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| Hammocking |
1. Know Thy Hammock. - practice and understand your hammock BEFORE going forth to the woods. -learn to setup and test all aspects of your hammock in your own backyard. - there are many unique skills required to have a safe, dry, and fun first hammocking experience. - there are many types of hammock out there. Asymetrical and 'bridge' hammocks will allow you to sleep flat almost like your own bed at home. In this type of hammock you can lie on your back, your side, or your stomach comfortably. Other hammocks assume a 'bananna' shape that some find very uncomfortable and restricting. Try before you buy! Or do your research first on a hammock brand and model you intend to buy. 2. Thou shall require Bottom Insulation. - Hammocks get cold on the bottom in all but the warmest summer weather. - An extremely common mistake newbies make is to simply use a winter rated sleeping bag inside the hammock in warm weather. This just does not work well. The insulation of any bag will compress against the contours of the hammock fabric creating cold spots. Sleeping in the air is very different from ground dwellers and tenting techniques. -Using a foam pad, pod, or underquilt will keep you warm in diverse weather conditions. Each system has its own unique pros and cons and temp ratings. - To learn about pods and underquilts visit: www.hammockforums.net 3. Protect Thy Hammock From The Storm. - You need a tarp to stay dry. Smaller tarps save weight and are good for light rain with little wind. Larger tarps are required for wind blown rain and to protect underquilts or pods from getting wet. Larger tarps also create living space under your bed for cooking and hanging out. Larger tarps will block wind and can be pulled right to the ground to create a tent-like house around your whole hammock. - Undercovers and Over covers provide additional protection and some warmth . - 8'x8' , 8'x10' , 10'x10', and 12'x12' are common tarp sizes for one hammock. - It is also possible to fit many hammocks under one large tarp. See Here 4. Thy Hammock Shall Not Fall To Certain Doom. - You need to think about your suspension system. There are plenty of options. Knots, ropes, webbing, rings, buckles and other gadgets to provide you with many ways to secure your hammock quickly and safely every time. - An extreme word of CAUTION! The forces acting on hammock suspension ropes are not immediately intuitive. The ropes are under stresses many times greater than your own body weight. If you are going to make your own lightweight rope or webbing suspension you need a minimum tensile strength of 700 lbs. Most experienced users prefer a minimum tensile strength of 1000 lbs. - Learning knots and using ultralight, ultra strong ropes will give you the lightest suspension system possible. However you must learn the right knots that are both strong and easily undone. This system is also often time consuming when you want to make a quick adjustment to the height or tension of your hammock. - Learn about alternative fast setup, and adjustable suspension systems at www.hammockforums.net 5. Choose Thy Trees Wisely - With a little creativity it is possible to setup a hammock virtually anywhere. Be extremely careful when chosing a foreign object to hang from. Remember that whatever you tie off to, will be pulled on by forces more than 3 times your own body weight. Many people have been seriously injured in learning this the hard way. - When choosing trees in the forest remember to look up! Look for dead branches above you that could come crashing down in stormy weather. Do not hang from dead trees. - look below you. When first starting out, many new hammockers will have a few falls. Look where your butt will likely land ahead of time. - The further apart your trees are, the more your hammock will drop when you get in. - Smaller diameter trees will sway and swing you around in windy weather. - Select trees that will allow you to use your hammock tarp as a wind block 6. Sleep well Friend .... Sleep well - hammocks are rediculously comfortable when you are setup properly. If you have a bad night in a hammock, you are doing something wrong. There is alot to learn about exactly how you hang your hammock to make it the most comfortable. - techniques for a comfortable nights sleep is a very personalized thing. You will have to try many different ways as each person sleeps differently and prefers different methods to achieve perfect comfort. - many hangers like to slightly elevate their feet. You hang the foot-end of your hammock slightly higher than the head end. - The sag if your hammock greatly affects your personal comfort. A structural ridgeline is a fixed piece of rope that will allow you to setup your hammock with the exact same sag you find comfortable everytime, regardless of how far apart the trees are. - Worming into sleeping bags inside of hammocks can be very acrobatic. This is why many hammock users have switched to top quilts. - Sleeping directly on a pad, in a hammock (often called pad surfing) can be verydifficult if you change positions often in the night. There are several ways to keep a pad from slipping and sliding around. Underquilts do not have this problem and have higher warmth to weight ratios. - Getting the perfect setup requires some trial and error.... but don't give up. Once you have your system dialed in.... you never want to get out of bed in the morning. A hammock provides the most luxurious and comfortable sleep in the backcountry possible. "No Ground Dweller can compete with the versatility and comfort of the Hammock" |
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| I have gathered here a summary list of advice and tips to introduce someone completely new to the hammock camping concept. Once you finally decide to get off the ground and join the Tree Hangers... there is a whole world of skills and techniques to learn. Below I have compiled the difinitive list of 'must have' information for a newbie. |
| photos by- various hammockforums.net user members & also courtesy of tothewoods.net |