Convince me to hammock... or tent on my thru

[Nuggz]

I'm a fairly experienced backpacker, but I'm having trouble deciding if I want to start with a tent or hammock on my AT thru next year. I switched to a hammock three years ago, I've tried many different setups, but I never went back to a tent.

My trail hammock would be a Grand Trunk U.L. with whoopie sling suspension and poly straps with toggles. I'd probably pick up a cuben fiber tarp if I went with a hammock.

My ground setup is a tarptent Notch minus the supplied mesh net. I have my own bug net(for when I need it) and ground cloth.. this setup weighs less.

I feel like the ground setup is more versatile because If I'm tired and just want to sleep in a shelter, floor, etc.. I have this option. Even though I can setup the hammock and tarp fast, The notch seems to be less of a PITA..

I'm sure the answer will be obvious to me after about a week on the trail.. but for you experienced guys, do you have any advice? or will all be personal preference? For those of you who hammocked, did you ever find yourself missing out on things because of the hammock?

[Tuckahoe]

I have not thru'ed so take this for what it's worth, but personally I would go with the hammock. I get much better sleep in the hammock and that makes it easy to deal with any other issues. I also enjoy the bigger foot print of the tarp compared to what I had in the tent -- its nice to have standing and moving room under the tarp during foul weather. And camp selection is a little more flexible.

I think that the Smokies might be an issue with the need to sleep in shelters.

In the end though you have to answer this for yourself.

[msupple]

If you are concerned about sleeping In a shelter when using a hammock, simply bring a pad for your bottom insulation. Then you have the option of going to ground or shelter. I used an uq on my hike but would take an inflatable pad if I did it again.

[ChinMusic]

If you like both systems then tent down south and hammock up north. Once I got further north the good tenting sites became harder to find. In the south tenting is easy.

[Last Call]

Just break down & get a Big Agnes Fly Creek or Copper Spur.....hammock hangers are sooooo annoying,....always fiddling & fussing with lines & things with their headlamps after dark while folks are already in their tents trying to sleep.....puh-leeze, gag me with a spork....

[Last Call]

Another end of this pea vine is; I have had to "rescue" 2 hammockers already this Fall because apparently they were too corpulent for the straps on their set-ups.....on both occasions I heard them hit the ground, one of them was slightly dazed but otherwise okay, the other gentleman could barely stand up after a nasty strike to his tailbone from a root underneath. Never had that happen o me in a tent....why is that?

[Dr. Professor]

To me, hammock is better on the AT due to the far greater range of campable sites and due to hammock superiority in the rain. That said, hammocks can be colder depending on an individual's setup.

[1azarus]

i think you have a valid concern-- although i only sleep in my hammock (similar setup, too...). a short neoair would give you the flexibility you probably will want, and you could couple it with a lighter summer weight underquilt for even more setup flexibility. there is a bit of a loss in comfort with any pad in the hammock, as you probably know, so i would mostly suggest you use an uq when not crazy cold and bring along a neoair for cold hammock night backup as well as sleep in the shelter backup -- accepting the small weight penalty for the flexibility. Just leave something else at home to make your pack weight right!

[Nuggz]

I like this idea and will look into it.

I'm not quite a UL guy, but I'm pushing it as close as I can on the weight stuff. I have all the gear for either setup. I will admit that using a pad in the hammock sounds like the best plan of them all, I even have a 3/4th neo air. One night I set up my hammock on the porch with the pad and tried it out. It was way less comfortable than using my UQ. Maybe I will give it another try.

I've also had the crazy idea of attaching the pad to the OUTSIDE of the hammock underneath me. Using some Grommet tabs and shock cord.

[Nuggz]

And thanks for the ideas and suggestions guys.

[1azarus]

I like this idea and will look into it.

I'm not quite a UL guy, but I'm pushing it as close as I can on the weight stuff. I have all the gear for either setup. I will admit that using a pad in the hammock sounds like the best plan of them all, I even have a 3/4th neo air. One night I set up my hammock on the porch with the pad and tried it out. It was way less comfortable than using my UQ. Maybe I will give it another try.


I've also had the crazy idea of attaching the pad to the OUTSIDE of the hammock underneath me. Using some Grommet tabs and shock cord.

good luck with that idea... not too hopeful myself.

i do suggest you experiment with how much you inflate the neoair. should not be fully inflated, i think...

