View Full Version : Why hammock hang? - Very basic questions
flyingduckmonster
04-02-2007, 13:25
I apologize if this is the wrong spot in the forum for this, but I'm really intrigued by this idea. I'm wondering, why do people use hammocks instead of tents? (Or do I have it totally wrong, and folks carry both?) Do you hang a tarp above the hammock, when it rains? How do you keep water from running down the hammock ropes and getting you soaked, during rainstorms? How do you keep bugs out?
Thanks!
TN_Hiker
04-02-2007, 13:35
I suggest you search the forums as you will found this has been discussed many times. You either love it or hate it.
hammock engineer
04-02-2007, 13:37
Some very good questions. Don't worry ask away. A bunch of us post over at www.hammockforums.net (http://www.hammockforums.net) . A bunch of good hammock talk going on over there.
All you need is a tarp overtop of the hammock to stay dry. Pitched right, I have never gotten wet in some good rains.
I had water run down my straps once. I was using a really thick strap. The ones I am using now never gave me any problems. To fix it I added drip strings to the thick ones. You can also add a twist to the strap and water will not run past it.
I have a homemade hammock and made a homemade bugnet. Most commerical hammocks come with some sort of bugnetting.
hammock engineer
04-02-2007, 13:38
I forgot to add, no tent just a hammock. I don't even own a tent right now. Eventually I'll get one for those treeless hikes. It is way more comfortable than laying on the ground.
I apologize if this is the wrong spot in the forum for this, but I'm really intrigued by this idea. I'm wondering, why do people use hammocks instead of tents? (Or do I have it totally wrong, and folks carry both?) Do you hang a tarp above the hammock, when it rains? How do you keep water from running down the hammock ropes and getting you soaked, during rainstorms? How do you keep bugs out?
Thanks!
Why hammock?
1) comfort - comfortably layback and read, w/ a canteen of scotch, go to sleep at 11; maybe wake up once for a bio-break; sleep till I'm wake up - generally around 7:00. I generally wake up in almost the same position I went to sleep in - no tossing or turning, just deep sleep. Get up w/ no aches or pains. Dramatically different than how I feel after 2 or 3 nights on the ground.
2) generally, weight savings. My HH ULBPAsym weighs about 2.5 lbs, w/ extra cord for tarp, and backup photon lamp in ditty bag in hammock. This is a total shelter: bug netting, tarp. If low temps are above 60 degrees, I don't need a sleeping mat. An 11 oz 3/8 ccf pad will get me to 40 degrees. On the ground, I have to have a thick pad, and still don't sleep well. If I were a true ultra-lighter, that could be comfortable under a 5x8 tarp, on an 8 oz 3/4 ridgerest, I could go lighter - but I can't.
3) it's easier to find 2 trees 12 - 18 ft apart than it is to find flat level ground to pitch a tent (unless you're above tree line), and it's fun to hang a hammock in places you'd never dream of tenting (on rocks, above a stream, etc).
4) LNT ethic - hanging from 2 trees, w/ "tree-hugger" straps that don't harm the tree, has less impact on the area than tenting/tarping
dixicritter
04-02-2007, 14:37
I'm hoping to hammock hang (only spent one night in one so far) because due to health issues sleeping on the ground is totally out for me. We just have a couple of issues to work out.
plus its a real good conversation starter... haha
"so where's your tent?... tent? I don't got one"
FanaticFringer
04-02-2007, 15:29
I apologize if this is the wrong spot in the forum for this, but I'm really intrigued by this idea. I'm wondering, why do people use hammocks instead of tents? (Or do I have it totally wrong, and folks carry both?) Do you hang a tarp above the hammock, when it rains? How do you keep water from running down the hammock ropes and getting you soaked, during rainstorms? How do you keep bugs out?
Thanks!
