First night in a Hammock

[oetzi]

Last saturday, after work, I got the urge to spend a night outside in the woods.
On the web I stumbled somehow over the idea of using a Hammock for sleeping. Which meant no more carrying heavy loads to sleep comfortable, as the only thing useable for me would have been a 1500gr Thermarest.
So I got myself one, a DD, and also borrowed a recently-given-away-as-a-present Moscito Traveller from Byer. (Working in the outdoor reatilbusiness for more than 19 years has set my mind on testing as much as possible on every occassion, I cant help it)

In the evening at 7:30pm I left the house and walked into the woods, over a variety of trails and roads

because just one hour on foot from me is this:

A very large hut, I guess built sometime after the war. Its only about 2km as the crow flies from a major road and a village, but not many people are there to be found. And since I dont own a Tarp yet, it was a good spot for the rainy night to come!

That night, I had to switch hammocks

one didnt make me lay down comfortable and secure to be able to fall asleep (the DD) and the other one stretched to the point that I woke up with pain in the knees (the Byer). (So the next things on the list will be one of Magikelly´s hammocks plus Net)

BUT THAT WASNT THE IMPORTANT THING IN THIS NIGHT!!!
It was that I fell asleep, and woke up, and whas totally relaxed and felt very close to myself.
Havent had that feeling for a long time.
Got up and made some coffee (there are some things I wont do without!), turkish mocca style from coffee and sugar carried in a Nalgene bottle, with bread toasted on the stove, too. Then walked home slowly.

It wasnt that much of man event, if you look at it from a distance, but I thorougly enjoyed it and know that I can do it again next weekend and in the course of the coming month may be able to hike a bit farther to other locastions I know of and sleep there.

Folks, do as much as you can while you can, and enjoy it for what it is, valuable time outside.

 

[combatblade1]

since borrowing a hennessy hammok from a friend i can agree with you as i also have woken up relaxed and refreshed, i didnt have your problems though with sore knees i find the hennesy allows you to lie flat when you stretch out diagonally. It is an excellent piece of kit with the integral mozzie net and tarp cover.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Nice singletrack for MTBing !

Nick

 

[KAE1]

Nice photos, fantastic hut and a nice little adventure.
I have long been an advocate of 'mini adventures' as I believe that people watch the box, Ray Mears, Tribe etc and think cor wish I could do that but.........And due to financial pressure, family ties or physical ability they end up doing nothing at all.
I have had some great little adventures strolling the local woods, kayaking local rivers etc - nothing major but great fun. All goals and targets are relative.
Really glad you had a good night in the woods.

 

[Mungo]

That looks like such a nice walk - great pictures - I find mini-adventures like this keep the soul going strong. Thank you for sharing this with us all.

Cheers,

Mungo

 

[Sickboy]

WOW, what a cabin! Always feel refreshed after a night out in the fresh air, the early morning coffee looking out over the woods is always special. Glad you enjoyed yourself and good of you to share the photo's

 

[w00dsmoke]

Well done go for it! i love that cabin!

I dont know if anyone else has the same problem as me with hammocks but sometimes i wake up with a crushing vice like headache in the morning after a great sleep. I was wondering if it was lack of oxygen when the hammock closes over the top of me when I sleep in it? the last time i was out it was a great sleep but a hell of a headache that lasted ages.

 

[Karl5]

That looks like a superb outing!
And in a beautiful forest too.
It feels almost like home, as the surroundings I'm living in have the same hilly beech forests and nice foot-paths.

/ Karl

 

[Ogri the trog]

Oetzi,
Great news and thanks for sharing. I often find I have to roll up spare clothing as a knee pillow - to stop my knees from hyperflexing.
I haven't found a comfortable way of sleeping on the diagonal yet so I tend to leave things a bit loose - Woodsmoke, I find if I have been careless in setting up, I get my feet too high and the blood goes to my head during the night, causing headaches, could this be your problem too? I like a cool breeze on my face so I try to leave a gap no matter how well wrapped I end up, try using an inflateable pillow but leave it high in the hammock to stop the sides closing in completely.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[weekender]

Oetzi what a great hut and lovely photos,didnt understand half of the illness you have but good to see you are not letting it spoil your fun.
woodsmoke ditto what ogri says try and keep the hammock level i read on another site some people hang the hammock with the foot end a lot higher in order to stop sliding down into the middle thus wking up with feet higher then head, only tried the idea once couldnt get it to work for me as i tend to lay 3/4 on my side if that makes sense and as diagonal as i can or lie on my back with my legs making a no 4 like shape right leg out straight and then bring left foot up so it rests near the knee laying flat that way the left knee holds the hammock open to allow a small amount of breeze across the face. i hope that makes sense and dosnt sound to much like a yoga position

 

[benp1]

excellent post, glad you had a good time

since trying a hammock for the first time (thanks 3please) i've invested in a hennessy and am loving it!

 

[woodstock]

Thanks for the pics I loved them took me back to my childhood wandering around the forest without a care in the world Alla's no hammock...I now have a DD and use my walking poles as stretchers I have used it quiet a no. of times now and I have a great nights kip.

 

[shep]

Great post and glad you found a way to get a good kip. Hammocking was a revelation to me too, although not for quite such serious reasons.

Nice photos, fantastic hut and a nice little adventure.
I have long been an advocate of 'mini adventures' as I believe that people watch the box, Ray Mears, Tribe etc and think cor wish I could do that but.........And due to financial pressure, family ties or physical ability they end up doing nothing at all.
I have had some great little adventures strolling the local woods, kayaking local rivers etc - nothing major but great fun. All goals and targets are relative.
Really glad you had a good night in the woods.

I couldn't agree more. I got stuck in that mindset for a few years until I realised the woodland on my doorstep has a lot more to offer than I realised. I would love to get back to the amazon or the Andes, but it isn't actually necessary to go that far in order to enjoy a good day/night out in the open.

 

[scottishwolf]

You lucky sod, if there was anything like that cabin near where I live it would be vandalised, burnt down or just frequented by idiots and junkies

 

[FGYT]

Feet higher than the head is a guaranteed migraine all morning for me and one to watch when on the ground as well level or head up only
also dehydration will enhance a headache for me so lots of Brew stops

there is a swiss cabin in the private woods near my mums village tough ive never been there

ATB

Duncan

 

[Matt Weir]

Nice one Oetzi. Great to see your up, out and about now.

As regards the hammock I hang mine chest height and very taut - it's amazing how much sag you get once you climb in even hung taut but I find anything less and the knee's do feel it after a short while.

Thanks for sharing