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hammocks are great alternatives to tents. but what do you do when it rains
answer. the hammock hut a easy portable cost effective hammock rain fly
it takes about 10-15 minutes to set up and can be made using easily available materials (the only exception being the hammock itself also this is my entry into the epilog contest so please don't forget to vote!!
answer. the hammock hut a easy portable cost effective hammock rain fly
it takes about 10-15 minutes to set up and can be made using easily available materials (the only exception being the hammock itself also this is my entry into the epilog contest so please don't forget to vote!!
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Signing UpStep 1Step 1; gather your equipment
for a successful hammock-based camping trip one must have some the following equipment but before I begin please remember that this Instructable is NOT about how to pack for a camping/backpacking trip but about how to use a hammock instead of a tent while camping/backpacking. Now moving on here is what you need...
1. a hammock and not the kind you have in your back yard (unless you are like me) you should have an actual backpacking hammock Eno and Hennessy make really nice ones which vary in price from $20 to $100+ they also sell very useful accessories which I will get to later I personally own a Eno single nest hammock which I consider to be one of the best camping related purchases I have ever made it cost me $54.00 (not including tax) and was purchased at REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated)
2. A single large tarp this tarp must be as long as your hammock and also be able to touch the ground while draped over your hammock (see pictures) this tarp should be (like all other tarps) water proof.
3. a SINGLE tent pole yes only one this tent pole will serve as a support for your tarp. also you can use a piece of rope or string.
4. environmentally friendly hammock straps such as the Eno slapstrap these straps are very wide so that they do not harm trees by damaging the bark also these straps are very important since some national forests/parks will not allow you to hang a hammock without the proper equipment.
this is my green component
5. finally you need tent stakes to keep the tarp from blowing around in the wind the only advice I can offer in this area is the lighter the stakes the better (I used sticks).
1. a hammock and not the kind you have in your back yard (unless you are like me) you should have an actual backpacking hammock Eno and Hennessy make really nice ones which vary in price from $20 to $100+ they also sell very useful accessories which I will get to later I personally own a Eno single nest hammock which I consider to be one of the best camping related purchases I have ever made it cost me $54.00 (not including tax) and was purchased at REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated)
2. A single large tarp this tarp must be as long as your hammock and also be able to touch the ground while draped over your hammock (see pictures) this tarp should be (like all other tarps) water proof.
3. a SINGLE tent pole yes only one this tent pole will serve as a support for your tarp. also you can use a piece of rope or string.
4. environmentally friendly hammock straps such as the Eno slapstrap these straps are very wide so that they do not harm trees by damaging the bark also these straps are very important since some national forests/parks will not allow you to hang a hammock without the proper equipment.
this is my green component
5. finally you need tent stakes to keep the tarp from blowing around in the wind the only advice I can offer in this area is the lighter the stakes the better (I used sticks).
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2- You're right: warm oil IS the method of choice for removing insects from your ear. It will drown the insect, just like water would (or Agent Orange, for that matter) but, unlike water (or Agent Orange), it will not be absorbed by the dead insect, and allow it to more easily slip out of the ear canal. Water, however, will first be absorbed - making the insect swell and be harder to remove - then begin dissolving parts of the body - making it break apart as you try to - gently - remove it with tweezers or forceps. Lesson learned the hard way when my 9 yr. old son had a small beetle fly directly into his ear while on a camping trip (we were camping, not the beetle) and frustrated all attempts to remove it by crawling deeper into his ear. After trying to flush it out with water, then driving almost two hours to the nearest ER (with a seriously agitated, scared and vocal 9 yr. old), the Doc on duty gave us the oil instead of water tip.
It's been said that experience is the best teacher. That's not true. Experience is the ONLY teacher. The best experience to learn from is frequently someone else's experience. Hope ours helps some of you.
BTW, have you ever tried to blow into your own ear?
Running a thin rope with any weight in it could cause some damage to the tree, just by compressing the small tubes just under the bark that carry the sap up to feed the leaves. If you have a tree like a pine with a very thick bark, this is not much of a problem. But for trees like oaks or maples, this could cause some damage (especially if the tree is used a lot).
More importantly, a lot of campgrounds and areas will start noticing the cosmetic damage to the trees, even if the tree is not harmed, and start freaking out and banning hammock use on their lands.
Webbing is cheap, durable, and easy to use. It spreads out the pressure, minimizing damage to the tree.
I wrap my webbing around the tree a couple of times, then clip a carabiner to it. I have a drip ring on my hammock line that allows me to easily adjust the length of my hammock ropes. That way, putting up my hammock itself requires no knots whatsoever. Put up the straps, clip the hammock to the straps, use the drip ring slider to adjust the length of both hang lines, done. The carabiner and drip ring combine forces to drip all of the water off the line before it reaches my hammock. I've been out in torrential rain and stayed bone dry all night.
The rope ridgeline for my rainfly (550 paracord) is tied, but on the outside of the webbing.
Also, if you run a ridgeline all the way through your rainfly like I do, take a nut or washer or something, cut the ridgeline near where the rainfly starts on both ends, and tie the cut ends to either side of the nut/washer. The "break" in the line will allow water to drip off before proceeding under your rainfly and raining on you. Trust me, I learned that one the hard way. You can also just use the rainfly without a continuous ridgeline, but I like hanging small things under cover.
Remember that you can put your sleeping pad in the hammock, to help keep you warm. I did that on many a campout.
Also remember that if you gotta go, get up and go or you will get cold. Something to do with holding that extra bit of liquid close to your body
core.
Thank you for addressing the concern that many people have with hammocking. Hopefully once people see how simple it is to ditch the tent and go for the light and comfortable approach they will be more willing to give it a try.
I personally find it more comfortable. I'll camp out for stretches of up to 12 nights at a time, never had back problems sleep like a log with a gentle sway.
Sometimes I like to sleep on my side or foetal instead of on my back and I cant seem to manage that unless there's some slack.
I have a thin rope ridge line set between the ends of the hammock so it always feels the same and hang the foot end a few inches higher to stop me drifting to that end.
But whatever works for you, 'hang your own hammock' :)
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