VERY new to this, finally decided to post regarding tents vs. hammocks.

[chazzbo77]

Hello, everyone. I've been lurking around here for a few months now and have finally decided to stick my head out and ask a question. I climbed Katahdin a few months ago and instantly fell in love with it, and it has made me want to experience more of the trail.

After what feels like a ton of reading, I am pretty sold on the idea of ultralight hiking. What I am having trouble deciding on is what type of shelter I should take along. I seriously considered tarps for awhile, since they can be extremely lightweight, but I would rather have something with a floor. This led me to consider tents vs. hammocks, and for a new hiker, it is totally overwhelming to even BEGIN to make a decision.

Furthermore, as a college student, I wouldn't call myself the richest person in the world... Because of this, I've been looking at some DIY hammock designs and things like that. Hammocks seem like an awesome idea for a shelter. My only concern is that I feel like it will be cold being suspended in the air like that. But oh do they look comfortable. I guess with a hammock you sleep with a ground pad and sleeping bag in there with you like you would in a tent or tarp? And then you have a tarp over you to protect you from the rain? I guess I could also add a bug net to it? To be totally honest, I'm just extremely confused about how everything works.

So, after all this rambling, what do you all prefer? A tent (which seems like would generally be heavier, but more bug resistant, and easier to set up), or a hammock (which seems like it would be lighter, less bug resistant, harder to set up, and possibly colder?)

Thanks for any help you can offer to this newbie.

[Danl]

Got a hammock, can't sleep on my side, you would use an underquilt or peapod. Got a tarp like it but it has no floor. Got a solo tent works okay, but no room once you add a air mattress. So i am in search of a good light tent. I figure if pay out the nose i can have all the best features. Good luck finding yours.

[gunner76]

which seems like it would be lighter, less bug resistant, harder to set up, and possibly colder?

There is a learning curve to using a hammock. Check out www.hammockforums.net for all things hammocks. Try and find a group hang in your area (tenters are welcome) and attend it to see various types of hammock set ups and discuss with the user why they are using the set up they use and how they would change it for different conditions.

Just as not everyone can use a hammock, not every one can use a tent. Its all about your style of camping & hiking. I have been using a hammock for several years now and have no problem spleeping on my side or back in my hammock. My wife is also a convert.

Hammock = tent

Tarp = tent rain fly

TQ (Top Quilt) = sleeping bag

UQ (Under Quilt) = pad

Rememebr when you are comparing weights to compare the total set up. Hammocks have been used down to -35 degrees so being able to use it in the cold is not a problem as long as you have the proper gear for cold weather camping, same as if you are using a tent in cold weather.. properly rated sleeping bag and pad ect.

Bugs...I use a Warbonnet Blackbird that has a built in bug net ( as I live in a buggy area ) so bugs are not a problem. You can also get hammocks with out a built in bug net and get and use a seperate bug when needed.

Harder to set up, no. I can set up my hammock and tarp in less time than my tent (which I don't use any more).

So far the coldest I have camped out in my hammock is 18 degrees in the snow. With my gear I should be good down to 0 degrees but it has not gotten that cold here in the last year so I ahve not been able to put my gear to teh test.

[kayak karl]

i hammock, never tented on AT so i might be bias
check here

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...=tent++hammock
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...=tent++hammock

[Heald]

I'm not convinced "reading" about ultralite would dictate the notion that "ultralite" is something to be sold on. I mean in my opinion it seems to foolhardy to be sold on an idea you have yet to delve into hands on. Especially if cost is a factor. Maybe you are just as well off hiking regular. You're young yet, and could probably mange long milage days with a passel of non ultralite gear. I don't imagine a few extra LB's would make that big a difference, do you? Hell, it doesn't take all that much stuff in a pack to be out there 3 seasons out of the year anyhow.

[chazzbo77]

Thank you very much for the feedback. I'll definitely start checking out those links right away. Using a hammock seems like an awesome way to spend the night outdoors. So besides the hammock itself and the tarp, the only other 'pieces' are the top quilt and under quilt and warm clothes to keep you warm? Thanks again!

[Don H]

Ultralight is generally defined as a base weight (not including consumables) of 10 to 12 pounds.

If you're truly going ultralight you are on the edge as far as gear goes. Nothing extra, no back ups, no just in case gear.
You can easily get in trouble without experience (think hypothermia).

Shoot for a lightweight (instead of ultralight) set up of under 20 pounds base for a little cushion for safety. Then as you gain experience you can drop redundant gear.
Carrying extra clothing is where you pick up extra weight but increase your safety.

UL gear can get expensive, $300+ for a down sleeping bag, $250 for a tent, are just some examples. Depending on your finances you might want to start with some less expensive, slightly heavier alternatives. Then if you really get into long distance backpacking you can upgrade.

