why do most people prefer sleeping on the ground

[neo]

i first used the hennessey hammock in may 2002,but i developed slight discomfort in lower back last year,making ground camping more uncomfortable
sleeping in a hammock is far more comfortable,you can camp in more different places in a hammock than tent or tarp,crowed shelters really suck to,any way
i am glad i switched,my problem with my back completely healed,my dr said he believes hammocking speeded up my recovery,my wife thinks hammock hanging is awesome:cool: neo

[MedicineMan]

maybe feel more in tune with the earth, see Neo hanging in the air makes you ethereal, more Godlike (not a God mind you) just closer to him/her....it must be something like the vortex the crystal people get in places like Sedona, i mean it must be mighty powerful to draw someone away from total comfort/bliss.

[Big Dawg]

...... me included. I've waffled back and forth on whether to buy a hammock for my next shelter. The only reason I've even considered hammocking is because of my fellow whiteblazers raving about it. BUT,, I (& probably a lot of other ground dwellers) are just a little skeptical about the whole idea. I'm currently "lightening the load",, so a new lightweight shelter is in my future plans. I'm just frustrated that I can't go lay down in a hammock to give er a test drive to put my hammocking fears at ease,,, specifically, feeling like I'm in a burrito, not being able to organize my gear as easily as in a tent, & having to use as a bivy when above treeline-(doesn't seem easy to get in a HH hammock when it's laying on the ground). It's not feasable for me to travel several hours or more just to sit in a hammock (I had considered going to Hot Springs/Damascus in the past month because of Trail Days/Fest,, but just wasn't able to). I really don't want to order a hammock just to test out & return if I don't like. I think once Hammocks are widely available at outfitters,,, a lot more people may discover the comfort & convienence of hammocks. NEO,,, any suggtestion on my dilemma?

[TakeABreak]

Well I prefer sleeping on the ground because I feel free-er than in with a tarp hanging over me. Even when using my bivy sack I normally leave the top unzipped. Plus when I really tired I snore really, really bad. not all the time just after a long hard day and when I snore, if I wake myself up (which I have done) I roll over onto my side and the snoring stops. Also I tell people if I start snoring just tell me to roll over and I will, I just don't think I would sleep well on my side or face down in a hammock.

I aslo prefer winter hiking and when it is bad weather in the winter time, you can into a shelter (not many people out there in january and february, especially during the week), which are designed for platform sleeping. they are not structurally designed for hammock hanging in them, plus people like me, do NOT want hammocks hanging over them in a shelter.

I will say this, I have never used a hammock for backpacking either, I layed in one once and it was not very comfortable to me.

[MOWGLI]

Well... for one thing, the ground is soft. I feel rooted when tenting. For another, I like sleeping next to my wife on those infrequent occasions when she joins me (like next weekend when we do Carvers Gap to 19E!@!!)

While I have only spent three nights in a hammock - and I enjoyed it - it's not the be-all and end-all for me. There are freedoms associated with hammocking that don't exist with a tent - such as pitching on a slope. But for my money, I still prefer tenting. Guess I'm old fashioned in that respect.

[Just Jeff]

I just don't think I would sleep well on my side or face down in a hammock.Every time I sleep in my hammock, I'm on my side. You just have to learn how to pitch it right (sag is different for each person and hammock model), and a few tricks like putting a pillow (stuff sack w/ clothes) between your knees to releive back pressure.

Here's a picture of Youngblood sleeping almost on his stomach:
http://www.geocities.com/jwj32542/HammockCamping.html (http://[url=/)


I aslo prefer winter hiking and when it is bad weather in the winter time, you can into a shelter Bring a pad to keep you warm in the hammock (you'll need bottom insulation in the winter)...then you can duck into a shelter if you want. Once you get used to hammocking, you might not want to, though!


plus people like me, do want hammocks hanging over them in a shelter.
Agreed.


I layed in one once and it was not very comfortable to me.It takes a little fidgeting to learn how to be comfortable, sometimes. No moreso than ground sleeping (clearing roots and rocks, learning about ground covers, drainage, etc). It's just that most people already know how to do that and to be comfortable in a hammock they have to learn something new.

