Son's First Overnight hang in the woods

**Max B** · 08-07-2016, 13:15

Here a quick report on my son's first overnight hang in the woods last night. He recently turned 5. We have slept in the garage overnight before and he was ready for the woods.

In the afternoon we hiked the 175" or so to the trees in our back yard to set up our hammocks. I used my DD frontline hammock with "hennessy like" modifications. I tried some Reflectix for insulation. He used his amazonas hammock (which he can hang himself) with my DD underblanket. I rigged an army surplus bugnet over his hammock. It was topped with the DD 3x3m tarp with a slightly offset ridgeline which creates Asym tarp with mini doors.

We waited until dark. We got our glow sticks and headlamps and ventured across the very dark back yard and climbed into our hammocks. He was excited! We talked for awhile and a little later he was sound asleep until morning. What a great experience for the both of us!

Here's a few photos
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**SilvrSurfr** · 08-07-2016, 14:00

I do miss introducing my kids to hammocks.

kidhammocka.jpg

My kids were much older than 5 when they spent their first night in a hammock. My oldest son was 20, my daughter was 18, and my youngest son was 12 when they first tried out hammocks. They figured out ways to screw things up that I would never have imagined - sitting on the bugnet and ripping it, inability to figure out whoopie slings or any kind of splice - my oldest son even got a squirrel in his hammock. Luckily, I witnessed that hilarious encounter. He was taking a nap when the squirrel somehow got into the bugnet and hammock and started bouncing around in a panic. I'm sure my son had a granola bar or something but he always denied it.

**Max B** · 08-07-2016, 14:23

Thanks SilvrSurfr for the stories, and for rotating the photo. The squirrel story is especially funny! Where we set up there are several chipmunk holes. One day, we all hung our hammocks and watched the chipmunks climb into the hole, climb back out, and so on. The kids got a kick out of it!

**johnspenn** · 08-07-2016, 16:53

That's great Max. He'll be ready to hit the trail with you very soon!

My first grandson is currently 4 months. Maybe in a few more months he'll be ready.... =)

**Max B** · 08-07-2016, 19:18

Thanks Johnspenn! I'm looking forward to spending some hiking time with the family. I'm sure your grandson will be ready for the trails in no time :-)

**tstark** · 08-07-2016, 20:28

I love to hear stories like this. It gives me a lot of inspiration for my kids. I've taken my two-year-old a few times tenting, only because I have the one hammock. After I get my WBBB, I'm passing my old gear down to him. He loves to hike, and will hopefully like to hang, too.

**Max B** · 08-07-2016, 20:50

Thanks tstark! It's great to hear about you and your young feller getting outside too!

My 3 year old loves camping and hiking also, and he likes to hang in his hammock.

All the best with your outings!

**zukiguy** · 08-07-2016, 21:03

Mine are 7 and 11 and we do a lot of car camping. With my most recent purchase I've finally got a complete hammock, UQ, and some kind of top insulation for all of us. Thanks to some generous folks at HangCon I've even got some kid-sized packs for each. I'm hoping to do some hanging at the local park in another month or so once the temps start to drop. Hanging in the 90s is just miserable so that will be an adventure for this fall.

**wsp_scott** · 08-07-2016, 21:16

I took my oldest about 1/2 mile down a trail for her first overnight when she was 4.5 years old. She needed a bathroom break about 10 minutes down the trail and proceeded to pee all over her shorts

Of course I had not accounted for that or for the fact that I had picked a campsite next to a creek for her to play in/with. Needless to say, she ran out of clothes very quickly

In the end, she (and I) had a great time and three years later, she is a hiking/backpacking beast. Our last trip together, I wanted to quit because of the bugs and heat and she insisted we stay another night

http://backpackandbeer.blogspot.com/...o-camping.html

All this is to say, keep at it and you will have a hiking companion for a long time.

P.S. that looks like a great backyard.

**Snydman** · 08-07-2016, 21:19

Great start! I just had my first father -son hammock backpacking trip 2 weeks ago. He is 19, mostly away at college now so I have fewer opportunities to make these great memories!!

Loven every minute of it!