John let me havea shot of his group buy hammock when we paddled to the wallaby island and it's fair to say I was fairly skeptical it would take my weight/be comfy enough.
My initial thoughts are...
Brrrr it's freezing without insulation
Because I have a spinal frame in my back, lying flat is an absolute no no. My physio said hammocks are a no no too
However when trying it out yesterday and after overcoming the initial "is this strong enough?" It was pure comfort. Because I'm lying at an angle and not flat out, it seems ok. (The trial will be to try it without painkillers!) I think the main issue is getting in and out without twisting my spine but I've got it sussed now. I only tried it for ten mins or so as it was pretty cold but in the next few weeks I'll take it to Loch Lomond for an over nighter to try it out. And by the way it is plenty strong enough-it was well tested
I've got some ideas regarding insulation like using fibre pile as an underblanket with a windproof backing and using a sleeping bag quilt on top as opposed to a sleeping bag. This will ensure there are no mobility issues in getting in and out.
So I think this will be an amazing addition to camping in areas where tent would be hard to put up (eg the rocky islands of loch Maree) as well as light weight camping. I bought it for Midgie thinking it would be no good for me but now I'm seriously going to consider it as an alternative. I'll try n get hold of a paradise hammock or wait out until another group buy to do me for later on. So once again cheers for the advice and the hammock MK.
My initial thoughts are...
Brrrr it's freezing without insulation
Because I have a spinal frame in my back, lying flat is an absolute no no. My physio said hammocks are a no no too
However when trying it out yesterday and after overcoming the initial "is this strong enough?"
It was pure comfort. Because I'm lying at an angle and not flat out, it seems ok. (The trial will be to try it without painkillers!) I think the main issue is getting in and out without twisting my spine but I've got it sussed now. I only tried it for ten mins or so as it was pretty cold but in the next few weeks I'll take it to Loch Lomond for an over nighter to try it out. And by the way it is plenty strong enough-it was well tested I've got some ideas regarding insulation like using fibre pile as an underblanket with a windproof backing and using a sleeping bag quilt on top as opposed to a sleeping bag. This will ensure there are no mobility issues in getting in and out.
So I think this will be an amazing addition to camping in areas where tent would be hard to put up (eg the rocky islands of loch Maree) as well as light weight camping. I bought it for Midgie thinking it would be no good for me but now I'm seriously going to consider it as an alternative. I'll try n get hold of a paradise hammock or wait out until another group buy to do me for later on. So once again cheers for the advice and the hammock MK.