Check out the test hammock on Risk's page http://www.imrisk.com (http://www.imrisk.com/) if you want to make a $10 test hammock with no sewing. Experiment for a few days, and if you don't like it then you only spent $10 and you still have a hammock for the backyard.

And don't forget...hammocks have tarps on them, so if you're above treeline you can still pitch it as a simple tarp and not even worry about using the hammock as a bivy.

[Youngblood]

...... me included. I've waffled back and forth on whether to buy a hammock for my next shelter. The only reason I've even considered hammocking is because of my fellow whiteblazers raving about it. BUT,, I (& probably a lot of other ground dwellers) are just a little skeptical about the whole idea. I'm currently "lightening the load",, so a new lightweight shelter is in my future plans. I'm just frustrated that I can't go lay down in a hammock to give er a test drive to put my hammocking fears at ease,,, specifically, feeling like I'm in a burrito, not being able to organize my gear as easily as in a tent, & having to use as a bivy when above treeline-(doesn't seem easy to get in a HH hammock when it's laying on the ground). It's not feasable for me to travel several hours or more just to sit in a hammock (I had considered going to Hot Springs/Damascus in the past month because of Trail Days/Fest,, but just wasn't able to). I really don't want to order a hammock just to test out & return if I don't like. I think once Hammocks are widely available at outfitters,,, a lot more people may discover the comfort & convienence of hammocks. NEO,,, any suggtestion on my dilemma?James,

This is the best time of year to use hammocks. Like anything else they are not for everyone and there are always a few people who tend to exaggerate the strength and weaknesses of particular hammocks or hammocks in general for that matter. A lot of it is personal preference; just like some ground dwellers prefer to be completely closed in with a tent while others prefer the openess of tarps. You get another chance this weekend to maybe 'kick the tires' of various hammocks at Hot Springs while the Bluff Mountain Bluegrass Festival is going on. See this for info: http://www.speerhammocks.com/Assets/HotSpringsJun05.htm . You're welcome to come and don't have to have a hammock. I've got a spare hammock setup that I can bring if you want to try one out. I'm not sure who all will be there and what kind of hammocks will be represented but usually there are several types and I would imagine that most folks wouldn't mind giving you the low-down on what they use and maybe even let you climb inside for a short while.

Youngblood

[David S.]

I have a HH and have enjoyed the many advantages that you frequently hear people touting. For me personaly, I must have some sort of physiological condition in my chest because when I wake up in the morning from sleeping in the HH, I feel like I have to cough a few times as there is a sort of stiffness in my lungs. I think it may come from the action of the hammock as it has a tendancy to roll the shoulders together. This issue doesn't keep me from using it though. I think I'm probably about 50/50 ground/hammocker. I like the combination of a large tarp with the HH. That way I have the ultimate in flexibility. I can sleep on the ground under the large tarp if the forest floor looks inviting. Or I can sleep in the trees if there is not a suitable area to sleep on the ground. It is a heavier setup than just a straight tarp or straight HH but the flexibility it gives me can hardly be improved upon...and its still lighter than almost any tent. Also, I find that with the large tarp (a sil-nylon two person Ray Jardine style tarp) my enjoyment factor when its raining goes up significantly.

[tlbj6142]

They are a bit freaky, and for whatever reason folks are too afraid to try "new" things. Social/peer pressure is just as strong on the trail as it is in the mall. This is a bit odd given that we are sleeping in the woods carrying all of our gear. Isn't that "freaky" or "new"?

Regarding thru-hikers in particular, I think the lazyness factor cannot be overlooked. Sleeping in shelters (to many folks) requires less work. Which is why many folks end up in shelters despite having a goal of "never spending a night in those mouse infested snore shacks". Then, at the end of their "journey", they have "spend fewer nights in shelters" on their top-10 list of thing they would do differently.

Whatever, be happy you are sleeping in a hammock and let other folks figure them out on their own. Honestly, if everyone started using hammocks, I think we'd be in trouble. As I suspect administrators (administrators love to stop anything that is new and doesn't give them more money or power) would find something "bad" about them and require us to stay in designated hammock zones. Hasn't that already happened in one of the national parks out west? Rainer?

