Greetings from Czechia

[Joeses01]

Hi,
I am a university student from the Czech Republic and I wanted to share my experience of getting to hammocking and hammockcamping.
Since I am from Central Europe, we dont really have such diverse market for hammocking and cottage vendors in general (for hiking gear) aren't as regular.

Why did I actually choose the hammock for camping? Well, that is a pretty interesting story. Here in Czechia hammocks actually have a huge legal advantage over tents. We legally have public access to woods and meadows. That means you can just walk all over privately owned woods, pick berries and mushrooms and so on. That gives us a huge freedom, so hiking is really popular and normal. It is technically illegal to "camp" in the woods without permission of the owner, though camping is defined by staying for more nights or having a footprint or making a fire. As long as you dont do any of those 3 things, it is considered just "spending a night" and therefore legal without permission of the forest's owner. As you can see, hammock is superior, as other options would be just a tarp or a bivy bag.

I started with a Ticket To The Moon hammock that is super wide, but only 10 feet long. It is very nice for day use due to its dimensions and 200 kg weight limit. I actually managed to have a nice 10 hour sleep with my girlfriend in it after a tiring hike. It was pretty comfy, but we are really used to basically sleep on top of each other, so definitely not for everyone. In general it is not ideal for hammockcamping though (too wide, no bugnet, heavy). I already ordered a Trailheadz Banshee UL from the US, since I am in the proces of gearing up for upcoming hiking season.

I really like the minimal approach of ultralight campers, but everything has its limits. I tend to save weight where I can without sacrificing comfort and fun. Anyway... since I am trying to get my gear together, here is my lighterpack that is definitely not final. Feel free to comment on the gear chosen, ask questions and make recommendations.

I am really looking forward to my new hammock, keeping you guys updated and making a small writeup about it and my adventures.

[stevebo]

Welcome to hammock forums! Lots of great people here and so much information!

[MikeCD]

Welcome to the forum! I love the advantage for you in hammock camping regarding the laws. That's really interesting. Do you find hammocks comfortable enough?

[Joeses01]

I do find hammock really comfortable for sleeping (10+ hours sleeps). Sleeping with a hammock is really comfy when you are warm enough through the night.

I think it is a bit tricky in the beginning, when people dont want to spend a lot of money on the gear and skip the underquilt... I just solved it by layering a blanket under my butt in the hammock. Then proceeded to buy a proper underquilt later.

[xMagnolia]

Welcome to the group! I love to hear about the experiences of hammockers across the world. Please share pictures of your adventures and your set up.

Charlotte

[Sipperphoto]

Ahoj!

I work for a Czech company in the US. Had the pleasure of touring the country last year a bit (Prague, Brno, and Zlin). Lots of great-looking places to hike and camp.

[Watertooner]

Welcome to HF! I have Czech roots via emigres to Nebraska in the late 1800's and then to South Dakota - my home state. Grew up eating poppyseed kolaches and more recently discovered the great taste of Becherovka liqueur.

I see that you are a fan of wool. Good choice.

[infrastellar]

Hi from Slovakia

you can reach out for some ultralight hammocking gear over here:
https://www.outdoorline.sk/en/hammocks

[Joeses01]

Sorry people, I didnt have much time due to the exam period in school.
I love the photo of koláče a Becherovka . It is nice to see such a welcoming community.
Also... I really like our czech landscape and I find it great for wandering around. Eventually, I would love to hike in other parts of the world, but right now I have lot to experience here in central Europe.