I took a hammock on my trip down the Alabama River and really enjoyed sleeping in it. In fact, except for feeling initially warmer than a tent might be when I climbed in, it was excellent. It doubles as a camp chair and I slept better than in a tent on a pad.
Easy to set up and take down too… about three minutes each way and it kept me dry also the few times that it rained. I can set it up as a bivy sack if I can’t find a place to hang it but I always found a place.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/k7lro/Kayaks/AL%20River%202008/Picture050.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/k7lro/Kayaks/AL%20River%202008/Picture075.jpg
So what’s the issue? What are you wammerin’ about K7?
Well, look at that second picture - I hung that over essentialy where the water came up and in the middle of the night, I felt a sudden sharp pain in the area of my right upper shoulder blade. The next day, while it was extremely sore, it didn’t impact the paddling.
The only thing I can figure is that I slept on that area and had way too much pressure on one area. While I ended the trip about 10-days ago, there’s still some numbness and a little pain in the area.
I had my wife look at the area when I first got home and there’s no evidence of any kind of bite marks or ticks. Only some slight localized swelling. No redness though - no sunburn.
I got back in the gym tonight and did my normal cardio workout and 2/3 of the weight that I normally do. I backed down on the weight since it’s been three weeks and I didn’t want to stress my back/shoulder.
The workout had no impact on that area.
I’ll probably go to the doctor but I thought I’d ask the collective braintrust here first. Maybe someone else had gone through something like this? Any thoughts are sincerely appreciated.
Hammocks
K7 … I’ve used my Hennessey Hammock on a couple of canoe and kayak trips and have had no problems … I find it very comfortable …
Thanks!
Thanks Ron - mine is comfortable also. I slept pretty darn well and didn’t wake up sore.
The only thing that I can determine is that I slept with my shoulder blade up against the “taunt” part of the floor and stressed it in the night w/o realizing it.
I was interested to see how I would feel after last night’s gym visit - no ill effects and if anything, it was slightly better. I guess I got the blood circulating again even though none of my exercises use this particular muscle.
Or, I’m just getting old.
hammock
ALSO … I have a Big Agnes sleeping bag that has a sleeve for a pad instead of insulation in the bottom. So there are times when I put up a little struggle and use the mummy pad inside the hammock … somthing like this might help you avoid getting “pinched” and adds insulation when your butt is danglin in the breeze
It’s probably something related
to paddlin’ with a rotomolded Kestrel.
Hope it is nothing and all is well soon.
Paddlin’ on
Richard
ps: maybe you need to come back and paddle some more. Just let me know when and where.
Nada…
…it’s nothing - I’m sure of that - just annoying more than anything else.
I can’t express how much I enjoyed the trip and I look forward to paddling with you in the not-to-distant-future.
Maybe you should consider a trip out here - we’ll do down to Baja, kayak some, drink beer and eat shrimp.
Hope that never happens again!
What ever the cause…
I bought a hammock this year and slept about 10 nights in the yard, at Caddo Lake a couple nights, and two nights last week on the Upper Buffalo. Still learning…but its getting better all the time. I am trying to be confident enough to take it to the BWACW with the scouts for 10 days in August. I woke up the last night on the Buffalo with my rear just touching some of the river gravel. Never felt it through the thermarest…but did wear a tiny hole in the nylon (bummer) I will be trying to find some nylon tape next time I am in a big city.
I’m hoping the “rip stop” part of rip stop nylon is really true!
I have never woken with a pain or sore spot…just sometimes restless during the night. The camp chair part is great!
It surely does change what you look for in a campsite…
If we go to Baja we’re gonna
drink Tequila and eat lobster. I’ll take some dive gear and get the lobster. Before all I’m a diver.
Likewise, hope to paddle together soon
Paddlin’ on
Richard
hammockforums.net
http://www.hammockforums.net/
all you ever need to know about hammock camping…check out the forums…I post there as well…
If you haven’t already, spray the bottom AND the net with Premethrin…(Wally World camping section).
Thanks…
Started a thread there also - not too active but I really enjoy that site.
Spraying the permethrin was done the night before I started the trip when I did my last test pack of the kayak.
Right upper shoulder blade
When I sleep with my arm over my head, I get this pain. It is a muscle of the rotator cuff. If you have the same issue I do, watch the position of your arm and shoulder and keep them down and away from your neck and head.
Really?
I’ll keep that in mind - thanks for the suggestion.
Went to the dr on Wed.
…and he said it was likely a pinched nerve. We talked about x-rays and MRI’s but I don’t see wasting resources on something like this. I wanted reassurance that there was nothing else that we should be considering. I’ve got a history of neck problems and so it’s likely related to that.
2 really really nice tents for sale
ok, maybe not for sale, but we recently got “Eagle’s Nest One Link” hammock systems for our backpacking and canoeing adventures. The first night was the charm, but every additional night was also charmed!
3 canoe trips, 4 major storms, 23 days total and I have never slept as well, been as comfortable, or felt so un-claustrophobic as in these hammocks.
Never mind that my getting out of it in the morning is a decent comedy sketch for those around me, I cannot see why I would ever go back to those wonderful, tiny, ultra-lite, gearhead backpacking tents we now have stored in the very back of the canoe closet!
peace, ~ Steav & Ketu
The only Issue is being goosed
by a porcupine in a hammock…
Seems theres not much protection down thar.
My friend got goosed and hit back. Lucky it was a coon and not a porky.
Sorry to hear of hammock discomfort
I spent five nights in my HH over the 4th of July, and my back never felt sooooo goooood.
And the tip about the Hammock Forum: All hammock hangers need to visit there occasionally. Good info, and great to see how clever folks are with fabrication.
I have never tried an Eagles Nest hammock, but the HH is super easy to exit.
Jim
No worries…
…it appears to be a pinched nerve. Unfortunately, my left arm is being impacted now with some numbness and soreness. It hasn’t slowed down the kayaking or working out but it is a concern. I’ll have an MRI just to insure there’s nothing else going on and then will likely get some treatments starting with a cortisone shot into that area by a specialist.