Hammock vs tent

[inti]

Hi folks,
Am considering the AT but will do a lot of research first. For those with AT experience, is a hammock a viable alternative for the AT? Can it be used on all sections? Do most shelters have a place for hammocks? If not, any suggestions on a specific ultralite tent? Thanks in advance! Good luck to those planning 2010!

[Hooch]

www.hammockforums.net

[Chatter]

Hi folks,
"is a hammock a viable alternative for the AT? Can it be used on all sections? Do most shelters have a place for hammocks?" 2010!

(Right, as Hooch says, hammockforums.net is a great source for all things hammock).

1. A viable alternative? Yes, use a hammock anywhere you can hang one, preferably below tree line. In colder weather you will want to drape a tarp to, or near the ground.

2. Used on all sections? See #1 above.

3. Shelter hanging? Most shelters do not have places designated for hammocks, but you can be resourceful. For example, I've been able to hang a hammock from the rafters of Taft Shelter on Mt. Mansfield; on the overhang outside the shelter at Velvet Rocks Shelter; and even from eyebolts which were already conveniently in place at Imp Shelter.

Before you do too much research, make sure you are comfortable sleeping in a hammock. It might take some practice getting used to sleeping in the air. And, be sure to practice as much as you can, sleeping out in a variety of weather conditions, from mosquito-infested hot, to rain/wind, to below-freezing, snowy conditions.

Much of successful hammocking is to have everything you need organized nearby, under the tarp, and the only way to do that is trial and error.

Keep us posted on your research and findings!

[strnorm]

If you are going to be sleeping in the hammock in cold weather,get a underquilt they are very cold on the bottom

[strnorm]

Also welcome to Whiteblaze

[Ramble~On]

Any hammock website is going to steer you towards a hammock!

I use both hammocks and tents. There are pros and cons of each.

For my thru hike I decided to use a tent. I figured that since whatever shelter I went with would basically be my home for 6 months (I hate sleeping in shelters) I'd go with one that provided a lot of usable space.
A hammock is basically a big bivy sack that hangs between two trees. There isn't a whole lot of usable room inside when compared to a tent.
Hammocks take me longer to set up and the weight of hammock, rope/webbing, tarp, guyline for tarp, underquilt etc negates any benefit.
I can't say I was ever uncomfortable sleeping on the ground in the tent.
So..for me, the arguement that hammocks are more comfortable doesn't hold true. The arguement that hammocks are lighter isn't true and the arguement that hammocks are easier/faster to set up isn't true. I used a tent that weighed 26 ounces and set up in about a minute, offered room for myself and all of my gear to be spread out. I could cook inside the tent, change clothes, sit up etc.
I'll still use hammocks from time to time but for long distance trips I like the roominess and weight of a tent.
http://lightheartgear.com/lighthearttent1.html

[inti]

Thanks folks. I am nearing my 50th and started back hiking for my sanity and health. After raising a family, fighting the corporate "ladder" and realizing that the "Jones" are not who I want to be anyway I am slowly getting ready for the AT. Your advise and help is most appreciated!

[Tipi Walter]

Any hammock website is going to steer you towards a hammock!

I use both hammocks and tents. There are pros and cons of each.

For my thru hike I decided to use a tent. I figured that since whatever shelter I went with would basically be my home for 6 months (I hate sleeping in shelters) I'd go with one that provided a lot of usable space.
A hammock is basically a big bivy sack that hangs between two trees. There isn't a whole lot of usable room inside when compared to a tent.
Hammocks take me longer to set up and the weight of hammock, rope/webbing, tarp, guyline for tarp, underquilt etc negates any benefit.
I can't say I was ever uncomfortable sleeping on the ground in the tent.
So..for me, the arguement that hammocks are more comfortable doesn't hold true. The arguement that hammocks are lighter isn't true and the arguement that hammocks are easier/faster to set up isn't true. I used a tent that weighed 26 ounces and set up in about a minute, offered room for myself and all of my gear to be spread out. I could cook inside the tent, change clothes, sit up etc.
I'll still use hammocks from time to time but for long distance trips I like the roominess and weight of a tent.
http://lightheartgear.com/lighthearttent1.html

That's the best critique I've seen of hammock camping recently.

[bigmac_in]

Just search tents and hammocks here on WB and read the hundreds of threads that have been started on this subject. Hope you have LOTS of time. OR, just wait for this one to go on forever with the same old arguments.

[Hooch]

That's the best critique I've seen of hammock camping recently.

You're one of the most blatantly anti-hammock people here, Tipi. Not a criticism, but merely an observation. I'm curious, what exactly is your experience, if any, with hammocks?

