HAMMOCK CAMPING NEWS
May 2005
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IN THIS ISSUE FROM SPEER HAMMOCKS May 2005
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1----------------------HAMMOCK
CAMPING NEWS------------------------
A. DID YOU MISS A PAST ISSUE?
Postings of
each newsletter on Yahoo Groups will be left on the Hammock Camping News home
page for subscribers to view any time; go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Hammock_Camping_News/
Subscribers
and non-subscribers can freely view and download the current issue or any of
the back issues at:
http://www.hammockcamping.com/Newsletters/NEWS.htm
Note: Some
of the many web links in the newsletters do not survive in the email
versions--if this happened to yours, you might want to download the newsletter
from the hammockcamping.com site.
B.
Newsletter Publishing Schedule
The
publishing schedule for Hammock Camping News is:
Publish Date Submission
Date
May 1, 2005 April
15, 2005
August 1, 2005 July
15, 2005
January 1, 2006 Dec
15, 2005
May 1, 2006 April
15, 2006
Please note
that the next issue is due August 1 and submissions for publication are due July
15.
C. 900 Fill down PeaPods and Top Blankets Now Available
Speer Hammocks is now offering 900-fill down hammock gear! Our down Peapods and Top Blankets offer the
ultimate in uncomplicated lightweight warmth! PeaPods are insulated bags that completely
surround an occupied top-entry camping hammock. Top Blankets are insulated quilts for use over
a hammock sleeper or they can be used as liners inside PeaPods. Together they make the best system available
for cold weather hammock comfort. Now
warmth at any temperature is possible. Visit
us at TrailDays05 in
http://www.hammockcamping.com/Free%20Reports/DownPeaPods.htm.
Order at: http://speerhammocks.com/Products/PRODUCTLINK2.htm
or call (828) 724-4444, 9-5 Eastern Time, workdays.
D.
Segmented Pad Extenders--AFFORDABLE
WARMTH IS HERE!
Speer Hammocks announces their new SPE, the simple
lightweight and affordable way to provide 4-season warmth in any hammock. The SPE incorporates your own gear for
insulation! A central sleeve accepts
your sleeping pad or pads for bottom warmth while segmented side wings provide
shoulder, hip, and knee protection.
Multiple sleeping pads can be stacked in the central sleeve up to a
total stack height of 3”, allowing the user to mix and match pads for
conditions from 700F to well below zero! Inflatable pads and closed cell foam pads in
full length or three-quarter length can be stacked as needed for warmth and
comfort. The wings can be filled with
closed cell foam pad inserts and/or rolls of extra clothes, again providing
adjustable insulation. The SPE also
accepts dead leaves, the ultimate no-carried-weight insulation! Find out more about these remarkable
accessories at: http://www.speerhammocks.com/Products/SPE.htm
Contact SpeerHammocks.com at 828-724-4444
or info@speerhammocks.com
E.
HAMMOCK CAMPING BOOK
Hammock Camping: The Complete Guide To Greater Comfort, Convenience and
Freedom by
Ed Speer was published in 2003. The book
is based on Ed's many years of hammock camping around the world and his
experience making and designing his own hammocks. In
addition to key chapters on "How To Stay Warm In A
Hammock" and "How To Make Your Own Hammock", the book contains
numerous entries from Ed's trail journals that show just how hammocks can be
used in actual wilderness settings. The
book is well documented with numerous photos, drawings and tables of
information. For those not inclined to
make a hammock, one chapter presents brief reviews of all the commercially
available camping hammocks. Appendices
give valuable information on Ed's hammocking tips, hammock manufactures, the
Leave No Trace organization, and web links to additional hammock information. This book is sure to become the standard
reference manual on hammock camping.
Autographed copies and free shipping on all orders from Speer Hammocks. Order online at http://www.HammockCamping.com or
call (828) 724-4444, 9-5 Eastern Time workdays--$19.95. Also available at major Internet book sites
or a bookstore or retail outfitter near you.
F.
