Hammock Options

I've been doing a lot of research lately on hammocks and hammock camping.  There are so many options now when it comes to nylon hammocks that it can honestly be overwhelming. There are hammocks made of ripstop nylon, 70d nylon, and 75d nylon...I have no idea what most of that means; except that its all some type of nylon fabric. Just to show you how many companies are out there making hammocks here's a short list from the internetwebs.  There's ENO, Warbonnet, Grand Trunk, Tribe Provisions, Fox River, Bear Butt, Hobo Hammocks, Kammock, Trek Light, Hummingbird hammocks, Alpine Hammocks... and the list just keeps on going... There are tons of reviews and comparisons on You Tube so I won't get into all the details, but trust me, it will make your head spin.  I'll mainly focus on price and if I have any personal experience, i'll pass that along.  These hammocks have some similarities but not all created equal depending on what you plan to do with it. If you are camping in it versus just casually hanging out in your backyard you would definitely want to do some further research.

I currently own an Eagles Nest Outfitters double nest hammock, Atlas Straps, and an ENO bug net which cost me roughly $140 total. I also have an off brand rainfly that is made from ripstop nylon but it's pretty heavy and cumbersome to set up.  My ENO is a great hammock and I have no complaints other than I think it's overpriced after researching some of these other companies. An ENO comes with just what you see pictured below a hammock and carabiners but no straps or ropes to hang it from. Generally the hammock will run $69.00 for the double nest, $22.00 for the Atlas straps to hang it, and if you want a bug net you can find them from $42-$59 online. They also make several different rain fly options that will set you back anywhere from $79 - $139  ENO is "All IN" when it comes to anything and everything hammocks.  They make rain fly's, bug nets, lights, speaker systems, pillows, sleep pads and pretty much anything you could possibly want for your hammock.

Around Christmas I purchased a Fox Outfitters  Single hammock because it was buy one get one free. I gave one to my dad as a gift and the other to my wife.  I haven't personally been in one of the Fox Outfitter hammocks yet but they appear to be comparable in construction and quality.  These hammocks came with a hybrid rope/strap thing to hang the hammock with but honestly; go get some straps and get yourself swinging in a hammock instead of spending time tying knots and getting it set up.  I will say, these seem like good hammocks, but these are single hammocks not doubles.  I think I gave somewhere around $50 and got one free.  Overall, this was a great deal for 2 hammocks. I don't know if they always keep that deal going but if they do, I don't think you could go wrong with one of their hammocks. Their double hammocks weren't on sale but they go online for $58.00. according to their website.

I guess Facebook is stalking my every internet move now because I started noticing a pop up for a company called Bear Butt hammocks.  They advertise hammocks for $35.00 and claim to be "Shaking the Eagle out of the nest since 2015" Obviously these guys have testicles the size of Texas and have gone straight after the number 1 selling hammock company.  Good on em, I hope they succeed. Bear Butt appeals to me for the price but they are also pretty clever in their marketing.  They "Name" their hammocks and they have a rain fly and straps that can be purchased to match.  So if you are a hammock diva and need everything to match, this might be your company. For instance, you can get a "Lumberjack" double hammock which is red and grey, "Maple Bar" Kodiak Straps with red stitching, and a "Flannel" rain fly for about the same money  as purchasing an ENO and straps. Bear Butt also sends ropes to hang their hammocks and in the words of Sweet Brown "Ain't nobody got time for that!", spend the 22 bucks and get some straps.  I will likely order one of these eventually just to test it out.

A new company I recently discovered was Hobo Hammocks.  Judging by the website I would say, I really like this company!  For $59 you get a double hammock with heavy duty carabiners and the 10 foot straps (not rope) are included in the price. Hobo Hammocks also uses the creative marketing to name each color hammock much like Bear Butt. What makes this company cool is that with every purchase of a hammock they provide a meal to a homeless person. "Buy a Hobo, Feed a Hobo" So not only do you get a hammock and hanging straps, you provide one meal to a homeless person for less than the cost of an ENO double hammock alone. Hobo doesn't seem to make rainfly's or any of the other accessories that Bear Butt or ENO make; but their mission to help feed hungry people might outweigh that.  Another cool thing that sets Hobo apart from other companies is their hammock recycle program, if you send in any brand of used nylon hammock, you can get any new Hobo hammock for $40.00.  I wouldn't mind giving one of these a test, plus I like their mission.

