During our week-long summer camp with our scouts in 2010, my assistant scoutmaster brought a hammock that he had made as a scout himself. It was the first time I had ever seen someone use a hammock to spend the night in. I was intrigued. I asked him questions, and thought I'd like to try it myself. I was hooked. His hammock was simply a gathered end ripstop nylon from the local fabric store attached to nylon webbing. He had a tarp, one you purchase to cover loads on a truck or trailer. He strung his hammock tight and simply threw his sleeping bag into it. That was his setup.

After returning from that campout, I did extensive research and found the Hammock Forums and of course Shug's YouTube videos. The rest you can say is history! I now have about six hammocks and several different suspension options. I've avoided the ground—even in treeless situations, as much as possible. I can probably count on one hand how many times I've had to go to ground since then.