Are hammocks becoming more popular on the AT?

[Hennesy Hanger]

At my age, almost 74, I would not even consider camping, not to mention hiking, if not for finding hammocks. As has been mentioned it is not cheap to get into hammocks with really good equipment. Retail stores is not the place to get the information you need. It is a little like blur grass music, you have to learn from someone who is doing it. It is happening though, two trees at a time. I had not been camping in 50 years and retirement and hammocks have given me new life.

[perdidochas]

I've been camping for over 50 years, backpacking for 35, and hammocking for 15 years.

I have awakened in tents to severe rain storms, rivers out of their banks, my head laying in a puddle of water inside the tent, and everything drenched.
Since switching to a hammock 15 years ago I have never been wet again.

Then there's the thing about getting old. I'm too old to crawl around on my hands and knees inside a tent. No matter how carefully I scan a tent site I will always end up with a tree root under my ribs and a rock under my hips. Getting too old to be comfortable on the cold, hard ground.

With a hammock,......the beauty of it is that I am off the ground. Standing ground water is a non-issue.
There are no roots or rocks. And the site doesn't even need to be level at all.
The only thing that ever touches the ground is my pack and the soles of my shoes.

The one thing that can wreck a hammock tarp is gale force winds. For a winter blizzard I'd rather be in my Hillenberg Keron 3 double wall tent, otherwise I'll choose a hammock every time and in any other conditions.

It's all about the quality of sleep!

I'm with you 100%. I'm a camper primarily, not a hiker. I hike as part of camping. I began hammocking as a way to survive Boy Scout campouts with my sons. The ground is too hard these days, and has twice as many roots and rocks as it did 35 years ago. The hammock allows me to sleep. As long as the wind isn't howling consistently above 30 MPH, I'm drier in the hammock than most of the Scouts are in tents. I especially love being able to hang on unlevel ground. On a trip in September, I hung over a dry ditch. Got to use spaces the tents can't utilize.

[ChuckP]

Last week my wife and I section hiked from the NOC to Fontana Dam, sharing the Trail with numerous NOBOs and a few section folks. We did not see a single hammock. Just some empirical data ...

[NY HIKER 50]

I started way back myself. In 1998 I bought a rope hammock to try. They the first time I was out with it I got a thunderstorm. I thought hmmm, and tried the fly from my Timberline tent over the hammock and it worked great. Except that I also got my first fbs. I have been using one ever since but I have retired the rope in favor of a nylon one. I only hope that I can still find some trees and it doesn't become like the shelter where I have to search for a site.

[NY HIKER 50]

By the way, that one was only 19.00. Now at 60.00 I have to think twice when replacing one.

[brian039]

I have awakened in tents to severe rain storms, rivers out of their banks, my head laying in a puddle of water inside the tent, and everything drenched.
Since switching to a hammock 15 years ago I have never been wet again.

That is the one thing that might get me into a hammock. I almost died one night in Yosemite after 2 straight days of heavy rain, ending up waking up in the middle of the night laying in 6 inches of water, and getting my sleeping bag wet.

[Jake2c]

Last week my wife and I section hiked from the NOC to Fontana Dam, sharing the Trail with numerous NOBOs and a few section folks. We did not see a single hammock. Just some empirical data ...

Just a few thoughts. I'm sort of ambivalent about the increase in hammock hangers and, in a way, sort of glad you are not seeing a lot. It's a free country and people can sleep any way they want but I am concerned that if hammocks become as common as tents, and there are some who do not try to protect trees properly, parks may start restricting their use. It's easier to just say "no hammocks". Trees recover slowly from damage, if at all, while a sloppy tent user usually does not create damage that can't be corrected with a few months of growth. On the other hand, a responsible hanger barely disturbs the ground. There is a plus and minus to both.

[Wyoming]

I find the hammock tent discussion endlessly interesting. While I have never used a hammock, except in the backyard, I just don't see its advantage over using a tent except for special requirements like no longer being able to sleep on the ground (how do you sleep in a bed then?).

The only time I have seen hammocks used much was on the AT both during my thru in 06' and on section hikes along the AT over about 15 years. Many discussions in camp about their benefits, but what I observed in practice was every time there was an intense thunderstorm with high winds, lightning and heavy rain all the hammockers were in the shelter in the morning. Maybe that has changed with new technology but it was a telling point to me about real and stated opinion.

I also get curious about all these stories about getting wet in tents. I have used a tent for 50+ years and the only type of tent I have ever got wet in was a tarp tent (a whole other topic). I have sat in my tent along the AT in very heavy rain where the water was several inches deep going around the tent - but no water inside. I have also only had condensation problems in tarp tents and never had a problem with it in a regular tent.

