My current dilemma

[tintin]

I am in the planning process of a 2010 nobo hike in early March and am a trying to resolve a dilemma I'm having with equipment in terms of:

hammock vs tent
trainers (sneakers) vs walking boots

I have a hennessy hammock that served me very well whilst I was living and working in the jungle earlier this year. The speed it can be put up and down was a joy, especially in torrential downpours. However, even in the tropics, I would awake due to being too cold. A tent would provide more warmth and have the added bonus that it's a bit more "homely". But they can be uncomfortable to sleep in if you don't get a good spot and heavier. I also don't have a practical tent for the trail so it means buying one and eating into more of my budget.

Does anyone have long-term experience with both on the trail?

I would never have considered wearing trainers on the trail until I read up on it more. I consider it to be irresponsible when going up any height over 5,000 ft and would not let any member of a group I was leading go up a mountain without adequate footwear, especially with a heavy pack. Yet I am now tempted by lightweight footwear. I just think it would be a very long flight home if I was forced to board that plane because of a an easily avoidable injury. These are just my thoughts and I want to stress I'm not passing judgment, just what has been drilled into me and what I drill those I've lead as part of my work (expedition leader). But then I've never thru hiked 2000 miles before!

What is more important: practicality or safety?

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[Frick Frack]

Only you can answer that question because either of your two options (tent/hammock & "sneakers"/boots) will work just fine. Anyone can give you recommendations but you should pick what works best for yourself.

Good luck! Have a great hike!

[bigcranky]

Plenty of hammockers have thru-hiked. You need something under your body to keep you warm, just like in a tent. I have used a Ridge Rest pad down to about 20-F in my Hennessy Hammock, and it was fine. Many hammockers use underquilts, though they can be expensive. I've mostly relegated my hammock to summer trips these days, and use a tarp or a tarptent in cold weather.

There is nothing irresponsible or unsafe about using trail runners above 5000 feet. Maybe in serious winter mountaineering conditions -- but then standard hiking boots would be unsafe, too. As long as the pack weight is reasonable, trail runners are a perfectly good choice for most people.

I've met hikers whose feet were so torn up by their big leather hiking boots that they had to get off the trail.

[lazy river road]

I agree with bigcranky....I have never thru so i dont have any trail experience...But I am doing an E2E this summer on the LT. I am choosing to use a hammock and traditional leather hikeing boots. The reason that I am choosing hikeing boots is for these two reason. 1st I am a very clumsy person and I tend to turn my ankle a lot and trip over my self. There for I want the xtra support in the ankles. Secondly I have really bad knees and again want the xtra support the boots provide. I may switch to trail runners along the trail in the souther section but I am going to do the north section in boots. Weigh the pro's and con's of both and come to the best solution for your hike. Have fun