Hello,

From the Mitten State!

I’ve lurked around Hammock Forums for the last couple years ever since I’ve started exploring hammocks and hammock camping, and now I’m looking forwarding to officially joining the fray and contributing.

As an avid backpacker/canoe camper, I’m no stranger to spending nights in the backcountry but I’ve always done so as a ground dweller, in a tent. In my eyes, hammocks were mainly used at the park or in the backyard to read a book and pass the time, but not for camping and certainly not for getting a good night sleep. After all, what would keep the mosquitoes away, how would you stay dry/protected from the elements and how could anyone sleep like a banana all night?

That all changed after a trip to NC with a buddy who had recently switched over to an ENO system (hammock, tarp, and bug net paired with a sleeping pad) which he asked me to lay in and give my thoughts on. I wasn’t convinced. It felt cramped, constricted and uncomfortable, but it opened the door and I started exploring the concept of using a hammock for camping and searched for anyone, anywhere who could help me answer some of my questions. Through that curiosity, one thing led to another, and I found myself here, finding the answers I was looking for.

Two months later, I had purchased my first hammock. A couple months after that, my first underquilt, and the rest is history. I was and am hooked.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve sold off most of my ground dwelling arsenal and have begun replacing it with a variety of different hammocks, tarps, suspensions and insulation types/rating. My best learning comes from doing and in concordance with the wise words of one of our beloved hammock gurus, I’ve had to “try it and see what works for (me).” I’ve certainly been enjoying the process of discovering something new and fiddling my way to what works best.

Being only a couple years into this journey, I still categorize myself as a beginner in the world of hammocks/hammock camping, and I’m looking forward to continuing to use Hammock Forums to learn and grow from the sages of the hammock camping world.

Cheers!
A.A.