[Moon Monster]

I haven't tried one yet because: I sleep mostly on my stomach, some on my sides, and almost never on my back. I enjoy the 4"x7" stuff size of my tarp. I enjoy the 14 oz. weight of my tarp. And I enjoy camping places like the outcrop in Pennsylvania I was at Saturday night, where there was nothing higher than pebbles standing off the ground.

Nevertheless, I am extremely intrigued by these things. Someday, when I've got the cash for the experiment, I will try one out.

It'd be a cool thing if Hennessy had a sort of trial or rental program. Does anyone know if the outfitters that sell these do rentals? Harpers Ferry or Rockfish Gap for instance?

[trippclark]

I haven't tried one yet because: I sleep mostly on my stomach, some on my sides, and almost never on my back. I enjoy the 4"x7" stuff size of my tarp. I enjoy the 14 oz. weight of my tarp. And I enjoy camping places like the outcrop in Pennsylvania I was at Saturday night, where there was nothing higher than pebbles standing off the ground.

Nevertheless, I am extremely intrigued by these things. Someday, when I've got the cash for the experiment, I will try one out.

It'd be a cool thing if Hennessy had a sort of trial or rental program. Does anyone know if the outfitters that sell these do rentals? Harpers Ferry or Rockfish Gap for instance?

Moon Monster,

Thought you'd be interested, given the info in your post. I cannot explain why, but in my experience folks (myself included), who in a tent or in a bed cannot sleep on their backs, find this very doable and comfortable in a hammock. I guess it is the different type of support . . . not sure. I have had several folks, who I have let borrow my hammock, say the same thing . . . they can't sleep on their backs "normally" but easily and comfortably do so in a hammock.

Tripp

[Footslogger]

Can't speak for everyone else ...but I prefer a ground based shelter of some sort because I like to pull my pack in and spread out a bit, especially on distance hikes. I like to journal or read at night and found that I couldn't do that to my satisfaction in a hammock. Plus, I recently acquired a 23 oz shelter complete with mesh and floor.

And yes ...I own and like my hammock. On short trips in the warmer months it's my shelter of choice. I've tried most of the cold weather adaptations available and I'm just not willing to go to all that trouble to be comfortable in cold weather. By the time I add all those features to my hammock it's too complicated and heavy (relatively speaking) and it's lost its appeal as a lightweight shelter ...at least for me. I could already be snug in my sleeping bag reading a book or writing down my thoughts for the day.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Alligator]

Can't play cards in a hammock.

[Footslogger]

Can't play cards in a hammock.==============================
Well ...I guess you could add a little velcro tab to each card and a strip on the upper surface of the hammock and at least knock out a game of solitaire.

'Slogger

[Mags]

Not too many trees at times in the high country of Colorado. :)

[Tha Wookie]

Not too many trees at times in the high country of Colorado. :)
Nor in the deserts of California...

Or the High Sierras...

Or the Baja Peninsula...

But there's always ground

-and it's free!!!:clap

[bulldog49]

Plenty of reasons to choose tenting over hammocking.

I never sleep on my back and when I sleep on a soft mattress I develope a backache. To me, sleeping on a pad on the ground is like sleeping on a firm matress which I find very comfortable, whereas a hammock I believe would not provide the level of firm support I need for a comfortable nights sleep.

Plus, I like the fact that when I wake up in a pouring rain, I can pack everything while inside my tent and get in my rain wear before I take down my shelter. Hammocks are too claustrophobic for my taste.

[Jack Tarlin]

Mags put it very well.

Hammocks are all well and good, but many of my favorite places to camp (on the AT and elsewhere) are treeless. Kinda hard to sling a hammock in places like this.....in such cases, sleeping on the ground seems to be a pretty sensible alternative.

[bulldog49]

Can't play cards in a hammock.

There's something else you can't do in hammock that is even more fun than cards. :D

[Just Jeff]

There's something else you can't do in hammockEh...Says who?

[Frosty]

There's something else you can't do in hammock that is even more fun than cards. :DYou're right! You can't play dominos in a hammock!

