Hammock Hang Safety Questions

[Trambo]

When you are hanging, how do you protect your family?
I ask because many people's hanging procedures vary greatly.
Some go to great lengths to provide protection and keep their
hang position unknown. What are some of your best tips?


***NOTE: Firearms Discussion is NOT Permitted***


Is "incognito" hanging your best protection?

How do you plan to protect yourself from animals?

Is proper food storage always on your mind?

How far do you hang from the Trail/Street?

How do you make sure your gear is safe?

Do you leave your hammock hanging while you do a day hike?

Do you worry about fires alerting others to your presence?


This may seem like a bizarre thread, but there are some people
out there who view hammock hangers as easy prey. Personally,
I have had gear stolen while I sleep at night, and I struggle with
ways of how to secure my campsite.

Sure, I could hang tripwires with bells around my site, and I could
take "other" methods to ensure my hang-site stays secure, but I
am curious if there are some easy methods that I am not using.

I appreciate your comments.

[WakarusaRiverGypsy]

I usually go where people would never venture or have never been before. I'm one of those "stealth" campers who likes to stay out of sight. Here in NE Kansas the biggest thing I worry about is copperheads around the river/lake area I hang out at. Other than that, I'm the biggest, smartest, meanest mammal out there so I don't sweat it too much. I always have my mora on me and I sometimes craft a spear for added protection just in case. I'm not a gun guy so I never have one. Fire always keeps unwanted critters away and I wait until just before dark to light it.

[Cannibal]

Is "incognito" hanging your best protection?

That is generally my goto option when hiking alone. I simply camp where nobody is likely to stumble across my site.

How do you plan to protect yourself from animals?

Harsh language.
Actually, I always have a high lumen flashlight with me. Have yet to find anything on two or four legs that wants to fight when they are blind. Maybe Batman, but I haven't seen him yet.

Is proper food storage always on your mind?

Not as much as I probably should, but if in question I just bear bag it and done. I do use an Ursack though.

How far do you hang from the Trail/Street?

Alone? A long way.

How do you make sure your gear is safe?

It's all with me in my stealthy spot.

Do you leave your hammock hanging while you do a day hike?

Depends on if there is anybody in camp while I'm out. If alone and I don't want to carry all my stuff, I just play my own game of geocaching.

Do you worry about fires alerting others to your presence?

My fires are generally small, so I don't worry much about it.

Locks on doors keep honest people honest. They don't keep out evil-doers. Camping is no different. I take basic precautions and then rely on a little faith. So far, so groovy.

[Sleepytime Gorilla Sack]

Get a capable dog.

[XTrekker]

Its pretty hard to sneak up on someone in the woods IMO(excluding well paved trails)...every step makes alot of noise. And at night it is even harder to sneak up on someones camp unless you are sleeping in a clean leaf/stick free area with solid moonlight..Maybe ground dwellers worry about this but as a hammocker, I can hang my hammock in areas where the ground has debris that makes lots of noise when stepped on.

[whoofit]

Haven't heard of any direct assaults on hikers from criminal elements, have you? Not on a scale of urban one's at least. Usually I'm much more concerned with the vehicle back at the roadside left alone for days. That and my family members that are not with me. And am constantly concerned for them not being close at hand anyways.

Bear spray isn't just for bears. I found this out one windy day. But even then it is a very rare occasion that I've felt compelled to actually hold it in hand. Same with the noisemaker...

Actually, to be totally honest, we are the ones who emerge from deep dark places looking like transients and criminal suspects on the lam after a week out there.

Try never to leave anything behind for long periods of time. I usually summit from camp for a couple hours but that's all. Try to select seclusion. But, again to be honest, camping right along side of a highway is a pretty safe bet. Deer do it. I stumble upon them there lots.

Situational awareness is a lifestyle in the woods and in the office both. We are far and away worlds safer in the woods and wildernesses.

[Jayson]

Trained pup. 110lbs.

[default]

this is an interesting one.

i camp in one of two ways: stealth or public (as in campgrounds).

while stealth camping, its usually near urban areas or places i deem as "gray areas" for the law (ie, that stand of trees near an interstate off ramp...). places i want to be in and out of unseen and dont want to be bothered while im there. its usually just for a "nap" but can consist of a meal too.

first thing i do is get far enough in to not be readily seen, then i put up the tarp (if needed) and cover my gear. out of sight, out of mind and im good for an evening. meals are usually easy prep and done with a propane stove so as to keep the fire to a minimum.

in camp, usually theres enough people around to not worry about it, but when i leave the campsite i try to make sure everything is under the tarp and "uninteresting" as possible.

worked so far. i think the only time i had gear walk off was when a bum lifted my pack with my new WBBB and cooking gear off my motorcycle when i was in the gas station getting a drink! (I wasnt even camping! just showing a friend!)

[egrant5329]

I have done a lot of hiking in NH starting in 2000 when I moved to this beautiful state and quite a bit in VT. So far (knock on wood), no one has taken anything of mine from a shelter or tent site. I also haven't been threatened or scared by anyone, although a few times my internal alarm was going off on individuals I always listen to that warning and put distance between me and them.

Food is an interesting subject. I started with a bear bag, but after talking to countless backpackers that just hang their food in the shelters, I stopped hanging the bag too. We only have black bears here and I have never had a problem. Now I am more worried about mice chewing into my pack than anything.

[used2fly]

I took my 10 yr old daughter for a one nighter on the AT last week.My wife was very concerned about her safety.I refuse to sleep in shelters and usually find a place 100yds or more off the trail and keep fires small. I assured my daughter that no one would know where we were.I also make sure no one is around when I depart the trail.I always make a habit of no fires in the morning so I can cover my tracks(no trace) thoroughly. My 12 yr old son and I stealth winter camped in a summertime party spot and I had to convince him that no one but us was crazy enough to come out there with 25mph winds and 15 degrees.We picked up a bag of litter left by idiots , covered our tracks and left the area better than when we got there