Verde Hot Springs

The campground near Verde Hot Springs, on the Verde River n north-central Arizona, late April 2007. I camped up here during my research on the Ressurection of Fossil Creek for Inside /outside magazine, which covers the Four Corners area.

That's a Hammock Bliss mosquito hammock - exactly one step up from the Byer my son has [see previous post below]. It's a little easier to rig, but it's chief virtue was that it was in stock in at the Glendale Cabela's the day before I left for this trip.

The stove Trail Stove pictured boils water in about ten minutes using basically garbage and wood chips, but it doesn't meet fire restrictions in AZ, so it's useless to me most of the summer.
I had to buy a Pocket Rocket for Buckskin Gulch. It works great, but you have to get to a sporting goods store to get more fuel.

Later on I'll tells the tale of how I rescued by hippies near this very spot a couple of years ago - and more about the hot springs.

A Tale of Two Hammock Rigs

Another photo from the Moqui group site, circa late June. [See last post].
That's not just a hammock, there - that's a habitat. It's my friend's Clark Jungle Hammock
North American deluxe model. It claims to be a four season hammock, and it colapses down t the size of a rugby ball, weighing about 3.5 lbs.
Of course, it costs over $200 as well...

Now just for contrast - not as any judgment:


his is my 10 year old son's hammock, which he got as part of his birthday present.
[Bongo's not in this photo - you can stop looking.]
It's a Byer Mosquito Hammock under some surplus tarp. It's comparable in size and weight to the Clark, except that whole rig cost less than $50.
Of course, it's definitely a summer-only hammock and doesn't have near the weight capacity.
It's great though, if you're just starting to experiment with hammock camping, and don't want to spend a bunch and then find out that hammocks make you crazy.

And yes - given the choice, I'd own a Clark.

More on Hammock camping:
Hammock Camping 101