Post by trinity on May 6, 2016 13:37:25 GMT -8
After acquiring a hammock and tarp over the winter, I finally got a chance to take them out on a short two-nighter this past weekend. We went to Lost Maples State Natural Area, a small but extremely beautiful piece of Texas Hill Country. As always, Floyd was my backpacking companion.
Though the peak of the wildflower season is past, there were still some beautiful displays, including Scarlet Leatherflower, one of my faves:
It was a very short (probably under 2 miles) hike in to the first back country campsite. It took me a while to find a suitable spot to hang a hammock and tarp, and even longer to get them up. Clearly I am at the bottom of a very steep learning curve. But the final pitch came out pretty nice.
High point of the evening was going down to the Sabinal River for an evening soak. It was a beautiful evening, and the water was perfect.
I put the tarp up in snakeskins for the night, which provided for a nice sleeping experience under the open sky, though I did get pretty chilly with the breeze blowing around me. It was probably only in the 60s, but I definitely was cold. Eventually it started to rain, but the tarp deployed quickly and easily, keeping Floyd and me nice and dry. it also blocked much of the wind that was convecting away so much of my body heat.
The next day was a little more rigorous. I only covered about 6.5 miles with my pack and another couple after I set up camp, but these were very steep miles over some of the toughest hills in Texas, with very hot and humid weather. Still, I passed through some beautiful areas. Here is a view from one of the high points in the park.
My second night’s campsite was in a beautiful grove of Lacy Oaks on a ridgetop. Again I found some good trees and got my hammock set up nicely.
Again, I went to sleep with the fly put away, and again I had to deploy it in the middle of the night, this time due to some pretty severe thunderstorms. I have to say, I was impressed with the way the tarp weathered the high winds, I kind of expected a tarp with that much surface area to blow away, but it held fast, and kept Floyd and me pretty dry. The next day dawned clear, and we had a nice leisurely morning before packing up and hiking 5 or so miles back out. We stopped on the way for Floyd to take a swim in Can Creek:
Overall, it was a great trip. I enjoyed the hammocking experience, though as mentioned, I have a great deal to learn about site selection, getting a good hang, etc. At times I slept very comfortably, at other times I just couldn’t seem to find the right sleeping position. But I think it will be a nice option, especially during the warmer months here in Texas when a tent can get very stuffy. Hammock is a Hammeck Netty made of Hexon 1.6, tarp is a UGQ 11' Hanger Tarp, both very nice pieces of gear. A few more photos from the trip:
Though the peak of the wildflower season is past, there were still some beautiful displays, including Scarlet Leatherflower, one of my faves:
It was a very short (probably under 2 miles) hike in to the first back country campsite. It took me a while to find a suitable spot to hang a hammock and tarp, and even longer to get them up. Clearly I am at the bottom of a very steep learning curve. But the final pitch came out pretty nice.
High point of the evening was going down to the Sabinal River for an evening soak. It was a beautiful evening, and the water was perfect.
I put the tarp up in snakeskins for the night, which provided for a nice sleeping experience under the open sky, though I did get pretty chilly with the breeze blowing around me. It was probably only in the 60s, but I definitely was cold. Eventually it started to rain, but the tarp deployed quickly and easily, keeping Floyd and me nice and dry. it also blocked much of the wind that was convecting away so much of my body heat.
The next day was a little more rigorous. I only covered about 6.5 miles with my pack and another couple after I set up camp, but these were very steep miles over some of the toughest hills in Texas, with very hot and humid weather. Still, I passed through some beautiful areas. Here is a view from one of the high points in the park.
My second night’s campsite was in a beautiful grove of Lacy Oaks on a ridgetop. Again I found some good trees and got my hammock set up nicely.
Again, I went to sleep with the fly put away, and again I had to deploy it in the middle of the night, this time due to some pretty severe thunderstorms. I have to say, I was impressed with the way the tarp weathered the high winds, I kind of expected a tarp with that much surface area to blow away, but it held fast, and kept Floyd and me pretty dry. The next day dawned clear, and we had a nice leisurely morning before packing up and hiking 5 or so miles back out. We stopped on the way for Floyd to take a swim in Can Creek:
Overall, it was a great trip. I enjoyed the hammocking experience, though as mentioned, I have a great deal to learn about site selection, getting a good hang, etc. At times I slept very comfortably, at other times I just couldn’t seem to find the right sleeping position. But I think it will be a nice option, especially during the warmer months here in Texas when a tent can get very stuffy. Hammock is a Hammeck Netty made of Hexon 1.6, tarp is a UGQ 11' Hanger Tarp, both very nice pieces of gear. A few more photos from the trip: