Hello from upstate PA / Dresden, Germany

[STCrowley]

Hey, all!

I'm an American living and working in Germany now and recently got into the idea of hammock camping as an affordable way to get away from car camping and the crowded campground experience. With the pandemic, I've discovered I enjoy rucking as a way to wear myself out and burn off stress, so, I'm looking forward at gaining experience/confidence moving forward.

So far, I just have discount stuff (I'm sure you'd call it junk) from stores / Amazon that I combine with the L.L. Bean car camping stuff I have. If I do this as much as I'd like to, I'll need some equipment recommendations (I'm 6'6", 220lb and would like to eventually drag three kids--11, 9, and 8 out with me to get them away from screens).

[Phantom Grappler]

Shout out from across the pond!
When possible get gathered end hammocks
11x5 feet. Shorter and more narrow hammocks can be uncomfortable overnight. My hammock is 12x6, not for everybody, cause then need bigger tarp, bigger pack.
Browse here on Hammock Forums to choose a cottage vendor for your hammocks and other gear. There are probably also online forums in Germany and England for cottage vendors there.

If finances don’t allow immediate purchase of underquilt and top quilt set, maybe get a closed cell foam pad for bottom insulation. You can couple the pad underneath and an old sleeping bag on top.

Watch more than a few hammock videos.
Shug has the most informative and entertaining hammock camping videos on YouTube. Shug has a ten part series of videos: How to hang a hammock, How to pitch a tarp, How to insulation for both pads and quilts etc.

Probably there are local hammock hangs in your area. Good to meet people with same interests. And see, first hand, their hammocks rigged in every imaginable way.
They love to talk about their hammocks, drink coffee, and tell stories with no fact checking! You will have a great time!

[arutha]

Haha nice! Another shout out from across the pond, this time from Canada, but from a German!

Definitely get the "trying to drag a bunch of 8-11 year olds away from screens" sentiment. So far not particularly successful, so do tell of any tricks you figure out!

How's the 15km rule been treating you while it was in effect? Whereabouts are you actually going out to hike and camp? There's some lovely countryside reachable from where you are but I've never really tried to camp around there myself.

[STCrowley]

@Phantom Grappler: I appreciate the tips! I'm a little shy about going to local Hammock Hangs, but I'll look them up. I've run into trouble with people who think there is a "correct way" to do things (I'm talking about other things, now, not hammocking)... I tend to try every other way first, then agree their way is correct. I've got the middle-child gene that makes me resist doing what I'm "supposed to."

@arutha: Dresden has some beautiful countryside surrounding it and I really enjoy the city forest. I look forward to doing some practice overnights there in an attempt to make it "my" forest. (A distinction that will only matter to me.) Eventually, I'd like to hike from here to Uttewald (home of the beautiful Uttewalder Grund -- look it up) as a first multi-day tour. I think I can make a mostly green tour.

As for the dragging kids away from screens, the idea is to just say we're all going into the woods and we'll hike only a short distance and setup a base camp for a day or a night and hope that they'll entertain themselves. I'll keep you posted.