Hello Hangers!
We all have the freedom to hike and hang the way that we choose to.
I want to share my hang style with you today..
I like hammocks for the open air experience.
Waking up with a clear view of the woods, lakes, stars, moon, wildlife, etc is extremely important to me.
I want to be able cook coffee or breakfast and see all around me when possible.
This is not the only way to enjoy the woods, but it is what I have chosen.
I hope to influence other in a way that brings more joy to those outdoor trips.
Here goes:
I hang my tarp pretty high nearly every time I hang.
Often I will hang my ridgeline at 6-6.5 feet and gather some sticks that are maybe 5-5.5 feet long for the porch mode.
I like to be able to stand up under my tarp.
When I only use my hiking poles for porch mode I consider that a pretty low hang.
I use a cuben hex tarp with an 11 foot ridgeline.
My hammock is 11 feet long before the structural ridgeline is added.
I like to leave the tarp rolled up on the ridgeline is it looks like a clear night.
I get out for long weekends several times a year.
I get out on week+ adventures when I can.
We typically camp in the BWCA wilderness.
We camp near lakes often.
I am in Minnesota where it can get in the 40s or lower almost any night in the summer.
We get a decent amount of rain and thunderstorms.
I use down insulation rated for 30* all spring, summer, fall.
No UQ protector.
Sometimes it rains, sometimes it blows. sometimes I get a little spray on parts of my rig.
I have never gotten wet enough for it to matter. I have never been cold because my stuff got wet.
Please, give it a try. Hang in your yard in a storm. Several times. See what happens.
You do not need to hang in a low closed tarp, or use overcovers, socks, UQ protectors, etc to stay warm and dry.
Bring a few more ounces of down just in case and enjoy the beautiful world around you.
Getting a little spray on you is not the end of the world.
If you do get wet enough to get cold enough to almost die, then you might want to be a little more careful next time.
Hasn't happened to me yet.
Or, maybe you just want to do it your own way. Whatever gets you out and enjoying nature is the right way for you.
Have fun and be safe out there.
Here are a few pics from trips showing how I like to hang.
Below is a pic from a rainy foggy morning after a snowshoe hare had chewed through one of my guylines on the tarp.
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