[Dirt4dinner]

I just got my new Hennessy Hammock (well I bought it used, but new to me!) in the mail today. I set it up within 5 minutes using my patio pillars as makeshift trees. It works very well, super comfortable and I can't wait for my first night in it. Heck...I might sleep out there on the patio tonight

[Hoffmaster]

That looks pretty sweet! Let me know how you like it. I think I want to get a hammock too.

[Dirt4dinner]

I have a better idea Matt...lets go out on an overnighter soon and you can take a nap in it when we get to camp. That way you can see how it works for yourself...and I will have someone to go camping with! -Tyler

[Hoffmaster]

I think I'm free the 8th-9th of March. Also free the 1st-2nd of March, but te-wa wants to go fishing that weekend, so I was considering doing that. Do you have ideas of where you want to go? If not, be assured that I do, and we need your 4WD capabilities!

[te-wa]

I can only recommend getting one of Speer's hammock pads for the thing... until you get the hang of an underquilt (that is, if you want one)
his pads are evazote cc foam and come in nice wide sections while remaining light. A thermarest simply WILL NOT work in your hammock. Dont even try it. Trust me.

we'll go out hangin as soon as the nights stay above 45°- which is to say in the very near future

[Dirt4dinner]

Mike,
Which size do you think would be the most comfortable for the Expedition that I got?

1/4" x 24" x 80" 10 OZ
1/4" x 30" x 80" 12 OZ
1/4" x 36" x 80" 14 OZ
1/4" x 40" x 80" 16 OZ

[te-wa]

get the 1/4 x 30
lightest size that you can custom trim.

[SuperstitionGuy]

My father-in-law gave me a mexican string hammock that he had used for many years and I decided that I needed to try it out on my next excursion into the Superstitions. I first hung it up in Upper Fish Creek Canyon but after laying in it for about 30 seconds one of the ropes broke and dropped me onto the rocks. Luckily I did not break any bones but I sure had plenty of black and blue bruises that only my wife could see.

I replaced the ropes for my next excursion and hung it up in Pine Canyon not to far from the junction of Reavis Creek and Pine Creek. After about 30 minutes I heard a pop as a string broke. Then another pop about 5 minutes later. The pops then began to come faster and faster and before I could get out of the darn thing I fell through and was dumped on the ground once more! It was pitch black dark and I was under two palo verde trees so I had a soft place to land and didn't suffer to much this time except for my pride.

I lite a motif candle that I had brought along and set it in the dirt alongside me, but a light breeze kept blowing it out. I then placed my boots (cheap K-mart things) on their sides with the heels facing the candle to protect it from the breeze. I then zipped up my sleeping bag and finally got to sleep. About two AM I woke up to a hissing sound and a very bad burning oder to find my boots on fire! The flames coming off the heels and souls were two feet high! I quickly unzipped my sleeping bag, reached over and grabbed the tops of the boots with my hands and pounded the boots on the ground which put the fire out. I lay there the rest of the night trying to figure out how I was going to walk out, barefoot or what?

The next morning I found that the heels were burned away and most of the souls as well. The leather had baked and shrunk so much that my size 12 boots were now about a size 10. The laces were burned away as well so I threaded new cord for laces and tried to put them on but to no avail. Then I took off my socks and tried again and again and finally I had them on. I placed my pack on my back and walked into the creek to let the leather soak up some water, expand and give my feet some relief from the pressure of the now size 10 boots. And it was late November and the water was COLD! I slowly sloshed back down Pine Creek being very careful where I stepped as there were burned holes in the souls as well as in the leather near the instep area.

Ah the joys of backpacking! Joe you need to create a catagory called "And I learned about backpacking from that?".

[Dirt4dinner]

That was the best story ever...remind me to avoid backpacking with you; you have bad juju or something!

[te-wa]

I finally got around to getting my Claytor hammock in the working order I desire... I added some 1" webbing straps in place of the stock ropes, then sewed on some webbing loops to attach a Spectra ridgeline, and added bungee cord loops for the netting with glove hooks to hold it up. Then I used a buckle system to attach it to the tree with a quickness. What you see under the hammock is a jacks r better underquilt, the Hudson River model. and the suspension system that comes with it. It's like a comfy little cocoon for sleeping in temps down to as low as 32°

side.jpg

cant wait to get out to use it... surprised I didnt get into this form of shelter long ago, its really nice.

[big_load]

Cool hammock! Do you wake up in the morning with brightly colored wings?

[Dirt4dinner]

That's a crazy looking hammock mike! I would love to get a closer look at it sometime...we better figure out when our next trip is going to be!

[Gordo411]

They completely kick pumpkin, as long as ya got a place to tie it up! You can also untie one of the side supports and use the outside of it as a seat like this!!

[te-wa]

i have not, in over a year, had to go to the ground due to lack of hanging points. It is my stern belief, that its actually harder for tenters to find a good place to camp. The thing with ground dwellers is, they arent looking for trees and they dont see what I see. Once you get a hammock, its blue car syndrome.
nice photo, Gordo. You dont look fat...

[Rob del Desierto]

i have not, in over a year, had to go to the ground due to lack of hanging points. It is my stern belief, that its actually harder for tenters to find a good place to camp. The thing with ground dwellers is, they arent looking for trees and they dont see what I see. Once you get a hammock, its blue car syndrome.
nice photo, Gordo. You dont look fat...

http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=77635
The only trees I end up seeing are made of stone!
Having said that, at our field camp up in Utah, we do have a hammock strung up in an Aspen grove near the trailer. Very nice!

[te-wa]

The only trees I end up seeing are made of stone!

then I suggest you get out of the sandstorm and find something that will support life... or at least someplace with a drop of water to drink...

[Rob del Desierto]

The only trees I end up seeing are made of stone!

then I suggest you get out of the sandstorm and find something that will support life... or at least someplace with a drop of water to drink...

There was life here once...
http://hikearizona.com/phoZOOM.php?ZIP=77661

[rushthezeppelin]

I've got my first hammock coming in the mail. Claytor Mosquito Hammock.....can't wait to get it and try it out : D

[rally_toad]

I know before too long I will be catching the hammock fever. I'm always jealous every trip when the hammockers are talking about how warm they were and well they slept. I need to start talking to Mike, Tyler, and the experienced hangers about making the transition from tent to tree trunks.

[te-wa]

I need to start talking to Mike, Tyler, and the experienced hangers

Pickletree, TonyP, Drewboy, Dirt4Dinner, Tkknc, Tyrone Anderson, Crocodile Ryan, DesertRoux, and a couple of others I havent met yet.
The transition seems almost foreign to most, but everyone who sees a real camping hammock cannot get enough! They sure attract attention.
Roots, rocks, water, mice, ants, snakes, you name it, not a problem if youre off the ground. There are plenty of issues that need to be addressed to stay warm dry and comfortable but the learning curve is no different than a person who has never slept in a tent. The transition will be easy. You may however find yourself hanging from some pretty interesting things every now and again... I hung off the trailhead sign and an old cowboy fence @ the Woodbury TH. The great thing about hammocks in AZ is since you are likely going to camp near water, where there is water, there are trees.