New lad from DC

[WonderLemming]

Howdy, everyone!

Been lurking these forums for a few weeks trying to get the scoop on which hammock & tarp to get. Been looking to get back into the woods for a looooong time. I got started at a hiking camp when I was 12 but have since gotten distracted.

Ordered a new hiking pack last summer (my first internal frame pack!) and did a couple of weekend hikes on the AT out by Harper's Ferry. Went out with a tent, which was actually much more luxurious than what I was used to-- my hiking trips as a teen, even the 3 week sessions, only involved a tarp over my head and a pad on the ground. While tossing in turning in the tent I realized I hated it. Where did this root come from? How is this ground sloping? How do I keep sliding off my pad? Is my head on the high end?

Went home and burned that tent.


Anyway, last Friday I ordered myself a Warbonnet Ridge Runner & SuperFly. Arrived in the mail yesterday! Girlfriend asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner and I told her "Nah, sorry, got a date with a hammock!"

Rigged everything with some larger sticks for toggles, some twine I had lying around for guy lines, and had a nice hang last night. Before I get to the woods I'm thinking of investing in some dutch clips & buckles.

The one area I find a little overwhelming however is rigging and guy lines! Not sure if I should get zing-it, lash-it, spectra line, mason line, shock cord, dynaglide, y stakes, nail stakes, line locks, tarp flyz...

help

[grannypat]

Welcome. I always recommend that people attend a group hang, even if only for an afternoon. You get to meet like-minded people and check out all the cool gear. Personally, I don't like mason line because it gets tangled and knotted too easily. Any Dutchware gear is cool.

[EdLee]

Welcome from West Virginia! Let me know the next time you are up by Harper's Ferry. I live 5 minutes from there.

[jwright]

Hello and welcome from MD.
There are lots and lots of options for your rigging, all with both good and bad points. I think you could do a lot worse than starting with a roll of ZingIt (yellow)/LashIt (grey). Sure there are smaller, lighter weight, brighter, less tanglier, or reflective lines that all work great, depending on what you are looking for, but, I think the Zing/LashIt is a great jack-of-all-trades kind of line. Even if you decided to use a different tarp tieout line (lawson reflective for example) the zing it is great for ridgelines, small and large continuous loops, Large dog bones for 'just in case' extra lines, pack hangers, prussiks. It is definitely something I always like to have on hand.