HangCon 2026 Recap: Beginners Guide to Hammock Camping

In Episode 68 of the Music Festivals Podcast, I recap HangCon 2026 at Florida Sand Music Ranch while celebrating the Will McLean Foundation’s mission, and I have conversations with Pinecone and Shug about how community, music, and shared outdoor knowledge intersect in Florida’s cultural roots. 

As I’m recording this episode, members of the Will McLean Foundation are arriving here at Florida Sand Music Ranch for their 2026 Annual Foundation Meeting. It feels like the right backdrop for this conversation, because so much of what we talk about today — community, place, and shared knowledge — lives at the heart of what the Foundation stands for.

Honoring Florida’s Musical Roots

Founded in 1990 by friends of Florida folk musician Will McLean, the Foundation was created to preserve his legacy and carry forward a simple but powerful idea: “Save Florida through music.” Through festivals, concerts, education programs, scholarships, and songwriting initiatives centered on Florida’s culture and natural landscapes, the Foundation continues to support artists and pass musical traditions on to the next generation.

The Will McLean Music Festival, launched the same year, became its flagship event — rooted in mentorship, community, and teaching kids music. In 2022, the Foundation acquired Florida Sand Music Ranch, creating a permanent home for the festival and a year-round hub for music and cultural events. I’m honored to share that we’ve officially joined as full members and have been entrusted with producing the Foundation’s documentary, set to launch in May 2026.

With that energy in the air, this week’s episode turns its focus to HangCon 2026, which wrapped up last weekend right here at the ranch.

Hanging Out at HangCon 2026 

HangCon is a unique gathering — a passionate, deeply knowledgeable community of hammock camping enthusiasts who take their craft seriously and love sharing what they’ve learned. From seasoned veterans to curious beginners like me, the atmosphere is welcoming, practical, and refreshingly low on ego.

Throughout the weekend, I had the chance to talk with vendors and attendees, and you’ll be seeing full interviews and short-form videos hitting the YouTube channel soon. There are some incredibly innovative small companies in this space, building smart, lightweight, and thoughtful gear that reflects real-world experience rather than marketing hype.

For anyone new to hammock camping, this episode is especially useful. We spend time breaking down the basics — from setup to comfort to safety — in a way that doesn’t assume you already know the language.

One of the highlights of HangCon 2026 was my conversation with Pinecone, a YouTuber (YouTube: @pineconeVA), competitive disc golfer, and hammock camping enthusiast with a deep well of practical knowledge. Pinecone has a gift for explaining complex setups in a calm, approachable way, and his insights are invaluable if you’re just getting started or looking to refine your system.

You’ll also meet Shug, a name that carries serious weight in the hammock world. Among “hangers,” Shug is widely considered the guru — and it doesn’t take long to understand why. His experience, humor, and clarity make hammock camping feel both accessible and endlessly fascinating.

As always, we don’t just focus on gear. You’ll get a sense of the vibe of HangCon itself — a tight-knit, hardcore camping crowd that values shared experience, learning, and spending real time outdoors. It’s less about spectacle and more about skill, comfort, and connection.

Closing Thoughts

I encourage you to check out HangCon.com for information on next year’s Florida gathering and their international trips. And if you’re heading down the hammock rabbit hole, make sure to follow and subscribe to the creators mentioned — especially Pinecone, whose advice might save you a cold night or two.

I’ll admit, I learned a lot this weekend — including a surprisingly useful lesson on how to effectively pee out of your hammock at 3 a.m. Look, I’m 45. These are the things that matter now.

Make sure to visit musicfestivalspodcast.com and subscribe to The Neighborhood newsletter for live stream announcements, festival news, documentary updates, and subscriber meetups.

Next week, we sit down with Tom Hamilton of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead for a deep conversation about his many projects, a new record, his SiriusXM show, and reflections on artists we’ve recently lost.

As always, I’m NeighborN8, and I hope to be your neighbor at a festival soon.

Festival Performance of the Week: MinIM LIVE at Bay Boro Brewing Company (Full Set) 

This week's Festival Performance of the Week spotlights MinIM's full live set at Bay Boro Brewing Company. MinIM is brought to us by Shane LaVagine, promotoer for the Whippersnap Music and Arts Festival. 

Video Credit: @musicfestivalspodcast — MinIM LIVE at Bay Boro Brewing Company (Full Set) - Road to Whippersnap 2026