Hammocks

[Owl62]

Just wondering how many of you have used hammocks camping in Scouts?

 

Personally, I really enjoy a hammock. I mostly use them for relaxing but have slept overnight in a hammock a few times when the weather was mild and the bugs were goine.

 

I don't care for the tent type hammocks. I prefer the large cotton rope hammocks with 4 foot long spreader bars. A tarp secured to a line over the hammock is a great shelter in good weather.

 

I've never slept in a hammock in the winter.

 

I just bought a hammock made by Slumberjack. It is black nylon mesh about 3X7 feet with spreader rods that can be disconnected. About the size and weight of a self-inflating sleeping pad when stowed. I plan on trying it this weekend.

 

Only problem with cotton rope hammocks is if they get wet, they stay wet a long time.

 

Any unit out there ever camped with hammocks instead of tents?

 

 

Thanks.

[Aardvark]

Owl-

 

Used my Hennesy hammock for the first time a couple weeks ago at our Troops Campout.

 

Very comfortable!

 

A lot better than pad on the ground!

 

Only problem I had was the thing sagging down after an hour in it (stretching); just had to tighten the ropes some.

 

Will be using it again here in 2 weeks at out Fall CAmp-o-ree.

[dsteele]

Way back in the early eighties, I went to Philmont with the council contingent.

 

One of my buddies and I decided to pack those lightweight nylon hammocks.

 

The first night, we tied them between the outriggers of the tents at base camp. It was very comfortable, once we climbed into the wobbly things and we fell swiftly to sleep.

 

A couple hours later, I was awakened to a "WHUMP" as my buddie's knots slipped through the nylon rope and he dropped like a stone to the ground three feet below!

 

I laughed so hard, I rolled out of my own hammock and ended up on the ground next to him. Both of us said the refrain, "Oh Ow!, Oh Ow!" several times.

 

Being stubborn, we then got back into our hammocks and spent the rest of the night sleeping fitfully and trying not to move.

 

My buddy got a laugh when we again pulled out our hammocks and tied them to trees during a layover at Philmont. I was just dozing off, comfortably in my hammock, when a fly landed on my nose. I shooed it away and drifted back to sleep.

 

Then it landed on my nose again. Being quite annoyed, I smacked the fly -- which flew off. The pain from smacking myself on the nose with the palm of my hand caused me to roll to my right and . . .

 

WHUMP!

 

Hammocks are comfortable, but I'd just as soon start on the ground and stay there than begin in the air and make that short stop on the ground.

 

Unc.

 

[SWScouter]

Way back when I was 16 or 17, a buddy and I planned an overnight luxury backpacking trip. We planned on camping at a lake near Snoqualmie pass in Washington. We packed in steaks, a pineapple and planned on catching trout to supplement our meal. I don't think I ever ate more on a campout. We also decided how wonderful it would be to sleep in hammocks.

 

We were pretty much laden at the start of the trek. It wasn't a long hike, maybe 4 or 5 miles, but it was mostly all up. It took us a good chunk of the day. Well the trip was in the late spring and the higher we climbed the more snow there was. After awhile we had a lot of trouble following the trail. Finally we came upon the lake and decided we needed a drill if we were going to do any fishing. Ice skates were more appropriate than fishing tackle.

 

We set up camp and proceeded to cook and eat and eat and cook and pretty much be complete gluttons. Our goal was no food left for the camp robbers. Our feast complete, our aim met, the evening chill became down right cold. We climbed into our hammocks anticipating deep rest while our olympic repast settled.

 

The starlight sparkled on the snow and frozen lake. It was calm and beautiful. Oh what a wonderfully uncomfortable and restless sleep we had. We didn't bring our foam pads since we would be sleeping on a comfortable hammock. The air was cold and attacking us from all sides. I'm sure the lake moved it's ice ever closer to us through the night. We hung ourselves up in an ice box. If we had only brought our insulating pads instead of the pineapple.

 

Finally the sun arose and it's warmth started to thaw us out enough to once again cook and eat and eat and cook as only youth can. This time we did allow a camprobber a pancake.

 

To this day, I have no problems eating steak, pancakes, or even pineapple. I still have the hammock but I've never used it since.

 

SWScouter

[nldscout]

Some places, like Philmont do not allow hammocks anymore because of the damage to the tree's.

[Owl62]

It appears that some of you here have not had very good experiences with hammocks.

 

I've never had a hammock come loose from the tree(s). But I have never tried to sleep in a hammock when the temperatures dropped below 50F nor when the bugs were bad (I retreated to a screened tent!)

 

But a hammock is really nice on a warm day to relax in or to sleep in on a nice night (with no bugs).

 

Please don't give up on them, you just have to be prepared.

 

 

[Gags]

I've heard using web straps instead of rope minimizes/eliminates the damage. Any experience with this? As much as I love my hiking poles, I don't think they'd do very well as hammock poles! I'm looking into a Hennesy myself for the near future.

 

Thanks,

 

Gags

[Aardvark]

The Hennesy Hammocks do come with web straps that gto around the tree's then you tie the ropes to them-tree savers. Seem to work!

 

As for cold-a pad under your bag is needed; not for comfort, but insulation. Your body weight will compress your bag, loosing the insulation. A thin foam pad is all that is needed depending on chill, some people use the windshield sunshades.

 

I'm sold on my Hennessy; best sleep I had camping for a long time!

[fling1]

Our troop has a pretty long tradition with hammocks. Their very light weight and ability to work on uneven ground attracted our scouts years ago, when they were doing a lot of backpacking. We still have one or two boys who use the inexpensive net hammock. They climb in, drag a tarp over them, and clip a couple of carabiners to close up the hammock into a regular cocoon. (no surprise thuds that way!)

But most of our scouts have a Hennessey Hammock, which is a bit more luxurious. We were really early adopters of the HH, so much so that we have an arrangement to sell them as a fundraiser. If you are interested in purchasing one at a discount, PM me and I'll send you the details.

At last month's outing, a District-wide camporee with >600 troops and >5000 attendees, we brought along enough timbers to lash together a "hammock city." We make tripods and connect them together to create a framework to hang all of our hammocks from. It is quite a spectacle, and was unique among the entire encampment.

Yes, you need to insulate under your bag in cold weather (the cold air will suck heat through your compressed bag just like the cold ground will). We woke up with frost on us :-) 

[fling1]

I had a request to explain how the hammock city was erected. I though that a picture might be helpful, so here it is...

 

http://www.scouttroop.org/oh/bsa/476

 

The only thing you can't really see in the picture is that the legs of the tripods are secured to a piece of re-bar driven into the ground. This prevents the legs from kicking out when you load up the hammock. The hammock will put a large sideways load on whatever it is tied to, so we make sure the tripods are up to the task by bracing their tops with the spreader bars and securing their bottoms too. I would bet that the stakes are not necessarily required, but we use them to avoid potential problems. YMMV.

[Aardvark]

I was late getting to our Spring Camporee this year and by the time I got there all the good tent sites were gone. No problem, hang the hammock! But all the trees were 30 feet or so apart; way to far for a Hennesey!

 

So I parked my Land Rover a suitable distance away and used it as a tree: http://www.gunsandrovers.com/hammock1.JPG

 

My flock of Pink Flamigoes came along also!(This message has been edited by Aardvark)