Hammock camping

s.ga.rider

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How many of you hammock camp? I’ve spent 2 nights in my eno. We stayed at state parks and hung under the pavilion areas with the picnic tables so we didn’t have to worry about rain. I have a 11 day Trip next month and I’m going to use the hammock. I ordered a big net and still looking for a rain fly.
 

spklbuk

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You have been assimilated. If you haven't, seek hammock forums.

With a properly set tarp, you will stay drier in hanging than in a tent.

I may have spent a night or two between trees over the last 15 years
Stoney Fork Campground near Big Walker Mtn, VA


A gear hammock (Macentyre) is the single best hammock accessory I've acquired.


Walnut Flats on the MABDR

 

SkunkWorks

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I always wondered about rain possibly running down the ropes to the hammock...................Is that not an issue, or is there some way to mitigate that?
 

spklbuk

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Mitagated by hanging a fine piece of line - a dripline - from each strap or rope. A second backup dripline if rain is really enthusiastic.
 

SilverBullet

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...With a properly set tarp, you will stay drier in hanging than in a tent...
I don't see how. If you have a tent that doesn't leak you are dry, your gear is dry, you have a dry floor under you and you can take off/put on your gear while staying dry.

Besides only the dry criteria a tent protects you better from insects, provides increased privacy and gives you room to move to make inside activities easier like eating, taking a piss, etc. And if you travel 2 up your nightime ritual could be dangerous in a hammock. Tent campsite locations increase expotentially also without need for proper trees to setup.

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Old Scratch

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I don't see how. If you have a tent that doesn't leak you are dry, your gear is dry, you have a dry floor under you and you can take off/put on your gear while staying dry.

Besides only the dry criteria a tent protects you better from insects, provides increased privacy and gives you room to move to make inside activities easier like eating, taking a piss, etc. And if you travel 2 up your nightime ritual could be dangerous in a hammock. Tent campsite locations increase expotentially also without need for proper trees to setup.

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My hammock have a built in mosquito net. It works great. and it has two pole that attach for the rain fly. I have swayed in a storm but remained completely dry.
 

spklbuk

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I don't see how. If you have a tent that doesn't leak you are dry, your gear is dry, you have a dry floor under you and you can take off/put on your gear while staying dry. Besides only the dry criteria a tent protects you better from insects, provides increased privacy and gives you room to move to make inside activities easier like eating, taking a piss, etc. And if you travel 2 up your nightime ritual could be dangerous in a hammock. Tent campsite locations increase expotentially also without need for proper trees to setup. Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
I don't see how. If you have a tent that doesn't leak you are dry, your gear is dry, you have a dry floor under you and you can take off/put on your gear while staying dry.

Besides only the dry criteria a tent protects you better from insects, provides increased privacy and gives you room to move to make inside activities easier like eating, taking a piss, etc. And if you travel 2 up your nightime ritual could be dangerous in a hammock. Tent campsite locations increase expotentially also without need for proper trees to setup.

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Perhaps stating that I stay drier in a hammock than in a tent would have been better.

Hanging is not for everyone; and you and I have already made up our minds. We could debate ad infinitum and neither would budge.

The OP expressed an interest in hammocking and I was simply trying to nudge him in the right direction. ;)

Back on topic:


 
B

ballisticexchris

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It brings back memories of my KZ750 traveling through the MS and LA with nothing more than the clothes on my back and a cheap hammock to sleep on. That was 35 years and 20lbs ago.......

I currently have a hammock I bring with me when camping to just relax and read a book or take a short nap. There is no way in hell my body could handle using it as a stand alone for travel these days.
 

SilverBullet

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...Hanging is not for everyone; and you and I have already made up our minds. We could debate ad infinitum and neither would budge...
I carry an open hammock and sometimes use it. Especially with a park shelter as OP stated. But if raining the tent definitely gets used. But since I dont carry a hammock rain fly that is a given.

Definitely different comfort levels and preferences for everyone. A mix of the two methods should not be overlooked.

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s.ga.rider

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I have the double eno and a wise owl bug net. Now to find a good inexpensive rain fly. Amazon has a good bit of options.

Splkbuk, Thanks for the tip on the gear hammock. I haven't thought of that but will definitely be ordering one.
 

spklbuk

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I have the double eno and a wise owl bug net. Now to find a good inexpensive rain fly. Amazon has a good bit of options.
Sir, you will be hard pressed to find (if you can find) a better budget tarp than these...


It will stretch some when wet but it will take a beating that sil-nylon simply can't withstand.

EDIT: Guess I'm out of date (usual); the Chinook had been discontinued. Here's a discussion of sensible tarps:
 
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bnschroder

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I have done more hammock than tent camping by now, including in the rain. I think the advantages of the hammock are that you don’t need a smooth ground and it’s cleaner to pack (no dirty ground cloth), and on a dry night I just love to look at the stars without a rain fly/trap. But I don’t think I sleep better in it, it’s a hassle to take a piss, and you can’t store your gear. So every time I go moto camping I am debating over again.


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spklbuk

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I have done more hammock than tent camping by now, including in the rain. I think the advantages of the hammock are that you don’t need a smooth ground and it’s cleaner to pack (no dirty ground cloth), and on a dry night I just love to look at the stars without a rain fly/trap. But I don’t think I sleep better in it, it’s a hassle to take a piss, and you can’t store your gear. So every time I go moto camping I am debating over again.


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MacEntyre's gear hammock will store all your gear in a highly weather-resistant sil-nylon cocoon (add driplines). Other gear hammocks out there too.


Many think that the quality of sleep in a hammock is better than in their bed...


After getting past the first night effect, which can play a role in any sleep system, I sleep like a log in a hammock. Quite the opposite sleeping in a tent for me...fish flopping on a boat deck.
 

Mak10

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In cooler weather, what do you do to stay warm? On those 35f nights I froze in a hammock.
 

thughes317

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No problem at all sleeping on my side in a hammock! I've been hammock camping for years and this was a concern when I first started (being a side sleeper and hearing people say things like "you can only sleep on your back in a hammock"). It does take some experimenting to get your rig to where you like it though.

Like everything else, it comes down to knowledge and application: If your hammock is long enough (@11 feet), hung properly (correct amount of sag), and you are positioned on a diagonal, you will find that you lay very flat. Rolling onto your side to sleep, even curling your legs up into a fetal position is not a problem.

Some tips:

Side sleeping: Shug is super entertaining and a definitive source for all things hammock:
 
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