As far as I'm concerned there's no better way to spend time then hiking, and it's even more enjoyable when you're not carrying a heavy pack.
Enjoy!

[chazzbo77]

Ultralight is generally defined as a base weight (not including consumables) of 10 to 12 pounds.

If you're truly going ultralight you are on the edge as far as gear goes. Nothing extra, no back ups, no just in case gear.
You can easily get in trouble without experience (think hypothermia).
Shoot for a lightweight (instead of ultralight) set up of under 20 pounds base for a little cushion for safety. Then as you gain experience you can drop redundant gear.
Carrying extra clothing is where you pick up extra weight but increase your safety.

That's pretty good advice, thank you. Like I said I have VERY little experience camping, and NONE with a hammock, so I don't really want to take too much of a plunge so that I get in over my head.

UL gear can get expensive, $300+ for a down sleeping bag, $250 for a tent, are just some examples. Depending on your finances you might want to start with some less expensive, slightly heavier alternatives. Then if you really get into long distance backpacking you can upgrade.

I have basically been researching gear all day today and I was a bit overwhelmed when I started to realize how much everything adds up. This is why I am leaning more towards DIY gear to supplement some of my items. I found a video I really like on a DIY hammock and have been thinking about buying a large tarp to put over that, but I might have to bite the bullet on the bottom quilt and top quilt, I'm not sure. Again, I'm very new to all of this and really don't know what to expect.

As far as I'm concerned there's no better way to spend time then hiking, and it's even more enjoyable when you're not carrying a heavy pack.
Enjoy!

Thanks again for all your help!

[Malto]

As far as shelter goes, I have been using a tarp for the last few year, primarily west coast hiking. I would not reco a tarp for those who hike on the east. In fact I will likely go back to a lightweight tent such as my tarptent very soon due to the bugs and rain. In the west the bugs usually go away afte the sun goes down, not here in the east.

If you haven't discovered backpacking light.com go there. It has a wealth of ul info in the forums. It may also pay to be a member and go through the articles.

[gunner76]

only other 'pieces' are the top quilt and under quilt and warm clothes to keep you warm?

Pretty much. Once again it depends on the rating for the TQ & UQ as they need to match the conditions you plan to camp in. Wind can be a major issue as it can suck the warmth out of you if you tarp is not set properly to block it. A tarp with doors can be set to help block the wind and or rain. There are also hammock socks to help black the wind. So far in 3 years I have only had one bad night in my hammock due to a strong cold wind

[MuddyWaters]

Ultralight, is mostly just leaving behind things you dont actually need, so you enjoy your hiking, not your camping.
There is nothing risky, or unsafe about being ultralight. That is a common misconception.
Anyone can easily get their base wt down to 10-15 lbs, even with a 5 lb pack and 3 lb sleeping bag.
To get into the 6-9 lb range just requires lighter sleeping, shelter, and pack choices. Usually more expensive.

Comparison of Big 4:

Ultralight conventional
pack 2.25 lb 6 lb
sleep bag 1.5 lb 3.5 lb
tent 1.5 lb 5.5 lb
pad .75 lb 1.5 lb

total 6.0 lbs 16.5

Easy to see where most of the savings comes from isnt it?

[Don H]

I second what gg-man said, backpacking light.com has a wealth of articles on everything to do with UL backpacking. You need to subscribe to get access to most of it but it's money well spent.

Also agree with MuddyWaters on the big 4. This is where your biggest weight loss can come from. But also it's the little things that add up. If you're serious about keeping weight down one of your first purchases will be a postal scale. You can weigh and chart your gear so you can compare weights. I use a spread sheet downloaded off from Backpackinglight.com. to keep track of different gear and weights.

Another thing you can do is to search these forums for gear lists. Lost of first time thru-hikers will post there gear lists for review. This will give you an idea of what people are using.

Good luck

[Buffalo Skipper]

Two years ago, I was backpacking with a tent. For 30°, I had a basic weight of around 40 lbs. I only hiked in the winter (deep south) because I was too uncomfortable carrying that load in warm weather. I was looking at lightweight backpacking online, and came across two websites, one of which led me to the other (not sure which came first): Just Jeff and Sgt Rock. Both presented the framework for lightweight backpacking, and it was at these sites that I first became interested in hammock camping/backpacking. From there, I learned about the Hammock Forum, which proved to be the mother load of information.

Let me sum up where that took me. I bought a hammock, bought a cheap tarp, made an underquilt, replaced it with a "real" (winter) underquilt, had lighter tarp custom made, bought a summer underquilt, bought a winter top quilt, bought a new lighweight backpack,bought a summer top quilt, bought a second hammock, bought an ultralight tarp, bought a third hammock. This has taken me 2 years but I have made great progress. Packed weight for a weekend was 40 lbs, now it is 16 lbs. My base weight was 30 lbs, now it is 11 lbs. My big 4 was 16 lbs now it is just over 6!