Along the AT there are certainly good options for using a hammock, but along a great many other trails there are big sections where there is nothing to hang a hammock on. I also have camped a lot in the winter and question how they can cover all the winter scenarios like driving wind, snow and sleet, plus having to cook in your vestibule or go to the bathroom in your tent because you can't go outside. What do you do when it is minus 30 deg F?

To me hammocks are just a niche item and unsuitable for the majority of camping requirements. Tarp tents are of course the first kind of tent there was after we stopped using deer hide and I grew up using my fathers tarp tent from WWII so they are nothing new. But there is a reason that double walled tents were invented and they are much more versatile than a tarp if one considers all possible needs.

[gbolt]

Wyoming - No one will convince another whether to hang or ground dwell; it is an individual choice for sure, each with their own experiences. Mine was one of carrying a 5 lbs. Eureka two man backpacking tent that in the early 80's was somewhat revolutionary. After many years of service, I finally had two horrible trips in a row, as far as value of sleep. Up every hour, just to push myself up, rotate, lay back down in a different position. Then fighting foot dampness from rain and water flowing at the end of the tent on supposively level ground. I then started investigating Tarp Tents to cut the weight, carry less during the day, yet sleep better at night. Every time I mentioned pitching a tarp tent, I heard about hammocks. Long story short, I purchased a full model, bell's and whistle hammock tarp. The set up was just as easy and about the same amount of time as the tent. What was different was that 1st night sleep. I didn't toss, turn, or wake up the entire night. I didn't even have pressure on my kidney's / bladder until I woke the next morning. Of course I thought it was just because of the miles I had put in. But each succeeding trips mand nightly sleep was the same restful restoritive experience.

I beleive a lot has changed since 06. I really see the boom starting in 08 as the forefathers started sharing, creating and selling hammock related products. In 2012 Cuben Fiber really made a difference in Hammock Tarp design and coverage. With modern pole mods to create more interior space inside the tarp and around the hammock for cooking and some privacy - your scenarios of snow, wind and rain are really not an issue. Quilts and underquilts with regular ground pads have made low temperature concerns a none issue. With hammock "Socks", a hammock may be able to go even lower than a tent. Putting a tarp in Porch Mode allows the hammock to be used as a chair and keeps my butt off the ground and sitting to standing a lot easier that getting up from the ground.

Finally, I do beleive that hammockers - like tent dwellers - will use a shelter for social interaction. Many do not see hikers hanging on the AT because many hangers look for sites that are private and not usable by tents - so the two niche groups may not cross paths.

I, like you, do have some concerns about desert and other treeless area's. Arizona is a prime tarptent use area IMHO. As far as double wall tents, one must determine if they hike only to camp or if they simply camp in order to hike. For the time being, I find the hammock versitile enough for the best night of sleep that keeps me on the trail hiking light!

[Jake2c]

Wyoming, it is an interesting discussion. Personally I see a very big difference between sleeping in a bed and in a tent or hammock. Since people are free to pick either and comfort will drive out a choice that is not working, and hammocks are a choice people freely choose, I suspect there is a reason other than just a fad. Based on that, I did some personal testing. There are times when a tent is a better option but the opposite is also true. I have tent camped many more years than hammock camped but even with my year or two of experience in hammocks, I have been able to stop when tired to hang anywhere, when I would have kept walking with my tent. Hammocks have changed significantly over the past few years, my rain fly has doors that can close in the ends or be left open. Prop up one end of the rain fly and cooking is easy as I sit in the hammock with the roof of the fly being high enough not to worry about setting myself on fire. I have cooked in the vestibule of a tent but only with extreme caution and never with someone else stopping by to cook. I have had tenters come over to sit under my raised rainfly just to cook or to talk. Not the best at it but you can go to ground in a hammock where there are not trees or rocks suitable to hang from, but in general I would rather have a tent in those scenarios. If I am camping with a dog or my wife I also prefer a tent. I am older, and in my late 50's which may be the reason but I always sleep better in a hammock then on a matt in a tent. I have a small tent for backpacking so peeing in it is just about as much fun as peeing under my rainfly on a hammock. It is a little more work in the hammock but on the other hand, I don't have a bucket of pee in my hammock. If I am car/tent camping and can use a big tent then of course it is easy to pee, I can stand up in that tent, and I have a cot to sleep on. My backpacking tent is pretty good at keeping me dry if it doesn't start raining before I pitch the tent. On the hammock I put up the rainfly first when it is raining and then the hammock so I stay dry (reasonably dry). I hang my wet clots outside the hammock but under the tarp so I don't bring that moisture in with me. I put up my outer cover on my tent first when it is raining which helps when I use a tent. If you have ever done that, you know the challanges but it's doable. Two things are a fact for me though with respect to weather. It is harder to stay warm in a hammock so if it is cold, you need to prepare carefully. Of course if it is hot that can be a plus. The other thing is that when it is raining, I may have stayed dry in my tent but the next morning when I pack up I have to work carefully to not get everything muddy as I pack up a wet tent and muddy footprint. The hammock is never muddy unless I drop it. Rainfly will be basically clean but wet, I keep that in a separate waterproof bag. I am not trying to convince anyone to only use a tent or a hammock, but I do like to try and put out some of my real world experiences without knocking either option as they both have their strong points. That along with everyone else's helps people make informed decisions on the circumstances they will be facing on the trail of their choice. Heck, pulling a trailer behind me would be the most comfortable and I used to have one for many years out in Ca where I could drive to many fairly remote sites (lack of trees and a good 4x4 help with that), but that won't work on the AT for obvious reasons, I certainly would not say that trailer camping is not a good way to go given the correct circumstances. Bottom line is, if I don't mind going to ground in a hammock, I can camp pretty much anywhere, but if I was going to be on the ground more than 10-20% of the time, I would take my tent for the extra room and comfort for that scenario. Hammock on the ground is like a very small 1 person tent. If there is a lot of growth (trees or in jungle/swampy conditions) I would use a hammock. No tool does everything well. What ever keeps the adventure alive in your life is the best option.

