Bronco Hammock Camping: First Planned Trip

Marmot

I love being in the woods. Camping has been a lifelong passion of mine. I am also very passionate about what I do for a living, and tend to work long, mentally demanding hours. The former helps balance the latter. “Woods time,” as I call it, helps to clear my mind, and drives patience and overall wellbeing.

I partake in and enjoy several forms/styles of camping – basic car camping, bike packing, backpacking, and motorcycle packing. My favorite styles so far have been bike & motorcycle packing/overlanding. My go-to shelter kit over the years has been to fly a tarp over a bivy for light load.

A couple of years ago, I tried my hand at hammock camping. Until then, I had never slept in a hammock. I was instantly hooked. The only issue with carrying a hammock is tie out points. Something you are never guaranteed unless you are familiar with your destination.

Lastly, overlanding and rooftop tents. I have never been a fan of rooftop tents. Like most things, it is completely subjective. Rooftop tents have their pros and cons, and no hating; they just are not for me. Enter the Bronco and my first planned trip.

I wanted the tow package for two reasons – the first is, well, being able to tow. I am sometimes in the need of towing a trailer to haul one of my motorcycles. The second, a trailer hitch for hammock camping!

I came across this awesome trailer hitch hammock mounting system by McLean Metalworks. I love the “hammock anywhere” option, and this fits with my plans and kit perfectly. So, the first camping trip with the Bronco will be a hammock trip out in Allegheny National with this setup. I work in aerospace, so I also love that the product was developed by an aerospace engineer.

How are you planning, or what was your first Bronco camping adventure?


Camping with my 3-wheel rig:

Marmot

I love being in the woods. Camping has been a lifelong passion of mine. I am also very passionate about what I do for a living, and tend to work long, mentally demanding hours. The former helps balance the latter. “Woods time,” as I call it, helps to clear my mind, and drives patience and overall wellbeing.

I partake in and enjoy several forms/styles of camping – basic car camping, bike packing, backpacking, and motorcycle packing. My favorite styles so far have been bike & motorcycle packing/overlanding. My go-to shelter kit over the years has been to fly a tarp over a bivy for light load.

A couple of years ago, I tried my hand at hammock camping. Until then, I had never slept in a hammock. I was instantly hooked. The only issue with carrying a hammock is tie out points. Something you are never guaranteed unless you are familiar with your destination.

Lastly, overlanding and rooftop tents. I have never been a fan of rooftop tents. Like most things, it is completely subjective. Rooftop tents have their pros and cons, and no hating; they just are not for me. Enter the Bronco and my first planned trip.

I wanted the tow package for two reasons – the first is, well, being able to tow. I am sometimes in the need of towing a trailer to haul one of my motorcycles. The second, a trailer hitch for hammock camping!

I came across this awesome trailer hitch hammock mounting system by McLean Metalworks. I love the “hammock anywhere” option, and this fits with my plans and kit perfectly. So, the first camping trip with the Bronco will be a hammock trip out in Allegheny National with this setup. I work in aerospace, so I also love that the product was developed by an aerospace engineer.

How are you planning, or what was your first Bronco camping adventure?


Camping with my 3-wheel rig:

Fillups

Just checked out the link - cool products. It reminds me of a similar thing I still have in my garage that have not used for years... I purchased a 2-person swing and hitch accessory - slides into the 2" receiver with curved arms and hooks at the top. Theirs was just 2 long curved arms, so harder to travel with, but similar idea... Price seems reasonable for the basic setup. It even looks like the base piece could function as a step if needed. Hope it works well...

Aloha

That is a super cool rig. If you want to hang inside of your Bronco, you may want to consider one of my hammocks. Cheers!

Marmot

Hey, @Aloha - thank you for the share. Would definitely love to look into the product more. Love the concept! I might be missing something, though - do you have a link or page for more information? Hanging a hammock inside the Bronco is a killer idea.

Marmot

Hey, @Aloha - thank you for the share. Would definitely love to look into the product more. Love the concept! I might be missing something, though - do you have a link or page for more information? Hanging a hammock inside the Bronco is a killer idea.

Laura

@Aloha demonstrated it to me in Texas; I definitely want to go his route. It's amazing to look up at the stars while the top is off, and having slept in the back of the two door cargo space, it's insanely more comfortable 😂
@Marmot, your rig is amazing.

Laura

@Aloha demonstrated it to me in Texas; I definitely want to go his route. It's amazing to look up at the stars while the top is off, and having slept in the back of the two door cargo space, it's insanely more comfortable 😂
@Marmot, your rig is amazing.

Aloha

@Marmot thank you. My website is not up just yet. I have been promoting the hammock through Instagram [merakihammocks] and Facebook [Meraki Hammocks]. Four door Broncos would need two brackets. One will be attached on the rollbar (left side) in the cargo area using the existing nut inserts and a couple of bolts. The second bracket will be attached to the frame over the passenger side door using two blind-bolts. The gathered end hammock will then be attached to the brackets using either a carabiner or a loop of Amsteel cordage. (At present, I prefer the Amstell cordage.) The hammock is constructed out of a material that is strong yet soft on the skin. Once the hammock is installed, it can be easily removed from the brackets with the roof on or off. If you are nimble enough, you could pull into a campsite, crawl into the back, reach forward to push the from seats forward, then pull the rear seats down. After that, you could easily set up the hammock and go to sleep without ever leaving your vehicle. (I have done that at rest stops and while camping.)

To get into the hammock, you would simply crawl in. I tend to lean forward and roll in. You could also sit in it and then lay back. Once the hammock is installed, you could lay suspended over your gear. There is no need to shove all of your gear to one side of the vehicle in order to lay down.

Once you lay down in the hammock, you will discover all of the shelves that are available inside of the Bronco for laying your keys, phone, glasses, CPAP, etc.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to leave them here, or send them to me at [email protected].

Note: The 2-door version uses the front bracket and an eye-bolt for the rear attachment point.