MAKE-YOUR-OWN HAMMOCK KITS
It's fun and easy to make your own camping hammock with the
simple kits from Speer Hammocks.
Based on our successful hammock design, the kits come
complete with all the fabric, webbing, Velcro, pull tabs, guidelines,
ridgeline, hardware, etc. needed to make a complete hammock with bug net and
rain canopy. Even the thread is included! Making your own hammock is highly rewarding and each one
should give years of satisfactory use. The only thing
needed is a household sewing machine and minimal sewing skills (only easy edge
hems, straight stitches, and one flat felled seam are required). Check out the kits at: http://www.SpeerHammocks.com
G. HAMMOCK
CAMPING WEB SITE
http://www.HammockCamping.com.
This site provides a general exchange of hammock camping news and
information. Excerpts from Ed's new book
and F-R-E-E copies of these newsletters
are featured here, as well as lots of F-R-E-E
hammock camping reports and handy hammocking tips. Anyone wishing to post information on this
site should contact us at: Ed@SpeerHammocks.com.
H.
HAMMOCK CAMPING-L Discussion Group
Join fellow outdoor enthusiasts in an open discussion on all
aspects of hammock camping. Learn from
the experts before you buy or make your own. Or help others
by sharing your knowledge. The
widespread use of camping hammocks is the latest development in wilderness
travel. Be a part of this exciting
phenomenon. The Hammock Camping-List is
hosted on Yahoo Groups and works like any other online "list”; however you
do not have to be a member of Yahoo in order to join. All you need is a valid email address to join
the group. NOTE that subscribers to this
free Hammock Camping News e-zine are not
automatically signed up for the bulletin board (you must sign up yourself).
All messages are archived and searchable by members. Whether you are a novice or a veteran hammock
user, there is much to learn and share on The Hammock Camping List!
To join, send email to: hammockcamping-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Or sign up online at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hammockcamping
I. NEW CAMPING HAMMOCK MANUFACTURERS
The popularity of hammock camping
continues to grow with the recent introduction of two new manufacturers. The Eagles
Nest Guardian Bug Net and Dry Fly Rain Tarp now make this popular hammock
suitable for camping. Another popular
hammock, the Hammock Bliss now offers
their All Purpose Shelter with bug net and rain canopy This brings the total number of camping
hammock manufactures worldwide to 18 (see full list later in this newsletter). This rapid growth attests to the great
interest in these comfortable and convenient backcountry shelters--we’re
expecting even more offerings in the near future.
J. Follow Leave No Trace!
As hammock campers we have the duty to not only act
responsibly in the backcountry, but to also set a proper example for others to
follow. One of the great advantages of
hammock camping is the ability to reduce our adverse impact on the
environment. Everyone is encouraged to
join and support the worthy Leave No Trace organization and to follow
their outdoor ethics. To learn more,
visit: http://www.lnt.org
2-------------------------Feature
Article------------------------------
Our 10th SouthEast Hammock
Hangers Association campout April 22-24 in
Previous SEHHA Campouts
1. Foothills Trail,
2. Foothills Trail,
3. Mountain To Sea Trail,
4. Appalachian Trail,
5. Benton MacKaye Trail, Springer
6. Rainbow Springs campground,
7.
8. Rainbow Springs campground,
9. Appalachian Trail, Springer
10.
A western gathering of hammockers is being organized by
Although plagued by a freak spring snow storm, our 10th
campout was well attended with 9 hammockers Friday night and 10 Saturday
night. Hammocks included Speer,
Hennessy, Clark, and homemade ones while folks came from MA, VA, AL, GA, SC and
NC. In spite of the foul weather,
everyone had a great time and stayed warm and dry!