[Tipi Walter]

You're one of the most blatantly anti-hammock people here, Tipi. Not a criticism, but merely an observation. I'm curious, what exactly is your experience, if any, with hammocks?

Whoa, wait a minute! Direct this post to Ramble-On, he's the one who pointed out the cons of hammocking. I just agreed.

Beyond this, no piece of gear is perfect and everything has its weak points. Defending any shelter system with blind enthusiasm verges on emotionalism, best balanced with a post like Ramble-On's. As much as I like and promote my Hilleberg dome tent, I could write a long essay on its weak points and defects, and gladly do so. This is all I'm asking from the hammock crowd. No set up is perfect. So let's find out why.

The only experience I have of hammocks are the couple of "flee the thing and find a tent" moments, like with Just Jeff's account on a California winter trip to the Sierras, or on a recent trip where I encountered a "wellhung" type bailing out of his hammock in a hurricane wind blizzard with very low temps and seeking out his buddy's tent.

Don't make me the one to point out the limitations of hammock use, this is where the hammock experts should chime in and list its weaknesses. The person who uses a shelter the most can offer the best criticisms.

[MintakaCat]

Any hammock website is going to steer you towards a hammock!

I use both hammocks and tents. There are pros and cons of each.

For my thru hike I decided to use a tent. I figured that since whatever shelter I went with would basically be my home for 6 months (I hate sleeping in shelters) I'd go with one that provided a lot of usable space.
A hammock is basically a big bivy sack that hangs between two trees. There isn't a whole lot of usable room inside when compared to a tent.
Hammocks take me longer to set up and the weight of hammock, rope/webbing, tarp, guyline for tarp, underquilt etc negates any benefit.
I can't say I was ever uncomfortable sleeping on the ground in the tent.
So..for me, the arguement that hammocks are more comfortable doesn't hold true. The arguement that hammocks are lighter isn't true and the arguement that hammocks are easier/faster to set up isn't true. I used a tent that weighed 26 ounces and set up in about a minute, offered room for myself and all of my gear to be spread out. I could cook inside the tent, change clothes, sit up etc.
I'll still use hammocks from time to time but for long distance trips I like the roominess and weight of a tent.
http://lightheartgear.com/lighthearttent1.html

I got to agree with this. But I will say this about hammocks, in warm weather it's nice to be off the ground during the rain.

Most of my trips are in cold weather, so any precipitation will be in the form of snow. That's why I go back to tents in cold weather. The fact that one of my tents has a wood stove is also a big factor.

After being in a hammock all summer, the roominess of a tent on my last trip was real nice. I did miss that.

[ChinMusic]

Any hammock website is going to steer you towards a hammock!

I use both hammocks and tents. There are pros and cons of each.

For my thru hike I decided to use a tent. I figured that since whatever shelter I went with would basically be my home for 6 months (I hate sleeping in shelters) I'd go with one that provided a lot of usable space.
A hammock is basically a big bivy sack that hangs between two trees. There isn't a whole lot of usable room inside when compared to a tent.
Hammocks take me longer to set up and the weight of hammock, rope/webbing, tarp, guyline for tarp, underquilt etc negates any benefit.
I can't say I was ever uncomfortable sleeping on the ground in the tent.
So..for me, the arguement that hammocks are more comfortable doesn't hold true. The arguement that hammocks are lighter isn't true and the arguement that hammocks are easier/faster to set up isn't true. I used a tent that weighed 26 ounces and set up in about a minute, offered room for myself and all of my gear to be spread out. I could cook inside the tent, change clothes, sit up etc.
I'll still use hammocks from time to time but for long distance trips I like the roominess and weight of a tent.
http://lightheartgear.com/lighthearttent1.html

My experience with both systems is the same as yours. I've used both hammocks and tents and haven't taken my hammock out of the gear room in several years.

I could see using it again on a short, hot trip but that's about it.

[scope]

If you are going to be sleeping in the hammock in cold weather,get a underquilt they are very cold on the bottom

Funny, that when someone is asking about a tent, no one mentions "you better get a pad because the ground is cold"? I think some relate the comfort of a hammock as a substitute for a pad. Just as cold ground would sap your body heat, so does the air flowing under the hammock. I've been using a pad for years and they work fine in a hammock, but just got an underquilt to go with my top quilt - mega comfort! Worth the expense, but would be hard to get all the stuff at once due to the cost.

Fact is, hammocking is more complex than tenting. Kinda like a car that is more complex, the more advanced car has its advantages, but its not for everybody.

The main advantage is quality of sleep, and for some that are younger or maybe simply more adjusted to sleeping on the ground, that might not be a big enough difference to justify the additional complexity of the setup.

