I bought some boots that didn't fit. I sent them back and bought with some of the cash on account a Byer of Maine Traveller [sic] Lite for $15. I've been doing the backpacking thing for a while and have been reading of this dark art of... hammock camping. Fifteen bucks? Why not?
It's not an ENO Double Backflip Eagle in the Pike Position with the optional Geo-Spatial Centering Gyro (tm). It looks like a reasonably long and wide length of nylon to relax/sleep in.
I have a tarp. It's big; 11' x 11'. But it's designed for hammocking, and it's pretty light at 26.6g. Hey, I'm used to carrying a 50L, 30 pound pack with a 4.75 lb tent over +/- 1000' elevation in three miles. Dropping this kind of weight sounds great.
I'm here to look for advice and, ultimately, share experience. I've been backpacking long enough, and have done a little research to separate the chaff from the wheat, though the chaff can be pretty funny.
I'd like to start my hammocking adventures this fall. I'll do a shakedown in the next few weeks (I'm in the NE) and hope to really get a better feel this winter. My fiance balks at temps below freezing. I relish them.
I have a good down bag (GoLite Adrenaline 0*) and a decent pad (BA Insulated Air Core) as well as an old synth sleeping bag I could salvage for an underquilt. There are plenty of hardwoods where I go, but from what I've read about ropes, why not use straps? I've got old climbing gear. It'll serve.
My primary goal is to be a budget backpacker. My very first overnight Catskills' winter experience had me in a windbreaker, a fleece jacket, a long-sleeve base layer and a Peruvian hat I got from a street vendor the day before.
I was warm and really happy, as long as I was walking around.
I've got some good gear, now. I know what to do with it. Though I'd like some help with this hammocking thing.
Bookmarks