UL Tent vs. UL Hammock

[ugaking]

After a long absence, I am working my way back into sectional hiking. Gear has improved dramatically and I would like to know the pros and cons of having a UL Tent vs. a UL Hammock. Additionally, which UL tents and which UL hammocks experienced hikers recommend.

[canoe]

first question have you been camping in a hammock. FOr some it is a comfortable sleep. Check out hammock gear. For me I tried for a year to get comfortable and could not so I went back to the tent. In a tent I sleep much more comfortable than in a hammock. I now am using z pack heximid. Pros for hammock you can set up just about anywhere there are trees. Con there is more or a fiddle factor to get it set up just right. Pro for tent you are on the ground/hammocker would say that is a con. For me more comfort. Con for tent is you have to find a level spot. Most of the time this is not an issue,,, but can be in some places

As far as weight goes depending on what gear you get a tent can be much lighter.

[ugaking]

Great advice. A friend is loaning me a Hennessey Hammock to tryout out on an upcoming hike, so I guess I will find out if a hammock is comfortable for me or not. Thanks so much.

[imscotty]

I have converted to hammocking. I do not consider hammocks a lighter option than tenting, in fact minimalist tenters probably have the edge as far as weight is concerned. For me it is all about the comfort; the hammock is just a superior sleep experience. Since I avoid shelters for the most part I appreciate the convenience of being able to hang my hammock just about anywhere (at least in the East). I can pretty much stop whenever and wherever I want, set up camp in about 10 minutes and call it a day. When I leave in the morning you cannot tell anyone had even been there.

So the positives of hammocking...
Comfort
I can camp almost anywhere there are trees
Leave No Trace
I am high and dry when it rains

The negatives of hammocking are...
There is definitely a learning curve, it may take a while to get it right.
Not for couples, snuggling at night is out. I still use the tent when I car-camp with my wife.
No real weight savings.

YMMV

[Tuckahoe]

If you have never used a hammock, I would strongly suggest testing it out at home first or some where you can bail out easily. You dont want to head out for the trail and try to get into a hammock the first time. Like Canoe said there is a certain fiddle factor and a learning curve, especially for a novice that can adversely impact your comfort and hammock experience.

Personally my choice to switch to a hammock had everything to do with personal comfort. I also liked the ability to hang anywhere. ImScotty is spot on as well.

[slbirdnerd]

I'm a fairly new backpacker and have had several folks recommend hanging to me. I'm not there yet, especially considering my tent is very light at like 2.5 pounds with tent, footprint, poles and fly. For now I'm sticking with it: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2. When that's ready for a change I'll perhaps try a hammock or a tarp tent.

[garlic08]

My only hammocking experience unfortunately was in cold air. The ground is typically warmer and a hammock compresses the insulation around more of your body, making it ineffective. You need to add an underquilt in cold air, adding weight and cost.

I've been faced more often with treeless camping (low desert and high tundra) than with the opposite, but that's just my hiking style and local geography. If you camp a lot in the scrubby hills in New England, you'll want a different solution than mine.

Tarptent makes a durable, affordable UL tent with great customer service. Look at the Contrail.

[Deadeye]

I have converted to hammocking. I do not consider hammocks a lighter option than tenting, in fact minimalist tenters probably have the edge as far as weight is concerned. For me it is all about the comfort; the hammock is just a superior sleep experience. Since I avoid shelters for the most part I appreciate the convenience of being able to hang my hammock just about anywhere (at least in the East). I can pretty much stop whenever and wherever I want, set up camp in about 10 minutes and call it a day. When I leave in the morning you cannot tell anyone had even been there.

So the positives of hammocking...
Comfort
I can camp almost anywhere there are trees
Leave No Trace
I am high and dry when it rains

The negatives of hammocking are...
There is definitely a learning curve, it may take a while to get it right.
Not for couples, snuggling at night is out. I still use the tent when I car-camp with my wife.
No real weight savings.

