why do people sleep on the ground?

[mbroadhe]

I have slept in a hammock (crazy creek crib) and have slept quite comfortably. Although, the Crazy Crib is heavy for my needs. So, this past year, I needed rain gear. So, while coming up with ways to ditch weight, the Crib went and a poncho was bought because I needed some rain gear. It also serves as my shelter. I was nowhere near interested in spending $100 - 300 on a "lightweight" hammock. I could probably say that everything in my pack including my pack probably cost me less than what you paid for a hammock or close to it. I also found I enjoy sleeping on the ground in the open. For some reason, I feel more connected to nature this way. These are a few of my personal reasons. So, until my body can't take it anymore (which will hopefully be a very long time), I'll be found on the ground laying in the dirt.
Oh, and lay up on the poor guy, he was just asking a simple question. Maybe you should start a "Why do people sleep in a hammock" thread to even the playing field, Neo.

[gsmnpmtguyot]

I will agree with the General; I am a stomach/side sleeper and in a hammock doing so bends the body into positions it is not meant to be put into. I considered a hammock and tried sleeping on my back at home and out in the woods; always end up on my stomach/side so I could get some sleep. No vast tent/sleeping pad conspiracy, just people sleep differently. Get a good nights sleep no matter how you do it.

[C_Brice]

" not trying convert nobody neo "

Who are you trying to kid with this comment neo.

You all have to remember, neo is the guy that posted, "use a hammock" as an answer to a post of mine concerning winter camping with my 2 young daughters. Hope you didn't pay too much for that wine you keep drinking neo, you'll be broke in no time.

On top of that, a lot of my camping is done from a canoe. Ever try to set up a hammock on a sand bar neo? Even if I did like hammocks I would need two differrent sleep systems. A hammock for in the trees and a tent/tarp for on the sand bars. I'll save my $$ and stick to a shelter that I can set up ANYWHERE.

But thanks for your concern,
Chris

[hammock engineer]

I love my hammock. Sleep great all night. I toss and turn on the ground, no matter what the pad I use.

I lay really flat in my HH, don't think my back would servive a thru without.

[Rifleman]

Jack,
Neo may be a newbie hanger but I am not. I have been hanging for several years now and am still learning more each trip.

[A few quick replies off the top of my head, Neo, 10 reasons while I'll keep my tent:]

[1. Many folks (maybe MOST folks) don't want to hammock for six months.
While they may be comfortable in a hammock on a short-term basis, most
folks don't wanna do it for the whole trip. Many folks sleep poorly in
them.]

Carrying a hammock doesn't necessarily mean you have to sleep in it every night for six months. Even tent/shelter campers sometimes sleep in hostels/motels.

[2. One can do things in tent or a tarp that one cannot do in a hammock:
Prepare a cold meal; change one's clothes, do gear repairs, do first aid/
personal stuff, etc. In a hammock, you can essentially lie down. Period.]

Granted, there is a steep learning curve with how to properly use a hammock. If pitched properly you can sit up in a hammock & do all the things you mentioned (i.e. prepare a cold meal, change one's clothes, etc.).

[3. There are wonderful places on the Trail that are treeless.....balds,
mountain tops, open fields, grassy areas, sandy beaches. If you're
a hammock hiker, you won't be staying in any of these places.]

Often there are trees growing on the places you mentioned. Yes sometimes on the edges of those places but they are there. Also, hammocks can be pitched as bivys. You lose the 'in-the-air' comfort yet still retain the protection from the elements.

[4. You'll sleep colder in a hammock, especially in the early and late days
of your trip.]

Just as with tenters, sleeping warm in a hammock is in large part about the insulation under you. Its not hard to have effective insulation that favorably compares (weight-wise) with sleeping in a tent.

[5. You can't get your pack or most of your belongings in a hammock, meaning
you leave them out, where they can get wet, bothered by animals, etc.]

Whether you get your pack and belongings into the hammock with you depends a lot upon the size of your pack and how many belongings you carry with you.

[6. Hammocks are no good if you're oversized or heavy. Most hammocks for
"Big and Tall" guys either cost around $200.00 bucks, or weigh at least
three and a half pounds. Big guys can find tents or tarps that weigh
and cost less.]