So lets look at just the numbers in terms of price, Which I am getting from each manufacturers website.  Keep in mind that some hammocks come with ropes or straps while others don't, also keep in mind that several of these companies offer discounts if you create an account with them:

ENO Double Nest Hammock $69.00 (hammock only)

Grand Trunk Double Hammock $69.00 (hammock only)

Fox Outfitters Double Hammock $58.00 (ropes)

Trek Light Double Hammock $79.00 (hammock only)

Tribe Provisions Double Hammock $59.99  (ropes)

Bear Butt Double Hammock $35.97 (ropes)

Hobo Double Hammock $59.00 (10 ft straps)

Warbonnet Hammocks $170+ (hammock only)

Hummingbird Double Hammock $84.00 (hammock only)

Kammock Roo Double $99.00 (hammock only)

For me, it's still a toss up.  I like my ENO just fine, I've had it for several years now and its still holding out with just a few minor issues.  If I were to purchase a new hammock today, I would consider Bear Butt or Hobo Hammocks for sure.  While Hobo doesn't make the other accessories I would want to add, I do like their mission to feed the homeless, plus their hammocks come with straps not ropes to hang with.  Bear Butt has great prices and the accessories such as rain fly and bug nets as well, you do have to purchase the straps separately but you can still get a great set up cheaper than an ENO and Straps alone.  

Anyway, there's a little about what I've learned of hammocks, maybe it will help with your decision if you are looking to purchase one?

Stay tuned, I've got more Antarctica posts coming up!

Climbing Ob Hill

Observation Hill from McMurdo Station

There are several hiking trails on Ross Island.  The first one I did was Observation Hill, it's a climb of about 755 feet to the top and I climbed it twice while I was in Antarctica.  The first time I didn't get all the way to the top, there was still a lot of snow on the trail and I didn't take my yak tracks.  I found myself slipping a little and decided to go back down.  The last part of the trail is literally a hands and knees climb over volcanic rock to reach the top.  The trail starts just a little past the helo pad and climbs up to an old road.  The road was put in back when the Navy ran the station.  About halfway up there is an old nuclear reactor site.  The Navy used a small reactor to power the station until 1972 when it was decommissioned, probably due to the Antarctic Treaty being signed.  The buildings are gone now as well; but the wooden platforms where they used to sit are still there.  It is the only nuclear power plant to ever operate in Antarctica. From there, it's a very steep climb the rest of the way to the top over loose volcanic rock.  It's quite a cardio workout.  General German, Adjutant General for NY, would climb it twice a day while he was there, once even leaving his jacket at the top so he "Had" to go back up to retrieve it.  At the top is a wooden cross erected in memory of Robert Falcon Scott and the men that perished with him on his return trip from the South Pole, their bodies now permanently encased in ice on the Ross Ice Shelf.  The cross is quite tall and is inscribed with the names of Scott and two others along with a final line from an Alfred Tennyson poem "Ulysses" which reads "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

When you are at the top, you can literally see for miles on a clear day.  I'm not crazy about heights so I didn't hang around on top for too long and almost made part of the trip back down sliding on my backside.

Start of Observation Hill trail

A look back toward town from just a few feet up the trail

Plaque giving the history of the nuclear plant(hopefully you can read it)

Platforms where buildings that housed the nuclear plant used to stand

Platforms where buildings that housed the nuclear plant used to stand

Platforms where buildings that housed the nuclear plant used to stand

My first attempt, this is probably 50ft from the top

McMurdo Station from the top (The blue building that looks like a speck is actually a huge facility)

Wind Turbines from the top of Ob Hill

Cross at the top of OB hill with the Royal Society Mountain Range in the background.  If you look very closely on the left side of this photo you can make out what looks like it might be a couple of LC-130's at Williams Field

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Looking down at the sea ice from the top.

Congrats, you've just gone on your first hike in Antarctica with me!  Stay tuned, there's plenty more exploring to be done.

