Just returned from a weekend of some easy camping in Northern Connecticut. The skies were clear, water was warm, fish were biting, and I’m one step closer to identifying a state of minimalism for some extended fieldwork.

above image | view inside the hammock

The big test this weekend was a trial run with my new Hennessey Hammock. This is probably the most compact means of setting up camp aside from bivying out. Very spacious, comfortable, and protected from the elements, this might be a key for future field survival on long trips.

How is this at all relevant to ocean-related stuff?

Well, I’m venturing down a path of study about ‘settlement at scale’. That is, identifying how to manage basic human needs in as closed a system as possible. Understanding this will likely spur some creative work in sustainable living on the short term. Longer term, understanding how to manage these basic human needs on land, will help us carry over to underwater settlements…from small short-stay habitats, to a larger scale colony.

All civilizations started near the water. With pressures of today’s industry and booming population, it’s only a matter of time before a new civilization takes up residence under the water.

So my friends, pack up your multi-day pack and head for the hills. Think simplicity, think living green (and blue!), living off the land, and imagine an analogous venture beneath the waves.

It’s out there for the taking…