I don't want to think about how much this cost, but that is a choice. Even if I had the money, I could not have bought everything at once. I needed to learn how it all worked, and how to work it. I am by no means an expert, but in the last 2 years, I have nearly 80 nights of hammock camping and a over a hundred miles of hammock/backpacking under my belt, so I at least feel I am "experienced."

Find an affordable hammock and try it out. Research. Learn. Expand your knowledge and selection of gear. At 6 lbs for my big 4, I am heavier than an UL or SUL backpacker. But I have found my comfort zone. I now backpack in the summer without undue discomfort, because of my lighter weight. I hike very well with my gear and I sleep better than I ever have. It may take time, but you need to find your zone.

[Kryptonite]

I think you would find this video of Loner's really helpful. He has been using a hammock the entire time on the AT this year.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sTft...e_gdata_player

[Feral Bill]

Tent, Tarp, Hammock. They all work. For the money v weight, a tarp with a seperate ground cloth and bug net works well for me. Hammocks are very tempting, too, and sometimes tents are best for me. Take your pick and have fun.

[lunchbx]

Welcome to WB, Jerzy represent! You can seek advice here but wont always get the answers youre looking for. when its all said and done it comes down to personal preference matched with trial and error. You will not buy the gear that right for you on the first try about 85 percent of the time. Enjoy the process of the learning curve. One thing I can say is if someone is promoting the piece of gear they have to no end, dont get it for yourself. Find something different

[Tipi Walter]

Check out this Thread for some in-depth hammock rants---

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...-like-hammocks

[garlic08]

You're getting some unusually balanced, non-ranting replies from this group. I'm impressed. That's all great advice so far--I find myself nodding to every post.

I'm another one who started with a very heavy pack, and very gradually migrated to UL. My first hike on the AT was 10 years ago and I had just reduced my pack weight from 40 to 30 pounds. By the time I thru-hiked the AT in '08, my base weight was just 8 pounds. But that took nearly eight years and over 7000 trail miles to achieve in what I thought was a safe manner. I did not use the internet (didn't join this forum until after I'd hiked the AT)--I used books and videos from lwgear.com and Ray Jardine. But mainly I learned from hikers I met on the trails who gained my respect.

Given the time it took to re-outfit myself, I don't think I ever spent a penny more on something lighter. I believe I actually saved money by going UL. When I needed to replace my high-quality two-wall tent that cost about $300, I got a $200 Tarptent. My Gossamer Gear pack only cost $80 on sale. My Marmot Helium bag I got for half price from Steepandcheap.com. My Z-rest pad costs less than $30 retail and I usually find them on sale. I'm a total klutz with a needle and thread, so I had to put money into it, and I wish you luck with making your own.

Ditto the post above about extra clothing. That's a big weight savings, but also a pretty big risk. You really need to know how to keep yourself warm and dry and that takes lots of experience. Twenty pounds of extra clothing won't help you very much if you allow it all to get wet in the first day of rain, for instance.

I tried hammocking. I got stuck early in the learning curve and had a couple of very cold nights. I stayed with tenting because it makes more sense for me. I travel in a lot of treeless terrain.

There are many ways to enjoy, or even simply survive, a night outside and you need to use the right tools for the job. That also takes experience, and gaining that can be painful. A favorite saying goes, "Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment."

[Tom Murphy]

One thing to decide early on is whether you are a hiker or a camper. In reality, it is a continuum between those two extremes and where you fall will change over time and will change based on the focus of your backpacks but it helps to identify what your focus is.

For example, many of the people posting to this site are AT thru hikers. They are focused on 12-20 mile days. When you have a long distance to go in a specific time frame, every ounce of weight that you can avoid is precious.

My typical trips involve two or three nights out and 8-12 mile days. I am a camper. Since it is only a few nights out, I will typically bring some luxuries, like a paperback and more elaborate meals.

That said, reducing my pack weight has helped me enjoy my trips more than any camping luxury I have every brought with me.

Here are items I no longer bring or have replaced.

I now leave these items at home

hatchet
sven bow saw
rambo knife
binoculars
hand crank weather radio
GPS
cell phone
watch
camp shoes
water bladder and hose
trowel
coffee press
mug, insulated
w/p container & strike anywhere matches
emergency space blanket
lantern, battery operated
pen and journal

Replaced with lighter gear

nalgene 1 liter bottles
white gas stove
AL pot with lid [and pot holder]
lexan spork
squishy bowl
multitool
head lamp
tooth brush & paste

Good luck

[Tacky Hiker]

I have had several of both. If I had to pick I would say hammock all the way. They sleep colder but with proper gear you will sleep like a baby. I recently sold my hammock setup and now a ground dweller.