There are lots of places in the White Mtns where there are few good tentsites because the ground slopes steeply and/or is covered with rocks, but there are plenty of trees. On the other had, I've been lots of places where there are lots of great tentable ground, but no hammockable trees. I guess it's a wash.

Overall, I find hammocks are great for napping in the yard, but I'm leery of them for backpacking because of rain. Having spent lots of time idling away rainy mornings in a tent, I doubt I'd ever wake up to driving rain in a hammock and decide to take a zero day.

Also, my tent has a vestibule that I can cook in, abeit carefully. No matter how careful I am, though, I am NOT ging to lay in a hammock, place a pepsi can stove on my belly, and boil some water :)

[rickb]

"Hammockable" I wonder how long until that one make it into the OED. :)

But speaking of hamockable trees, I am curious. As long as the trees are stout, whats the maximum distance that hamockable trees can be apart for each other and still be hammocable?

Rick B

[neo]

this is the way life should be lol:cool: neo

[Alligator]

There's something else you can't do in hammock that is even more fun than cards. :D
Just like cards and Solitaire there are exceptions, but you don't want to go blind...:D

[MOWGLI]

Just like cards and Solitaire there are exceptions, but you don't want to go blind...:D


So... this little boy gets caught playing with himself, and his mother says, "Johnny, stop that or you'll go blind!" Litlle Johnny thinks about that for a moment and says, "Mommy, can't I do it til I need glasses?" :D

[neo]

So... this little boy gets caught playing with himself, and his mother says, "Johnny, stop that or you'll go blind!" Litlle Johnny thinks about that for a moment and says, "Mommy, can't I do it til I need glasses?" :D

that,s an old one,lol:cool: neo

[Lone Wolf]

Hammocks are for the back yard to lay in with a cold brew after mowing the lawn.

[neo]

Hammocks are for the back yard to lay in with a cold brew after mowing the lawn.
do you have one in your back yard lone wolf:cool: neo

[Lone Wolf]

No, but if I did it would be a real one not one of those small wimpy-ass backpacking ones.

[MOWGLI]

No, but if I did it would be a real one not one of those small wimpy-ass backpacking ones.

Lone Wolf fires a salvo across Neo's bow.

[Moon Monster]

Moon Monster,

Thought you'd be interested, given the info in your post. I cannot explain why, but in my experience folks (myself included), who in a tent or in a bed cannot sleep on their backs, find this very doable and comfortable in a hammock. I guess it is the different type of support . . . not sure. I have had several folks, who I have let borrow my hammock, say the same thing . . . they can't sleep on their backs "normally" but easily and comfortably do so in a hammock.

Tripp

trippclark, this is good input for me to cinsider. Thanks for the post.

[Just Jeff]

Also, my tent has a vestibule that I can cook in, abeit carefully. No matter how careful I am, though, I am NOT ging to lay in a hammock, place a pepsi can stove on my belly, and boil some water :)
No, but it's just like any other tarp. I often lay in my hammock, nice and dry under my tarp, and put my stove on the ground next to me and cook. I can prepare my whole meal from the hammock (not a Hennessey), or I can sit on the ground under the tarp and stretch out on a trashbag groundcover and do whatever.

Even play solitaire or make myself blind.

Of course, hammocks ARE smaller than most tents, as LW pointed out (as if size matters). Usually weigh less, too. And are more comfortable, but who cares about that? Not tough guys like LW! :bse

[Hammock Hanger]

Even play solitaire or make myself blind.:bse



:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Ridge]

I would be afraid a bear would confuse me in a hammock with a hanging bag of grub. Also, I like to put my pack in the tent with me. My husband does also. hikerwife.

[fiddlehead]

A guy named Stephen Penn (or Pern) wrote a book about the CDT after he hiked it back in the 80's i believe. He was the first to put it into words for me that he prefers sleeping on the ground because it is not perfectly flat like a bed or floor. Some of us prefer that indentation in the ground where we can find a place for our hipbone, or knee, or shoulder, etc. that we can't seem to find on a flat surface. I think it's just another way for nature to show us that imperfection and randomness can be the best way. anyway, when i finish any thru-hike, after sleeping on the ground for so long, it is always hard to get used to a bed again. I prefer a thin sleeping pad perhaps for this same reason.
Now that i'm living in Thailand, i find that most Thai people prefer the hard floor to a bed. Now, i had a hard time with the hard floor for a while as they have almost all tile floors here, but have learned to like it although we now have a thin mattress. (i guess i'm just a softy) but hammocks? sorry my back doesn't like them and i've spent some time in one but sleeping in that position doesn't work for me.
And Balt. Jack said a lot when he said his preferred location for sleeping doesn't have trees around.