YMMV

Ditto! My TarpTent is lighter than my hammock setup, but I get such a good, comfortable, sound night of sleep in my hammock that it's worth the extra pound for me.

[Mick3y]

I love the ease of setup and comfort of my hammock setup.

My numbers:
Hammock - 10oz
Tarp - 9oz
32* Top quilt - 20oz
32* Under quilt - 21oz

[Venchka]

Current tent technology, biased toward TarpTent.

Side entry doors. 2 are better than 1.
Vestibules on both doors. 2 are better than 1.
Trekking poles for support as first option - lighter overall weight. Conventional tent poles available - for those who don't use trekking poles. Some models have a dedicated pole or poles.
All up weight from sub-2 pounds to 2 pounds and a few ounces.
Reasonable unruly weather (rain, wind, light snow) protection.
USA built.

http://www.tarptent.com/allproducts.html

Too many models. Makes my choice difficult.

Wayne

[WILLIAM HAYES]

hammock hands down in my book I have used just about every lite weight tent on the market nothing for me compares to the convenience and comfort of a hammock you can hang it just about anywhere and I sleep very comfortably. Some people dont sleep well in a hammock because they dont use an asymetrical hammock or dont hang it correctly. I have a warbonnet blackbird double bottom and can sleep almost flat or on my stomach. Every one I hike with uses a hammock . Try it I think you like it

[QiWiz]

After a long absence, I am working my way back into sectional hiking. Gear has improved dramatically and I would like to know the pros and cons of having a UL Tent vs. a UL Hammock. Additionally, which UL tents and which UL hammocks experienced hikers recommend.

In winter, a ground-dwelling option is (for me) definitely the lighter of the two options. In summer, I can go with either a hammock or ground system and be within a negligible weight difference so I go with my mood and the type of trip/terrain I'm dealing with. In spring and fall, the ground-dwelling option is lighter but not by that much (less than a half pound). That assumes that you get an UL hammock and hammock tarp, top quilt and underquilt; and compare it to an UL tarp and groundsheet and a sleeping pad and sleeping bag or quilt for ground dwelling. I'm sure there will be other opinions about this.

[rstms]

One thing I would ask...how much do you weigh and how tall are you? I am 6'4" and 240#. As such my hammock setup is a bit heavier than most. But if you are small and light you can hammock with very lightweight gear. I have seen a 7 oz. hammock...but it won't work for me.
The comfort of the hammock is worth the weight penalty IMHO. Check out hammock forums for tons of info.

[rstms]

I would add...if you are willing to be super minimalist you can't get lighter than a ground setup. Like all things...what are you willing to compromise? One of the great founders of hammock camping, Ed Speer, always said he would never hike without the ability to go to ground in the unlikely event of a hammock system failure. I personally agree as I have a very minimal pad included in my system always.

[Wülfgang]

I have converted to hammocking. I do not consider hammocks a lighter option than tenting, in fact minimalist tenters probably have the edge as far as weight is concerned. For me it is all about the comfort; the hammock is just a superior sleep experience. Since I avoid shelters for the most part I appreciate the convenience of being able to hang my hammock just about anywhere (at least in the East). I can pretty much stop whenever and wherever I want, set up camp in about 10 minutes and call it a day. When I leave in the morning you cannot tell anyone had even been there.

So the positives of hammocking...
Comfort
I can camp almost anywhere there are trees
Leave No Trace
I am high and dry when it rains

The negatives of hammocking are...
There is definitely a learning curve, it may take a while to get it right.
Not for couples, snuggling at night is out. I still use the tent when I car-camp with my wife.
No real weight savings.

YMMV

I agree with all of the above.

I own both systems and LIKE both systems, but as mentioned there are pros and cons. In my experience:

Tent pros:
Fully enclosed "home". Useful for changing, waiting out the weather, storing things, some psychological comfort.
More wind-worthy than a hammock tarp.
Lighter, if you are going with a minimalist/UL model.
Faster setup. I can pitch my Notch in about 2-3 minutes.