Besides www.hammockforums.net, I would STRONGLY suggest checking out www.tothewoods.net This site is run by the moderator at hammockforums.net
Really great site.
flyingduckmonster
04-02-2007, 15:52
Awesome, folks! Thanks for the info and links!
(I am curious about this hammock thing and will try it out on some of my "practice" hikes, before I decide how I'm packing for my thru-hike next year.)
it is a good site if your into Do It Yourself talk. They are trying to get more info out there for folks just getting into hammocking.
SunnyWalker
04-05-2007, 22:43
After I turned 45 the ground became unforgiving. No pad would help. I would wake numb on the side I was laying on. Laying on the tummy was some relief, but the toes hurt. A hammock removes all of that, is lighter, you will sleep comfortable and longer and feel rested. On long trips you will not return home with (necessarily) a sleep deficiency (when using a hammock). -SunnyWalker
Just Jeff
04-07-2007, 11:54
Reasons I use a hammock:
- I don't wake up with pain in my hips, shoulders and lower back anymore.
- I don't have to worry about finding level ground or clearing rocks, roots, pine cones, etc. Underbrush isn't as much of a problem in hammocks as in ground sleeping. Almost all of my hiking areas have lots of trees - I've never had a problem finding a place to hang.
- I don't crawl around on the wet ground when it rains.
- I sit up in my hammock, nice and dry under my tarp, to get dressed. No hunching over inside the tent.
- No worry about drainage, mud, run-off, etc.
- Lighter than most tents. Weight is comparable to a tarptent. See here for comparisons: http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockGroundWeights.html
- I have a chair-height seat to use for cooking, packing, etc.
But it really just comes down to this - I enjoy my trips more when I use a hammock. That's all that matters.
SunnyWalker
05-29-2008, 23:44
Dear Hammock Engineer: thanks for the links.
gold bond
05-30-2008, 08:28
I am still real real new to the hammock thing and have sure learned alot from my "mistakes"! I'm getting better and have gone as far as to purchase my first hammock and looking at a second totally differant setup! I guess you'd say I'm hung on hammacks now!!
Fat Man Walking
05-30-2008, 09:11
that as hammock hangers, we are "well hung?" :banana
generoll
05-30-2008, 09:24
The weight savings are illusory. My hammock and tarp and straps weigh more them my tent. The comfort is a plus as is the ability to sleep above the wet when it's raining. Finding the right spot for hanging a hammock is about as hard as finding a level spot for a tent. Pretty much a tossup there. You will find true believers on both sides of this issue so pick your own poison and enjoy. The main things is that you are out and doing what you like.
bigcranky
05-30-2008, 11:10
My hammock, straps, and tarp weigh more than my tarp and bivy, though I save some weight since I don't require a thick Thermarest mattress. Total it all up, though, and the hammock is still slightly heavier in warm weather.
So why carry the hammock? Sleeping comfort, ease of finding a campsite, low impact, and did I mention sleeping comfort?
whitefoot_hp
05-30-2008, 13:07
that as hammock hangers, we are "well hung?" :banana
sure does!
gold bond
05-30-2008, 13:09
The weight savings are illusory. My hammock and tarp and straps weigh more them my tent. The comfort is a plus as is the ability to sleep above the wet when it's raining. Finding the right spot for hanging a hammock is about as hard as finding a level spot for a tent. Pretty much a tossup there. You will find true believers on both sides of this issue so pick your own poison and enjoy. The main things is that you are out and doing what you like.
I have to agree! I have not found the nack to finding the two perfect tree's without walking around for 20 min yet. By the time I found the two perfect tree's, 12-14 ft apart etc... everyone else has their tents set up! I'm getting better though!
whitefoot_hp
05-30-2008, 13:14
Finding the right spot for hanging a hammock is about as hard as finding a level spot for a tent. Pretty much a tossup there. .
hmmm... what occurs more often on the majority of hiking trails, 5 by 8 flat dry spots on teh ground with no roots or rocks, or two trees 10-15 feet apart from eachother. hmm......
