Yule arrived early !

[Elen Sentier]

It's my day today a host of prezzies from me to me arrived so I'm now the proud guardian of ...

• DD Travel hammock
• 3/4 thermarest
• DD 35L ruck
• Sugpak response pak
• John Fenna fire kit

My first thought on unpacking was Phew! the hammock's heavy! Which it is compared with my little Gossamer Gear "The One" tent. However once that uncharitable thought was past and I got it out of the stuff sack it looks a neat bit of kit. Horrid cold drizzle here today but sun promised for tomorrow so I hope to be out in the garden trying to hang the darn thing in the trees . Have not, as yet, got the whoopie kit, thought I'd try doing it with just what they send first. I don't yet understand the whoopie kit so I hope doing it the old fashioned way will help me realise what it's about.

The thermarest seems to have just about sorted itself out now and doesn't appear wrinkly any more. I now need to squish and relfate it, for practice so I knows confused how it works. And stuff it in its sack and see where to put it with the rest of my clobber.

The ruck looks interesting ... I always worry when folk say that to me! It looks good but will I be able to get everything I want to in it or do I need a bigger one? I can just about (excepting the HUGE Highlander 5 season bag) get everything in the shatteringly lightweight Murmur (GG again) - we'll see, twill keep me occupied this evening having a go .

The Snugpak thing does look good. Again, I need to sort out what to keep in it - prob all the fire and water and 1st Aid stuff, plus any odds and sods. Be like my Possibles Pouch x 10

I also got gived a T-shirt. Very nice except I don't usually do "Brands" so shall look somewhat sheepish when wearing it Baaaaaaaaaaa !!!

And ... to top it all off John Fenna's fire ki pouch arrived
I'm now rather grubby as (of course) it all had to come out so I could see what I've got - lots of mushrooms :wow1:, 3 lumps of flint (and I managed not to cut myself on any of it so far), the steel, and stacks of charcloth, hence the grubby! And all in a smashing leather pouch which is just tooooo coo-ool . Yay! thanks John, will get a better pic of it + contents later on.



And thanks to that shaman with the sledge and the reindeer - he must be getting it together real early these days

 

[MartinK9]

Nice set of prezzies.

The thermarest seems to have just about sorted itself out now and doesn't appear wrinkly any more. I now need to squish and relfate it, for practice so I knows confused how it works. And stuff it in its sack and see where to put it with the rest of my clobber.

I leave my inflatable mats out of the stuff sacks with the valves undone either under the bed or on top of wardrobes alongside my sleeping bags.

HTH

 

[Elen Sentier]

QUOTE"I leave my inflatable mats out of the stuff sacks with the valves undone either under the bed or on top of wardrobes alongside my sleeping bags. HTH"

Ta for the tip - I'm new to them

 

[Gaudette]

Rockmonkey i have been looking at these for awhile are they heavy unloaded? Also i'm used to having compression straps to keep the load tight if the packs not fully loaded do you find a problem with the load shifting?
Sorry to outdoordude for hijacking your thread.


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"If we had some bacon we could have bacon and eggs, if we had some eggs"

 

[Gaudette]

Sorry about that post meant for another thread. Lovely prezzies Elen part of the "fun" is finding different ways to hang a hammock.!


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"If we had some bacon we could have bacon and eggs, if we had some eggs"

 

[Elen Sentier]

Well, that was easy. I just slung the hammock between the willow and the birch in the garden, tempting now to spend a night out there, shall do soon. I just used the straps attached to it - need to smarten up on my knots but perfectly successful, climbed in and very comfortable. Tomorrow will sling tarp first and then put hammock under.

Here it is slung from birch to willow in my garden & the view from within

 

[Hog On Ice]

I'm not real sure but it looks a bit tight - have you tried the hammock with a bit more sag so you can get more of a diagonal lay?

on a separate note there is a nice addition I sometimes use with my top loading hammocks - tie a piece of 550 cord or similar between the ends of the hammock as a slack line that hangs below the hammock somewhat - when sitting sideways in the hammock the slack line can be used to support your feet (with shoes on for comfort) and it turns the hammock into a very comfortable reclining chair - I call the line a "foot line".

 

[Elen Sentier]

I'm not real sure but it looks a bit tight - have you tried the hammock with a bit more sag so you can get more of a diagonal lay?

on a separate note there is a nice addition I sometimes use with my top loading hammocks - tie a piece of 550 cord or similar between the ends of the hammock as a slack line that hangs below the hammock somewhat - when sitting sideways in the hammock the slack line can be used to support your feet (with shoes on for comfort) and it turns the hammock into a very comfortable reclining chair - I call the line a "foot line".

Will try it a bit looser tomorrow. And have a go at the foot-line
Is a more diagonal lay supposed to be more comfy? Do you mean vertical diagonal or horizontal diagonal?

 

[Hog On Ice]

well horizontal diagonal is what I was thinking of - head to one side of the hammock and feet to the other side of the hammock - find the right sag and it will feel almost like you are laying flat. wrt vertical diagonal - well I generally try to put my head end slightly lower than my feet - this seems to help me get centered in the hammock due to my center of mass being closer to my head than to my feet

 

[Elen Sentier]

Right, gottcha, will test out tomorrow. A thought - how will this affect using the thermarest in the slot for it, again will test tomorrow.

 

[Gaudette]

Sometimes if the hammock is too tight it can be a bit restrictive particularly in the shoulders. A looser hang allows a bit more movement and allows a better horizontal, diagonal lay. Personally it doesn't bother me if it's tight. I have used so many different ways i've lost count. Eventually you will find your way and that will be the best. One other thing trying it out and sleeping all night are two different things but thats the fun part.

 

[Hog On Ice]

Right, gottcha, will test out tomorrow. A thought - how will this affect using the thermarest in the slot for it, again will test tomorrow.

don't know about the thermarest - probably OK but I am not sure

 

[Elen Sentier]

Thermarest sort of OK but a bit odd ... may stay with being tighter when using it. Gonna take time to get used to it all

 

[maddave]

WOW!! You must have a direct line to Santa !!