[pct-l] How's your hammock hanging? (trying again)

[enyapjr at comcast.net]

Don't know what happened to the formatting on my 1st reply - it certainly wasn't written that way!  If 2nd posting doesn't format properly - I give up!!  :-/> I'll be setting out from Campo on the 20th to reach Lake Morena in good
> time for ADZPCTKO on the 22nd.
> > I'll have my tent for backup for the first few weeks as I have ZERO > experience in the back country with this homemade sling of mine. > > Is anyone else intending on hanging on their thru-hike? and are any > hammockers going to be at kickoff?Hi Lomax,A few comments:Lake Morena County Park does not allow ANYTHING to be attached to their trees -so hanging is not allowed there!Being a noob to hanging, you may have difficulty envisioning hang locations andthinking "outside of the box" in that you do not always need '2 trees' for a hang.(I hung across a gully a few times, using the bases of shrubs for anchor points.Also had a 'one tree' hang using a single limb for both anchor points.  At aSilverwood Lake boat-in picnic area I hung between a pavilion and the privy.) Iplanned on roughly 15 miles per day the first couple of weeks for better hangopportunities - you can "scout" the trail using Halfmile's Google Earth PCT traceat <http://www.pctmap.net/pctdownloads/halfmiles_pct_tracks_waypoints_2015.kmz> tosee potential hang locations.I recommend joining the Facebook "Hammock Camping on the PCT" group,<https://www.facebook.com/groups/HammockCampingPCT/> - the first post has numerous helpful links - including one to Rambling Hemlock's blog (BTW, she hung in a corral for one of her 'unusual' hangs)...Good overview by Rambling Hemlock on her decision to hammock the PCT:<http://www.pcta.org/journalist/post/hammock-on-the-pct/> (1st link on that FB post).In regards to hanging on the PCT, in addition to the usual 'negative' comments of"there aren't any trees in SoCal" and "SoCal is all desert" (both definitely nottrue!), you may hear "you will be above treeline in the Sierra" (yes, you will be,but NOT CONTINUOUSLY! - you will be above treeline at the passes, but there are trees in the valleys before & after - simply plan ahead...All of the hangers I was aware of last year had a "go to ground" back-up plan - atorso length pad & groundcloth, in addition to all having a tarp that could also be set up on the ground with our trekking poles, if needed.In many areas along the PCT you may find it much easier to find a hang location than the ground dwellers finding a flat spot to bed down! ;-)Yes, there will be a few other hangers on the PCT this year! - hope to see you'somewhere' out there!!Happy trails!!! and Happy hanging, too!Jim (PITA)