oh i still keep some old bad tents , i keep in working order MM i learned ... when i say to my friends "lets go camping" .... ill probably be providing most the gear.... tents , cooking gear, food , knives , i have expected my friends only to bring clothes and bad ones at that , i always carry extra but i also just go car camping with friends due to these issues.....

I have a bad leg ... and my honest goal is to have a 20-25 pound pack weight for a week end... if i try old school way i learned in BS with a 65 pound pack ... i dont get very far...

i also like smaller pack and pack weights becouse there normaly fairly compact and i could keep my gear in the trunk and just decide to spend the week end camping .... ahhhh the old days ... i cant do that like i used to...

I have a hard time with those lighter weights too. I am from the school of 50-70pound packs. I do really want to try Hammock camping though, I don't think I could get my wife to go along.

Ok i think i decided ... looking at the explorer deluxe a-sym , or the safari delux... i like the looks of the military ones but i cant justify it just yet till i know i like hammocks in the woods.... any other hammocks i should look into? i like warbonnet and i might just get that one as a starter , but the hennesy door looks awsome and the other set ups.... im a big guy ... it hurts finding tents and finding sleeping bags.... when i got the kiva ... i tried out something like 15 tents , unpacking and setting up at the store and seeing if i could fit... the kiva was the best set up i found and on sale!

what else should i pick up? any of the accessories? im just writing it down for now till i get stuff sorted out... and your the most versed person i know in the subject... MM

I personally dont like the bottom entry on the hennessey AT ALL. I like being able to unzip the netting on my Blackbird and reach out, to get something out of my pack, or to fire up my stove. There are few things as awesome as reaching out of the hammock to boil water for my morning coffee, without ever getting out of my sleeping bag. Try to do that with the HH bottom entry velcro slot.


That said, some people do love the bottom entry - especially people who feel unstable in a hammock, or people with mobility issues.

The only things you really need to hammock camp are the hammock, tarp, and some insulation. The other stuff is just convenient accessories, and you will figure out what you want after you've done it a few times. Just like any other kind of camping, your setup will evolve as you tweak things.

My advice is to pick up a warbonnet hammock (I'm completely biased, obviously), and a decent sized tarp (I hate the tiny diamond tarps they include with hennesseys), and a cheap foam sleeping mat from walmart (which you probably already have). Once you've spent a few nights in that setup, you'll be able to decide what you do and dont like... that's when the other fun stuff starts coming in...

Ridgeline pockets, underquilts, different tarp tensioning systems, pillows, swapping out stuff sacks, etc etc etc... those little things are fun to tinker with, but the important stuff won't change much. I'm also assuming you have the normal stuff you'd need to pitch a tarp, since you've got tents - guylines, stakes, etc.

I have a big anges or an exped down pad on my list .... thermerests wernt cuttin it... think it would work? there inflatable... and ill take my down camp quilt with me... i dont do mummy bags well... but yea i got a blue pad ... and ill look into some more tarps ... and yea im fairly stocked , with shock cord , spectra , 550 , tentioners , ti stakes, and nylon webbing.... and other random stuffs like that... i figure i would string it up out here first in the back yard and give it a few nights run time...

i have mobility issues with the hip ... thats why i like the hammock idea... no crawling around.... but from most my hammock expriance.... i feel really really unstable trying to get in them...

thanks for the help i got a decent idea now about it and been watching youtube videos on some differnt set ups...

i hear ya on that waking up and being able to make food and coffee with out getting outta bed one of the things i liked about the little kiva cooking on the floor while it was pouring down rain... if i hang it right i dont mind sitting up and reaching threw the door to make up food that sounds kinda relaxing around dawn....

HECK YES on the exped down mat. That's what I've used most of the time I've been hammocking. It's way better than a thermarest or a blue foam pad. Even better, get the Exped Downmat DLX, which is both longer and wider, and will give better warmth on your shoulders.


Another option you might consider is getting a zipper modification done to a Hennessey. With the zipper mods, you get your choice between top and bottom entry - best of both worlds. There are a couple on Hammock Forums who do these mods for a very reasonable price. They have a website...

http://www.2qzqhammockhanger.com/id2.html

Thanks MM , i got a lot to think over now... but i think ill make the plunge in a while, once i clear up some stuff on my card... im going to give the HH a shot , then if i decide i need the zipper i think ill send it in.... that looks perfect for me

The last time I slept on the ground I found 2 ticks on me!!!

Slept in a Trek Light double hammock last night with nothing but a wool blanket...

Got a little chilly!

But it was way comfy and very fun! It was on the beach so I tied it between the tie-out in the bed of a truck and the tower on a ski boat.

Worked well... everyone was jealous! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

very cool joe ... sounds smart .... and not as sandy lol.... i remeber showing every one the fast way to sweep out your dome tent lift it up and shake.... lol not always a bright idea with old tents mind ya... but it worked well...

the more i think about the more i like the idea of a small hammock

Half the time setting up a tent and most annoying finding level ground and preparing it to sleep on.