[jimyjam]

Wyoming, it is an interesting discussion. Personally I see a very big difference between sleeping in a bed and in a tent or hammock. Since people are free to pick either and comfort will drive out a choice that is not working, and hammocks are a choice people freely choose, I suspect there is a reason other than just a fad. Based on that, I did some personal testing. There are times when a tent is a better option but the opposite is also true. I have tent camped many more years than hammock camped but even with my year or two of experience in hammocks, I have been able to stop when tired to hang anywhere, when I would have kept walking with my tent. Hammocks have changed significantly over the past few years, my rain fly has doors that can close in the ends or be left open. Prop up one end of the rain fly and cooking is easy as I sit in the hammock with the roof of the fly being high enough not to worry about setting myself on fire. I have cooked in the vestibule of a tent but only with extreme caution and never with someone else stopping by to cook. I have had tenters come over to sit under my raised rainfly just to cook or to talk. Not the best at it but you can go to ground in a hammock where there are not trees or rocks suitable to hang from, but in general I would rather have a tent in those scenarios. If I am camping with a dog or my wife I also prefer a tent. I am older, and in my late 50's which may be the reason but I always sleep better in a hammock then on a matt in a tent. I have a small tent for backpacking so peeing in it is just about as much fun as peeing under my rainfly on a hammock. It is a little more work in the hammock but on the other hand, I don't have a bucket of pee in my hammock. If I am car/tent camping and can use a big tent then of course it is easy to pee, I can stand up in that tent, and I have a cot to sleep on. My backpacking tent is pretty good at keeping me dry if it doesn't start raining before I pitch the tent. On the hammock I put up the rainfly first when it is raining and then the hammock so I stay dry (reasonably dry). I hang my wet clots outside the hammock but under the tarp so I don't bring that moisture in with me. I put up my outer cover on my tent first when it is raining which helps when I use a tent. If you have ever done that, you know the challanges but it's doable. Two things are a fact for me though with respect to weather. It is harder to stay warm in a hammock so if it is cold, you need to prepare carefully. Of course if it is hot that can be a plus. The other thing is that when it is raining, I may have stayed dry in my tent but the next morning when I pack up I have to work carefully to not get everything muddy as I pack up a wet tent and muddy footprint. The hammock is never muddy unless I drop it. Rainfly will be basically clean but wet, I keep that in a separate waterproof bag. I am not trying to convince anyone to only use a tent or a hammock, but I do like to try and put out some of my real world experiences without knocking either option as they both have their strong points. That along with everyone else's helps people make informed decisions on the circumstances they will be facing on the trail of their choice. Heck, pulling a trailer behind me would be the most comfortable and I used to have one for many years out in Ca where I could drive to many fairly remote sites (lack of trees and a good 4x4 help with that), but that won't work on the AT for obvious reasons, I certainly would not say that trailer camping is not a good way to go given the correct circumstances. Bottom line is, if I don't mind going to ground in a hammock, I can camp pretty much anywhere, but if I was going to be on the ground more than 10-20% of the time, I would take my tent for the extra room and comfort for that scenario. Hammock on the ground is like a very small 1 person tent. If there is a lot of growth (trees or in jungle/swampy conditions) I would use a hammock. No tool does everything well. What ever keeps the adventure alive in your life is the best option.

Very well said...I agree!


Life is full of ups and downs! Hike on!

