Hey all,
I finally got most of my gear together and headed to central PA for a weekend of flyfishing. I figured I'd let you know how it went.
I pulled into the primitive motorized site Friday around 12:00. I found two trees about 12 feet apart. In hindsight, this was a little tight. I pulled out my simply light designs starter hammock, and after remembering a video from Shug, I put up the hammock fairly easily. I even remembered to put the fronkey bugnet around the hammock first. I practiced a few times at home and that helped me remember the knots as in there was no cell service anywhere nearby.
I then set up my Hennessy hex tarp. I then realized a small error. The hex tarp is 12 feet, the length between the trees. I then forgot my knots, my mind went blank. I didn't see trees with a few more feet, but honestly, I thought I could manage. After much trial and error, I figured out a fix, but that left my tarp a little cockeyed, I figured if it rained, I would be ok as long as it rained straight down It was now 1:15. I did say much trial and error.
Thanks to mOOch for the tarp and bugnet. Despite my difficulty with the set up of the tarp, they both worked great the whole weekend.
I went fishing, came back and the tarp and hammock were still there!
I got back after dark and got ready for bed. I ordered my underquilt too late, so I went without it. The temps were in the 50's at night, so I just wore full thermals, warm socks, and a Melanza hoody. That worked on night one. Night two, the wind got too bad and I was shivering for a bit. My 40 degree EE quilt worked great. I used a small sit pad under my lower back and that helped a lot. I tried my full-size klymit v but it kept slipping and sliding. My arrowhead quilt should arrive this week.
It took me a while to fall asleep, the woods were super loud with life and it was a bit weird at first being exposed. I woke up a few times, probably because I went to bed pretty early for me. I may bring a book next time.
I ended up sort of sliding so that I was laying diagonal, my head was to the left. It was comfy so I just stayed there.
I didn't have any place to store my gear so I threw some on top of me and I put a small plastic sheet on the ground for my shoes and other stuff.
What went well:
1. I didn't fall out
2. The hammock didn't fall
3. A tree didn't fall on top of me
4. It was way more comfortable than my on the ground set up.
5. The bug net was SUPER easy to get in and out.
What can be improved
1. It was super loud- I need earplugs
2. I need a place to store my stuff
3. I need to figure out a way to hand my tarp low enough so that if the wind cuts across me I don't get a cold butt.
4. First light woke me right up, I need to figure out a fix to keep it a little darker for me
Thanks again for your advice and answers to all the posts I searched through. I am gonna take this set up out in two weeks and I'll report back!
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