[Hammock Hanger]

I would be afraid a bear would confuse me in a hammock with a hanging bag of grub. Also, I like to put my pack in the tent with me. My husband does also. hikerwife.
Actually, there was a night where I had quite the conversation with a bear, explaining that I was not a food bag or a taco. Eventually he decided to hike a mile down the trail and check out what was at the Abington Shelter. :D

SUe/HH

[Sly]

I just wouldn't feel safe cooking breakfast or dinner in a hammock, while laying in my sleeping bag, like I am with my tarp or Nomadlite.

[Just Jeff]

To each his own. It does take some practice, and it's not for everybody. As long as you're comfortable out there, HYOH!

[The Cheat]

My only problem with a hammock is worrying that the places where you need to hang are closer to the ticks and poison ivy. Or am I just being paranoid?

I've had lyme disease at least twice, don't look forward to the next time.:o

[Just Jeff]

I think it would be easier to get a tick by sleeping on the ground than laying in a hammock with a tarp over you.

Of course, enclosed tents and bugnet-hammocks will solve the problem just the same.

[titanium_hiker]

are people sleeping at the prescribed diagonal? I have had back surgery and think that a hammock is comfortable- I sleep in my speer every night. I have a bed, but the speer is so much nicer. side sleeping in a hammock is definitly possible, as is rolling over. I find that I roll off a pad when ground sleeping, the hammock keeps me in - I haven't fallen out yet.

titanium_hiker

[rpettit]

I sleep in a HH on the prescribed diagonal. I can comfortably sleep on my back, either side, and in a fetal position. Moving and shifting around is not difficult. Stomach sleeping, in my opinion, would not be very comfortable. I think that it would be safer to cook under an open spread out tarp than in a partially enclosed tent vestibule, but I never really tried. It took me a few nights to get use to hammock sleeping, but after that, I sleep much better than I ever did in a tent. No more sore hips. To each their own, I'm hanging with the tree dwellers.

[cmr_hiker]

i guess getting people to understand that hammocks are more comfortable is like trying to convinve the flatlanders the world is round.

my word, one night in the hammock, during a thunderstorm, and the tent is gonna head towards ebay! lol hammocks 4tehW! ROFLBBQs!

[neo]

that,s the spirit:cool: neo

[Moon Monster]

i guess getting people to understand that hammocks are more comfortable is like trying to convinve the flatlanders the world is round.


I swear I will try one when I can budget the money for the experiment (it's near the top of my list), but out of all pieces of gear that attract devout and happy fans, this better-than-thou preaching is something I only see with fans of hammocks. And I reference not only Whiteblaze.net but other gear-related websites and folks on the trail.

Just tout the reasons you are happy with the product and let the product speak for itself.

Over on the threads about hiking in sandals (an equally revolutionary idea to most people), non-users are lambasting the users. Here, it's the users lambasting the non-users.

[borntired]

I like my little home-made tarp tent cause it's warmer than a shelter. I'm completely out of the wind when inside it. I have a hard time imagining a hammock would be as warm as the t-t. And knowing myself as I do, if I tried hammocks I'm sure I'd end up with five of them till I found one I like.

[bulldog49]

I swear I will try one when I can budget the money for the experiment (it's near the top of my list), but out of all pieces of gear that attract devout and happy fans, this better-than-thou preaching is something I only see with fans of hammocks. And I reference not only Whiteblaze.net but other gear-related websites and folks on the trail.

Just tout the reasons you are happy with the product and let the product speak for itself.

Over on the threads about hiking in sandals (an equally revolutionary idea to most people), non-users are lambasting the users. Here, it's the users lambasting the non-users.