Interesting thread. My friend Youngblood loaned me one of his hammocks on a 3 day hike in the Smokies, and a 3 day hike in Florida. It was OK, but I have no desire to do it again.
I think the major advantage to hammock hanging is flexibility regarding camping locations. Personally, I find the comfort argument overblown.
What ever you choose, make your campsite look like you weren't there when you leave in the AM.
whitefoot_hp
05-30-2008, 13:26
Interesting thread. My friend Youngblood loaned me one of his hammocks on a 3 day hike in the Smokies, and a 3 day hike in Florida. It was OK, but I have no desire to do it again.
I think the major advantage to hammock hanging is flexibility regarding camping locations. Personally, I find the comfort argument overblown.
What ever you choose, make your campsite look like you weren't there when you leave in the AM.
what type of hammock was it? did you have a pad under you?
what type of hammock was it? did you have a pad under you?
Speer design, with some custom modifications. Yes. there was padding underneath me.
HikerRanky
05-30-2008, 14:07
As a rather large person ( 6'6", 255 lbs) I am always challenged with bedding.... In the house and on the trail.
For years I slept on the ground, and I would ALWAYS wake up with a pain here and a pain there.... it wasn't real bad, but just enough to make getting started in the mornings more of a challenge.
I had heard about hammock camping and decided to try it out... the first couple of times I did it, it wasn't great... I kept sliding down towards the foot of the hammock.
But even with that, when I woke up in the morning, i didn't have ANY joint or limb pains whatsoever.
Last night was such a gorgeous evening here in Middle Tennessee that I got the hammock out ( HH Deluxe Explorer ), climbed in it at 10pm, used my BA Insulated Air Core pad in the hammock and my BA Crystal 35 as a quilt, and promptly fell asleep... Woke up to the sounds of the cicadas at 5:30am... The wind was gently blowing, so it was like sleeping in a boat.... and I LOVE to sleep in a boat!
I still have a tent, and will use it when I'm in a location that I can't hang my hammock... Yes the weight is slightly more than a 2 person tent, but the comfort factor is much better for me... Even with a pad on the ground, it is still not as comfortable to me as hanging.
Just my 2 cents worth...
Randy
tlbj6142
05-30-2008, 14:53
3) it's easier to find 2 trees 12 - 18 ft apart than it is to find flat level ground to pitch a tent (unless you're above tree line), and it's fun to hang a hammock in places you'd never dream of tenting (on rocks, above a stream, etc).Even "below the treeline", finding two correctly spaced and sized trees can be an issue.
Sometimes the trees (and/or surrounding brush) are too dense such that there isn't enough space between trees to setup a hammock.
Sometimes the trees are too big and/or too far apart to string a hammock.
Sometimes the trees are too small to hold a hammock.I've had to deal with #1 and #3 several times. Usually it just means you have to keep on walking. I have no first hand experience with #2, but I have hiked in places where it would have been an issue (my Olympic National Park and Mt. San Jacinto hikes come to mind)
That said, in Eastern NA, most of the time finding a hammock campsite is far easier than a tent campsite.
Even "below the treeline", finding two correctly spaced and sized trees can be an issue.
Sometimes the trees (and/or surrounding brush) are too dense such that there isn't enough space between trees to setup a hammock.
Sometimes the trees are too big and/or too far apart to string a hammock.
Sometimes the trees are too small to hold a hammock.I've had to deal with #1 and #3 several times. Usually it just means you have to keep on walking. I have no first hand experience with #2, but I have hiked in places where it would have been an issue (my Olympic National Park and Mt. San Jacinto hikes come to mind)
That said, in Eastern NA, most of the time finding a hammock campsite is far easier than a tent campsite.
