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Thread: Hammock vs Tent

  1. #1
    Registered User Terp's Avatar
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    Default Hammock vs Tent

    So i was wondering if I could get the WhiteBlaze communitie's opinon on the pros and cons of Hammocks vs Tents.

  2. #2
    Registered User R00K's Avatar
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    Hammock Pros:
    -Recent study (and my personal experiance) shows people generally fall asleep faster and deeper in hammocks. This is dependent on wether or not the hammock is being used correctly. If you set it up wrong, or lay in it funny, you'll have a night filled with waking up and trying to fall back asleep.
    -Dont have to worry about sleeping on rocks or sticks or uneven ground.
    -Hammocks leave almost no "footprint" besides a few tarp stake holes.
    -Hammock/Bugnet/Tarp setups can be bought at 13oz or less for under $375.
    -Dont have to worry about wet ground or puddling.
    Hammock cons:
    -I honestly can't think of any. Maybe you can find yourself in a place where there's not a covinient place to hang, but I always manage to find something!

  3. #3

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    Okay, I got that one out of my system. You'll get a thousand different opinions on this one from the Well Hung Crowd and the Miscreant Ground Lovers.

  4. #4
    Trail miscreant Bearpaw's Avatar
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    I prefer to hammock, so I'll say that up front.

    I love the comfort, camp chair/recliner effect, expanded options for campsites in a heavily treed area like the AT, and ease of setup/takedown during rainy conditions. I've evolved in how i hang, expanding my seasons with down underquilts and tarps with full doors that allow me to block out the winds that would easily chill my hammock (and backside).

    As for tents, they are still the best option for folks who want the very lightest options, who prefer to stomach sleep, who prefer the room to sit up and move around and still have mesh to block away mosquitoes, and (of course) who spend substantial time in areas with few or no trees.

    Some folks just can't get comfortable in a hammock - too claustrophobic/restricting, though I suspect some of these are from poor hanging technique. Too tight, or too much sag, or the head level not right versus foot level can all make a hang uncomfortable.

    Some folks find they prefer the ground with a thick pad like a Big Agnes or NeoAir.

    I've found I can tolerate the ground if I need to, but I'll nearly always take the hammock if I can find a decent place to hang it.
    If people spent less time being offended and more time actually living, we'd all be a whole lot happier!

  5. #5
    Registered User Nutbrown's Avatar
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    Love em both. I tent with the family, and hammock when I hike. Hammocks are lighter, and if you don't have to sleep on your stomach, can be more comfy. Look at hammockforums.net for some hangs that you can go to and try some out.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Terp View Post
    I am just trying to understand. I didnt think it was that big of an issue.
    It shouldn't be. Some can't seem to realize that there is no best fit for everyone. I prefer a hammock. I agree with the posts of both ROOK and Bearpaw. When I started backpacking a few years ago (OK, maybe more than a few) I had no problems sleeping on the ground. Even with a very minimal pad. At some point (and 30 years worth of distance running mostly on hard surfaces) I noticed problems with a comfortable nights sleep even with much improved sleeping pads. When I discovered the hammock and got used to the proper setup (for me) I was able to once again enjoy a comfortable nights sleep in the outdoors. The advantages mentioned by ROOK (while real) are only the icing on the cake for me. You do need to investigate the ways to keep warm when the temps drop.

  7. #7

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    I think the main reason for using a hammock is its more comfortable for a lot of people and you are off the ground.

    I was a ground dweller for years, but recently switched to a hammock and I like it.

  8. #8

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    You can MYOG a gathered hammock really cheap.
    I just bought 25 yds of 1.1 ripstop in digital camo for $2 per yard to build a couple of double layer hammocks, so my long
    hammock will cost roughly $16 without suspension.

  9. #9
    Registered User gunner76's Avatar
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    Its like asking which is the best hiking trail, the AT of the PCT. They both have their pros and cons. Check out Hammock Forums http://www.hammockforums.net/ for more information.

    Hammock camping will allow you to camp at sites & places that tenters could never think about setting up at.

    I am a hammock hanger by choice as I can set up my hammock faster than many tents and I find it easier to get in and out of.

    Check out Hammock Fourms for a group hammock hang in your area and attend to learn about hammocks. Tenters are always welcome.
    Hammock Hanger by choice

    Warbonnet BlackBird 1.7 dbl


    www.neusioktrail.org

    Bears love people, they say we taste just like chicken.

  10. #10
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    This thread is repeated every year or so and can last about that long...
    it really is a bit like debating if beer is better than wine.
    For me I like the "idea" of a hammock but for a start I toss and turn pretty often and I just cannot get a good night sleep in one.
    Another point is that in spite of what hammockers tell you, there are places that are less than ideal to pitch one.
    Spion-Kopje-sunrise.jpg
    (this does not apply if you specifically want it for the AT)
    Franco

  11. #11
    Registered User gunner76's Avatar
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    An
    other point is that in spite of what hammockers tell you, there are places that are less than ideal to pitch one.
    That applies to tents and hammocks.