Well put Moon Monster. It's no different than folks who think they believe in the one true religion and feel compelled to convert everyone to it. It's fun to hear about other ideas, but when discussion changes to preaching it's not fun.

I'd add that some alchol stove fanatics are as bad as the hammockers.

[Lone Wolf]

Leki pole freaks too.

[Alligator]

Harley Riders:eek:.

[titanium_hiker]

yes- monetary considerations and all the confusing options can cause people to shy away from hammocks.
I'm a Christian, and I see the same problems of 'argressive evangelism' in my faith and in Hammocks too. I guess once people have seen the light- they want everyone to see the light (not that its right to attack people for non-belief)
warmth- ok- this is an issue. Fixed with a little creative thinking.

this sandal wearing hammocking camper knows that you must try before you discredit.

[Frosty]

Leki pole freaks too.And non-pole freaks too (from another humorous thread):


people are constantly complaining about their expensive (staves are free) hiking poles breaking (that they have to go to a town to replace, unlike staves) while in use, while I have never broken a hiking pole in my life. Too, poles have poor utility in fending off loose dogs over 5 pounds and other varmints, relative to staves. Then, there's the constant "CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK" poles make (compared to the near-inaudibility of a stave

[D'Artagnan]

I find that when I return from the trail after sleeping in my HH it takes me a couple nights to adjust to sleeping in a conventional bed again. I don't know if it's the comfort of the hammock or that I'm usually dog-tired, but I sleep like a baby as soon as I get inside the hammock.

I won't attempt to proselytize to the anti-hammockers among us too much, but if you have never tried one, do yourself a favor, find one and jump in for a little bit. You may discover, as I did, that a skeptic can be converted. Heck, I never thought I'd like broccoli either but once I tried it I haven't been able to get enough.

Another bonus for me personally is that while I'm snug and restful in my HH, there aren't mice racing back and forth across my chest. Call me a wuss, but I ain't in it for the rodents.

[bulldog49]

I find that when I return from the trail after sleeping in my HH it takes me a couple nights to adjust to sleeping in a conventional bed again. I don't know if it's the comfort of the hammock or that I'm usually dog-tired, but I sleep like a baby as soon as I get inside the hammock.

I won't attempt to proselytize to the anti-hammockers among us too much, but if you have never tried one, do yourself a favor, find one and jump in for a little bit. You may discover, as I did, that a skeptic can be converted. Heck, I never thought I'd like broccoli either but once I tried it I haven't been able to get enough.

Another bonus for me personally is that while I'm snug and restful in my HH, there aren't mice racing back and forth across my chest. Call me a wuss, but I ain't in it for the rodents.

I've never had a mouse racing on my chest in my tent either. Don't see what this has to do with the price of eggs.

[Mags]

So where do I set up my hammock in the desert of above treeline? ;)


OK..I'll stop being a smartass. :)

[sawwhetowl]

I've slept in several hammocks over the years, and have ALWAYS returned to sleeping on the ground.(with an airmat of course) My most recent experiment, with a HH, left me with sore heels, ***? I'm back on my airmat! I do carry a LW (6oz) hammock for lounging around camp, but for sleeping in place for 6-15 hrs. I prefer an airmat on the cold hard earth!

[titanium_hiker]

I think people don't try hammocks the 'right' way- or they don't want to experiment. They get in, wake up, groan, sell the hammock. :) :) :) :) When a horse bucks...

just worked out how to get my hex hammock tarp set up in a handy dandy shelter for the ground.

no offense- you can choose to suffer on the ground if you wish, :) no flames please!

[bulldog49]

I think people don't try hammocks the 'right' way- or they don't want to experiment. They get in, wake up, groan, sell the hammock. :) :) :) :) When a horse bucks...

just worked out how to get my hex hammock tarp set up in a handy dandy shelter for the ground.

no offense- you can choose to suffer on the ground if you wish, :) no flames please!


I don't suffer on the ground, and it's arrogant of you to presume so. If you don't wish to be flamed, don't be so condescending. I have slept in a hammock and find them uncomfortable. What works for one dosen't work for all. Insecure people need others to conform to their way of thinking for validation. I could care less how you choose to sleep, it's a personal choice but I resent this attitude that folks who don't use a hammock are morons or idiots. I sleep on the ground because I choose to do so, not because I don't know any better.