I have never found it difficult to find trees suitable for hanging. Perhaps it is a geography thing. I do all my hanging in NY and PA.
tlbj6142
05-30-2008, 20:34
Perhaps it is a geography thing. That's basically what I said. Even along the AT, there are tree'd sections where it would be difficult. I did a section hike in ME, there was a longer stretch in the Bigelows in which the the trees densely packed small short pine trees. If you wanted to hammock in that 1-2 mile section it would have be difficult.
tlbj6142
05-30-2008, 23:56
If you wanted to hammock in that 1-2 mile section it would have be difficult.I should also point out that there was no place to tent/tarp in the same section.
My trail name was changed for the very reason of looking for 2 trees. It is now 2 Trees. I was quoted saying " all I need is 2 trees 14 ft apart". Not really an issue but I had to look sometimes.
2 Trees
I am a recent convert to the way of the hang/ I went on a hike last April withsome tenters. It has harder finding a spot for them than it was finfing one for me. They are in better shape than I (I'm undertall!) but as the hike went on, I was moving a lot better in the morning and had more energy I think because I slept better and didn't wake up stiff. On that trip I had a thermarest and a sleeping bag. I now have a Jack R Better Underquilt and a top quilt. The wieght savings is very significant. I think that gets left out in the equation sometimes. What is the weight of the hammock/straps/tarp/quilts versus the tent/airpad/sleeping bag. I really enjoyed hanging. The best piece of advice is read up, borrow one if you can and see how it goes.
For me it's about 50% comfort, 30% "I can camp in more places" 10% "You sleep WHERE" factor & 10% Weight & other stuff.
My Hammock set up weighs about the same as my tent set up. My tent requires I have 2 hiking poles, so I count the 1.5 Lb weight of them for my tent & not my hammock, even tho I still carry them when I hammock. But even with that added to my hammock wt, It's only an added 1 Lb or so & once I get the sil nylon tarp made, it will be dead even.
I have camped on a ridge at least 1 mile from where my tent using hiking partners have HAD to walk to. I woke up well rested & refreshed, they slept on the side of a hill & woke up stiff & sore. Even the 15 year old :p I laughed at them, was told to "Shut up!!" :D
I have slept on the ground ONE time since switching to "The Way", I will never make that mistake again! Oh, I still nap on the ground because I get so comfortable in the hammock I tend to sleep way too long (a 1 hr nap lasted 4 hrs on my last AT secton.) so the ground is the only way I can take a short nap & not over sleep. I even sleep on my hammock at home, have been in my bed maybe 40 times in the last year.
cavedive2
05-31-2008, 18:53
As a rather large person ( 6'6", 255 lbs) I am always challenged with bedding.... In the house and on the trail.
For years I slept on the ground, and I would ALWAYS wake up with a pain here and a pain there.... it wasn't real bad, but just enough to make getting started in the mornings more of a challenge.
I had heard about hammock camping and decided to try it out... the first couple of times I did it, it wasn't great... I kept sliding down towards the foot of the hammock.
But even with that, when I woke up in the morning, i didn't have ANY joint or limb pains whatsoever.
Last night was such a gorgeous evening here in Middle Tennessee that I got the hammock out ( HH Deluxe Explorer ), climbed in it at 10pm, used my BA Insulated Air Core pad in the hammock and my BA Crystal 35 as a quilt, and promptly fell asleep... Woke up to the sounds of the cicadas at 5:30am... The wind was gently blowing, so it was like sleeping in a boat.... and I LOVE to sleep in a boat!
I still have a tent, and will use it when I'm in a location that I can't hang my hammock... Yes the weight is slightly more than a 2 person tent, but the comfort factor is much better for me... Even with a pad on the ground, it is still not as comfortable to me as hanging.
Just my 2 cents worth...
Randy
Sleep with foot end higher that will solve you problem with ending at footend
That's basically what I said. Even along the AT, there are tree'd sections where it would be difficult. I did a section hike in ME, there was a longer stretch in the Bigelows in which the the trees densely packed small short pine trees. If you wanted to hammock in that 1-2 mile section it would have be difficult.
