What started your interest in hammocks?
- Thread starter silkw0rm
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cougarmeat
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I was on a group trip, kayaking to Doe Island in the San Juans. Because of the number of participants and the available "ground", finding a tent space was challenging. One person had a hammock and easily strung it up between two trees.
Before that, I only thought of hammocks as something for noontime relaxation, not as a bed. My first overnight hammock was a Hennessy Explorer. Then I moved to a WarBonnet Blackbird and RidgeRunner - and many different hammocks after that.
Before that, I only thought of hammocks as something for noontime relaxation, not as a bed. My first overnight hammock was a Hennessy Explorer. Then I moved to a WarBonnet Blackbird and RidgeRunner - and many different hammocks after that.
LowTech
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Pack traveling around Central America over 25 years ago and sleeping in a Mayan style hammock under a repurposed tent fly as our nightly shelter.
Brought one, and a small Brazilian style, back to the States. Had trouble finding times and places that the Mayan worked well but used the Brazilian as a daytime hammock until it started coming apart.
Around that same time we were kayaking w/ people that river camped in the SE and I was introduced to the relatively new trend of hammock camping in the states. Innovation was on the rise . . . New gear and accessories were being developed and tested on a regular basis . . . Ideas and techniques being talked about constantly . . .
Of course I dove right in.
I had been living my life mostly outdoors, as much as possible and still have a bed, a bed in a vehicle, but this let me move outside pretty much full time when it comes to sleeping. Now I'm over a thousand nights outside in the hammock since that river trip. I also spend a huge amount of my time in a desert so I'm obsessed w/ treeless hammock hanging, though having one tree is a nice luxury.
Brought one, and a small Brazilian style, back to the States. Had trouble finding times and places that the Mayan worked well but used the Brazilian as a daytime hammock until it started coming apart.
Around that same time we were kayaking w/ people that river camped in the SE and I was introduced to the relatively new trend of hammock camping in the states. Innovation was on the rise . . . New gear and accessories were being developed and tested on a regular basis . . . Ideas and techniques being talked about constantly . . .
Of course I dove right in.
I had been living my life mostly outdoors, as much as possible and still have a bed, a bed in a vehicle, but this let me move outside pretty much full time when it comes to sleeping. Now I'm over a thousand nights outside in the hammock since that river trip. I also spend a huge amount of my time in a desert so I'm obsessed w/ treeless hammock hanging, though having one tree is a nice luxury.
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Loved reading everyone’s stories! For me, I blame my brother. He gifted me a hammock in 2018 and said, “Trust me.” One backyard nap later, I was researching suspension systems and underquilts so here I am. Anyone else fall down the gear rabbit hole right away?
cougarmeat
Well-known member
Though the topic of this thread is "... started ..." many of my "started" experiences were either embarrassing (thinking of "personal" encounters), or "... meh ..." Perhaps begin another thread on "Epic Hammock Camping Experiences".
But to expand on my Hennessy experience, I rigged the Hennessy up in a campsite on Orcas Island. I also set up the tent, just in case. The first night in the hammock felt weird; I planned on moving back to the tent for the second night. But as I approached the tent, my body kept moving on toward the Hennessy. The second night was not weird, and I slept so well that it was years before I tried a tent again, and those times were mostly Plan-B drills.
So for beginners and those introducing hammock sleeping to friends, note that for many people, the first night in a strange/new place is "weird"; the body is on somewhat of an alert. It's not the hammock's fault. Also, in a hammock, with the all-around support, your body can relax and not necessarily have to assume the position it uses in a bed. But it takes a day or two to learn that. And if there is some discomfort, a bit of shoulder squeeze or calf-ridge, those can often - but of course, not always - be cured with a slight adjustment in sag or head-to-foot height difference.
But to expand on my Hennessy experience, I rigged the Hennessy up in a campsite on Orcas Island. I also set up the tent, just in case. The first night in the hammock felt weird; I planned on moving back to the tent for the second night. But as I approached the tent, my body kept moving on toward the Hennessy. The second night was not weird, and I slept so well that it was years before I tried a tent again, and those times were mostly Plan-B drills.
So for beginners and those introducing hammock sleeping to friends, note that for many people, the first night in a strange/new place is "weird"; the body is on somewhat of an alert. It's not the hammock's fault. Also, in a hammock, with the all-around support, your body can relax and not necessarily have to assume the position it uses in a bed. But it takes a day or two to learn that. And if there is some discomfort, a bit of shoulder squeeze or calf-ridge, those can often - but of course, not always - be cured with a slight adjustment in sag or head-to-foot height difference.
Interest in hammocks started back in the 60's. My grandmother always had a couple of canvas hammocks hanging from big oak trees in her yard that were a favorite when we went to visit her rural house. Just loved to wrap up like a burrito and enjoy the peace. The idea of camping with one started back in the early '00s when DIY groups started up. I made a couple and hung out in the back yard and on trips to the desert with my dad/kid groups. I tied off to the roof rack on my van and supported the other end with a 4' x 1" hiking stick tied off to big rocks. Good times!
