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#139822 - 07/16/08 02:57 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: ]
Fitzoid Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/23/05
Posts: 289
Loc: WI, MA, and NYC
I love bringing my dog. I carry her food, obviously I'm not gone for a month, and bury her waste on any trials; no one wants to step in doogie doo on a well marked path. She can drink from any stream w/o ill effect, but I do carry some simple meds (e.g., metronidazole) for her just in case.

I've never brought her for protection. I just feel like primordial man out in the wild with my monster dog. grin Of course, she'd try to protect me from just about anything on the planet.

But I wonder where all these worries come from of being attacked while hiking/camping. I've never felt unsafe outdoors except due to weather or natural phenomena, such as an ice sheet that looks like it's about to calve; that's scarier than all the crooks in the world combined.

I think I've seen one drug deal in the woods and I was alone at the time. I kept my distance, they kept theirs. Otherwise, everyone I've ever met is happy to see another person and far friendlier than strangers in a city. Maybe it's that I generally stick to trails and reasonably well-established routes. Although I've also gone way off the beaten path without any problems either.

And for the record, tents or mesh enclosures all the way. I hate black flies.
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"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." Henny Youngman

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#139825 - 07/16/08 03:12 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: Fitzoid]
Mike_H Offline
Addict

Registered: 04/04/07
Posts: 612
Loc: SE PA
Blast,

Good point. For you, a tent would be a bit overkill. It really depends on the terrain and weather.

I do a lot of deep woods type of camping. A hammock would work, but often the temp drops a lot during the night. The tent helps to conserve some of that heat when the rainfly is attached. I camp in the PA NE usually.

Mike
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#139829 - 07/16/08 04:00 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: Mike_H]
MRPrice Offline
Newbie

Registered: 02/26/06
Posts: 25
Loc: Tulsa, OK. United States of Am...
Originally Posted By: Mike_H
Blast,

Good point. For you, a tent would be a bit overkill. It really depends on the terrain and weather.
<snip>
Mike


For me it also comes down to I just find a hammock exceptionally uncomfortable. I can get by without a tent but for reasons mentioned above I'd prefer a 2 man tent on a long hike.

I'm sort of in the "lightweight but not ultralight" category towards gear. I'll carry something a little heavier if i think it's going to improve my enjoyment of what I'm doing versus ultralight just to save weight.

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#139830 - 07/16/08 04:01 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: Mike_H]
Lastborn Offline
Recurring Nightmare
Stranger

Registered: 07/16/08
Posts: 4
Loc: Groverson
I'm interested in the idea of a hammock, I'm a bit of a tarp guy myself... I'm not looking to spend a ton on a hammock, and I found one that I'd like some critique on from someone that uses them-

http://www.hammock-company.com/detail.asp?id=4196&sku=TRAVEL-HAMMOCK&mode=ADD&prc=B000

I realize that it has no bug net, But I could get one separately.
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#139832 - 07/16/08 04:25 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: Lastborn]
OldBaldGuy Offline
Geezer

Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 5695
Loc: Former AFB in CA, recouping fr...
For those of you interested in hammocks, there is a hammock forum that might give you some info...
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#139834 - 07/16/08 04:48 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: OldBaldGuy]
Fitzoid Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/23/05
Posts: 289
Loc: WI, MA, and NYC
This is as personal a decision as what kind of mattress to use at home.

Cheapo store model works just fine for some. Other people pay $3K for a Tempurpedic. We tried one and I couldn't stand it; I was up all night tossing and turning. It was returned a week later. Now, we have a super firm something or other brand. I remember the salesman trying to talk us out of it. "You'll hate it! You'll be back!" We love it. There's no accounting for tastes.

I have friends who swear by the Sleep Number bed. Others want pillowtops, foam mattresses, very specific firmness, etc.

You can't know without trying a bunch of variants, and it's best to do so on very short trips. Nothing like carrying gear when you were up all night cause you couldn't sleep.

