TO hammock or not TO hammock?

[Whisky]

Hey, whiteblaze,

Looking for some advice.

I'm planning a 2013 thru-hike. I'm an Aussie bloke, and don't have a lot of experience hiking/camping at altitudes above a few hundred feet.

My questions is this:

Is it possible to use a hammock the entire AT? Will I ever need to camp above tree line outside of a shelter? I watn to take a hammock, for the lightweight aspect, but worry I'll be running the risk of having nowhere to set it up?

Any veterans out there can impart some wisdom?

Thanks in advance,

Whisky (Joe)

[Rain Man]

Whisky Joe, you might want to go over to www.hammockforums.net and ask this same question. It's THE hammock backpacking site on the web. But to partially answer your question, I have hiked over 1,000 miles of the AT, from Georgia to Pennsylvania and I'd say you can hammock hang just about the entire way. Have not hiked up north yet, but I believe the amount of time you spend above tree line is a tiny fraction of the entire AT.

Rain:sunMan

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[ItsGodsWater]

My friend has been on the trail since february and he been doing the hammock thing. He is heading SoBo and it seems to be working out for him.

[kayak karl]

people say the whites are a problem, but i hung the first 500 miles SOBO no problem. takes a little planning to skip over the huts and stay at camps.

[1azarus]

If you are hooked on hammocks you can definitely make it work even in the very few areas that are more difficult. I've hammocked through the smokies and the white mountains - the two most challenging places to hammock...but I wouldn't sleep any other way.if you want to couch your bets you can bring a pad instead of an under quilt so you can stay in a shelter from time to time. I only hope you plan on using an aussie fosters beer can for a pot.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

[Kaptain Kangaroo]

G'day Whisky,

Here's a perspective from a fellow Aussie, I used a tent to start my thru in 2006, but swapped out to a hammock in NY (eventually went back to the tent) You will not have any problems finding somewhere to hang on most of the AT. Obviously anywhere above treeline is an issue, but that is not a lot of distance & you can always get back below treeline to camp. it is no more difficult finding a place to hang your hammock than it is to find a flat spot to put a tent (in fact in some places it is easier) so no need to worry about it.

Have you tried a hammock yet ?? Can be nice & light, although you can get tents/tarps that are just as light. I loved the concept of the hammock, but just found that it did not suit me. I am a very restless sleeper & move around a lot. I found that the hammock does resist somewhat when you try to move & as a result I was constantly waking up. But many people love them, so give it a go.......

Also, happy to answer any questions you have about the AT, equipmetn, travel plans etc.. It is a little more logistically difficult when you travel from the other side of the planet......but the upside is that Aussies seem to have a pretty good success rate !

Cheers,

kaptain kangaroo

[leaftye]

Nice, a spammer that's into hammocks.

[BaconTime]

I thru-hiked the AT last year and used a hammock the entire way. Tried to stay in my hammock more often than the shelters due to the comfort. I would agree that it is easier to find a place to hang vs finding a flat spot to put up a tent. Using the hammock allowed me to hang in some pretty cool spots too, such as on some cliffs where you get great views. Nothing to worry about if you want to use it so go for it.

Live it up,
Leak