No way, no how!!!

[wirerat123]

I find that 90% of the time I would rather Hammock camp. I have yet to have a bad experience in it except that about 4 years ago I took mine out before I knew how cold they can get when the temps drop without bottom insulation. Even then I was able to get easily as good of a nights sleep as I could on the ground. I have a bad back and hips, ground camping just puts too much pressure on them.

You have recieved a defective piece of equipment, and using that as judgement on hammock camping is plain silly.

With tent camping I have woken up with wet equipment, sore body parts, tent collapsing in the middle of the night in a rain storm because the ground sofened enough to let the stakes rip out, heavy condensation, a raccoon climbing the netting on the body of the tent between the rain fly and the tent making the no see um netting into not bug proof netting as well as scaring the crap out of me, a skunk crawled into the tent with us in Texas once since we left everything open for ventilation, pick up the tent to find snakes resting up under it, waking up in the middle of the night to get that pine comb, rock, stick, lump of dirt, etc that wasn't noticable out from under my back, walk more miles than intended to find suitable area to camp.

Hammock camping I have had one night where my butt got cold, never woke up with anything sore, never been molested by skunks, raccoons, bears, or anything else. Never had to search too long for a spot to setup, doesn't matter if the ground is uneven, rocky, lumpy, hard, fragile, or if it's under water, if I can hang my hammock, I can camp there. If I can't hang my hammock I can use my hiking poles and it makes a very acceptible bivy shelter. Never had to get up and disturb anyone because there was the un noticed stick, rock, lump, or anything else up under me, never gotten wet in even the worst rain storm, never made an impact on the ground where there once wasn't. I've camped and slept wonderfully over rocks, roots, on a hillside, and over wet marshy ground in a swamp. The fastest I have ever truely setup a tent is about 7 or 8 minutes, I can have my Hennessy up and ready to crash in it in about 4 minutes with no confusion, no complication.

I have noticed that A LOT of people have a preconceived notion about hammock camping well before they give it a fair shake. No matter what happens, they will find every bad detail about it to use against it, not taking into account the pluses and negatives of each. Hammock camping has lost before they ever even hang the thing. They want it to fail, they do not want it to make their trusty tents and tarps obsolete. If done and done right, I just can't imagine how you could possibly sleepp better in a tent than you can on the ground, and clostrophobic, I feel more enclosed in my tent. With my hennessy I use my hiking poles to raise the corners of my tarp and have plenty of view and air flow, even more than I can get in any tent.

Hammock camping has given me my love of backpacking back. Before I got into hammocks I just couldn't rest on the trail in tents. It gets old waking up with sore shoulders, hips and my back, and tossing and turning half the night trying to be comfortable.

[beakerman]

Things break...it happens. I've been hammocking now for about a year or so in my....wait for this...walmart hammock with the oniy bad experince being not enough butt insulation and that was my fault. I've camped in places that tents would never venture without a flame thrower going through first to clear a site.

I'm not saying hammocking is the thing for you graywolf..like much about hiking an camping to each his own...but iwould take it back and try again. Also as pointed out there is a weight limit on these things and if there is a flaw in the strap/hammock interface then it lowers the actual limit. I know on my cheapy wallyworld hammock I'm pushing the limit (240 for me vs 300 for the hammock) and if there is a problem with the stiching I'm going to end up on the ground like you did with your much more expensive hammock.

Take it back and get another...this time inspect the attatchment points. I always do what I call the grandma inspection. My grandmother was a professional seamstress and as a child she would always inspect the quality of the stitching on our clothes every time she saw us. She would tug on the seams and open them up with her fingers to see if there was any bunching and what not.

[fredmugs]

Me buy Hennessey hammock.
Me take hammock out of hammock container.
Me tie one end to tree.
Me tie other end to different tree.
Me get in.
Me sleep on back.
Me sleep on side.
Me sleep really well with no back pain.

What me don't do? Watch video.

Seriously - when I tie the hammock to a tree I use these things called "knots."

[scope]

At Wayah the other day, had several hikers come through mentioning the hogs they saw. Soooo glad I'm off the ground. I might be a bear burrito, but at least I'm not a target for hog plundering.

[Luddite]

My lovely wife calls my HH "the bear pinata!" OUCH!

RainMan

.

I always thought the same thing. Imagine if a bear acually did attack you while sleeping in a hammock? lol

[BigFoot2002]

I attached my hammock to a defective American made tree once.

[garlic08]

I've had two Henry Shires Tarptents fail very quickly due to minor defects. Henry replaced them immediately and the replacements lasted many years, and I've become a die-hard Tarptent fan. I'd give the hammock a fair shot at redemption.