Early afternoon Friday brought a hail storm that marked the
beginning of a cold front that dropped the temperatures throughout the weekend—quite
a change from the warm mild weather of the previous four weeks or so! Most folks arrived after the storm and set up
camp in time for dinner and socializing around the campfire. Fire-builder Seuss (forever now to be called
‘Lefty’) entertained us all; however, with help from others, a fire was soon
drawing a crowd. Unfortunately, quickly
approaching lightning and thunder signaled the next storm and drove everyone
into their hammocks about 9 pm. Heavy
rain and spectacular lighting displays lulled us to sleep and then woke us up a
few times before morning. Dawn brought
cloudy skies and a break in the rain—enough for everyone to get up and make
their way to breakfast in town.
Intermittent light rain was the order for the day Saturday, with new
hammockers arriving as others departed.
As expected, gear discussions continued all day amid visits to the local
outfitter in town. Unfortunately the TrailFest celebrations in town were greatly dampened by the
weather.
However, Karen’s Saturday evening hot dog roast was the
highlight of the day as the rains held off long enough for everyone to get
fed. A little hot-spiced wine helped
take the chill off as the temperatures continued to drop. Gear discussions continued around the
campfire until 11 or so when everyone retreated to their hammocks. During the night, brisk winds re-kindled our
doused campfire, which then attracted some loud revelers from the wedding party
that was sharing our campground.
Informed that the campfire wasn’t theirs, they quickly left and Ed
doused the fire again with river water.
The wee hours of Sunday morning brought snow! What a surprise as it came down hard and
heavy at times! It was beautiful and fortunately
melted almost as fast as it fell with only an inch or so of accumulation. By mid-day it was all over and the sun
reappeared. Everyone packed up and
departed before noon, with the long-distance drivers leaving first. Karen & I were delighted when a hiker
friend showed up and joined us for lunch at the diner in town. Having completed his 3rd AT thru
hike only a few days before, he had lots of stories to tell as we listened in
awe--A perfect ending to our weekend!
Of course, some special mentions are in order: Youngblood for the best looking homemade
tarp; Youngblood & Jeff for tensioners on their
tarp guidelines; Marta for her hammock made from a kit; Jeff for his hammock
sock and his gear hammock beside his sleeping hammock; Lefty for his homemade hammock
and stand and his chopping skills; Coy for his hammock bag and his never-fail
hammock; Ed and Karen for their ‘living room’ tarp; Peter Pan and Smee for their tarps and underquilts; Karen for her hot dog
feast; and Moonbeam, Seashell and Rosaleen for their recent hike and long
drives.
Photos of the weekend are posted at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hammockcamping
(Yahoo Group membership required).
In spite of the poor weather, everyone seemed to have a
great time and expressed their appreciation to Speer Hammocks for hosting the
event. All promised to return for
another campout. Karen and I would like
to thank all who attended and helped made this such a great gathering. We hope to see everyone at our next campout
(see below).
Ed "Not To Worry" Speer
Safe
Hammocking!
Take a hammock on your next outdoor
trip
And experience the wonder of nature
all over again
3------------------------Next SEHHA Campout--------------------------------
11th
SEHHA Campout
Our next SouthEast Hammock Hangers Association
campout will be June 10-12, again in
An added bonus for our campout is the annual Bluff Mountain Bluegrass Festival!
http://www.main.nc.us/bluff/ The festival is being held the same weekend
on the grounds of the Hot Springs Campground--how neat is that! A hammock campout and bluegrass festival all
in one! Sleep like a baby outdoors and
listen to live bluegrass music from your hammock! It doesn't get any better, so don't miss this
one!
We will camp in the popular Hot Springs Campground
approximately 45 minutes drive northwest of
This outing offers the perfect opportunity for families who
camp together, so bring the kids as well as the hammocks.
Show up anytime and leave anytime, but don't miss our free
Saturday evening hot dog cookout! This
is now a tradition at each hammock hanger’s campout--it's not to be
missed! Otherwise, everyone will be
responsible for his or her own meals.
Upon arrival, check in at the campground entrance gate and
ask for the 'hammock group'. Karen and I
will be at the campsite Friday afternoon thru midday Sunday, so arrive anytime
after 2 pm Friday. Folding lounge chairs
might be appropriate for the festival, so bring your own. The
Find complete campground details at:
Find driving directions at: http://nchotsprings.com/directions.html
Midsummer temperatures at this elevation can fluctuate
wildly, so expect daytime temps of 50-80F and nighttime temps of 40-60F. Rain is possible so be prepared.