You're right. Big guys can find tarps at one of the 'Big Boxes' that weigh a couple of pounds & cost $20. However, there are hammocks on the market that will hold 400 lbs and someone who is 6' 6" and weigh a couple of pounds. I own one. Its called an Eagles Nest Outfitters double. It cost me approximately $60 with the slap straps.

[7. In really horrible weather, or if injured, you can kill a whole morning,
or even a day, in your tent or tarp if you have to. If you try to spend
16 hours, awake, in a hammock, you'll go out of your mind.]

If an individual is claustrophobic, any small space, tent or hammock, is going to drive them bonkers.

[8. Hammocks aren't much use if you come up with a player to be named
later that you might want to spend the evening with. Unless you're a
Bulgarian contortionist, engaging in romantic intimacy in a hammock
is generally not worth the trouble.]

I've learned that if I'm looking for a romantic partner on the trail it probably isn't going to happen. However, I've been known to carry my ENO double for that purpose. If you don't have a double then simply drop the hammock on the ground & use it as a tarp/ground cloth for a sexual liason.

[9. Some bears are known to be partial to "pinata" parties, if you catch my
drift.]

Balls. I've never heard of that. Of course if you sleep with your food you have to accept that Bruin might come calling!

[10. Snakes, including poisonous ones, can all climb trees.]

I've never heard of snakes attacking sleeping humans. I've never heard of snakes shimmying down hammock guy ropes either. I have heard of snakes sometimes crawling into tents and slithering under quilts to benefit from the body heat of unsuspecting tenters!

The bottom line is that you're right Jack. Hammocks are not for everyone
(and probably shouldn't be).
Cordially,
R.

[Smile]

It is very healing to sleep on the ground, close to Mother Earth.

Often, injured animals will lay on the ground with the injured area facing down to earth for healing.

I always feel more rested after sleeping on terra firma.

[Lone Wolf]

Hammocks are for the back yard. After mowing the lawn get in it a drink a cold beer.

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

My take on deciding to hammock, tent, tarp or shelter - people need to try all the alternatives and use what works for them. As Rifleman noted, hammocking isn't for everyone. No alternative is right for everyone.

The male dino will not use a tarp - he feels too exposed. He wants a private place to change clothing, scratch where it itches, ect. He also wants to be able to reach out and touch the female dino during the night and that isn't possible in a hammock. He isn't a fan of shelters because "I was in the Air Force long enough to discover I didn't like sleeping with rodents or snorers"

I tried several hammocks at trail days last year both in the vendor area and in in the tent city hoping to avoid having to carry heavy-duty padding to be able to sleep on the ground due to orthopedic issues / lots of metal replacement parts. I couldn't get into or out of any hammock without considerable assistance. I also was not comfortable laying in any of the hammocks for more than about 10 minutes - they made my injured leg and hip throb. I have to change my position often when sleeping to avoid pain, have some serious padding & insulation, and have enough padded / insulated space to position the leg comfortably - a rectangular (not mummy) Big Agnes insulated air core is the only thing I've found that is somewhat lightweight (24 oz / 680 gms) and big / thick enough to keep the leg and hip reasonably happy. Tenting with two rather than tarping keeps the ambient temps up enough to make it possible for me to carry less insulation for above me. Having the bed warmer (aka the male dino) in my sleeping bag also cuts down the amount of insulation needed and makes me a happy camper.

[Tin Man]

Laying straight on the ground allows me to stretch out my throat contributing to the quality of my snoring which helps keep away unwanted critters and hammock hangers.

[shades of blue]

I've hammocked in a speer hammock from GA to the Smokys and from VA 42 North to Maine. My hammock gave me a ton of more options (solo) than I had ever experienced in a tent. I was comfortable most of the time. Yes, I had to worry about keeping warm....but I slept better, had more choices on where to stay for the night and loved sleeping with a tarp over me instead of a stuffy tent. My tarp also dried a lot faster than my tent ever would, which made for less weight after rains.

I will use my tent (sierra designs cliplight flashlight) while hiking with my soon to be wife this summer after a week in Colorado. She wants to sleep right beside me (have no idea about that, being we'll just be married. My back may hurt a little more....but I guess there may be other advantages......

My hammock/tent is just another piece of gear, to be used appropriately at the right time. Jack seemed to think hammocks were evil incarnate...(or only for liberal democrats... but he may just be pissed at Neo forcing the issue constantly. Of his top 10 list...the only issue for me was keeping warm. It is a big deal, and you need the proper gear and experience to do it...however...isn't it that way with ALL things hiking...proper gear and experience rules in the backcountry.