Tent cons:
Not as comfortable as a hammock, even with a plush pad.

Hammock pros:
Superior comfort. Not even up for debate.
You are off the ground in cases of heavy rains, frost, snow.
Can set up anywhere there are trees 12-18 ft apart.

Hammock cons:
Heavier in most cases.
More complex setup. Takes longer to set up, 10-15 minutes depending on complexity.
Not useful in treeless areas.
Hammock tarps are like a SAIL in high winds. I mean winds in the 30-50 mph range. They will hold up if pitched properly, but man I had a very stressful night recently under my hammock.

[rstms]

On the issue of high winds. Typically it is possible to find a much better sheltered location for your site since level ground is not a requirement. Still...the hammock tarp is more vulnerable in similar situations if exposure is the same.
Some of the tarps with door options can provide almost as much privacy as a tent.

[tbird911]

Wont save weight on the hammock option (unless your a little bitty feller that can sleep in a handkerchief hammock ) You will however forget about mud, ground clutter, rocks, roots, uneven/sloping terrain, rain/rain trenches, creepy crawlies, back aches, sore limbs and fitful nights full of tossing and turning. The equalizer would be to calculate how much weight would be involved in a larger flask of whiskey . . . after which, none of the other stuff would matter.

[The Old Boot]

Wont save weight on the hammock option (unless your a little bitty feller that can sleep in a handkerchief hammock ) You will however forget about mud, ground clutter, rocks, roots, uneven/sloping terrain, rain/rain trenches, creepy crawlies, back aches, sore limbs and fitful nights full of tossing and turning. The equalizer would be to calculate how much weight would be involved in a larger flask of whiskey . . . after which, none of the other stuff would matter.

I love your equalizer!!

Something a lot of people forget when they're measuring comparable weights is to do an apple to apple comparison - tent with poles and pegs/groundsheet/pad/sleeping bag = tarp/hammock/top and underquilts.

To me there is absolutely no comparison - if I was still tenting it, I would be in a tent trailer...no more crawling around on the ground, getting in and out of low doors and sleeping on the ground for this older body. For me the hammock set-up, regardless of weight is the only way I'm out in the backcountry.

[tbird911]

Its kind of funny how we get caught up on weights . . . The total is important for sure, but it all equates. A guy like me (260 lbs) sacrificing comfort for 1.5 lbs is silly. I've seen guys counting and scraping grams on shelter, but carrying all of their gear in a 6.5 lb pack (weight of the pack) and wearing mars lander boots. I've seen guys that squeeze out drops of toothpaste on a strip of wax paper and let it dry because the weight of the dots is considerably less than the small travel tube of toothpaste and then they pack 2 pairs of bluejeans for an over-nighter. Go light . . .go fast . . . go comfortable. Find an easy in between and hike your own hike.

[canoe]

I agree with all of the above.

I own both systems and LIKE both systems, but as mentioned there are pros and cons. In my experience:

Tent pros:
Fully enclosed "home". Useful for changing, waiting out the weather, storing things, some psychological comfort.
More wind-worthy than a hammock tarp.
Lighter, if you are going with a minimalist/UL model.
Faster setup. I can pitch my Notch in about 2-3 minutes.

Tent cons:
Not as comfortable as a hammock, even with a plush pad.

Hammock pros:
Superior comfort. Not even up for debate.
You are off the ground in cases of heavy rains, frost, snow.
Can set up anywhere there are trees 12-18 ft apart.

Hammock cons:
Heavier in most cases.
More complex setup. Takes longer to set up, 10-15 minutes depending on complexity.
Not useful in treeless areas.
Hammock tarps are like a SAIL in high winds. I mean winds in the 30-50 mph range. They will hold up if pitched properly, but man I had a very stressful night recently under my hammock.

Being comfortable is something that is always up for debate. If you are comfortable thats is great. But not everyone can get comfortable. SO there is room for debate