So, I went on my first "real" hammock/backpacking overnight this past weekend. All my other "testing" has been in my backyard.
I expected to not hike in very far, maybe couple miles or so. I just wanted to get far enough in from the trailhead, and somewhat off the trail to give things a good test.
Well, I can see that hammock camping in this area of the Northwest is going to be a problem; not because of lack of trees, of course, but because there are too MANY of them. I watched several videos by Shug in the Minnesota (I think) woods, and that's what I remember from other backpacking trips in other parts of the country; a good selection of trees, spaced at varying distances, but relatively easy to find a good spot.
Here, I hiked for several miles without finding a good spot; some trees were too large (couldn't even get my arms around them), some were just saplings, some were dead, most were much too close together, with bunches of saplings scattered between/among them, and with the jagged ends of blowdowns or brambles/thornybushes sticking out everywhere for good measure! I had brought along my machete just in case there was a spot that had "a few" branches sticking into it, but this was ridiculous!
What do other hammockers in this area do? Carry 15 ft long tree straps? Carry an additional 50 feet of climbing rope so you can hitch to distant "good" trees? Bring in mules to haul out the blowdowns and junk under any potential sites?
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