[Sand Crab]

You people are killing me! Soon I won't be able to go hiking at all! I already have skulk around through the bushes dodging the 'enlightened' so that people won't see that I still use boots, hiking poles, and non-name brand clothing so that I don't offend those who think that anyone who doesn't do it their way are idiots and shouldn't be allowed outside the city limit signs (I wonder if they are the same ones who turned their nose up at other kids who didn't wear the 'cool' fashions). Now I'll have to stealth camp so that no one sees that I use a hammock and thinks that I'm one of those 'enlightened' holier-than-thou a--holes who are intolerant of the way anyone else who doesn't do it their way lives their lives. It sure is going to get lonely out there if you can only abide those who do everything exactly like you do it!

[Jaybird]

i first used the h(why use a name brand)***y hammock in may 2002,but i developed slight discomfort in lower back last year,making ground camping more uncomfortable
sleeping in a hammock is far more comfortable,you can camp in more different places in a hammock than tent or tarp,crowed shelters really suck to,any way
i am glad i switched,my problem with my back completely healed,my dr said he believes hammocking speeded up my recovery,my wife thinks hammock hanging is awesome:cool: neo


i think hammock hanging is a sign of THE END TIMES... :dance

[titanium_hiker]

I don't suffer on the ground, and it's arrogant of you to presume so. If you don't wish to be flamed, don't be so condescending. I have slept in a hammock and find them uncomfortable. What works for one dosen't work for all. Insecure people need others to conform to their way of thinking for validation. I could care less how you choose to sleep, it's a personal choice but I resent this attitude that folks who don't use a hammock are morons or idiots. I sleep on the ground because I choose to do so, not because I don't know any better.
and whats wrong with a little humour? :eek:

Ok- so you have made a well informed descision. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as you know what you are doing.

my gripe is people who have never tried a hammock (and tried it in the right way- diagonal, yadda yadda) and say its stupid.

Why are you people in the hammock forum anyway if you are ground sleepers?

end times- no, that's barcodes. :) :) :)

oh btw :) <-- this means that I'm being friendly and perhaps a little funny.:rolleyes:
:jump:datz

[C-Stepper]

So...maybe I'll join into the discussion...newb thoughts here.

I have considered trying a hammock, since, as a scientist, I prefer to experiment before dismissing an idea :)

However, after much deliberation I decided not to try a hammock (I'd have to shell out $$$$)...after reading and re-reading, I am just not convinced that it has any means of improving on what I already have.

1. I'm a VERY cold sleeper.

2. I sleep on my side.

3. I'm comfortable with the system I have--can't get more comfy than, well, comfy.

4. No real cut in weight from my current system, as far as I can see. From what I see, my current ground sleeping system is lighter than most equivalent hammockers' systems. I just haven't had enough cause to believe it's worth a try. My sleeping system is a Tarptent Squall, a Marmot Helium, and a 9 oz Ridgerest (and an additional BA insul pad at 30F or below).

5. I can use my system in pretty much any weather that I would encounter where/when I hike. Over and over, hammockers seem to die out when the temps get below 30 or so, but I've camped in my Tarptent already (I've been backpacking since October) in temps well below this.

Not the lightest shelter/sleeping system, certainly, but comfortable for me and rugged and easy to use. Why should I switch?

[titanium_hiker]

the ability to sleep in "bizzare" (nonflat) (non frequented by bears other pests etc) places is why you should switch. You don't need to look for flat ground to pitch. You can sleep on the ground if neccesary. (coldness)

titanium_geek

[Jester2000]

Ahh, but there are other "bizarre" places, i.e. non-tree places, where (correct me if I'm wrong) the hammock won't work. So it's all pretty much a wash, ain't it?

I kind of like sleeping on the ground because I can't fall off.
And I'm comfortable there.
And I can't find a hammock heavy enough, although those braided deelies with the wood ends might do the trick.

Just one quick one here:
I said to her, "I want you in the worst way." So we did it standing up in a hammock.

