SO what did you do while...?

[shipsgunner]

Just wondering what you all did between the time you ordered your first hammock and received your first hammock? Obviously, you didn't hang anywhere so what did you do?

So far, since I ordered my hammock on 5 March, 2014,
I have:

-reached my 1-50+ post here on the forums and became a donating member. This place is a fantastic resource.

-read the ultimate hang

-read 2 books on Tenkara style fishing (awesome stuff if you like fishing and eating them..)

-read nearly 1000 posts in here

-bought 20+yards of material from several sources

-got a sewing machine which I have to learn to use...lol

-watch all of shugs videos (too funny and very educational)

-watched several of hikingdad's videos (pretty cool guy, I like his style)

-watch 15 or so of the "The Outdoor Gear Review" youtube channel

-made 5 sets of whoopee slings

-made about 30+ orders/purchases from "recommended" vendors from this site most of which are fantastic at getting back to you and I gotta say it here (DUTCHWARE is really cool but you all have already said that)

-Tried to make, and miserably fail at making a toilet hammock..(Im learning to inject thread) I really wanted to make is so I would have at least something to hang...haha. But he was right; I believe hikingdad in his "how to" video when he said, hammock toilets are the wave of the future... I just dorked mine up...

-Learned about thread injectors...lol

-wiped out my vacation fund... totally but this is my vacation for the year... hopefully there will be several of them for the price of a trip to Europe for 10 days

-took the ULA pack I got and filled it up with clothes(20lbs) and started hiking in the local area 2-3 miles ever other day with the wife and her OSPREY. I did notice that when you are a hammocker (even though technically, I'm not), you notice tree spacing and think "is that a good hanging spot? then you survey the area and keep moving. weird.

been busy, but I cannot make a hang without a hammock, almost bought a cheapoMart hammock so I could play with the whoopee slings but as big as I am, I would destroy those elcheapo's... they aren't made for folks like me.

An here's the "backstory": I had a wonderful Heart Attack if there is such a thing in September, 2013 (wonderful because there was no surgery required or repairs of any sort...yet), and I realized that I have WAY fewer days ahead than behind me so why waste them watching the TV... Let's get this show on the road. I'm all in, Headfirst, diving into the shallow end... I had a doctor ask me once, where would you spend your last day on earth if you could choose it. I said at a stream fishing for trout with the woods around me and my wife who after 30 years still loves me, loves to fish even more than I, we would sit next to the fire in the evening and lie about the fish we missed and enjoy the food we brought because none of us caught anything...as usual. He replied, that sounds like a life worth living. You all seem to be living the life I want to live so I'm using this forum as a "how to" guide.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, just wondering "what's next" on the need to do in preparation list...?

SG

[Trailrider74]

It's funny isn't it how life changing events make us reflect on the important things in life?

To answer your question, I actually bought my HH from a store. I came across HF, watched Shugs YouTube clips and just decided I wanted to try hanging. I'm already into backpacking anyway so it was just natural to gravitate to hammocks. That was about 4 months ago and since then I've made 3 DIY hammocks and a bugnet. One of the hammocks is for my girlfriend and we just went on our first hike and hang together. We have hiked before but this was the first time we hung in the wild. She loved it too which was just awesome

As far as things to do while you wait for your new hammock/materials, you could learn some knots and watch some DIY hammock clips on YouTube (Knottys and Fronkey are a few I've seen). Maybe think about the dimensions you require for you hammock and tarp. But apart from that, it sounds like you are enjoying getting out and walking with your wife. And that's probably the more important thing. Enjoy

[kwiktech]

Cool story bro. I'm doing all the same type of things lol.

My story is I was in a car wreck 3 years ago and have been pretty much laying in bed for the last 3 years. My back is all messed up with discs pressing on my spinal cord so I have been looking at going ultra light too.

The latest thing as of today is the idea of making a bunch of hammocks for the kids bedrooms lol. Should be fun...