[ChinMusic]

The main advantage is quality of sleep, and for some that are younger or maybe simply more adjusted to sleeping on the ground, that might not be a big enough difference to justify the additional complexity of the setup.

I agree. I used to sleep better in my hammock. But with the advent of light air pads like the Big Agnes Air Core and now the Neo, I sleep comfortably on the ground.

If those types of air pads didn't exist I would prob use my hammock more.

[scope]

1. A viable alternative? Yes, use a hammock anywhere you can hang one, preferably below tree line. In colder weather you will want to drape a tarp to, or near the ground.

2. Used on all sections? See #1 above.

3. Shelter hanging? Most shelters do not have places designated for hammocks, but you can be resourceful. For example, I've been able to hang a hammock from the rafters of Taft Shelter on Mt. Mansfield; on the overhang outside the shelter at Velvet Rocks Shelter; and even from eyebolts which were already conveniently in place at Imp Shelter.

1. Not preferably below treeline, ONLY below treeline, which I hope is obvious. However, what is not often talked about is how you can use the hammock tarp as a shelter, much like a tent, on any tent pad or clearing if in fact you find yourself somewhere without suitable trees.

3. No, no. Do not hang in a shelter, and for that matter, don't put a tent in a shelter. However, most shelters do tend to be "cleared" sites, which means that there are typically trees around the area of the shelter with underbrush cleared away which makes for a better hanging site. I actually prefer to hang near a shelter to be able to have a table to cook on, a place to sit and talk with people, and privy access. Sure as heck beats sleeping on the hard wood with all the alpine frogs and such.

[MintakaCat]

The main advantage is quality of sleep, and for some that are younger or maybe simply more adjusted to sleeping on the ground, that might not be a big enough difference to justify the additional complexity of the setup.

For me there wasn't a difference between using a hammock and using a tent with my Exped DownMat 9 air pad. There was no difference between being 1 inch off the ground and 1 foot off the ground.

But I will say that if I get a hole in my hammock its no big deal, but if I get a hole in my Exped DownMat 9 air pad....well I'm toast.

[scope]

in warm weather it's nice to be off the ground during the rain.

After being in a hammock all summer, the roominess of a tent on my last trip was real nice. I did miss that.

Yes, yes, this has to be the second best quality of a hammock, being off the ground when its wet. Besides not tracking wet/dirt into the tent, you don't have to deal with the whole bottom of the tent thing when packing up.

And you ever notice in a tent how it can rain, but the ground under the tent can stay dry? Well guess what, same thing happens under a hammock tarp. That entire area is my gear storage, which is plenty.

I do understand about having area in the tent to move around, sit up, do whatever, but my experience has been that I didn't do a lot of that and that I don't miss it. That could be different on a Thru, which I have not experienced.

[Diamond Diggs]

I dont think I, personally, will ever desire to go back to tenting. I sleep a whole lot better in a hammock - no matter what season it is. As far as room - to me I have abundance of room with my hammock. I can set my tarp high and have standing room for changing or hanging out in the rain. I can set the tarp low for privacy. In the winter I stay warm and dry off the ground with an underquilt or pad. In the summer I stay cool and dry. And as mentioned earlier, I dont have to worry about tracking dirt and mud into my sleeping area or deal with a wet/dirty ground tarp come morning. I find set up to be quite simplistic. As far as gear storage I have found it much easier than in my one man tent I used to sleep in. My pack and my gear hangs nicely right under my hammock up off the ground and it is easy to get to whatever I need. Another great quality I enjoy is that a good deal of hammocks are made to be able to convert to ground set up if needed (sleeping out on an open bald, above treelines, or whatever). But one thing for sure - to each his own!

[srestrepo]

you know, one of the biggest complaints for me (being a larger individual, 5'11, 295 pounds) was sleeping on the ground, i would either bruise my ribs or wake up with numb limbs...

the benefit to sleeping in a hammock for me of course aside from some weight savings was the unrivaled comfort. now i can say that it has been a bit weird getting used to sleeping in a giant swinging bivy sack but at the end of the day when the hike is done and you've had your food and you lay down in that hammock you do sleep well. which isn't to say that i haven't sometimes been able to achieve the same in a tent.

the bad part is, is that it is a bit difficult to change inside my hammock, possible but inconvenient. now the space issue is always a concern but since i got a warbonnet blackbird it comes incorporated with a shelf off to the side where you can stash some stuff. also you can get something that you can hang from whats called a ridgeline which allows for more organization of gear inside the hammock.

as with anything else there are pros and cons i prefer the hammock for most 3 season outings but when snow time comes i feel much more comfort in a tent.

HYOH