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I much prefer my hammock to a tent.
I thru hiked the JMT this August and went to a ground setup for fear of a lack of good hammock spots.
In retrospect I could have easily used my hammock everynight except one without much effort.
Could thru hiking the CT be done easily with a hammock? Meaning will I have trouble finding opportunities to hammock without having to plan my day around it?
Thanks yall
Check out beardo and Sweetoea @ longdistancehiker.com, they hung but several others I spoke with said it was a pita and really had to plan your day around it...when I redo CT I’ll stick to the ground but didn’t see many issues using hammock for first half and maybe switch to ground after Collegiate West.
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I don't know if you been over to hammockforums or not, but there are a couple of members over there (may be members here too) that have done exactly what you are asking about. I hung out with them at Grayson Highlands, not to long after they had completed their CT thru hike - a few years back now. They are: hipbone and mtn goat. They've thru hiked long distance trails in addition to the CT. Great couple for sure, and maybe a great source of info for you.
u.w.
Quote:
Originally Posted by saltysack
Thats what I was worried about. I have no doubt a ground setup is more flexible, especially on a a hike such as this. But I sleep so much better in my hammock and my setup is super dialed in.
I was told the same thing about the JMT and there was only one night (guitar lake) where I would not have been able to hang.
Quote:
Originally Posted by u.w.
Yes, I am a hammock forum member as well. THanks for the heads up!
I will likely redo the CT next fall and will likely hang till monarch pass then go to ground as will plan a stay at simple hostel in Salina where can easily mail home hammock set up.....Quote:
Originally Posted by blue indian
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Salida
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I hiked the CDT last year, which parallels the CT for a few hundred miles so I'm only speaking to the CDT section. If you're willing to plan your route and daily miles around finding trees I think you can make it happen most nights. There was a lot of trail above treeline in the San Juans though. I cowboy camped through this whole section, high up on ridges and passes mostly.
I love hammocks too but wasn't going to bother with the hassle on the CDT. So glad I didn't. But I did meet a couple of guys who used one and were even able to hang in the desert somehow. So if there's a will, there's a way.
Monarch Pass? You should be able to get to Spring Creek Pass at Lake City with a hammock. After that is where it gets high and stays high. In between Salida and Lake City was a lot of flat and low ground in the middle, a couple higher sections but there were trees around the trail on either side of the high points, which only lasted a couple of miles above tree line. Nothing like the San Juans where it gets high and stays high.
Not a problem if want to hike tree to tree, and can hike far enough. You dont stay above treeline for more than 15 -20 mi at time about max. Trees arent the most scenic places though. Sometimes your at "bushline", and would need to go off trail a ways lower for trees.
Anytime i was camped above treeline, trees werent very far away.