Dan posted an update
a year ago (edited)
New Forest Hampshire
Sway
Early August 2024
A night of two halves and two locations. I started in one place and ended up in another.
I found an awesome little stream with trees to hang the hammock up for the night. I tried to find a place like this last time I was in the New Forest but failed.
It was great to fall asleep to the sound of running water and under a clear sky. Unfortunately, I was woken by rain at 2am and I had to pack everything up and abandon camp for some shelter.
I found cover under a nearby tree with a dense canopy. I didn’t have a tarp as rain wasn’t forecast and I didn’t have a sleeping mat because I had the hammock.
Instead, I used the hammock as a ground sheet and laid out the sleeping bag on top of it and went full cowboy camp. I was fortunate to have a strong wind which kept the bugs away.
Coordinates:
Hammock camp: 50°47’24.2″N 1°37’45.5″W
Cowboy camp: 50°47’21.5″N 1°37’45.6″W
Getting there:
As this is the New Forest, there are plenty of car parks around. I walked from Sway train station about 1.5 miles / 2.4 km away.
Head’s up:
Sway is very small and quiet. The forest was also quiet. I did see a couple of people on arrival but saw and heard no one the rest of the night.
There’s plenty of flat grassy areas to pitch up a tent or a bivi and plenty of trees to set up a hammock. It is close to many paths but I set up late and I saw no one.
Both camps were close to water but I had no issues with bugs. The first camp had quite fast running water and my hammock had a mozzie net. The second camp did have slower and in parts, stagnant water but it was pretty windy by then and that kept the bugs away.
1 Comment
What3words hammock camp: 50°47’24.2″N 1°37’45.5″W
What3words cowboy camp: ///urge.clapper.trucked
