Hammock or Tent & Missy

[4-iron]

I plan to start a thru hike March 2012 with Missy, my 2 year old Yellow Lab. My gear includes a HH hammock which gives me a comfortable night’s sleep. I can also sleep in a tent if necessary.
I want to use my hammock and have Missy sleep on a mat under the hammock. She is well trained, but will be on a leash. I would like to know the pros and cons experienced by those who used a hammock with a dog on their thru. You comments will help me decide on the hammock or a tent.
4-iron

[CaptainCoupal]

I am a hammock hanger with a HH as well, but I would say that this is going to be less than optimal if you're considering a full thru-hike, especially with inclement weather. Maybe if you were to go with a full (huge) tarp that you could close off, for instance, like Hennessy's Monsoon or Typhoon rainfly - that might give you and Missy enough protection with the bad weather in the mountains...

[Kurt Simmons]

I think Missy will get wet under you. A hammock is nice and dry up in the air, but with an HH tarp there will be water on the ground. I am a hammock hanger and I love being off the wet ground. You might consider a Superfly tarp from Warbonnet www.warbonnetoutdoors.com. And also you would need some tyvek as a ground cloth for Missy's bedding.

[scope]

I'm a hanger, and rarely is the ground wet underneath me, but I do use a big tarp. Assuming Missy is leashed to one of your trees and that you might not want her directly underneath you (that's where I put my pack), then you might consider having coverage out in front of the bottom HH entrance/exit. I bet you could email the guy at OES that makes MacCat tarps and he could custom make one that would eliminate unneeded coverage on the head end (that you would have with a standard rectangular tarp) and give you additional coverage around the entrance end of the HH so that you and Missy can stay dry.

From TrailJournals, I know of a guy named Doggiebag that thru'd with a HH and his dog... you might try to locate some contact info for him, or others here might know of him.

[Harpua]

i always hike with my dog. ive only spent one night in my hammock with my dog lying on a pad bellow it. it was her worst night on the trail she shivered, (i believe out of fear) and growled at nothing all night long. i think because she couldnt see in the dark and didnt have the tent walls she was used to around her she was very uneasy and uncomfortable. i dont think she slept much that night, i think she was cold and frightened all night. but then again she is a spoiled dog. all dogs are different. your dog might have no problem sleeping in the woods without a tent. try it out for one night before you start your thru hike.

p.s. also if it rains the tarp you put over your hammock will keep the rain drops from falling on missy but she will be sleeping on wet ground that will puddle up and make little streams, she might not like this

[Dirty Nails]

I now use a hammock only in summer when it's too hot to bring my dog. If the weather is cool enough for the dog, I go to ground. I have been "high-and-dry" in a torrent, and was glad the dog was at home because if she was below me on the ground, she might have been washed away by the flood rushing under me. My Crocs floated away that night.
I keep my dog in the tent with me where she can't wander off to scavenge for food debris or otherwise find trouble, and she is protected from insects.
I have hammocked with her under me in the past, but not any more. If you do, I suggest tying her lead to the suspension line of the hammock and not the tree. That way if she gets disturbed, tangled, or tries to wander, she will likely wake you with pulling on the hammock. I used a piece of shock cord for this so I didn't feel every little motion. My dog settles down quietly at the end of a day so that worked well for me. It will depend on your dog, I guess.

[SouthMark]

My dog has been sleeping under me and my hammock now for about three years. She usually sleeps all night after hiking all day. She sleeps on the foam pad that is my pack's back support. She has a sleeping bag that I made from an old bag. When she first started going with me I used a tent and she couldn't sleep for hearing all the night sounds outside and not being able to see out. With the hammock and tarp she could see into the night and became ok with the sounds. As I said now she sleeps all night. She has never gotten wet during a rain storm.

[azb]

I've hiked with a lot of dogs over the years, and they're pretty adaptable creatures. It may take them a few days, or even a week or two to settle into the routine, especially if they're spoiled.I had them sleep in shleters, tents, in hammocks, (cozy with a 70 lb dog) under hammocks and cowboy. The shelter made one dog a bit nervous because of the clunk every time someone moved. For hammocks with possible bad weather, a small pad/piece of woobie, groundsheet, and tarp for the dog is a good idea. In summer heat, I don't worry about any of that, as all my dogs are outdoor dogs and don't mind getting a little wet. Heck, my malamute preferred sleeping outside in the snow to any other method.Az