Also, hammocks deteriorate over time, just like anything else. I still remember the "below the waste" section falling apart on a hammock I was sleeping on that had been a bit abused. That was quite the shock and felt like an earthquake... grin
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#139835 - 07/16/08 04:53 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: OldBaldGuy]
ohiohiker Offline
found in the wilderness
Journeyman

Registered: 12/22/06
Posts: 76
Loc: Ohio
I have a DIY Speer hammock that I converted into a DIY Hennessey. smile I much prefer the Hennessey design. I go to great lengths to avoid sleeping on the ground now. Sleeping on the diagonal in a properly-designed and pitched hammock, you'll hardly notice that you aren't flat, as long as you sleep on your back.

A rectangular 8x10' silnylon tarp pitched separately from the hammock is very flexible in its options. Pitch it high for light rain, increased visibility, and being able to stand up. I can even cook dinner in the rain while laying in my hammock under my tarp using a stove! (Not that that's a recommended practice in bear country! ;))

Here's Ed Speer's site. I don't like his hammock design, but he has excellent instructions and tips (no affiliation):

http://www.hammockcamping.com/

My current bugnet is just a length of black no-see-um draped over the hammock, but I plan to attach it with a continuous Velcro strip. Here's my setup from a recent trip:



Edit: This is a reply to the main thread. Sorry for the misplaced reply.


Edited by ohiohiker (07/16/08 04:56 PM)
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#139838 - 07/16/08 05:43 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: Lono]
Bushie1 Offline
Stranger

Registered: 07/16/08
Posts: 3
I'm a newbie, haven't read where you are going yet, but I'd suggest to take a tent, then if you feel the situation arises you can do without it, try it a night and see how it goes.
Besides the bug-fest that could occur ( I hate bug bites on my eyelids! ) I think having a tent is also nice to store things out-of-sight, out-of-temptation for the odd slightly-evil person that just might steal a thing or two. Besides, the beauty of being in a tent is THEY don't know what YOU have in the tent either.. you might be packing a nice big knife smile
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#139861 - 07/16/08 07:34 PM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: Fitzoid]
Stu Offline
I am not a P.P.o.W.
Old Hand

Registered: 05/16/05
Posts: 1058
Loc: Finger Lakes of NY State
Originally Posted By: Fitzoid
Originally Posted By: Chaotiklown
My apologies Fitzoid- You were not the one who had assumed my death... That was Blast, and the message goes for him as well. NO MORE OPINIONS PLEASE, information is all I'm looking for


I agree wholeheartedly with Blast. (But you're absolutely right; he won't be able to get your knives, as you've already told us you'll be wrestling bears with them.)

So, here's some information, as you requested:

You are not remotely prepared or qualified for the journey you keep asking Cub Scout level questions about. For that matter, I don't even believe the statements you're making or that you're taking this great soul searching trip.

Showing up on a board dedicated to personal responsibility and refusing to take any (e.g., "I refuse to prepare or practice in any way," etc.) and making absurd statements like "LEOs can KMA" or "I don't care if I put SAR personnel in danger trying to rescue me" says volumes about you.

I think Blast is a fantastic poster. You are not.

+1 on your post.
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Our most important survival tool is our brain, and for many, that tool is way underused! SBRaider
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#140352 - 07/19/08 01:24 AM Re: SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS [Re: Chaotiklown]
Troglodyte007
Unregistered


Setup your tent, and then sleep high up in a tree, ever watchful. When the bad guy comes for you in your tent, you can drop down on him from above. SURPRISE!!!

I have tried both, and in a hammock I had thought that I was easily approachable and visible. Unless I am sleeping on bare ground in some advantageous location, which is usual for me, I prefer a tent. Unless you are being stalked, a person can't tell exactly how many are in there with you, and there is no determining exactly where your head is.
Exit from a tent can be a surprise explosive effect through the wall with quick long downward slice with a sharp knife, if need be for some reason, and charging the guy. But then you don't know how many of them there are either. Just feeling like meeting the threat head-on can send contrary vibes to a curious would-be destructive black bear, but probably not a Grizzly.
A few thoughts:
trip wire, perimeter alarms, pepperspray, firearm, camo, light sleeping habits, loyal dog companion, travel buddy and two separate sleeping arrangements, etc.


Edited by Troglodyte007 (07/19/08 03:16 AM)

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