Welcome to Williams Field

Welcome to "Willy Field"! This is the skiway where several aircraft operate from in Antarctica.  Its about a 10 mile drive from McMurdo Station and maintenance folks live out here for 12 hours or longer depending on their shift.  The maintenance folks are top notch and I was privileged to work with all of them. They take their job very seriously and always show professionalism. In addition to military LC-130 aircraft, there are also DC-3 and Twin Otter aircraft which are operated by a Canadian company, Kenn Borek Air. The only aircraft that use this runway are those equipped with ski's, all wheeled aircraft land at Pegasus or Phoenix Field. 

There is a fire station and a control tower, a dining facility, and every maintenance shop you would have at any Air Force Flight line.  There are a few differences in this flightline from back home, first, there isn't a hangar to pull aircraft inside, if there is a need to change a motor or a prop and it's -20, guess what, it gets done outside. Maybe flight controls need to be rigged or a hydraulic line needs to be changed, you guessed it, it ALL gets done outside in very cold weather.  The other thing that is different is that fuel isn't delivered to the aircraft via a pump truck.  The aircraft actually taxi to the fuel tanks to minimize any potential for a truck/aircraft mishap or a large fuel spill.  

LC-130

DC-3 Bassler

Twin Otters

Mt Erebus (See the cloud of steam coming off the lava pit)

Castle Rock in the distance

Town (Each of the little white huts is a maintenance shop)

Dining Facility 

Mt Erebus close up

Nothing out there but ice and mountains for miles and miles

So, that's a quick tour of Williams Field...stay tuned I'll start posting the various hiking trails and a few pictures from Thanksgiving day, Veterans Day, and Halloween in the next few posts.

Pressure Ridges Tour

This was one of the first things I got to do outside of work while in Antarctica.  The pressure ridges are where the ice meets the land and as the ice shifts, it has no where to go but up.  The seals use this area to come up and sun on the ice.  We drove over to Scott Base to start our tour and started out onto the ice via the flagged route. Scott base is the New Zealand base which is located about 3 miles from McMurdo. 

Beau was our tour guide, he is a fireman at McMurdo Station and he volunteers to lead tours on his off days. Although the area is checked for safety and the route is flagged, we carried a couple ice axes and occasionally had to check cracks in the ice to make sure the area was safe to walk on.  I felt very lucky to get the opportunity to take this tour as they sometimes have to shut them down later in the season due to the ice melting.

Start of the Pressure ridge tour

Beau checking a crack in the ice

Scott Base in the background

Mama Seal

Baby seal

You can just catch a glimpse of Mt Erebus over my shoulder.  Erebus is an active volcano with an open lava pit on top.

Not much else to write about this tour, it's pretty self explanatory.  I'll try to post about Scott's Discovery Hut next time...Stay Tuned

Cape Evans and the Terra Nova Hut

 Here's hoping that you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I actually thought I was back in Antarctica with the terrible internet service we have had over the past week.  We made a switch to another company and it's much better.
I'll get started back on my Antarctica trip again with a trip to Cape Evans to see Capt. Scott's Terra Nova hut. There are two huts on Ross Island, Terra Nova and Discovery.  Terra Nova is the larger of the two huts and is roughly 16 km from McMurdo Station. To get an opportunity to go to Cape Evans requires you to submit your name for a random drawing and I was very blessed to get the chance to go and see a bit of history that few get to see.
The vehicle below is known as a "Delta" and that's the mode of transportation to get to Cape Evans, I tried to get Uber or Lyft to pick us up but there were no drivers in the area. There is only radio communications with the driver and as you can see, it's definitely not a limo but it was a cool experience to ride in a Delta.  The trip is about an hour and a half one way.  I know, that seems excessive but the road there is really terrible and you have to go about 5-7 mph, sometimes more like 3 mph, to keep passengers in the back from being bounced around and even that slow speed didn't keep us from flying out of our seats a few times.

This Delta is also known as "Tina Marie"

In the back, just cruising along

It's pretty packed in the back.  Because the weather can change so quickly in Antarctica, we were required to bring along emergency kits for everyone, as well as all the ECW gear issued to us. We left McMurdo Station at 6:30 p.m and headed North across the sea ice about 16 miles to Cape Evans.  We stopped a few times to measure cracks in the road as it was getting late in the season for these trips and the road was getting worse by the day.  We also stopped to take some pictures of some icebergs and we even lucked out and got to see an Adele penguin.