My speer is open on top...so I could change clothes, cook with my stove beside my hammock (not too close...) do first aid on my feet as I sat in my hammock like a swinging chair, eat snacks...but I almost always hung my food. With my 8X10 huge silnylon tarp I could bivy on the ground on any bald I chose because I had a pad for warmth also.
As for being claustaphobic...I am and loved my speer although some people don't like the sides curling next to you.....but I was open to the air, and felt much more comfortable than I ever felt in a tent. I could go on and on....

Is hammocking for everyone? Of course not, it's all good....but the person who said they wouldn't use a hammock now because of Jack....I would experience it for yourself.....I and MANY others love their hammocks...talk to youngblood....he can set you up with a hammock forum that Ed Speer runs....
I'm not saying Jack or anyone else's choice of a tent is wrong...it's not...but hammocks are a lot more versatile than they let on.

Peace

[neo]

I've hammocked in a speer hammock from GA to the Smokys and from VA 42 North to Maine. My hammock gave me a ton of more options (solo) than I had ever experienced in a tent. I was comfortable most of the time. Yes, I had to worry about keeping warm....but I slept better, had more choices on where to stay for the night and loved sleeping with a tarp over me instead of a stuffy tent. My tarp also dried a lot faster than my tent ever would, which made for less weight after rains.

I will use my tent (sierra designs cliplight flashlight) while hiking with my soon to be wife this summer after a week in Colorado. She wants to sleep right beside me (have no idea about that, being we'll just be married. My back may hurt a little more....but I guess there may be other advantages......

My hammock/tent is just another piece of gear, to be used appropriately at the right time. Jack seemed to think hammocks were evil incarnate...(or only for liberal democrats... but he may just be pissed at Neo forcing the issue constantly. Of his top 10 list...the only issue for me was keeping warm. It is a big deal, and you need the proper gear and experience to do it...however...isn't it that way with ALL things hiking...proper gear and experience rules in the backcountry.

My speer is open on top...so I could change clothes, cook with my stove beside my hammock (not too close...) do first aid on my feet as I sat in my hammock like a swinging chair, eat snacks...but I almost always hung my food. With my 8X10 huge silnylon tarp I could bivy on the ground on any bald I chose because I had a pad for warmth also.
As for being claustaphobic...I am and loved my speer although some people don't like the sides curling next to you.....but I was open to the air, and felt much more comfortable than I ever felt in a tent. I could go on and on....

Is hammocking for everyone? Of course not, it's all good....but the person who said they wouldn't use a hammock now because of Jack....I would experience it for yourself.....I and MANY others love their hammocks...talk to youngblood....he can set you up with a hammock forum that Ed Speer runs....
I'm not saying Jack or anyone else's choice of a tent is wrong...it's not...but hammocks are a lot more versatile than they let on.

Peace

i wish you and your future wife the very best,happy hammocking and trails to ya always neo

[peter_pan]

I've hammocked in a speer hammock from GA to the Smokys and from VA 42 North to Maine. My hammock gave me a ton of more options (solo) than I had ever experienced in a tent. I was comfortable most of the time. Yes, I had to worry about keeping warm....but I slept better, had more choices on where to stay for the night and loved sleeping with a tarp over me instead of a stuffy tent. My tarp also dried a lot faster than my tent ever would, which made for less weight after rains.

I will use my tent (sierra designs cliplight flashlight) while hiking with my soon to be wife this summer after a week in Colorado. She wants to sleep right beside me (have no idea about that, being we'll just be married. My back may hurt a little more....but I guess there may be other advantages......

My hammock/tent is just another piece of gear, to be used appropriately at the right time. Jack seemed to think hammocks were evil incarnate...(or only for liberal democrats... but he may just be pissed at Neo forcing the issue constantly. Of his top 10 list...the only issue for me was keeping warm. It is a big deal, and you need the proper gear and experience to do it...however...isn't it that way with ALL things hiking...proper gear and experience rules in the backcountry.

My speer is open on top...so I could change clothes, cook with my stove beside my hammock (not too close...) do first aid on my feet as I sat in my hammock like a swinging chair, eat snacks...but I almost always hung my food. With my 8X10 huge silnylon tarp I could bivy on the ground on any bald I chose because I had a pad for warmth also.
As for being claustaphobic...I am and loved my speer although some people don't like the sides curling next to you.....but I was open to the air, and felt much more comfortable than I ever felt in a tent. I could go on and on....

