Dry Brook Ridge Wild Forest, Catskill Mountains

Thanks for posting another fun video – I’m glad Nick was able to take the weekend to go with you.  My twins (girls) are off to college next year and I’d love to be able to grab them for a quick weekender like you did.

Two questions for you:

• You sleep so well in a hammock…Why not do it more often, especially when you’re always hiking in the trees?
• What’s up with the food bag tied to a tree just 3′ off the ground?  Dude!  That’s not even mouse-proof!!!  The worst chewing my pole handles ever had were one time where I leaned them against a tree rather than sticking them in the ground away from a tree.  Right or wrong, I either hang my food 12-15′ up away from trees or I just keep it with me.

It is an Ursack.  Let’s not get into that debate.  If You had a food bag to hang, I got news for you.. in that area of pine forest we were in, there was NO way to hang a bag. Every tree was sky hi tall with NO branches at all. They were straight up pine trees like telephone poles.  All the samll branches were brittle and snap like dry dead twigs. Yes i do love my hammock.  Sometimes I like to sleep in the open or on side of mountain where there are no trees.  My hammock set up requires 2 quilts!! Top quilt AND underquilt!! More weight to carry and WAY more pack space volume required.  Wanna know something?  Whenever I bring my hammock,  I still always carry my bivy with me,  yes I had my bivy with me because I was considering sleeping in the open on that mountain the second night near that fire pit.. but when I got there, it wasn’t that level and flat and  wouldn’t have been that comfortable.. so in the hammock I went!

Gotcha – I didn’t realize it was an Ursack.  I’ve never needed one, but I do get what you mean about trying to hang in a pine forest.  We’ve been challenged with that in PA as well, but can usually find something.

I have a 3/4-length underquilt that’s good to the 30’s that only weighs 10.5 ounces, which is lighter than any inflatable pad I own.  So I’m not paying much of a weight penalty to hammock, and I sleep much better in one.

Keep hiking and videoing!

Thanks
Thom

I get the difficulty with trees. I’ve used my Urasack a lot with no issues (no drool or bite marks either).

A trick with marginal trees is to get a long cord over tree A. Then tie it off and toss the other end over tree B. The food bag is suspended between them. It helps but even that doesn’t always work.

I’m jealous of this trip. I used to do a lot of backpacking with my girls when they were younger- you can find many of the old trip reports here. Now my oldest is in college and youngest is dating. I wish I could grab them for a quick getaway like this. You are killing it as a dad!

Lol . Thanks. Yes. I am thrilled that 2 of 3 of my kids still love coming out there with me!  They even  ask me about when we can go again!

Another good one.

Thankyou!