[rhjanes]

We'll, now you need to buy bling from Dutch

[12trysomething]

Be careful, very careful. You have all of the symptoms of catching "cook kit fluenza!" There are stoves to buy, build and test. Pots to research. Mugs to weight. Miles of aisles to walk up and down looking for aluminum gems to drink and boil from. You will have an electronic thermometer with a probe and know how long it takes every imaginable combo of stove and pot to boil water from 60*. Enough bottles of heat to equal 1,000 gallons of fluid. Kitchen scales to get your kit weighted. Hiram Cook's YouTube video channel will be your new best friend.

All the symptoms are there....be very very careful!

My 84 year old father, who has had multiple strokes, 2 heart attacks, prostate cancer, 2 knees replaced and a broken hip, has a saying - "each day I wake up on this side of the grass I am to make the most of it!"

Good on you SG for making the most of each of your trips around the sun.

[kwiktech]

hahaha yeah i'm obsessed with cook kits too.

Got the design sused out now just need to put it together...

Its an ultra light dual fuel.

TOAKS Titanium 750+450 Combo Set for dry baking or just the 550ml for ultralight. With a caldera sidewinder cone. Powered by BGET esbit stove with flat cat gear style ti Epicurean simmer ring. Or tetkoba's alcohol calillary hoop stove with simmer ring. Ultra efficient and ultra light designs. Could even use Smateee's ti pot hanger to make the system tri fuel

POT550.png
EVCC-wood.jpg
6319029229_48a5cf426f.jpg
Epi_Crown_down.jpg

[kerryandjane]

Finally a place to vent, jk.
I paid for my hammock setup Sep 11 2013..... Yeah 2013. Via Kickstarter Nube campaign..

It was supposed to be delivered in December but delays have pushed it out until next month-ish.

What I have done since.

1. Joined the forum
2. Watched all of Shug's hammocking for noob vids.
3. Read The Ultimate Hang (by Derek Hansen).
4. Read Ultralight Backpackin' Tips (by Mike Clelland).
5. Bought a HG incubator/Burrow.
6. Bought enough Dutch bling to put his kids through college (probably a bad one though).
7. Raided my wife's office supply of fabric (all my fabric is free... yay me)
8. DIY'd 6 GE hammocks for friends converting them to the heavens.
9. DIY'd 1 Bridgehammock.
10. DIY'd a winter tarp.
11. DIY'd who knows how many alc stoves and caldera cones.
12. Bought 45m of primaloft (a whole roll bought wholesale.)
13. Camped a ton with my DIY gear and my 1yr old daughter.
14. Gifted a ton of DIY gear to randoms on the trail. (I don't speak the language soooo "Here have a pot I made out of a baby formula tin."
15. Bought a house and still got shot down trying to put eyebolts in my man cave.
16. Conned I mean talked my wife into thinking this is all for the greater good.

I still haven't got my hammocks but i'm loving what i've been able to motivate myself to do.

[Clockw3rk]

yeah... we are screwed.

I would say seriously consider the points of "only the lightest" on you tube,
and google "erik the black" and checkout his ultralight gear list. He isn't a swinger but his ultralight pack load is very intelligent, and he updated the gear list in 2013.

You can save yourself a lot of money by going with the light gear first.
I'm rebuying lighter options now. The weight matters. Trust me. Don't believe the gram weenie haters. If there is a titanium option get it. Period.
Plus, applying ultralight ideas to the rest of your life is AWESOME!
My travel bags rule now!!!
And the next time I move... piece of cake.

[gmcttr]

What? No Fronkey videos yet? http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFlsurfer776

[shipsgunner]

fronkey it is... Thank you all for the ideas, I'm going to start by trying the thread injector again... Must have toilet or bust...!!! So far I have only bought titanium stuff. Snow Peak company has really profited from me I think... I need to make a alcohol stove once just to do it... I fear if I don't get out soon, I will start getting stir crazy...but testin cooking gear looks like fun... May get a vid camera and start making nOOb Videos as I learn to do things...

You guys are awesome!
Thanks
SG