Hello other Hammockers!

[RosieM]

Hello to all! My name is Rosie. I've been camping with a Hammock for about 4 years now. I am about to embark on my first backpacking trip and in an effort to do some serious research before going, I stumbled across this forum. I figure you all probably have great advice for a novice backpacker, so please share away!

I am taking a 12 mile hike over 3 days on a well established trail with 2 other women. (Probably a breeze for many of you, but since I'm new to this I figured it would be a good way to start) One of the gals is pretty experienced and the other is a newb like me. I'll be taking my ENO double nest hammock and trying to construct some sort of rain fly out of a tarp.

Also would love some suggestions for food to take that doesn't take up much room, as well as packing in general. I've googled some lists already and I packed my backpack up with just about everything I'm planning to take to see how heavy it was and though I don't own a scale, on my back it didn't feel too bad. But, my husband says I'm crazy and that after walking 4 miles a day I'll be ready to chunk stuff out to make it lighter. He's usually right so I'm thinking I may need to scale back some.

Anyways, great to meet you lovely people and I look forward to hearing all your wonderful ideas and advice!

Rosie

[Daywalker]

Welcome to the group. Maybe post a list of the things your packing or try a walk around the block with your pack to let you know how it feels.

[rick417]

Hello from Alabama! I'm sure you will find many answers to your questions...and more you don't yet know you have I'm more of a car camper with goal to do bike packing, but your trip plan to ease into it seems sound, as far as not setting high time/distance expectations. I hope you have a great trip!

[oldpappy]

Welcome - good for you - go for it; the experience will teach you more than anything else. At 12 miles you can always bail out if needed.

What are your plans for water?

[Slowanderer]

Hey there Rosie,
Welcome to Hammock Forums. Hope you have a great hike.
Hope you create a fantastic trip report too.

[Peppy]

Welcome from Northern Arkansas! Experience is a great teacher, and you'll continually change certain things and tweak to make your hanging/backpacking more comfortable. My warm weather pack now generally weighs about 11 pounds (food, hammock, TQ, UQ, tarp, personal items and fresh clothing), while my colder weather gear hovers around 18 (I've not figured out how to get that lower yet). Good luck on your hammock journey! Welcome to the forums!

[RosieM]

Thank you all!

@daywalker, my husband also suggested to put the bag on and walk around the block to this evening I'm planning to to take the dog for a walk with my backpack on.

@rick, thanks! We're really looking forward to it but it's not for over 2 weeks, which is fine because it gives me time to test out some things first.

@oldpappy, I know, right? As much as I ask I know that I'll learn so much just going for it. As for water, I'm planning to carry 64oz in a camepack in my backpack (inside trash sack so no chance of it dripping and getting everything else wet. And I'm going to take another 50oz in a water bottle that fits in the bungie part of my backpack. We plan to camp by water each night and one of the girls has a water filter. I'm leaning on her experience here more than anything.

@slowander, thanks, looking forward to it! I'll try to report back my learnings afterwards!

@peppy, right now I'm planning to take my hammock, straps, bug net, sleeping pad and sleeping bag, all total coming in around 6lbs. The sleeping bag and sleeping pad weigh the most. The reason I'm bringing them is that I do get cold at night usually and when I've camped before and usually I just bring a big blanket, but I don't want to bring a huge blanket on this trip, so the sleeping bag is coming instead because it compresses down. The sleeping pad is because I've been reading about how sleeping bags don't work well in hammocks because our bodies compress them and it can be cold on the underneath, and I don't have a quilt. Plus if I'm being honest with myself, I need a blanket to sleep. Even on the hottest nights that I've slept in my hammock I took a sheet with me to give me that blanket feeling. Lastly, it could actually be kinda cold at night if it rains. So the sleeping pad is coming because I read that using that in the hammock underneath the sleeping bag with prevent or at least lesson the compression issue and keep me warm from underneath. If anyone knows this doesn't work please let me know! I'd like to cut something out of the mix there but until I'm in it it, I won't know what wasn't worth it. My clothes and personal items will be light. And we will be trying to share food, but I'm also going to carry some snacks for myself as well.

Look at me rambling! I'm just so excited! Thanks again and nice to meet you all!

Rosie

[T- Minus]

good luck on your trip, here are some ideas for meals,

Breakfast, pop-tarts, or a breakfast bar, oatmeal instant add hot water, if your feeling a bit bolder take a hard egg caddie and you can boil your egg as you heat water for your oatmeal. In a one cup fosters pot place egg in water heat till roaring boil, pull of heat for 5 min, perfect soft hard boiled eggs, if you want the yoke to be well done leave on heat, boiling for 2 min longer.

lunch, cheese, crackers, and hard meat like pepperoni or summer sausage, wraps, tuna packets, fresh fruit, You could also grow sprouts as you walk/camp, and any verity of backpacker meals, you can pack in cooked pizza or even pb and j sandwiches to Mc D's burgers without sauce, add packets for later use.

Dinner, Hotdogs over a fire, anything listed for lunch or breakfast. since it is just over a weekend if you have enough prep time you can really have anything you like, the key is to eat the heavy stuff earlier than the light stuff. and eat the stuff that could turn before your longer shelf life items.

[oldpappy]

That's 7 lbs of water - a good place to reduce pack weight since you are camping by water each night.

[BoyScoutAustyn]

Welcome from Washington state!


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