[gunner76]

just go and get a Warbonnet

[SGT Rock]

Hell, I've been building my own. It was great until I changed the whipping, then I felt like I was being squeezed alive in the thing. I changed the whipping again and fixed it. I guess if that older version of my homemade hammock had been my first experience I would hate them too.

But the truth is, I have tried to go to ground a few times to save weight and absolutely hated that. A good hammock is a great night.

[mbiraman]

I camped and worked from a tent for 14 yrs in the back country. I have a good hammock now and wished i'd found that option yrs ago. If you buy a low priced hammock on sale then your getting an entry level system. Thats like going to wallmart , buying a cheap tent on sale and expecting great things from it. Add to that lack of experience and ???

Tents may have been around for hundreds of yrs but hammocks have been around over a thousand yrs,,,,just sayin. Its not the type of equipment , its eperience and preference.

Anyone who thinks a tent is safer than a hammock against curious carnivoirs is deluding themselves. Most of the time bears don't aproach but a thin nylon wall is no protection. Experience and knowledge is your protection.

[SGT Rock]

And a camera.

[Bearpaw]

Anyone who thinks a tent is safer than a hammock against curious carnivoirs is deluding themselves. Most of the time bears don't aproach but a thin nylon wall is no protection. Experience and knowledge is your protection.

And a camera.

I've only run into three bears (all grizzlies) that didn't run away the moment I pulled out my camera.

[Dale Merkley]

Hey Greywolf, if you really hate hammocking and haven't returned the hammock yet I'll buy it from you for $50.00 bucks.

[Graywolf]

Were you, perhaps, over the weight limit? I didn't read in the thread anything about that.

And for the record, I have tents, hammocks, tarps, have cowboy camped, and etc., so I have no bias toward hammocks nor prejudices against them.

RainMan

.

No, I weigh in at 230, the hammock is at 250, so I think Im good..I havnt written it off completely yet. Just a defect, not saying all hammocks have defects, just a bad experiance...Thats usually my luck anyway..Oh well, 3 times a charm..Right..

[beakerman]

No, I weigh in at 230, the hammock is at 250, so I think Im good..I havnt written it off completely yet. Just a defect, not saying all hammocks have defects, just a bad experiance...Thats usually my luck anyway..Oh well, 3 times a charm..Right..

Wow 250 max...dang that cheapie wallyworld hammock I have is at 300 pounds max. i think I paid $20 for it. I guess sometimes you don't get what you pay for....

[dmax]

I understand where your coming from. I'm a chevy man. Have been for 25 years....If I went out and bought a ford and it broke down the first day (it probably would) I'd return it and go back and get me a new chevy. Even though I know there are some good fords out there (haha). And that I probably just got a lemon.

[ki0eh]

dang that cheapie wallyworld hammock I have is at 300 pounds max. i think I paid $20 for it. I guess sometimes you don't get what you pay for....

250# would be too self-limiting for Walmart.

[Graywolf]

Wow 250 max...dang that cheapie wallyworld hammock I have is at 300 pounds max. i think I paid $20 for it. I guess sometimes you don't get what you pay for....

I think the Clarks Jungle Hammock is rated at 300#..Looking at that..

Graywolf

[Tipi Walter]

You are funny, I know it's not funny but made me chuckle.
I'm with you on this one, I tried a hammock a long time ago and it wasn't for me either. Tents have been used for hundreds of years. Plus, I prefer to have my gear inside with me.
I also have a feeling that you are bruised elsewhere than just emotionally. :-)

When I think of the hammock, I think of the jungle. Maybe cuz I spent 2 years in Panama and understood the need to sleep up off the ground. Anyway, the hammock originated about a thousand years ago with the Mayan Indians in Central America. It's said that Columbus "discovered" the hammock and then British and French sailors used them aboard ship. The US Army developed the Jungle Hammock and used it in WW2 and Vietnam. The Viet Cong had their version of the hammock, too.

Thats OK, Ill stick to my American made Tarp/tent..Sooooo much better, and more space..

The big drawback to a hammock is using it for shelter while sitting out a 4 or 5 day blizzard in 0F or -10F. Throw in a 40 or 50mph wind atop an open bald and you see its limitations. I can stay in my tent for 96 hours if need be, it would be rough doing the same in a hammock.

[Atreus]

Just used my Warbonnet on a 4 day trip and loved it. I was sceptical at first until the first morning I woke up refreshed and w/o backpain. Slap straps are easy to attach to tree. I had my hammock set up with Tarp and all then went to help my buddy set up his tent. He started a few minutes before me. Took me only a few minutes to do everything. The hammock itselef was haning right after only 2 minutes and I bet I could get that down with more practice.