How are you now, then?

[StrungUpNewfoundlander]

Hello,
Just joined the site. Don't own a hammock. Have a particular condition that requires me to heavily research subjects before making purchases and that's led me here. A consequence of broken zippers, wind-flattened tents, wet feet, methinks.

I live in Scotland these days and only have the 4-person family tent of my youth and basha/hoochie settlers of my army days. As the Call of the Wild has become louder I was going to get myself a single-person tent but then started considering a hammock. A friend of mine has one and enjoys it, though he has had limited time to use it.

The rabbit hole of the internet and the time warp of YouTube has led me here. It has led me other places best not mentioned, too. I now look at every vertical object in the world and automatically look to see if there's another one near enough to it to rig a hammock between the two. Is the development of this affliction normal?

I'm open to receive some advice. Approaching forty, I've learned a few things about myself and one certainty is this: I love gear. Love it. Can't help it. I've no shame. So, let's talk Blackbirds and Chameleons, titanium hardware, dyneema line, carbon fibre waterbottle holders, tritium illumination.

[cap624]

Welcome to the forums! You will find an abundance of information here. Personally, it made my head spin, being completely new to the world of hammocks.

What I did was to start slow - first, I proofed out that sleeping in a hammock was even doable, then enjoyable, then preferable. To do that, I went the cheapest route by buying a Grand Trunk Ultralight and a fleece blanket as a makeshift underquilt. Slept in my living room using an old hammock stand. It took a few nights for my brain to figure out that I wasn't going to launch myself out of the hammock. Patience was key. I've been a full-time indoor hanger ever since and have invested in other gear as finances permitted.

My advice would be to find some nearby like-minded people and possibly try out their rigs. Use Google and YouTube, as you've been doing. Definitely watch Shug's videos. Good luck on your journey!

[PlusOne]

Welcome from New Jersey. As you have probably noticed, the DIY urge is strong in this community as well. Tomorrow is my first real hike and hang with my Chameleon and Dutch Hex so not much advice to give you yet. The back yard hangs have been great though, for figuring things out.

[Five Tango]

Welcome fellow Gear Addict!There really is no shame to being a gear junkie but do try not to be like me and constantly buy the "wrong thing first".Actually "wrong" is a misnomer of sorts,everything has advantages and short comings so it's all a trade off between weight,function,convenience etc.I must say that I love a Xenon tarp and just bot a Dutch hexon 1.0 11footer which passed a Sunday afternoon snooze with flying colors.

[87warrior]

Welcome! I sympathize with your condition. My wife calls me crazy... but I always feel like I have made the best possible choice. Until something new comes out three days later

[MesaHiker]

Welcome! The research struggles are real. If YouTube could confer a degree, I’d have a bachelors in Outdoor Gear Studies with a hefty tuition paid out across several businesses and sites. You're in the right place. HF is where all the professors hang (pun intended).

[rweb82]

I now look at every vertical object in the world and automatically look to see if there's another one near enough to it to rig a hammock between the two. Is the development of this affliction normal?

Normal? Probably not. But common affliction among folks on this forum? Absolutely! Welcome to the [not so elite] club of hangin' crazies!

Without knowing anything about your physical stature- or the type of weather in which you're looking to camp- or the type of camping itself (car camping, backpacking), it will be difficult for anyone to give you specific advice. That said, I recommend getting the best hammock you can reasonably afford. For gathered-end hammocks, the general consensus is the longer, the better. You'll want to decide the type of bug protection you want (none, integrated into hammock, or separate). There are many excellent cottage vendors on this forum; and many of their products can be had for close to the same price of comparable (although much lower quality) hammocks from Amazon.

If you already own a decent sleeping bag and a pad, you can use these in your hammock- while saving up for hammock-specific insulation, such as an underquilt and top quilt. Also, you may want to see if you even like hammock camping before spending a lot of money on insulation. But if you go that route, give yourself the best chance of enjoying it by purchasing a good hammock.

I would also recommend getting a decent tarp- at least 11' long across the ridgeline, and 9' wide. Personally, I wouldn't go any smaller- regardless of what hammock I use. There are some decent tarps on Amazon for cheap- albeit on the heavier side. But I used a Chill Gorilla that was 12' long by 9' wide, and it served me well until I recently purchased a much lighter silpoly tarp.

Enjoy the rabbit hole. Don't get too caught up in the intricate details right away. Get some decent gear (that you can afford) and start hanging! Oh, and watch as many Shug videos as you can!

[TxAggie]

Welcome to the group. If you’re as much of a gearhead as I am, you’re in for a wild (but fun) ride with hammocks. The “problem” with hammocks is they are so flexible and because you aren’t tied into a specific “tent” there are thousands of combinations and setups. You’ll find that each step you take that makes it more fun/comfortable leads you to thinking about the next three steps you want to try. I’ve only been doing this for a little over a year, and it’s crazy how I’ve gone from “I’ll never do that” to “I can’t wait to try that.” (Except for seeing tarps, I’m still pretty skittish about that. )
Oh, and I’m only a few years older than you and understand the call of the wild after years of absence.

Happy hanging, and good luck on your journey.


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[Grey Mouse]

Welcome to the forum. +1 on watching Shug's video's. I was a devoted land slug that thought that I couldn't hang in any hammock. Was I ever wrong. A simple change in hammocks, hours of Shug's videos, and now I've sold everything that I used for the ground. My arthritis on that cold had ground...nope...no more. I used to get frustrated within ten minutes of hanging and end up on the dirt as happy as could be. That's when I learned that hammocks aren't supposed to be trampolines lmao. With the help of the forum members on here I have been able to convert my wife and friends to hangers. It's an affliction that I don't want cured.

[Pennsy Camp and Canoe]

Slainte` and welcome from Pennsylvania. I hope you enjoy DIY too 'cause, for me, hammocks have led to that craze too lol!