MEET THE TEAM BEHIND HANGCON.
AJ Glenn (Phoenix)
Greetings Y'all! Pheonix here. My hammock journey started in a conference room. I distinctly remember saying to myself, "What idiot spends $300 on a hammock set up?" A buddy of mine had just bought a new SMR Nube setup and was opening the door into the hammock camping world. I've gone through many setups since then, and I'd hate to think what that person back then would have known if he knew the total amount he would spend over the next few years. My first hang, and backpacking trip that I actually enjoyed was Summer's Last Gasp. From that point I was hooked into the hammock community we have here in Florida. I made friends on that hang that have since become like family. My first Hangcon I was blown away. The community that assembled from all over the country was a sight to behold. I told my wife when I got home that no matter what life threw at us, I would always be at Hangcon! Now Hangcon has changed a bit over the years since my first year, and through all the changes it still is the highlight of my year. I hope all that make the point to join us have the same experience. In the grand scheme of things, I have nothing to do with it. It is the community that makes this event special.
Paul Collins (Skunkape)
Hey everyone, I'm Skunkape. I got my start into the hammock scene back in late 2011 when I was planning for my 2012 Appalachian Trail thru-hike. At that time I didn't even know that hammock camping was a thing. While I was online doing some research of different 1 man tents, camping hammocks popped up. So at that point my interest changed and I was no longer researching tents, but then started looking at hammocks. It wasn't until 2014 that I found out about group hang events and saw that I had missed the Florida event, back then known as The Annual Florida Hang. I found out that the next one was going to be in 2015 at Doe Lake, and that it was now being called HangCon. I marked my calendar and made sure not to miss it. I didn't know what to really expect, but once I got there I was amazed at the number of people that showed up. After meeting all the great people there and having such a blast, I was going to do all I could to make it back each year after. I have been big into hammocking every since and even started the Facebook group, Hammock Hangers Flea Market and Trading Post. After HangCon 2020 when Phoenix took the reins, I contacted him to see what I could do to help. I ended up doing more of the tech side and setting up pages on the social media sites and making the website. My goal is to do all I can to spread the word of this great event so that it can continue to grow and carry on year after year.
Travis Schaak (Cap'n Carry-on)
What's up? I'm Cap'n. My hammock journey started in 2018, the last year HangCon was at Doe Lake. My wife bought and commissioned a hammock made by Pheonix himself as a Christmas gift, and thus began my new favorite way to adventure. And as my friends put it, "the most expensive way to live like you are homeless". Invited to HangCon by the Pheonix crew, I spent it surrounded by, and getting to know wonderful people. And after that, freezing my butt off at 28 degrees without any quilts or tarp. Who wouldn't be hooked after that? I have made it a point to come back every year since and am now proud to be a part of the event as a whole.You can find me helping out wherever i can, but mostly you will find me in the kitchen. With a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu and a number of years of commercial cooking under my belt, it's where we felt i could best serve our hammock family. I look forward to seeing you all.