My kids (ages 15-20) and I are going to give hammock camping a go at the end of this month. We have a nice site in Northern Wisconsin we have tent-camped many times. We have had hammocks hanging in our yard for leisure for a few years. Typical gathered parachute style from a few sources. We understand the concept of getting the right hang and laying angle. I have read "The Ultimate Hang 2" and want to take this from backyard hanging to the next level. So I ordered an inexpensive bug net and rain fly from Amazon/Foxelli and an additional double hammock from Amazon/Wise Owl to test out before I commit to 3 more setups for the kids.
Things didn't do so well on my test run this weekend. I setup the rainfly to make sure it would work (but then took it down because it was a 0% chance of rain). Setup the bug net over the hammock and just used the structural ridgeline I setup to keep it up. Tried it a few times and everything seemed great. Then came time to actually climb in and settle in for the night. One part of my brain said "get in the hammock first, then have someone hand me my stuff (blanket, pillow, water bottle and such)." The other side of my brain said "just hold your stuff in one hand, grab the front of the hammock with the other and go for it - you got this!" Guess which side won? So I went to grab the front flap of the hammock with one hand, and all my stuff in the other, but I didn't realize I had the back flap, and as I sat down, I missed the hammock completely and landed on the ground. Of course I tore through the bug net on the way down as well. It was quite the tangle-up sight. I would have laughed if I had not been so mad I just destroyed the bug net and a little more of my dignity. Ugh.
Lesson #1 - Put you stuff in first, or get someone to help you get in.
I was ready to throw in the towel, but decide the bug net wasn't too bad, it wasn't that buggy out, and I could make it work. So on the second try, with help this time, I got in and just bunched up the net where the giant butt-sized opening was. It worked fine. I got settled in. Popped back out to make some adjustments to the ridge line and hanging, but then settled in. Lesson #2 was learned about 4 hours later. I understand the point of an under quilt or a closed foam pad or whatever to serve as underside insulation. But wasn't sure if a low of 60F with no wind, would warrant it or not, so I thought I would test it out. Boy was I wrong. Despite a very warm blanket on top, I woke up pretty cold on the bottom and overall. I tried wrapping the blanket around me, but it would not suffice. So I got up and went in the house for the rest of the night.
Lesson #2 - Don't underestimate cooler summer overnight temps and the lack of bottom insulation.
After the above lessons and a bad night's sleep, I was discouraged and beginning to question whether or not to continue with our quest to do this for 3 nights in a row later this month. So lesson #3 is a bit of a work in progress. Although it seems to be the story of my life whenever I try something new.
Lesson #3 - Learn from my mistakes, make adjustments and don't be afraid to try again.
By the way, I am new to the forums and this is my first post. I am looking forward to reading about the adventures of others in this forum and get re-ignited about our upcoming trip, and hopefully many more!
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