Would a Hammock be useful for a Pemi-Loop hike

[Remix]

I was just wondering what to do if I wanted to stop at a point in between the sanctioned camp sites, or have an alternative if the camp sites are full. I think I will have to carry more water than an average hiker, it may be slippery if wet, and I've heard about all the "pointless up and downs"...all of which complicate planning.

I was thinking a hammock would be more useful in rough terrain, but i have not gone past Lafayette in a clockwise direction.

 

[TJsName]

Depends if you're thinking of a doing a 2 day or a 3 day loop. If you do a 2 day, then a great CW camp is Garfield Pond, which is popular with thru hikers, but has a good amount of room. If you're doing a 3 day you might still want to use Garfield Pond, but for the 2nd night if you don't want to use Guyot you could try to camp in the woods off the Bondcliff Trail, which would definitely be easier with a hammock as finding a flat spot would be hard. If you make it off Bond Cliff there are some sites before crossing Black Brook that might be technically illegal, but are pretty well hardened already.

 

[dug]

I've camped not far from Garfield Pond, just went into the woods quite a ways and found almost enough room for two small tents. I imagine it would be easier with a Hammock.

 

[bcskier]

When would a hammock not be useful, except above treeline?

 

[alexmtn]

I've camped not far from Garfield Pond, just went into the woods quite a ways and found almost enough room for two small tents. I imagine it would be easier with a Hammock.

ON POINT: Hammocks do indeed broaden your below-tree line campsite options. Two key caveats, though. First, if you're not a back sleeper, you may not have a comfortable experience. And second, it's an art to stay warm, due to the hammock's exposed underside; even folks who put sleeping pads in their hammocks often report difficulty staying warm.

SLIGHT TANGENT: If you're contemplating a 2-day Pemi Loop, consider doing it in a luxurious (relatively speaking), fast and light manner (no sleeping bag to carry, just liner; no shelter to carry; no dinner+breakfast to carry/prepare) via a stay at the AMC's Galehead Hut, which is situated almost exactly at the midpoint of the trip. The croo there does a great job, the meals are pleasing and hearty, the bunks have comfy mattresses and ample blankets, and the view into the Pemi Wilderness from the relaxing benches on the porch is wonderful. The nighttime sounds may not always remind you of On Golden Pond, but it's nothing a good pair of earplugs (available at the hut if you forget them) doesn't solve. It's wonderful to wake up recharged after a comfortable sleep, and then saunter over to a hearty breakfast. Your toughest challenge will be to muster the will power to leave such comfort in the morning. I love it as a stopover point in the course of a single-day loop, but the benefits multiply with an overnight.

Alex

 

[Raven]

I was just wondering what to do if I wanted to stop at a point in between the sanctioned camp sites, or have an alternative if the camp sites are full. I think I will have to carry more water than an average hiker, it may be slippery if wet, and I've heard about all the "pointless up and downs"...all of which complicate planning.

I was thinking a hammock would be more useful in rough terrain, but i have not gone past Lafayette in a clockwise direction.

Check the camping regulations since they change along that route quite a bit and even depending on trail side in some spots, but a hammock gives you a lot of freedom to stop when you are ready to stop instead of having to push on to a destination. On a Pemi Loop last summer, I almost tripped on a guy in a hammock stretched across the Bondcliff Trail right below the scramble on Bondcliff. It was about midnight. Best to get a few hundred yards off the trail.

The terrain north of Lafayette is pretty wild and rugged. Good stuff. Enjoy.

 

[Remix]

Thanks all!