Signing up is not necessary, but letting us know will be appreciated--
Everyone Welcome! See ya at
4-----------------Swinging
in the Woods 1979---------------------
Backwoods
Ethics by Laura & Guy Waterman, published in 1979
And we thought we
were the first to recognize the potential of hammock camping! But Laura and Guy Waterman beat us to it with
their book Backwoods Ethics,
first published in 1979 by The Countryman Press of Woodstock Vermont. Following are some excerpts from Chapter 10, Low-Impact
Camping: Swinging in the Woods.
Everyone knows that summer camps of inexperienced youths
are the most destructive of campers, hacking up the woods, peeling birchbark, littering, destroying others’ solitude by their presence
- right?
In one case at least, wrong! During
the very height of the backpacking boom, an outfit called Killington Adventure
in
Killington’s camp director, David Langlois,
was an innovator who threw away the heavy groundcloth,
tent foam pad, and air mattress. He raised
camping off the ground, where most of the impact occurs, and into the air. His campers, a couple of hundred scattered in
two- or three-week sessions throughout the summer, swung from hammocks to get a
good night’s sleep. Furthermore, they
got off trail and away from shelters and streams to set up camp, so their
presence didn’t bother others. Because
of their airborne tactics, they could go into the most fragile fern bed or the
most rock-strewn sloping mountainside and set up camp quite comfortable, and
with minimum impact. Langlois
claimed that with his method he could camp a large group for several days in
one spot and the next party wouldn’t know that anyone had been there since the
Indians left.
The implications for the problems of the crowded backwoods
are tremendous. The effect of campers
repeatedly tenting on the same sites is devastating: Soil compacts, ground
cover dies, trees get hacked and peeled in the voracious search for
firewood. Then come
official restrictions on camping, caretakers telling you what you can’t do, and
the dead hand of "permits", all taking away what was once the freedom
of the hills.
Langlois seems to
have charted the most pleasant way out of this vicious cycle that we have seen
yet. His "clean camping"
methods go far toward reducing the impact of even a large group’s passing, as
well as removing the justification of stifling restrictions.
Hammocks
A symbol of the new trend in low-impact camping is the
lowly hammock.
Centuries ago, Duke Alexander J. Hammock grew tired of
sharing the four-poster with Lady Hammock, who snored violently. The duke came up with a marvelous
invention. For years the hammock has
been perceived as a place for a backyard siesta for the tired housewife or
husband who just finished cutting the lawn.
Now imaginative backwoodspeople are realizing
that Duke Hammocks invention is a great way to spend the night in the
woods. It sure beats air mattresses,
foam pads, heavy "lightweight" tents, roots or stones sticking into
your back, rainwater running under the floor, condensation on the ceiling, and
all the other disadvantages of being grounded.
Go airborne and you enter a whole new world.
One thing that may have attracted the attention of
backpackers was the hammock’s utility in big-wall rock climbing. Out in Yosemite, where climbers may take
several days to work their way up the sheer 3,000-feet walls of
The move to the hammock was not confined to Killington and
the East. In fact, western outdoors
writer Russ Mohney soon reported that "the
light-weight nylon hammock caught on strongly with western backpackers last
season." Out in the Cascades,
apparently, people used them not only for spending the night but also for an
occasional trailside siesta in midafternoon.
Some campers have used hammocks for years, even in such noninnovative establishments as the army. Sailors used them to offset the roll and
pitch of the sea. But their widespread
adoption among backpackers is relatively new.
There are risks, to be sure. Langlois reports
that one night he strung his hammock with 16 inches of clearance off the
ground, only to be awakened when a 17-inch-high porcupine chose to pass under
the bridge. In cold weather or winter
conditions, hammocks may not be practical, and on a night when the bugs are out
in full strength, youre in for trouble.