I have been hanging a bunch and I have never found a place where I could'nt hang hell now i find myself driving down the interstate lookin at places on the side of the rood that look great.
At first it took a bit to find somthing but now I can see somthing real quick. I dont like to hang in pines much but if weather is cold and blowing that's the first place I look just have to deal with the sap later on.
cavediver_2
Odd Thomas
06-01-2008, 07:01
that as hammock hangers, we are "well hung?" :banana
But does your "tent" "touch the ground?" :p
Hey Odd Thomas, I am in Roch too. Welcome to WB.
But does your "tent" "touch the ground?" :p
well, it can! ;)
BillyBob58
06-04-2008, 23:32
I have to agree! I have not found the nack to finding the two perfect tree's without walking around for 20 min yet. By the time I found the two perfect tree's, 12-14 ft apart etc... everyone else has their tents set up! I'm getting better though!
That has sometimes been a problem for me also, but what has usually caused this problem for me is that I am with tenters. So first of all, we have to find flat level dry ground with out too many rocks and roots for them. Then, as it is a social group, the other hammock guy and I start searching for good trees, which may not be so easy at the spot chosen for our tenting buddies, especially if we are all going to be able to set up pretty close to each other. But usually the limitation has been trying to set up near my friends in their tents. In the meantime often having passed up hundreds of good trees in places where setting up a tent would prove near impossible.
So I have occasionally spent enough time walking around trying to find the right trees that my tenter buddies get set up before me. But I can always break camp much more quickly than them, and usually set up much faster also, more often than not.
But if I'm by myself, this is no issue as long as I am below tree line. I mean, think about it. Assuming there are trees, it is just a matter of hiking a little further. As you start getting about ready to stop hiking for the day, just start looking off the trail for a couple of trees. If you don't see any likely candidates immediately, just keep hiking in the direction you are heading for 5, 10 or 30 minutes, and the likely hood of finding two adequate trees becomes very high indeed. For example, I do a lot of hiking in the very hilly but semi jungle conditions of North MS. Outside of the developed, designated campgrounds, I'd say 99% of the terrain is out of the question for sleeping on the ground. It is either not level/on a hill side, or a nice level spot that is a swamp, or a rare level spot on a ridge top that is choked with brush and roots. Mostly, laying on the ground is just not an option, at least for me. And we have not even yet discussed warm weather problems like snakes and ticks.
But I can almost always find a place to hang in total comfort within 5 or 10 minutes of deciding to do so. Even though about every fourth tree here has a poison ivy vine on it, which slows me up considerably. Often I am on a steep hill side or over mud, roots or low brush, but no matter. I'm still quite comfortable, and can usually get set up quickly. With out the hammock, camping at at all would be strictly limited to the designated campsites around here.
:sun
BillyBob58
06-04-2008, 23:43
P.S.
As great as the comfort is ( my initial reason for switching to a hammock ), this ability to always find a place to camp, even ( especially ) in this difficult terrain, has proven to be the biggest benefit to hammocking. It has literally opened up my local woods to something other than just day hiking or camping with the other folks in the crowded campgrounds. Admittedly, it was usually easier to find a place to sleep on the ground out west. Far less of those "jungle" type of problems. And of course, this great increase in the number of available campsites presumes an abundance of trees. The fewer the trees, the less the advantage.
You can experiment with hammock camping like this:
http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/237103382ByZIeG
To keep the water from running down the ropes into the hammock, use "drip rings" (see the Clark Jungle Hammock site) or "S" hooks, which come on the Traveller hammocks. Another way to minimize (though not prevent) water from reaching the hammock is to tie lengths of cotton line to the hammock rope just before the hammock to wick water off the hanging rope, allowing it to drip to the ground. Either way, the tarp you use over the hammock has to cover the drip devices or they will not work.