[msupple]

I like this idea and will look into it.

I'm not quite a UL guy, but I'm pushing it as close as I can on the weight stuff. I have all the gear for either setup. I will admit that using a pad in the hammock sounds like the best plan of them all, I even have a 3/4th neo air. One night I set up my hammock on the porch with the pad and tried it out. It was way less comfortable than using my UQ. Maybe I will give it another try.

I've also had the crazy idea of attaching the pad to the OUTSIDE of the hammock underneath me. Using some Grommet tabs and shock cord.

One thing about inflatable pads in hammock...they are considerably more comfortable when only partially inflated. Try it....you'll be surprised. Less is more.

Cat in the Hat

[A/B]

Last month I got the wider 25" Neoair, which works great in my hammock, where a 20" didn't. Still lightweight, and I can use it on a floor, bunk, or shelter next year as needed. Some interesting videos out there of people cutting it down to save weight, but not for me.

[Astro]

Personally a tent person, but had a conversation with a thru this summer who usually used a hammock, but brought a tarp tent for his AT Thru Hike instead due to the weight.

[SouthMark]

When I got to New England I was so glad that I had a hammock. I did not worry about finding a flat spot, or roots or rocks, etc. In spite of and above posters remark, I always set up my hammock faster than tent campers.I do not have to fool with it and in seven years I have never fallen. I have also slept in my hammock at 1º and was warm and cozy. Also the weight of my hammock set up is about the same as my previous Tarptent Contrail. But maybe you should try a hammock a few times before you start your thru. Hammocks are not for everyone. I am one that can no longer sleep on the ground and cannot crawl in and out of a small tent. Hammocks and ultralight gear have extended my hiking years.

[MDSection12]

Depending on your height, you should consider a longer hammock. At 6' I never could get a good night's sleep in the GTUL. I switched to a GT Single and couldn't be happier.

[Tuckahoe]

Just break down & get a Big Agnes Fly Creek or Copper Spur.....hammock hangers are sooooo annoying,....always fiddling & fussing with lines & things with their headlamps after dark while folks are already in their tents trying to sleep.....puh-leeze, gag me with a spork....

Meh... all tents and hammocks have some sort of fiddle factor, which is compounded by lack of experience. I am sure every tenter has set up their tent perfectly everytime.

[Nuggz]

Depending on your height, you should consider a longer hammock. At 6' I never could get a good night's sleep in the GTUL. I switched to a GT Single and couldn't be happier.

Im right at 6' with no shoes on. I have mutilple hammocks, but my GTUL is the lightest. I've slept in it a few times, no problem. I do prefer the double for the room, but I have the GTUL for weight savings. I also like the polyester fabric instead of nylon.

Personally a tent person, but had a conversation with a thru this summer who usually used a hammock, but brought a tarp tent for his AT Thru Hike instead due to the weight.

My hammock setup is slightly heavier, especially for cold weather. This is one of the reasons I'm leaning toward going to the ground. The only time I've ever fallen out of a hammock was when I was trying to get in after drinking way too much.

[Tuckahoe]

My hammock setup is slightly heavier, especially for cold weather. This is one of the reasons I'm leaning toward going to the ground. The only time I've ever fallen out of a hammock was when I was trying to get in after drinking way too much.

There was an 8 ounce difference between what I had for my tent and my current bridge hammock; a weight difference I didnt think was all that significant, but that I have been able to make up for elsewhere.

[RichardD]

I used my hammock on my 2011 thru. I carried a NEO mat from Fontana North as I correctly assumed I would have to use shelters in GSMNP. I carried the mat the rest of the hike, I used it a couple of nights when I chose to camp with friends rather than hike on a little, a couple of work for stays in the Whites and a few shelter nights in Maine. For me, the great comfort of the hammock, the superior weather resistance and the generally much bigger choice of camp spots made the hammock well worthwhile. In my case there is a weight penalty since I carry a mat for ground use and an under quilt for comfort in the hammock. I plan on taking a hammock on my 2014 pct hike and am looking to lighten up a bit with a new hammock, Cuben tarp and perhaps a small size inflatable for times I have to go to ground. That said, I know I can be lighter with tarptent but I like the hammock too much to do that.