few tips I've picked up over the years

Take a few bungee cords, they can stretch to the nearest tree for attaching tarp corners for making a quick shelter, adjust length as needed, go up quick, come down quick, and are re-useable.

The hammock is seasonal, during the winter they are F'ing cold, wind all around you, get a good foam mat for the ground.

Make some type of medical kit to carry with you, you never know what will happen out in the boonies. Learn how to use all of it.

Get a water purification tool. You have tons of water around you, it just isn't safe to drink, if you break a leg or become incapacitated you can last a hell of a long time.

Carry a few sources of flame, hard to beat 3-4 bic lighters hidden throughout your gear.

Keep some signaling devices on you for emergencies, lights, mirrors, smoke, flares whatever. We never expect something bad to happen but if a snake gets ya out there or you take a slip and twist an ankle, it's the difference between no big deal and a lot of pain in the ass. It might not even be you, you might come across a mountain biker who pulled a header off a stump and is in pretty bad shape.



Pre-planning: "(better site found, realize you are in the middle of a water run off area, etc.)."

Pre-planning: "but what if you want to set up camp in a field?"

I could set up camp in the middle of I-95, that doesn't make it a good idea.

Stay safe and have fun, miss the days of tromping through the woods, every time I see this I keep thinking I should get back to it.