View Full Version : tent or hammock
i'm planing a thru hike north. working on a shakedown i still cant make up my mind. i love my hammock but not in the rain, i hate being confined to the hammock. as lite as both have gotten i usually carry both while hiking around, however, i'm not sure if this would be such a good idea for a thru hike. any advice?
Serial 07
11-23-2008, 04:47
carry only one on a thru, that's for sure...i'm so far a ground dweller...if you got the footprint for your tent, i'd just carry rainfly, poles, footprint...
papa john
11-23-2008, 08:54
You don't say what kind of hammock you are using. If it is a Hennessy and you are using the stock tarp, I would upgrade the tarp to something that provides more cover. Then you can use the hammock for a chair or lounge and cook under the tarp. The HH stock flys are just big enough to protect the hammock but not provide additional coverage. Look at a MacCat or the Speer Winter tarp for 2 possibilities.
Lone Wolf
11-23-2008, 09:01
i'm planing a thru hike north. working on a shakedown i still cant make up my mind. i love my hammock but not in the rain, i hate being confined to the hammock. as lite as both have gotten i usually carry both while hiking around, however, i'm not sure if this would be such a good idea for a thru hike. any advice?
carry a tent. dump the hammock
take-a-knee
11-23-2008, 15:35
carry a tent. dump the hammock
Enlightened folks can "hang".:)
papa john
11-23-2008, 15:45
carry a tent. dump the hammock
More trees for the rest of us! ;)
as far as my hammock goes right now i'm using a hammock i bought off the shelf at sportsmans warehouse a couple years back, i made the bug net myself and am using a 9x8 nylon tarp. i am thinking about upgrading to the hennessy though, i really like the idea of it.
another reason i dont like to use it in the rain is i have a problem figuring out what to do with my pack in the rain. i havent found a way to keep it off the ground and dry that i like yet.
papa john
11-23-2008, 16:16
I have a Hennessy for sale. Brand new Expedition Asym. What I normally do is to put on the pack cover and put it under the hammock or hang it from the tree. What have you tried so far?
Hikerhead
11-23-2008, 16:19
To keep it dry, put your pack cover on it and lay it under the hammock on top of your poles. Your poles will help to keep it off the wet ground.
You could also use a heavy duty contractor garbage bag (50 gallon) and place your pack inside of that. This works best under all conditions.
Since I have both a solo four season tent (Hilleberg Akto) and a hammock, I would start with the tent (probably, I've been experimenting with cold weather hammocking with good results), then switch to the hammock when the temps got warmer.
If you start later in the season, you could hammock all the way.
Btw: I'm a fan of larger rainflies for longer trips. I've used a poncho over my basic hammock on weekend trips and have gotten wet from wind driven rain. The stock fly on my HH is only good for protecting the hammock if it's pitched tight in bad weather. It doesn't allow extra room underneath for cooking or packing in the rain.
I'd personally go with a tent. I go batty in hammocks.
volleypc
11-24-2008, 00:06
I am going to have to go with Papa John on this one, it's exactly what I do. I will say you should definetely do some cold weather camping with it first to figure it what works for you. Being tall and having wide shoulders posed a problem with sleeping pads and staying insulated. There is already a thread about it so I won't go into it here, but please practice it first before attempting the thru hike.