Nevertheless, from our experience in making the switch from tent to
hammock for summer backpacking, we pronounce it well worth the risks.
Duke Hammock’s original model was built of hemp and flax,
with brass fixtures, and most backyard hammocks for years were luxurious cloth
and rope jobs, far too heavy and bulky to carry any distance. For modern backpacking, however, the hammock
has made great strides. During the 1970s,
when we first became interested, there was beginning to appear a new version,
made of lightweight nylon mesh, incredibly light and so small you could stuff
it into your pocket.
If you wanted to go with those early backpacking hammocks,
you put together a jerry-built system that included:
Hammock. A few equipment stores and mail order catalogs
offered hammocks at prices ranging from $3.50 to a little over $10, a minor
investment when you compared it with purchasing a tent!
Tarp. 8 by 10 feet, either coated nylon (expensive)
or 6 mil poly (cheap).
Nylon
cord. About
20 feet.
Tent stakes. Four.
Armed with this equipment, you then followed a quaint set
of procedures, roughly as follows:
To set up your hammock, choose two trees about 12 feet
apart. Suspend your hammock 3 feet off
the ground. Make sure it is tight as a bowstring, otherwise excessive sag will place you in a
"jackknife" position.
Next, tie your nylon cord about 2 feet, or at nose level,
over the hammock. Now you have two
parallel lines, the hammock below, the cord above.
Then throw your tarp over the cord and stake it out at the
four corners. The tarp should be well
away from the sides of the sleeping bag and, if properly staked, will act as an
effective waterproof cover in case you’re cooking dinner in the rain.
Getting into the old hammock could be a little tricky at
first. If you weren’t careful, you could
get dumped faster than a Presidential candidate coming in last in
1.
Unstuff sleeping bag.
2.
Stand beside the
hammock near the middle.
3.
Place stuff sack on the
ground and stand on it (with boots off!).
4.
Step into sleeping bag
and pull it up around you. Zip it about
two-thirds shut. Pull top well around your shoulders
and hold in place with chin or teeth.
5.
Find one edge of the
hammock and pull it down past your thighs to just above the back of your knees.
Sit down, being careful to position
yourself in the center of the hammock. Keep the
sleeping bag around your shoulders.
6.
Swing legs (and foot of
the sleeping bag, of course) into hammock.
7.
Adjust sleeping bag
around back and head.
8.
Lie back and sleep!
If that sounds too intricate, here’s a method that
required fewer acrobatics:
1.
Unstuff sleeping bag and spread it out in the hammock. That sounds easier than it is, but with
patience and about five arms, you can eventually get it centered.
2.
Partially unzip bag.
3.
Sit down carefully and
precisely in the middle of the sleeping bag, legs dangling over the side. The consequences of not being precisely
centered are probably too obvious to require mention. If you weren’t right in the middle, pick
yourself up, shake out the sleeping bag, and repeat step 1. Then try again.
4.
Raising one leg at a
time, maneuver yourself into the bag. Again,
carefully.
No, really, with practice it wasn’t all that difficult. The resulting sleep was beautiful. And there was never a root in the small of
your back.
Some of the gymnastic pyrotechnics of those early hammock
arrangements have been overcome by modern camping-hammock designs. Now you can buy fancy models (unfortunately
with fancy prices) that deploy mosquito netting and an easy-on-easy-off rain
fly, together with lightweight "spreader bars" for greater stability
and to elevate the netting and fly. People
who have tried them tell us that new hammocks make it easy and more comfortable
to be swinging off the ground.
Dispersed Camping
Switching from tent to hammock is one giant step toward
leave-no-trace camping. An equally
important step is to make a clean break from the old habit of heading for a
shelter or known campsite. This is a
good idea whether you’re in hammock or tent.
Be sure to find out what the regulations are in your area.
In our
Under a truly dispersed camping approach, no one will ever
wind up in the same spot twice, and that’s what will save the land from
degradation. Part of your strategy
should be to go back and forth to the trail by a different route each time you
make the trip. Similarly, pick different
paths to the water. That way you won’t
start a recognizable trail, one that might attract others to your site. (This precaution will have the added advantage
of protecting you from theft if you leave your gear set up during the day when
you are off hiking.)