    By the way, you pitch a tent and hang a hammock
    Hammock Hanger by choice

    Warbonnet BlackBird 1.7 dbl


    www.neusioktrail.org

    Bears love people, they say we taste just like chicken.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Franco View Post
    This thread is repeated every year or so and can last about that long...
    it really is a bit like debating if beer is better than wine.
    For me I like the "idea" of a hammock but for a start I toss and turn pretty often and I just cannot get a good night sleep in one.
    Another point is that in spite of what hammockers tell you, there are places that are less than ideal to pitch one.
    Spion-Kopje-sunrise.jpg
    (this does not apply if you specifically want it for the AT)
    Franco
    I agree with Franco and can add one of my own fotogs:



    Quote Originally Posted by gunner76 View Post
    An

    That applies to tents and hammocks.

    By the way, you pitch a tent and hang a hammock
    Semantics, pitching a hammock also works, like "setting up". BTW, what the heck happened to my second post??

  13. #13
    Registered User Raul Perez's Avatar
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    If you are going to be in tree inhabited areas in my opinion hammocks rock. Easy to set up, up off the ground which makes things easier to keep clean, when it rains.... well here you go:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrG3O2-xyNE

    Individual results may vary but this is what works for me and I'm able to keep it light. Last month for my 50+ charity hike I had a total pack weight of 24lbs with food/water/gear of which 15lbs was food and water!!! (I eat a lot on the trail)

  14. #14

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    Raul Perez---Thanks for the tube video, it's nice to see someone interested and excited about their setup.

    Hammock camping to me is Tarp Camping, with a suspended bivy bag. Here are some questions for the hammockers:

    ** Last winter I was caught in a series of three blizzards at 5,000 feet (NC) and the snow got too deep to move for over a week, so I spent four days atop a bald afterwhich I moved and then spent another seven days two miles away waiting for the storms to end. I was stir crazy even with a 36 sq ft tent, what the heck would a hammocker have done? Stay cocooned?

    ** In harsh conditions, can a hammocker cook inside his hammock, protected from high winds and slapping horizontal rain gusts?

    ** What's the weight of a good secure hammock kit for below zero backpacking?

  15. #15
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    By the way, you pitch a tent and hang a hammock

    And when you have finished doing that, do you pitch or hang the tarp over the hammock ?
    Franco

  16. #16
    Registered User Raul Perez's Avatar
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    Tipi I can't answer those questions as I dont winter camp to that degree. The lowest I've gotten is 3*F and that was really cold for me to hike in.

    Shug and some others have hammocked in -20*F so they would be the best to answer but I believe they are dedicated posters over at hammock forums and not WB.

    Winter tarps are large and fairly enclosed and big enough to effectively cook in.

  17. #17
    Registered User russb's Avatar
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    In reply to Tipi's questions.

    Cocooned? No, not anymore than one would be in their tent. In fact mobility might even be more since in my winter (read: sub zero F) setup I can even stand up (just barely and slightly hunched over) inside my shelter. I have about the same sq ft plus a very nice place to sit while I cook protected completely from the elements (yes even wind slapping precipitation). The weight for my shelter excluding sleeping bags/pads (which vary depending on temp I expects to encounter) is 52 oz.

    In reply to the OP's initial question, both gear choices, tent and hammock, have different uses. In some situations one may be more ideal than the other. Neither will be the best in all situations. Just like most people have different sleeping bags or stoves for different types of trips, most have different shelter systems as well. Although we may have our "go to" bag, stove, shelter, etc... which we may use even in the fringe situations even if it may not be ideal. Most often it isn't the gear, but your knowledge and experience which make the gear work so you are safe and comfortable.

  18. #18
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    This is very much specific to where I hike but some situations may apply to others too.
    In many of our National Parks you can only use a designated area.
    So for example, in this spot trees are sparse and the one you see is the only one for about 30' or so.
    Of course you could sleep on the ground bivy style .
    ChrisTTCircuit.jpg

    This is one of the spots where hammocks (at the time) were not allowed because of tree damage.
    me-you-and-roo.jpg


    This is a designated area, in Tasmania. The nearest trees are outside of that area.
    Further down a couple of spots have platforms. Some of those platforms could have a hammock stretched over them , others not.



    This is in Nepal. That is where I had to camp. We had a few inches of rain that night , the paddock next to ours was flooded .
    That was pretty much the situation for over 20 days, most of it over tree level .
    Contrail-in-Nepal.jpg


    This is another typical spot here. Plenty of trees but those gums shed limbs for no apparent reason (known as widow makers)
    This last picture I think that illustrates well the situation.
    This is a windy place , there is a river in front of me (it's in a gorge..) and I am taking my chances camping there because although it is not that obvious, I am using a couple of smaller trees as some sort of cover but I have woken up there at other times with tree limbs that had fallen overnight pretty close to my tent.
    That was my sanity break spot , only about 1 hour away from home by car to the trailhead but most of the time I could spend two or three days away with no one else about.
    Franco



    Francos-Windscreen.jpg

  19. #19
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    BTW, Adam, the owner of the white tarp in the second picture and the Rainbow behind mine in the large picture did have (and loved...) a Hennessy hammock, but on some walks he opted for one of the other two set ups.
    Franco

  20. #20
    Springer-->Stony Brook Road VT MedicineMan's Avatar
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    Listen to Tipi and Franco-hammocking is overrated.
    Start out slow, then slow down.

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