Is hammocking for everyone? Of course not, it's all good....but the person who said they wouldn't use a hammock now because of Jack....I would experience it for yourself.....I and MANY others love their hammocks...talk to youngblood....he can set you up with a hammock forum that Ed Speer runs....
I'm not saying Jack or anyone else's choice of a tent is wrong...it's not...but hammocks are a lot more versatile than they let on.

Peace

Like the Rifleman and Shades of Blue I've hammocked for years....I think they are comfortable for me, but recognize that for stomac sleepers that may not be the case.

There are easy ways to negate the natives that Jack stated in post Number 5...virtually any thing done in a tent can be done in a hammock, including cooking and spending an extra day riding out a storm. I have comfortably used hammocks for 2 month trips, and personnaly would do so again.

As to warmth, when prepared with an adequate insulation plan and system there is no reason to be cold from single digits up. There is also no reason to pay a severe penalty in volume or weight for a warm system. (There are hundreds of satisfied, warm JRB under quilt users). There are many other answer to warmth, some that allow one to easily go to ground, if desired, such as the SPE and a pad combo.

I believe hammocking is less impact because it free us from the overused congested tent sites and allows a bivouc without any ground prep.

All that said... HYOH... Carry what you like... camp safe... Also enjoy the debate and "take each other with a grain of salt".

Pan

PS. If you are over 30, looking for more comfort or lighter weight options, If you tend to toss and turn all night fell free to PM me....

[Tin Man]

I believe hammocking is less impact because it free us from the overused congested tent sites and allows a bivouc without any ground prep.

Actually, I wonder if this is true. I tent camped at the state campground on Greylock and I specifically recall the ranger dude telling me not to tie anything to the trees. Doesn't the hammock line rub against and therefore damage the bark to some degree? If the hammock swings in the wind or when you are getting in and out (or when Jack's bear is doing the piñata thing), doesn't this cause some damage to the tree? Maybe some trees are like posters, more sensitive than others?

[Deb]

I'm skeptical of the claims that hammocks are more environmentally friendly than tents. It's walking around your tent or hammock site that causes the most impact due to frequency and concentration of your weight.
If I have to move a rock or twigs to pitch my tent, I put them back in the morning.

Unless you're levitating, once you get out of your hammock you have the same impact as anyone.

[neo]

I'm skeptical of the claims that hammocks are more environmentally friendly than tents. It's walking around your tent or hammock site that causes the most impact due to frequency and concentration of your weight.
If I have to move a rock or twigs to pitch my tent, I put them back in the morning.

Unless you're levitating, once you get out of your hammock you have the same impact as anyone.

wrong,most tent sites are over used,i camp out of site off the trail were
no one has ever camped before or will again neo

[Toolshed]

Imagine pulling to a camping area for the night and Neo is there along with some Born again Bible thumpers????? I'm wondering who's going to work harder to earn a convert ?!?!?

[Tin Man]

I will take Neo over any other fanatic.

[Rain Man]

not trying convert nobody neo

Well, just a hint, Neo-- you need to change both the tone and the words you use (or the words you leave out).

"Absolutes" are almost always wrong in the first place, and just cry out for argument in the second. You need to use a healthy dose of "qualifiers."

"Generalizations" are the same. You need to start saying "for me" once in a while instead of imposing your individual personal preferences onto everyone. You speak as if everyone has to like your personal preference of ice cream flavor, or else they're not quite up to your level.

Finally, if you intend humor, then use a lot of smileys and/or go to the humor forum. Otherwise, it's not funny.

So, you do seem to be trolling, whether you intend to or not. Plus, your threads praising other trolls doesn't help.

If you mean to troll, you're doing okay. If you don't mean to troll, then listen to what a bunch of WhiteBlazers are telling you and modify the tone and tenor of your posts. In other words, don't insult people who don't genuflect to your hammock god.

Now, when are we taking the wives hiking?!!!!

RainMan

.

[Mags]

Kinda hard to pitch a hammock above treeline. A few of those stretches here in Colorado.

[neo]

Imagine pulling to a camping area for the night and Neo is there along with some Born again Bible thumpers????? I'm wondering who's going to work harder to earn a convert ?!?!?

ya will not see me in camp,i avoid crowds neo