Dan The Man

I toured for about 4 months along the West Coast and across America with the Hennessy Hammock. It's great for all the reasons everyone has said already: Comfortable sleep, can set up anywhere, stands up to the rain, bug netting, etc.

The cons are also true. It is colder than sleeping on the ground, and you have to worry more about the wind. In big storms the tarp can become a sail and start ripping cords. I once snapped the roof line of my hammock and fell down on my butt. It wasn't a big deal. I fixed it using some paracord I had with me.

Here are some tips I have learned along the way:

• The hammock can be used as a bivy with one or zero trees (see photo below)
• Resist the urge to hang the hammock high. Hang it as low as possible so that your butt is scraping the ground or touching the grass. This adds extra insulation below you and gets you out of the wind. If you put your packs underneath you, you can have it so that your back barely touches them. It's actually pretty comfy.
• Hang the long axis of the hammock in the direction of the wind. Try to place it in the lee of some other object.
• Get the snakeskins. They make setup super easy and make it possible to set up in the rain without getting anything wet.
• Get a tiny climbing carabiner (Metolius FS Mini or Camp Nano) for at least one of the ends. They weight nothing, and make it a lot easier to rig up and are rated to way more weight than you need.

Here's a photo of how to set up a hammock in the desert:

NoReg

"Taking responsibilty for one's own actions and the consequences of doing so is IMHO more civilized than suing and shooting (out of pique, perhaps). But then I don't hang my hat in the USA ...."

Lawsuits are fine. The are malicious or predatory ones that are outside of civilized behaviour. Lawsuits are one of those things, like say our universal healthcare, where once you start down the path, it is difficult to curtail. But the basic idea is fine. And a lot more of it goes on in Canada than many people seem to believe.

The idea that personal responsibility should mean that one does not sue is too strict. If two people have personal responsibility in a situation it isn't equitable if one of them takes all of it on. Lawsuits are just the method of ascertaining the individual responsibility. Also consider than in the US lawsuits are part of a personal responsibility culture in which people have, for instance, decided against universal health care. In that environment the cost of health care alone can force a choice of sue, go bankrupt, or go uncared for. Maybe all of the above. Whether this is a good system or not, I am merely saying it arises from a culture of personal responsibility.

At the same time, in Canada the universal health care system (non-personal assignment of risk) is backed up by lawsuits, or their threat where assigning costs is concerned among institutions. National characteristics are less rigid than assumed in the funny papers.

Shooting out is a personal responsibility thing, at least where non-criminal. You are simply taking on the responsibility for your own personal protection. Good or bad, it sounds like personal responsibility to me.

D.B. Cooper

The truth hurts.

wrench:
noun1 [usually in singular] a sudden violent twist or pull.

3 a tool used for gripping and turning nuts, bolts, pipes , etc..

This definition is from The Oxford English Dictionary, which was preceded by Noah Websters Dictionary of the English language (an American) by over 100 years.


from answers.com:

In 1806 the Americans put the British to shame when Noah Webster compiled his dictionary of the English language. It became a best seller and drove the British Philological Society to begin compiling a comprehensive dictionary, which would later become the Oxford English Dictionary. It took more than a century and several different editors to get the thing published in full form. The first edition was actually worked on from 1860 to 1952, though plans went back earlier. The most famous editor was James Murray, a man of working class origins. However, he neither began the project nor saw it complete. He did, however, create a successful methodology for getting the project done.




from about.com:

A wrench is a tool - the English call it a spanner - that is usually operated by hand, and is made for tightening or loosening bolts, nuts or anything that needs to turn. Solymon Merrick(an American) patented the first wrench in 1835.

The physics of a wrench are that the tool works as lever. There are notches at the mouth for gripping. The wrench is pulled at a right angle to the axes of the lever-action and the bolt or nut. Some wrenches have mouths that can be tightened to better fit various objects that need turning.

Monkey Wrench
Charles Moncky invented the monkey wrench around 1858.

Ratchet Wrench
Robert Owen, Jr(American) (1881 - 1956) invented the ratchet wrench. Owen received a patent on September 9, 1913. U. S. Patent number 1,072,980.

Pipe Wrench
On September 13, 1870, a patent was granted to Daniel C. Stillson(American), a steamboat fireman, for a "wrench". Stillson invented the pipe wrench - sometimes called the Stillson pipe wrench. Stillson, suggested to the heating and piping firm Walworth manufacture a design for a wrench that could be used for screwing pipes together. Previously, serrated blacksmith tongs had been used for that purpose. The owner, James Walworth told Stillson to make a prototype and “either twist off the pipe or break the wrench.” Stillson's prototype twisted the pipe successfully. His design was then patented and Walworth manufactured the wrench. Stillson was paid about $80,000 in royalties during his lifetime.