Take your bearings carefully when you leave the trail,
with a compass if necessary. If you don’t
find your way back to your gear, it could be a long night.
The advent of lightweight backpacking stoves also helps protect
the environment. The age of
indiscriminate campfires all over the woods is past.
When you break camp, make sure every scrap of litter is
picked up. Brush in areas that look
heavily trodden; this will help them to regenerate, as well as conceal your
passing. If you do set up a tent, drag
some dead branches over the ground you flattened.
Camp in your chosen spot only once. Repeated use will
turn it into a "bootleg" campsite that will quickly be discovered by
other backpackers, and progressive degeneration will set in.
Advantages of Low-Impact Camping
The advantages of the combined innovations of hammock plus
dispersing into the woods are legion:
1.
Loads are lighter to
carry, by several pounds.
2.
Camp is easier and
quicker to set up.
3.
Camp can be set up
anywhere (except above treeline, of course), the
weary search for level, smooth tent sites is over.
4.
No roots will stick
into your back all night.
5.
No other people will be
around (ah, solitude!), since it’s so easy to set up off-trail, out of sight.
6.
There is no risk of
theft when you’re gone, since only you know where your "camp" is.
7.
No well-trained
"wild" animals will be waiting to raid your pack at night, like those
that inevitably take up residence at shelters (though you still have to guard
food against chance passerby squirrels and other potential marauders).
8.
You won’t have to deal
with caretakers, restrictions, fees, crowds, and other hassles.
9.
You will help reduce
the pressure for more regulations, sure to come about if we all continue to
squeeze into already overcrowded campsites.
10.
You will be part of the
solution, not the problem
Perhaps the most satisfying thing about
practicing low-impact camping is the experience of opening your mind to trying
a new approach. Once again, a major
theme of this book is to open our minds, to take a fresh look at problems and
solutions, to
think.
It’s easy to fall into a rut of
maintaining the same camping patterns, head for the same old shelters, build
that heartwarming campfire. But once
these routines are thoroughly mastered, they can become dull, and you can
become set in your ways. "Powerful indeed is the
empire of habit," wrote the Roman Publilius Syrus. Trying new
camping habits can be a satisfying and rewarding experience.
[Editor: While we might not agree with all of the Watermans’
conclusions, we certainly applaud them for their backwoods ethics and early
advocacy for hammock camping. Thanks
to Hammock Camping List member Seuss for bringing this article to our attention.]
5-----------------Camping
Hammock Manufacturers---------------------
As hammock camping continues to catch on, the number of
manufacturers is growing as can be seen in the following list--a total of 18! Only makers of secure, comfortable and
complete hammocks with bug net and rain canopy are included. Many of these manufacturers frequently upgrade
their existing models and accessories or issue new ones, so check these web
links often.
[Manufacturers of some other hammocks that might be modified
for camping use can be found in the next section.]
Speer Hammocks, Inc.
http://www.speerhammocks.com/ Email: info@speerhammocks.com
Hennessy Hammock Co.
http://www.hennessyhammock.com/ Email: info@hennessyhammock.com
4637 South 300 West--
http://www.junglehammock.com/ Email: info@junglehammock.com
Lawson Hammock Co.
http://www.lawsonhammockco.com/
http://www.tbcinc.com/hammocks/hamindex.html
Crazy Creek Products
http://www.crazycreek.com/ Email: chairs@crazycreek.com
Terrelogic, Inc.
http://www.terrelogic.com/ Email: mdj@terrelogic.com
Laid Back Designs, Ltd.
800-465-7519 http://www.travelsource.com/travelstore/lbd/lbd.html
Email: sammyd@mgl.ca
New Tribe, Inc.
Email: newtribe@cdsnet.net
Four Season Hammocks
http://www.mrhammock.com/ Email: mrhammock@verinet.com