I enjoy loaning out gear to friends or family who are going on a trip with me. It's fun to watch them realize how nice it is to be off the ground and in a hammock. If I have a quilt I'll let them use it. But I wouldn't go out of the way and buy another one for other people to use. Unless you need an excuse to buy another quilt! But I do agree with what other said on loaning to new users. I make sure I'm there to give advice and ensure my quilts aren't damaged from lack of knowledge.
I loaned my good hammock to my teen son-in-law based on an old-fashioned "I'll take care of it" promise and a quick lesson in set-up. Came back with only one whoopie sling, neither of the tree straps, footprints on the fly and the lines tangled so badly I almost cut them off and tied on new ones. Lesson learned.
Yeah, I'm actually a little apprehensive about loaning my gear to him. He's a drinker, and not a casual one. Power drinker. It has occurred to me that he could wake in the middle of the night and do some damage to my stuff just trying to get out. (Or worse, not!)
But my plan is to hang the Expedition and tarp myself and show him how to get in the sleeping bag / pad. I'll sling my Ridge Runner close, and I'm a light sleeper.
Do any of you have any tips for bringing a brand new hanger into the fold? He and I used to tent camp a lot... back in the 70's.I'm pretty sure since then he's mostly been an RV sort of guy.
If you have some time before the trip, have him come over to try a short nap. Or just practice getting in/out of the hammock - first without a net (baby steps) and then with one. As you’ve probably read here, people have their own settings given their body weight and limb length. Much better to have the dimensions for setup for your friend determined before the trip. Also educate him on little adjustments he can make.
Know, especially for beginners, that sitting down in a hammock can be disconcerting. I’ve seen people who are drinkers have difficulty sitting down in a solid chair. And getting up “in time” might be a challenge too - especially if entangled with netting. So best to practice all that ahead of time.
In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.
I bought a second set of hammock and quilts in an attempt to get my wife out hanging. She went once, but after getting rained out badly, she's not keen to go again.
Now I freely offer a trip with any friends/family interested in hammocking.
One other option... I bought a netless hammock for going on day hikes, but it can also be used by a second friend, paired with their pad and bag.
Also, make sure your friend knows that the second night will be more comfortable after some adjustments have been made.
I wouldn’t hesitate to loan out my extra Costco quilt set.
Its cheap, and nearly impossible to misuse since it has no adjustments to it.
Personally, I just buy kit for myself. However, it works out with my family because one son sleeps cold (he gets my 0* quilts), one son sleeps really hot (he gets my 40* quilts), and I'm in the middle (so I get my 20* quilts).
And if there are more folks that need loaner equipment, I've got ccf pads and sleeping bags and such.
Last edited by SilvrSurfr; 03-29-2022 at 03:18.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’m with cougarmeat on TQ or sleeping bags. No way.
As for the rest of the gear. Happy to share if I am there. If they want to take it on their own, less excited. I would have to decide how happy I am to not have it anymore. Not saying it won’t come back (though it might not. Lost some paneir bags that way). But it might get damaged. And that can damage friendships depending of the expectations of both parties. I also will never loan money to friends for the same reason. Or sleep with friends. Or …
And I would never loan out my primary equipment that I use. Extras are OK. If it is OK with me that I don’t have it anymore.
Indeed. I once lent a tent to a couple of guys for a trip out west. Absolutely destroyed it, returned it with a bunch of red dust all over it, mildew spots and smell, holes in the floor and one puncture in the side. It was an old tent, a Eureka, but I had taken very good care of it over the years and it looked almost new.Originally Posted by Sean McC
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
I only loan spare gear and when I mean loan, I automatically assume I am giving it to them. If it finds its way back to me undamaged, great. If it finds its way back to me damaged, I already assumed I wasn't getting it back.
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