Jack Johnson
The world's first African American heavyweight champion patented a wrench (U.S.patent#1,413,121) on April the 18th, 1922.

Ratchetless Wrench
The idea for a "ratchetless" wrench came about because of an invention by NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) engineer John Vranish(American).

mtndragon

Dan-
Your picture was instrumental in convincing me that a hammock was a viable option for hammock/bicycle touring. While I ultimately chose a Blackbird, your picture on the Hennessy site made me a believer. Thanks for sharing.

fuzz2050

Doesn't this mean it's a Moncky wrench, not a 'Monkey Wrench'. This does kind of blow my mind.

NoReg

"In 1806 the Americans put the British to shame when Noah Webster compiled his dictionary of the English language. It became a best seller and drove the British Philological Society to begin compiling a comprehensive dictionary, which would later become the Oxford English Dictionary. It took more than a century and several different editors to get the thing published in full form. The first edition was actually worked on from 1860 to 1952, though plans went back earlier."

The thing about the OED is that starting is the main point finishing is not. The OED is more a living document, and not one with a deadline.

rogerstg

from answers.com:
"In 1806 the Americans put the British to shame when Noah Webster compiled his dictionary of the English language. It became a best seller and drove the British Philological Society to begin compiling a comprehensive dictionary, which would later become the Oxford English Dictionary."

I think answers.com is showing its irrational bias. After all, a Brit of the time might have said that Americans should be ashamed because their citizens are so ignorant as to need a book to tell them what the British are easily taught by word of mouth.

The reality is that both positions are wrong. Americans probably had a greater need for codification of the language due to the influx of immigrants. It's neither good not bad, just a need being met.

fuzz2050

That's true of all dictionaries; a dictionary is supposed to reflect the usage of a word in the context of the time it was published, not as an absolute truth. This is how we have words like 'doh' and 'lol' enthroned in dictionaries.

D.B. Cooper

[QUOTE=Peterpan1;12484005]"In 1806 the Americans put the British to shame when Noah Webster compiled his dictionary of the English language. It became a best seller and drove the British Philological Society to begin compiling a comprehensive dictionary, which would later become the Oxford English Dictionary. It took more than a century and several different editors to get the thing published in full form. The first edition was actually worked on from 1860 to 1952, though plans went back earlier."

QUOTE]

My point was show that the word 'wrench' is a noun, so I used positron's own
countrys dictionary to prove my point. The OED/Websters thing was just rubbing his nose in it.

D.B. Cooper

rogerstg;12485004]from answers.com:
"In 1806 the Americans put the British to shame when Noah Webster compiled his dictionary of the English language. It became a best seller and drove the British Philological Society to begin compiling a comprehensive dictionary, which would later become the Oxford English Dictionary."

That's brilliant Einstein. I don't even know how to reply to this.


America published a dictionary of the english language over 100 years before England.

The word 'wrench' is a noun.

The wrench was invented by an American.

Where am I wrong?

positron

Well, for one thing, I am a United states citizen and resident, I merely studied at Cambridge.
Secondly, wrench is primarily a verb, as per your own citation.
Third, The first purely English alphabetical dictionary was A Table Alphabeticall, written by English schoolteacher Robert Cawdrey in 1604. The only surviving copy is found at the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
Fourth, this was followed by Samuel Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language (1755).
Finally, this thread still sucks. GRRR AMURRICAH!

D.B. Cooper

First you said that a tool made for loosening and tightening bolts is not called a 'wrench'.

Then you said that the word 'wrench' is a verb, I guess implying that it is not a noun.

Then you said that an American didn't invent the wrench.

Now you say it's primarily a verb. I don't even know what you mean by that. If it's because you think the first definition is a verb, then you need to read it more carefully, because it defines 'wrench' a noun. As a matter of fact, the first four definitions in the dictionary for the word are as a noun. It then goes on to define it as a verb. I listed 2 of the 4 noun definitions for reference purposes only.

as per my citation; wrench

1. a sudden violent twist or pull

3. a tool used for gripping and turning nuts, bolts, pipes, etc..

As for the dictionaries, I didn't say that Webster's was the first dictionary. I merely stated that Webster's preceded Oxford's by over 100 years. And do you really want to compare Cawdrey's dictionary of 2,543 words to Webster's 70,000 word dictionary?
Give me a break.

Let's review, shall we.

1. A wrench is a tool made for loosening and tightening bolts.
2. The word 'wrench' is both a noun and a verb.
3. An American invented the wrench.
4. Webster's dictionary preceded Oxford's by over 100 years.
5. The one thing you are right about is that this thread does suck. Let it go.

For somebody who studied at Cambridge, I'm suprised your'e not smarter. You just got schooled by an American high school dropout.