[Wyoming]

I agree that in the desert areas or the west in general (maybe not the PNW) that a tarp tent is a better choice than a double wall for the weight savings. The relative scarcity of heavy rains and high humidity make it a natural choice. I grew up suing one in Wyoming. Having spent a lot time on the AT (I lived 1/2 mile from it for 15 years and within an hour of it for the 10 years previous to that) my opinion is that a double wall serves one better in the typical conditions found there. Camping in serious winter conditions will also impact ones decisions on these possible choices.

And there are other conditions where a double wall tent beats a tarp tent. It is not an issue of "As far as double wall tents, one must determine if they hike only to camp or if they simply camp in order to hike." it is that in certain conditions and situations one gets both a better camp and a better hike choosing a double wall over a tarp. And sometimes not.

It does sound like there has been a lot of improvement in hammock technology and I want to point out that I am not advocating against them.

But one thing often missing in gear recommendations are the caveats. There is no single right answer or there would not be so many options to consider. So that is something I always bring up as much advise often leaves that out. Many people push hard for their favorite almost like they are in a contest to gain recruits, not thinking that it is not going to be the right answer for many others and if you don't provide some caveats and options you are not doing anyone a favor.

I hike about 1500 miles a year and come across lots of other hikers across the full range of experience as well as reading lots of trail journals (I have no excuse) and one comes across large numbers of people doing the wrong thing for them and their requirements all the time. And it frequently is because they got bad advise from someone who did not really understand their needs. Not to mention the numbers of newbies who are doing things like not carrying enough water or not understanding what they are doing and the risks. For instance last year I was hiking by myself in one of the wilderness areas out here in AZ. I am walking along and I hear hollering and see off in the distance 2 people standing on top of a high hill waving their arms. I wave back and wait about 20 mins for them to bushwack thru the cactus down to me and it turns out they are 2 20 somethings who are out backpacking and they are lost. They thought they were following the trail but followed an animal or cow track or something way off route. They have 2 liters of water between them and their TWO dogs. If you knew where you were going it was 3 1/2 hours one way to water and at least 2 the other. It was pretty warm. They did not know how to follow the basic trail route by observation (where I hike a lot of the time the trails have not been worked in some areas in 20+ years and you cannot find them a lot of the time) and use of a map. They asked where the trail was (I was standing on it). I pointed it out to them and they could not see it and on top of that we were 20 ft from a cairn. They did not know what cairns were. And this was a 'good' section of trail by the standards of where we were at. They told me where they were planning on hiking and thought it was a two day trip. That hike is 4 1/2 days for me and I am a good hiker and know how to find my way in trackless terrain and to find water. They would never have made it.

So I am strongly oriented towards education rather than telling someone what to do or carry as seems to be the norm. It is like the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching him how to fish.

[DooDa]

Thanks so much to everyone offering experience and opinion. Back to hammocking specifically on the AT; is it possible once you get into the Whites?

[fastfoxengineering]

I the OP, primarily backpack in the whites and out of 25+ overnight and multiday trips, I have only tented once. I've hammocked every other night though. The white mtns is a great place to hammock. Tons of trees and alot of the time its easier to find a hammock spot than a tent spot.
On the AT specifically in the whites, everyones concerned about camping above treeline with a hammock..well you shouldn't be camping up there with a tent either. Some break the rules. Dipping below treeline to find a campsite can sometimes be much easier with a hammock than a ten because in some areas its really hard to find a spot for a tent. It can be done. But when its gettin dark you can be less fussy with the hammock. That said, at designated tent sites in the whites with platforms and a pissy caretaker you may have an unsatisfactory experience. In conclusion, I wouldn't trade my hammock for a tent in the whites ever.

[fastfoxengineering]

I the OP, primarily backpack in the whites and out of 25+ overnight and multiday trips, I have only tented once. I've hammocked every other night though. The white mtns is a great place to hammock. Tons of trees and alot of the time its easier to find a hammock spot than a tent spot.
On the AT specifically in the whites, everyones concerned about camping above treeline with a hammock..well you shouldn't be camping up there with a tent either. Some break the rules. Dipping below treeline to find a campsite can sometimes be much easier with a hammock than a tent because in some areas its really hard to find a spot for a tent. It can be done. But when its gettin dark you can be less fussy with the hammock. That said, at designated tent sites in the whites with platforms and a pissy caretaker you may have an unsatisfactory experience. In conclusion, I wouldn't trade my hammock for a tent in the whites ever.

[jeffmeh]

Thanks so much to everyone offering experience and opinion. Back to hammocking specifically on the AT; is it possible once you get into the Whites?

Very possible, and there will be many more suitable places to hang than to pitch a tent. Of course, when you are on the ridge, neither is possible within the regulations or within the realm of good judgment. Spoken by a ground dweller.

[fastfoxengineering]

Sorry, my first dbl post. I wanted to add that if you want to stay at the huts you might be at a disadvantage if not carrying a sleeping pad. I had a buddy they let use a wool blanket as a pad on a bunk once though.