Campground Review:

If I were asked my favorite place to backpack in Alabama I would easily say Mount Cheaha since it has the best views and you get an ever changing hike with rivers, waterfalls, and peaks all in a single day. One of the great backpacking loop within the Cheaha wilderness is the skyway trail and the Cheaha Falls Campground is my favorite place to stay while doing it. Although this site might not have some of the same spectacular views you get by staying on one of the peaks it has a waterfall and a cool fresh stream which can be a lifesaver in the Alabama heat. You also get the advantage of flat ground and plenty of sites to pick from and spread out. There are also enough spaces around to bring a whole group. 

This camping area is made up of around 3-4 separate spots that have their own built up fire pits and cleared tent areas. Since it is a backcountry site and you have to hike in several miles to get here there aren’t really any amenities and whoever sets up shop first gets the site. An alternative option if all sites are taken is to climb the hill and stay in the shelter but that often gets claimed first and requires carrying your water up a steep slope. 

If you do decide to stay here I highly recommend arriving early and following the stream down to get to the waterfall. You can scrabble along the steep slope and have a wonderful space to set up a hammock, dip your toes, or even go for a swim if the day is hot enough and the water level high. It is a perfect way to relax after a long day of climbing the peaks on the other side of the trail. 

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Grandtrunk Nano 7 Premium Ultralight Hammock. I love bringing a hammock with me when I backpack so having one that is lightweight enough to not overload my pack was very exciting. Some of the things that I really loved about the Nano 7 hammock are:

1. Weight and size: This hammock is seriously light. I often struggle whether to bring along the hammock on backpacking trips when I wont be using it for sleeping but it wasn’t a question this time. It took up almost no space in the pack and didn’t take me overweight even with the lightweight straps. The decreased weight and footprint come with the cost of a slightly smaller surface that is tight for 2 people but it still works and is worth it in the end.
2. Comfortable material: The fabric used to make the hammock is a super lightweight nylon that feels somewhat different than other hammocks of the same quality and has a little more slick to it. I actually found it to be very comfortable and it even helped me feel cooler which was an advantage. 
3. Built in carabiners: Many of the hammocks on the market use heavy carabiners attached to additional rope to hold the ends of the hammock together but the Nano 7 has small lightweight carabiners that attach directly to the hammock material and make it easy to set up and hook into the tree straps.

Overall this hammock was well thought out and every aspect was designed to reduce weight while still remaining comfortable and easy to set up.