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  1. #21
    Registered User gunner76's Avatar
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    Those folks are insanely committed to all things about hammocking.
    we are not insane, just committed
    Hammock Hanger by choice

    Warbonnet BlackBird 1.7 dbl


    www.neusioktrail.org

    Bears love people, they say we taste just like chicken.

  2. #22
    In the shadows AfterParty's Avatar
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    Buy your last hammock setup first or watch the money sail
    Hiking the AT is “pointless.” What life is not “pointless”? Is it not pointless to work paycheck to paycheck just to conform?.....I want to make my life less ordinary. AWOL

  3. #23
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gunner76 View Post
    we are not insane, just committed
    No you are insane

  4. #24
    Registered User Just Bill's Avatar
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    Head to Hammock Forums, watch shug boil things and toss things and say silly things. You will learn alot.

    One caution:
    Hammock forums is a very diverse place, filled with incredibly nice people.
    There are home hangers, RV users, bushcrafters, car campers, casual backpackers, scouts, backpackers and people that would never consider using a hammock in the woods.

    Long distance hiking with a backpack doesn't have to be incredibly unique... but it does have some considerations that you might want to keep in mind.
    You will get lots of good advice at Hammock Forums, even better advice and first hand experience at a group hang.

    But that advice may not all apply well to LD hiking.

    It is okay, occasionally desirable, or as Feral Bill shared sometimes necessary to 'go to ground'.
    The AT has shelters and some hostels that may require you to sleep not just on the ground, but on a very hard surface.

    Not to mention the times you may wish to sleep above tree-line, on a bald, in an open meadow, stealth camped in the bushes at the PO waiting for it to open....

    You get the point.

    Hammocks are generally a comfort choice, with some concessions to weight, pack size, etc. But it doesn't need to be as dramatic as some might say.
    You might get amazing advice on how to set up the sweetest car camping rig you've ever seen complete with drink holders, just the right pillows, and even ridgeline lighting with strobe effects and Ipad storage for watching movies.
    That is really fun!

    But it might not be the best advice for backpacking. SO do your research before you buy anything.

    And despite the overwhelmingly admirable enthusiasm among my friends in the hammock community: not everything was invented by cottage vendors in the hammock industry

    Tarps are tarps. They worked perfectly well as tarps long before Ed Speer hung one over a hammock.
    Generally speaking- a hammock tarp is bigger than many ground based tarps- so for one used to using tarps as a backpacker... you'll probably find the hammock tarps easy to use.

    I'm not a fan of just dropping your hammock on the ground as Shug and some others show.
    You're better off carrying a piece of PolyCro and pitching your tarp just like a regular old ground dweller (backpacker) would.
    If your hammock has an integrated net, and that's the 'feature' you're trying to use on the ground... just put the hammock on the polycro like a bivy sack. Try this a few times in your yard and at worst you may want to add a tab or two to the bug net so you can hang it off your ridge line.

    All the bling you brought from Dutch to hang your tarp... still hangs your tarp. It doesn't magically fail or stop working simply because you put a ground sheet, sleeping pad, and Top quilt under it.

    Hammock hangers did not invent top quilts.
    Any backpacking top quilt works in a hammock... not all hammock top quilts work on the ground... but generally speaking they are cut pretty large and work fine.

    Hammock folks did invent Under Quilts. It is really the only unique piece of gear that is unfamiliar to backpackers beyond the hammock itself.
    It is also not necessary.

    It is more comfortable, especially in a gathered end hammock, and especially if you have the wrong sleeping pad.
    You need at least a large sleeping pad (wide). A 20" pad is too narrow, you will get cold.

    Underquilts are preferred, there are ways to go the whole AT without a pad.
    The question becomes if that's what you want to do... to commit so fully to hanging in your hammock that you limit your options.

    The Hammock tent hybrid crap... mostly kickstarters, gimmicks, and toys. Stay away.


    Unfortunately most hammock folks do not design systems intended to work with a pad... or for some LD hiking versatility.
    A bridge hammock is the most friendly for pads. I do have three GE designs I haven't been able to bring to testing yet that are gathered end hammocks specifically made to work with a pad.

    That said- you will find folks who have LD hiking mentalities/experience who really do enjoy a hammock.

    I believe in the right gear for the right trip... more and more for me that gear is a hammock... but there are lots of ways to get a good nights sleep out there. You have to set your priorities for your own trip.
    For some it's sleep, for some it's options, for some it's weight and bulk. You can find a nice balance... but keep firmly in mind that first and foremost you are a backpacker. If what you choose isn't in harmony with that goal then it's going to impact your trip.

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