Where we learn that camping in a hammock involves NOT sleeping on the ground.
Meet Mark and Jonathan, a couple of scouters, backpackers and campers who are really excited about hammock camping. You’ll learn about how they got into hammock camping, some of their early experiences, and a little bit about hammocking along the way.
Is hammock camping a trend? Jonathan and Mark certainly think so. Seems like every day there’s more people out there hanging from trees.
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I was really pretty excited to hear about the Carolinas in the podcast – as the host of Fall Sprawl, where we host 120+ hangers annually I can tell you from experience, camping in a hammock when it’s hot/warm out is absolutely the best way to keep cool because of the convection.
Very cool. As I mentioned in the podcast, I’m a cold sleeper, but I’ll bet $20 that a summer evening in the Carolinas would fix my dependence on underquilts in the summer!
Well done. While hammocks are not everyone, my wife and I find them to be very comfortable. It is amazing the number of folks who have converted to the dark side of camping 🙂 and the age range, I have attended group hangs where there are been babies to a couple about 80 years old.
Keep up the good work and I will be waiting for your next podcast.
Thanks. I’m still trying to convert my better half. You’ll have to tell me how you convinced yours.
Another North Carolina hanger here! Thanks for starting this podcast. I am looking forward to more episodes. Your story of sleeping on a hillside reminded me of my very first backpacking trip using a hammock. Me and my two friends went off trail and way down a hill to be near a water source. A pretty dry season had the creeks running very low. I slept on a hillside like you describe near the creek, and thought it was the coolest thing to be able to do that! I look back and am amazed at how much I have learned since that trip thanks to Hammockforums.net. Thanks again!
You’re welcome. Being “off the ground” poses a different set of technical challenges, but I really enjoy the freedoms of hanging.
Awesome job guys. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Brian. Looking forward to the next one in a couple of days.
Great job on the podcast! I enjoy being high and dry when camping. Also the
view from a hammock is wonderful. My crew went to Canada this past summer
on a 6 day canoe trip with our hammocks. We had a great time hanging around.
I would like to see advanced hammock training at the University of Scouting.
Looking forward to your next podcast!
Thanks Connie, I think the last time I slept on a wet tent floor was the last straw for me. Subscribe to the podcast, or watch this site, we’re releasing on the first of every month – we have one coming out in 2 days!
Great job guys!! I am a fellow scouter and new convert. Looking forward to hear about other peoples experiences and how they have adapted. I hope you guys will do a cast about getting scouts into hanging and how to work around the buddy system when tenting. Looking forward to all the casts. Thanks guys.
Thanks for the input – we’ve got an upcoming conversation about just that topic – hammocks and scouting. I teach the Hammock Camping classes at our University of Scouting event every year and your question comes up quite frequently. Often it’s a question of finding a way to resolve these concerns in a way that satisfies everyone’s needs.
A couple of suggestions for you if your scouts are considering hammock camping, however. First, figure out what the actual issue is. For instance, there are many units that have rules indicating that scouts must be above a certain rank or age before they can tent alone but really those rules don’t exist in the guide to safe scouting or BSA bylaws. If, however, your PLC decides that they want to implement the buddy system consistently (note that this probably ought to be a PLC decision, not one that the adults make or enforce), then a great solution is to use a shared tarp and either bunk or “V” the hammocks under it. This is a great solution for social reasons, as well, like when camping with your spouse.