Rob_E

How did a thread on hammock camping turn into a thread on nationalism and vocabulary lessons? And, more importantly, how do we get back on topic?

kayakdiver

My hammock is a tent.... I just pretend I'm suspending above the ground swinging back in forth with the wind. My Big Agnes Copper Spur is almost the same weight. Allows for two average cyclist to sleep in comfort and when it rains it also allows a place to sit up and journal or whatever .

I feel the same way about bivy's. Great for when needed but most of the time I wish I had a tent. That is almost always.

DropBarFan

The only time I've gone self-supported camp touring is with a 7-pound tent + sleeping bag + closed-cell sleeping pad. Considering it was only a 2 day tour I guess it was overkill. OTOH the tent was a 3-person 3-season tent, very easy to set up/take down & always worked great for car camping. Even solo bike touring the roomy space was great, I could dress/undress, cook, read etc with ample room. Rain & weather was no problem & I suppose if the area was dodgy I might have been able to fit the bike inside too. Now I got that tent for free but I note that it doesn't weigh a whole lot more than some 2-man (cramped) tents & it has fairly thick walls unlike many lighter tents which are virtually see-thru, not so great at crowded spots. Always used bunched-up clothes for a pillow.

NoReg

"That's true of all dictionaries; a dictionary is supposed to reflect the usage of a word in the context of the time it was published, not as an absolute truth."

Actually I think that is far from obviously true. At one level doubtless there are words that could always be added, and revised editions that are always possible. But there is a big difference between a dictionary that is an open ended project, and one that seeks to be be some kind of record and reference of accurate usage. The OED is set up in a very different manner with a world wide force of contributors and as a continuous project for several centuries. The fact that people reach for the dictionary to settle such issues as what is the meaning of "wrench", is evidence of the desire to use dictionaries to establish correct and limited usage. While we today may feel comfortable with the idea that the meaning of words is not particularly discreet or in the hands of experts or a certain class of people, this is an idea that was not always comfortable. Anyway, I'm just recalling what I read in a book on the OED, not really something I feel a huge native expertise in. Though the above was about the only take away.

AbueloLoco

Perhaps one last bit on Wrenches/spanners will be tolerated on the thread. Wikipedia has an interesting article on wrenches. A pleasant diversion for folks that like tools. It seems there are some British English devices that are indeed called wrenches and some American English devices that are called spanners. Or so Wikipedia says anyway.

fuzz2050

While we are all complaining about wrenches, can I register my annoyance at the things people call "Spanner Wrenches"

I mean what's that supposed to mean anyway?

mtndragon

Don't understand why a wrench has been thrown in this thread. Hammocks, man. Hijacking is a crime of terrorism, and this thread has been hijacked. If you feel the need to wax poetic about wrenches, the English language, and parts of speech start a thread about it.
Back on topic:
Hammocks. They are great.

AbueloLoco

Ok, in the above picture, what would you have done at the above camp if the artificial hanging points weren't there? I like hammocks, but do I have to carry another shelter for "non-hanging" locations? Do I carry a regular tent and also a very light weight hammock for the situations where hanging is feasible? It doesn't seem that the choice is all that much about weight with the pictured setup. Again, I really do like hammocks where I can.

tmac100

By sticking to the topic and side-stepping references to any nation's way of doing things as the better/best way - literally or figuratively. No point in colouring things and waging any "war of words/logic" that CANNOT be won by anybody's nationalism/patriotism. The internet's "long reach" has stopped an one group from monopolizing any discussion with that group's point of view., AND has enriched/educated us all by pointing out flaws in perhaps all situations on this planet (aka there is no best way). AKA "Groupthink sucks".

By the way, the picture of the Hennessey attached to the bicycle just shows what ingenuity can do, and how flexible a Hennessey can be. I have 3 tents and a Hennessey - they all have their places, but my Hennessey is the most flexible... I understand the US military uses it in tough situations (aka SEALS and Rangers), and I have personally seen the Australian ADF use it in the outback. I have been called ignorant and ... but my experiences on this planet have shaped my opinions and views on a variety of things.


Another couple of points about the Hennessey:

1. The snakeskins make setup and packing incredibly easy and are worth the money;
2 The tree savers/huggers are nylon (I think) straps that make set up in trees/elsewhere incredibly easy and give some extra "length" to the ropes.

Lets get touring instead of convincing others that "our way" is the best/only way

mtndragon

I would have kept pedaling. This site was way off the main dirt road, and I had just gone into the area to find a nice place for a late afternoon snack. Since it was 5pm, I had already ridden 50 miles of trail and dirt road with something like 4500 feet of climbing, and this spot was ridiculously sweet, I decided to stay. There were many hammock spots further up the road, but that's the thing with touring...you go with where you are. If you're wondering what to do with no trees, look a few pictures up. Hammocks aren't for everyone, but if you want them to work for you, they do.