Last look at McMurdo Station as we head out on our trip across the sea ice

Iceberg frozen in sea ice

Adele Penguin

Islands along the ice road

As Cape Evans comes into view you can barely make out a cross at the top of Wind Vane hill and as you come around the point, Capt. Scotts Terra Nova hut comes into view.

Cross on Wind Vane Hill in memory of 3 of Shackleton's men who perished in the vicinity

Capt. Robert Falcon Scott built this hut on one of his expeditions to Antarctica.  Later Shackleton would use this hut on his Trans-Antarctic expedition, both are amazing stories of exploration.  If you haven't read any of the accounts of either of these explorers, do yourself a favor and pick up a book about them at your local library.  The gist of the story is this, Scott used this as a base camp while trying to make it to the South Pole, Amundsen beat Scott to the pole by a few days and Scott and two of his men perished on the return trip.  Shackleton decided that since the race to the pole was over, he would lead an expedition for the first Trans Antarctic trip.  When Shackleton's ship, the Aurora, broke free of her anchor, it left men stranded at the Terra Nova hut.  Upon their rescue, they left almost everything behind and it has been left perfectly preserved.
There are no micro organisms in Antarctica to decompose dead animals or people for that matter. When something dies it stays preserved much like a mummy. The Terra Nova hut has several dead animals in and around the hut, and it does have a certain smell to it but it's not overpowering, it's just a musty smell; partly from being closed up much of the time.  It was an awesome privilege to see the inside of two of Scotts Huts.  In another post, I'll show you the inside of Scotts Discovery hut.

Capt. Scott's Terra Nova Hut (Taken from the sea ice)

Capt. Scotts Terra Nova Hut (Taken from land)

Entry Door

Hallway leading to the stables

Pallet of seal blubber used for heat

Mummified Penguins

Stables

Stables were used for storage after the ponies died

Not sure where they would have ridden this bicycle?

Pony snowshoe

Kitchen.  (The cook actually slept in the kitchen)

Officers Table

Cots

Darkroom (Shackleton brought a photographer along and the darkroom doubled as his sleeping quarters)

Scotts sleeping area and private dining table

Scotts Private Table, they were interested in studying penguins.  

Paper on Scotts private table

Bunks with Reindeer fur sleeping bags and wool blankets

Work table

Enlisted mens table

bunks

Kitchen area

Anyone for some canned Rhubarb

Interior walls were built out of crates of food, this is the cooks bunk in the kitchen area

There were lots of these tins of biscuits, there were two different types, Captains biscuits and Digestive biscuits

 

Storage drawer build out of old crates

This is a gas lighting system that was piped throughout the hut, however, a fire broke out one night and the decision was made to not use it anymore because there were no fixtures around the open flames.

Small lamp, notice the gas lines 

Mmmm...anchovies! Yuk!

Kitchen area looking to the rear of the hut

The trip home was quite exciting, the weather began to move in and we were starting to get reduced visibility.  I did get a few shots of some mountains and a few more ice bergs before things took an unexpected turn.

The day was quite warm for Antarctica and the snow road was already quite deteriorated but as you can see from the photo below, we got stuck. I don't mean a little stuck, I'm talking buried up to the axles in a huge vehicle kinda stuck. 

 We ended up having to dig and use plywood and eventually we got out and continued back to McMurdo Station. Our other option was to call for a tractor to come pull us out which would have taken several hours to get to us, the crew we had all pitched in and we made snow ramps and used plywood for traction. When we got back, the weather had really set in and we ended up with white out conditions later that evening. I believe I was on one of the last trips of the season.  I talked with our guides later in the week and the recreation office did one more trip resulting in a delta getting stuck 7 times on the way back.  I'm pretty sure they cancelled the remaining trips for the season after that.  It's hard to imagine all that ice being gone and open water there now.
Overall a great trip to see some amazing historical artifacts that few people ever get to see. In my next post, I'll show you some cool take off and landings to certify Phoenix Ice Runway. Stay tuned!