Currently I am using an 11 oz. hammock with 8 oz. of rope and a 11 oz. poncho-tarp with an 24 oz. (Golite feather-lite long) sleeping bag over the hammock. Total weight - 53 oz. or less than 4 lbs. for a complete sleep system good to around freezing. I will probably pick up a 7 oz. bug net from Mountain Laurel Designs to complete the package. In very warm weather, when you don't want any insulation whatsoever, you can't beat a Hennessy Hammock Ultralight (mosquitos can't bite through the bottom, but breezes can come through - almost unbelievable).
OOps! Should've rechecked my math! My setup is actually lighter than my calculated total weight.
Incahiker
06-05-2008, 14:57
I tried the hammock thing, but it just doesn't suit me. Every time I go hiking or backpacking I am always looking for spots to set up both my tent and my hammock, and to tell the truth, its always about equal where I can pitch both. On my most recent hike in N. Carolina, I was glad that I didn't bring my hammock because I was able to camp on a bald and both watch the sun rise and sunset from my camping spot. Sure, you can hang off the side of a hill, but I can probably find a spot for my 1 man tent somewhere withing a 20 yard radius. Also, when I pitch a tent I have the option to look at the stars when I fall asleep. In a hammock I noticed that I'm always stairing at the leaves and not stars.
My body also aches and I just can't sleep good in a hammock. Yes I tied it up the way it should have been, practiced at home a lot and even then I didn't sleep that good. Just something about the way it supports my body and head that just doesn't suit me. Oh well, you guys who can do the hammock thing are super lucky in the summer!!
At least I gave it a shot.
ShelterLeopard
06-05-2008, 15:20
Question: I'm trying to decide on a hammock, and I'm thinking Hennessy. Is there any difference between the explorer deluxe and the ultra light backpacker? (Besides the weight, obviously) Has anyone tried either of these, and how do you like them?
(and do you ever have a problem with rain?)
HikerRanky
06-05-2008, 15:52
Question: I'm trying to decide on a hammock, and I'm thinking Hennessy. Is there any difference between the explorer deluxe and the ultra light backpacker? (Besides the weight, obviously) Has anyone tried either of these, and how do you like them?
I have an Explorer Deluxe because I am 6'6" in height, and certainly over the 200 lb limit that the ULB quotes. (255 now). As to if there are any differences between material, I believe that they are the same, except perhaps the ridge line cord material... Send an email to Tom Hennessy to find out for sure.
(and do you ever have a problem with rain?)
The stock tarp that comes with the HH hammocks is, IMHO, too small. While it will cover the hammock, if you store anything under it, it will get wet. I would highly recommend a MacCat Ultra tarp or the 30D tarp from Hennessy. Look under Replacement Rainflys.... I have the 30D, and have yet to get wet inside of the hammock, or my gear that is hung underneath wet either... The 30D is 144"x132" in size, and weighs in at 19oz. The MacCat Ultra is 144"x104", but it weighs in at 15.5oz... You can find MacCat Tarps here (http://www.outdoorequipmentsupplier.com/index.htm).
Hope this helps...
Randy
ShelterLeopard
06-05-2008, 16:43
Thanks very much Randy- you made things a lot easier for me!
I keep thinking about getting into hanging but I do love tents. The thing is I have a 2 man and the room is wonderful to have when going thru gear. Also on a rainy nite 2 people can comfortably hang out to go over trail maps, play cards,etc. It's like having a little house i carry around. Even tho it's a 2 man it only weighs just over 4lb. Mabye someday i will buy a hammock, I may sleep more comfortably but I know I will miss the room.
ShelterLeopard
06-05-2008, 22:41
Sly dog- I'm pretty attached to my solo tent too, and I love my parachute hammock. I always bring both, because the hammock is so light (and inexpensive and strong), and just use it on rest days during the day or clear nights. It's really great, because I'm somewhat unwilling to part with my tent as well. The hammock just makes a nice change sometimes.
It is the tent on the right