[titanium_hiker]

you have a tarp for the hammock? then you can choose to sleep in a big, comfy, light hammock in the trees, and if no trees are available, you can still set up on the ground. (this applies to the last quote too.)
Comfort- fine! no really. whatever floats your boat.
wieght- hehehe. find and read shane's "but how much does it weigh, the gram weenies chant" (I'm a lazy bum, so I'll post the link sometime later.)

[neo]

i love hammock hanging and so does my wife:cool:

[MedicineMan]

to me the HH was revolutionary and to many others i'm sure, and with something like this folks just want to share the news, too bad some come off as preaching when hopefully their intent is just to share the rapture of something that may have made hiking more enjoyable or maybe even possible again.
I remember the story (but not from where) of the S. American they brought up back in the 1800s, when offered a bed he asked what he had done to deserve to be punished. I too have found close friends who do not care for the HH at all, consider it confining and the positioning uncomfortable, so agreed it is not for everybody.
I do think that many (including me) found sleeping in colder and colder temps a challenge to overcome, now I would not hesitate to pack a hammock even if i knew the temps would be below 10F.
I dont think any hammocker will win the weight war, especially in the colder temps.
For others it is the coolness factor (lit. and fig.), either making their own or just getting that fuzzy childish feeling when swaying---maybe a feeling that goes all the way back to the womb.

[justusryans]

i seriously considered a hammock for my thruhike in 06. while i havn't tried one, i like the versitility of them. set up on trees or on land. lightweight, not the lightest but close. however the reason i'm using a tent for my thruhike is i have not seen a 2 person hammock yet. my wife is joining me next year. if there is a 2 person hammock out there and i don't know it please respond. enquiring minds want to know. if not then i'll be using a golite hex 3 with nest 4 pounds, 3 person 4 season! for 2 people it will be nice and roomy!

[titanium_hiker]

hmm... I don't know about "camping hammocks" (aka hennesy etc) but in venezuela you can buy six person hammocks- you see whole families taking a nap in them. :)

you could make your own and make it big- or you could see risk's site on side by side hammocks - http://www.imrisk.com/hammock/ultradoublehammock.htm - of course that's just for sleeping....

[Jonas4321]

Whenever I read a post by someone that is very enthusiastic about the topic, I pay attention to every word they wrote. It's these "preachy" posts that help me make decisions about what to try and what not to. I am pretty sure that most of us operate this way, but I might be alone.

What changes a preacher into a bully, whether about hammocks or religion or tea vs. coffee is when they start demeaning others for their beliefs and experiences, and also when people start giving opinions about something they themselves have never tried.

I hope that people that are excited about an idea or a technology never stop posting enthusiastically, but I wish everyone would stop short of tearing down someone else's feelings or experiences or desires. We all have thresholds of what we will and won't try, and those should be respected.

I also wish that people without experience on a topic would ask more questions and opine less. One of the joys of life (to me) is that we all have a lot we can learn.

Hammocking has, for me, made camping possible again, but I find myself sleeping next to some very asleep (I assume comfortably) people in tents and tarps and shelters, and that's great. It's while we are awake that I enjoy our similarities most, anyway. That does not mean I'll stop using the word "love" next to "my hammock", just because someone might think me too preachy. It's the truth, and it's based on my experience to date. I fully expect that I'll find something I like even more before I die.

To each his (or her) own. Sleep well.

[Dances with Mice]

if there is a 2 person hammock out there and i don't know it please respond. enquiring minds want to know.http://www.terrelogic.com/index.htm

Not an endorsement, never seen one.

[justusryans]

looked at the terrelogic, cool but a little too narrow for 2 . can't sleep on top of each other all the time, or can we ... :clap

[TOW]

you see i'm a fat guy and i could just see me in a hammock, shoot no! i enjoy sleeping on the ground for a variety of reasons and most of it is all about survival. if i were in a hammock, there is no way i could get a move on if i had to in a hurry without falling out of the thing probably. from the ground i can get motivated alot faster and get busy if i have to....

[Jester2000]

One of the joys of life (to me) is that we all have a lot we can learn.

Amen, and goodnight.