challenge accepted,
challenge accepted,
Got my June night in...back yard in my latest try at a gathered end. Liking my SLD Trail Lair a lot so far...
June 18 TL and TF.jpg
Very late to the party, but I'm in! I spent night one for June at South Mountains State Park in NC. Not only was this my first night for this challenge, but it was also my first solo overnight ever, and my first night ever sleeping in a hammock! I definitely jumped in with both feet, eh? The weather was perfect:
CuttySark - Welcome to the forum
Beautiful camp site; nice looking tarp. If it’s your first time (solo), looks like you did a bit of research first or camped a lot with others.
I make the most mistakes, and therefore learn the most, when I camp alone. I can tolerate some … inaccuracies, try some new gear or new ideas, that I wouldn’t risk if I had other (“others") responsibility. So I highly encourage you to go out alone when you can and see what works for you.
Note: “going out alone” doesn’t mean not letting someone know your intentions and probably whereabouts. Still “file a flight plan”.
In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.
Thanks cougarmeat! Yes, I don't intend to pull any Chris McCandless foolishness while backpacking - my girlfriend and a couple of friends were aware of my location and estimated travel times. Eventually, I'd like to invest in something like a SPOT PLB, but I think I'll wait until my distances justify that cost.
Regarding learning while solo, you are spot on. The first lesson I learned - and I hear that this is a common one for newer backpackers - is that my pack was far too heavy! Nothing teaches that lesson quite as effectively as twelve miles . I actually pulled the trigger on a better pack after this trip, and I've got a much better idea of what to bring for future outings.
I can most definitely say from experience that the whole pack weight thing is a common one. My mind for some reason thought I was still 20 and in the military, my body fixed that delusion once I was home
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CuttySark, I’ve used the Spot for years and switched to InReach this summer. Because that discussion is not about hammocks, and you are not a donating member so you may not have access to the other Miscellaneous threads, just PM me if you want to discuss the issues. In short, the spots worked great and was simple. But they kept raising their yearly fee. And I only use it a few times a year when Kayaking. InReach has more menus to deal with, but has a low yearly fee, and you only have to pay for the months you use it. Whether the “complexity” was worth the saving was something I was going to look at this summer.
As I live in a “recreation area” we get several deaths a year from people who get in situations where they are not found in time. Few people go out with the idea they will be in an accident. So many times the outcome would have been different if they only had a why to send someone their coordinates. It is also nice to send “the folks back home” an email of your camp location; they feel better and that’s worth a lot. The term PLB usually applies to a device whose only purpose is to call search and rescue. The Spot and InReach have the option to send email (no cell service or wifi required) with your location to friends.
Let’s see, better mention hammocks. If you use an Ridge Line organizer on your hammock ridge line - like something from 2QZQ - it will provide a pocket to kept your signal device while in the hammock.
Last edited by cougarmeat; 06-30-2020 at 10:39.
In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.
I'll avoid discussing the locator gadgets here as you suggested, but suffice it to say I am very intrigued by the cost model you mentioned for the InReach; seems fairer, thanks for the heads-up.
My ridgeline organizer is just an old travel/shaving bag with a carabiner. Seems to do the job!
Welcome to HF!
For the small amount it costs to become a donating member it might be worth it for access to "Ultra Lite Gear" and other off-topic subforums. There's a good number of people on HF who subscribe to the UL style and philosophy of backpacking, finding that hammocks and UL are perfectly compatible.
I've practiced UL for several years but only a couple of years ago got involved with hammocks because I thought the penalties of weight and bulk would be excessive, but after studying the options and honing my kit I now have hammock setups that are literally only a few ounces heavier than many very 'respectably' lightweight ground setups... imagine hammock, suspension, tarp, TQ and UQ under 3lbs total for a warm-weather setup!
UL backpacking involves more than hammocks, of course, and there's lots of info available regarding the rest of the kit... pack, cook, food, clothing, water treatment etc.
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
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