[at-l] Hammock negatives {WAS The Cheap hike continued}

[thornel at attglobal.net (W F Thorneloe)]

Frank asks: "Can I get some observations about why it might NOT be a good 
idea. I understand the necessity for dealing with cold weather."

If you are beginning in early March an aren't familiar with your shelter, 
you have some problems already. The best way for you to get familiar with a 
Hennessey's strengths (comfort and location) and negatives (cold) is to 
plan to spend some weekends on your local trails and backyard with one. At 
least consider a trip to your regional RUCK to get ideas and pointers.

Hammocks are the best way to get a comfortable night from day one. It is 
usually easy to find trees to get set up, particularly as you can use 
unlevel ground that Tenters and Tarpers couldn't use. You might wish to 
consider an alternative tarp to the one included with the HH, particularly 
if you want to keep your backpack and boots dry. However, the HH tarp is 
excellent for dealing with wind, snow and rain. The problem remains how you 
learn to deal with cold as you compress your sleeping bag against the floor 
of the HH. At home, you can experiment with mylar blankets, dashboard 
shields and the like. You can experiment with the knots and webbing to 
attach the HH to trees.

If nothing else, you can still plan on sleeping in shelters.

Good luck dealing with the Smokies prior to St Patrick's Day.

OrangeBug