Hammock tents

[atfrith]

Anybody tried them? Pros/cons? Been looking at different backpacking tents and started running into some people saying to try out a hammock and I really just don't know squat about them

[Indian Summer]

I don't know anyone who has actually used one. Seems like a good idea to stay off of lumpy or uneven ground. But... I have to wonder if I'm not going to wake up shaped like a U. The main reason they don't interest me is because the idea of air circulating under me in the mountains seems like a bad idea. Cold! Also you don't get the storage space that you do with a tent. A good one probably weighs as much or more than a small tent so no real advantage I can think of.

Imagine being in one when the wind really kicked up. lol You'd be swinging around like a piñata. It can get windy in those hills!

[husky390]

Check with WheresBruce on AT in the western hunting section. He swears by them and has a ton of posts about them. I'm not sure if he's a member here.

[elkmtngear]

Had a buddy bring one to CO last Season.

He turned around and bought a 3 Season 2 man tent soon after.

He was pretty miserable in it...cold and somewhat cramped mainly I think.

I kept calling him a bear pinyata!

[NirvanaFan]

I love my bearrito!

I've only got ~10 nights in a hammock, but I'll never go back to the ground if I'm sleeping alone. If the wife and I go out, I have to lug my heavy 2 man tent around. With the correct hang, you can actually sleep on your stomach. I usually end up sleeping on my side though. The hammock is actually better on my back than sleeping on my inflatable thermarest.

The setup costs more, but I sleep way more comfortably. The key is the angle of the hang. Your suspension lines (the ones that come to the tree to your hammock) should be at 30 degrees. You need some insulation under you when sleeping. When sleeping in a tent, you have the pad. In a hammock, you need something too. Most people use an underquilt that attaches to the bottom of the hammock, but you can use anything really. An inflatable pad (which is hard to stay on top of), a car windshield sun screen that has been cut down, or a DIY sheet of Reflectix. I cut, sewed, and sealed my own lightweight tarp.

And, I even shaved 10oz off my weight. My LL Bean Microlight FS1 tent (53.25oz) and thermarest neoAir (25.75oz) weighed 79oz. My hammock Warbonnet BlackBird dbl 1.1 (34.875oz), DIY tarp (21.25 oz), and underquilt (13.375oz) weigh 69.5oz. I plan on shortening my tree straps which should shave off another 3 or 4 oz. This setup will never be as light as a tarp tent, but it's super comfortable.

Also, if the weather is really rainy and I'm not going out in it, I'd rather hang out under my tarp in the hammock than on the ground in a tent. I can actually sit in the hammock, stand under the tarp, cook, and move around a bit.

As long as you have trees that are 12-20 feet apart, you can hang a hammock, even on super uneven ground. You would never be able to set up a tent here.

[atfrith]

Thanks guys all very helpful info! Gonna head to rei or somewhere similar this weekend and see if they might have one set up to try out and see if it's comfortable to me

[treestanding]

I love sleeping in a hammock mostly because I find it so much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. I have used it for the past 3 years elk hunting, as well as other camping and backpacking trips.

It tends to be a little bit colder than sleeping on the ground, but I use a 0 deg. bag, and a 3" air core pad. You tend to slip off the pad at night, but it's only a minor problem. Two years ago it was dropping down into the 20's at night, and I had no problem. The tarp held up to last years monsoon rain and hail. The biggest problem I have is that it is too comfortable...it makes it really difficult to climb out in the morning.

The down side to using a hammock is that you don't have somewhere to pile all of your stuff. It stays dry under my tarp, it just makes the camp look cluttered.

[NirvanaFan]

Nice setup. What kind of hammock are you rocking?


atfrith, one other thing. Hammocks keep their value pretty well. If laying in a hammock at REI makes you want to get one, find a used hammock (hammockforums.net has classifieds) and buy it. Sleep in it a couple nights (when it's warm), and see if you like it. If you end up not liking it, sell the hammock and you won't be out much money.

[NirvanaFan]

Here's another picture of my hammock on a backpacking trip. If you look closely, you can see the hammock under the homemade tarp.

[treestanding]

Nirvana,
I have the ENO double. I like the extra room of the double. My tarp is just one of those cheep $8 ones from the hardware store.

[Olydog09]

Hammock hunter/camper here. For me it is just much more comfy sleeping in a hammock than on the ground. You can use a mat underneath you or use a underquilt to guard against losing your body heat. It is quite cozy when set properly. Weight wise comes out about the same as a lightweight tent set up. I use a Warbonnett BlackBird as well and I use my lightweight sleeping bag as an underquilt. I made my buddy an underquilt out of a Walmart $25 mummy bag last year. It worked great but was a bit heavy. We used them during 10 days of pouring rain last year and stayed dry and warm. As Treestanding said it can be a little hard to keep organized. I carry Tyvek or another tarp and use it under the hammock to store gear on.

Feel free to pm me and I can get you some info and point you in the right direction to get a good starter set up for cheap to see if you like it.

[WindedBowhunter]

I have tried both the Grand Trunk and Exped hammock shelters on weekend trips.

They are about 1lb lighter than my tent, take up 20% less real estate, sort of! While the the sacks are much smaller, I have to put them in my pack. Where as I put my tent on top of my pack and hold it down with the day lid.

They are very comfortable, except when the wind picks up!

I wouldn't imagine it would be too fun in a long rain storm either, just a guess.

[jswbga]

never thought of it.

one significant upside, is being able to pitch camp anywhere there are trees (everywhere in my units...), even if it isnt flat (also true where we hunt).

does look chilly, though!

I'm not sure there is much difference between a bear pinata (hammock), and a bear burrito (tent), except that the tent may be preheated.

I love seeing everyone elses setup. very informative/insightful.