 fixes that I know of. You can attach the fly higher on the hammock lines and connect it with elastic cord that will keep the ridge taut when you get in. Naturally, the fly will be higher up. This may or may not work well, depending on how hard the rain is blowing and whether there is enough room between the trees to let you move the ridgeline attachment up the lines. Another fix is to use elastic cord on the guy lines - much like the HH has on the sides of the hammock body. The elastic will take out slack when you get in. This will not give you more room under the fly, however. A third fix is to tie the ridgeline to the trees separately so it does not sag when you get in. You can set it high or low and it will stay where you pitch it. Other hammock fans use larger rectangular flies. 5X8.5 is a good size. These give the extra coverage that permits you to set the fly up higher. You are not the only person who likes more head room. On a hot night it is nice to have the fly up where it doesn't interfere with any vagrant zephyr that may come along.

[Hana_Hanger]

Aloha Mack-Attack,
Sounds like my first night in my HH Explorer :D
Great detailed report and it only gets easier with time.
I think its like tents or any new gear you must make adjustments
here and there.
I wish to add my Welcome to you for joining the group of Happy Hangers.

I agree in that hanging the tarp above on the trees rather than to the support rope, not only gives you more air for the hot summer...but you can see!!

[Just Jeff]

Great first report! The BA set will take care of the coolness, and the rest comes with practice. Good idea to test at home before you get to Colorado, too.

And I'll echo what Spock said about the canopy - lots of people like after market tarps. Even if the stock tarp will keep you dry, it doesn't give much room to change, cook, lounge, etc.

Hey Spock - did you use your hammock on your thru, or did you switch with shelters along the way?