A Q for the hammock users.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I thought it would be wrong not to include some mention of hammocks in my book - trouble is, I rarely use one. I like them but there's a few things* that always lead me to sleep on the ground.

1/ Generally colder than sleeping on the ground.
2/ Additional kit required to combat point 1.
3/ You need trees, I find that somewhat limiting.
4/ Midges like to live in woods and forests - see point 3.

The really good thing I find about them is how comfy they are but other than that and maybe the fact your off the ground so away from other things that live there, I struggle to see any real plus points. Can those who use hammocks and prefer them to ground sleeping, tell me why they do?

Any input much appreciated.

*I realise come of these can be overcome or worked round.

[whitestone]

I thought it would be wrong not to include some mention of hammocks in my book - trouble is, I rarely use one. I like them but there's a few things* that always lead me to sleep on the ground.

1/ Generally colder than sleeping on the ground.
2/ Additional kit required to combat point 1.

Yep. You've got air flow all around you so it takes a bit more work to keep warm. Pads tend to slide around unless you have a double skin hammock where you fit the pad inside the "sleeve". Best option is an underquilt, apart from the hammock itself it's the unique item regarding hammocking. The received wisdom Stateside is that you need an underquilt rated to 5C (converted from stupid units) colder than your expected low temps. My Cumulus Selva UQ is rated to -4C so probably an actual 0C and weighs the same as my Exped Winterlite Synmat.

3/ You need trees, I find that somewhat limiting.

On the WRT it was a bit of a challenge to find a bivy site where Cath could ground camp and I could use the hammock. Definitely a limiting factor but I suppose you could also say that you can hammock in places where being on the ground would be uncomfortable at best - steep slopes aren't a problem for example. Boggy or stony ground are also of little concern.

4/ Midges like to live in woods and forests - see point 3.

You did have to mention them didn't you?

I've come across surprisingly few midges this year for some reason, probably just luck, so haven't had to deal with them in the hammock. If you use a ridgeline on the hammock you could drape something like the S2S Nano net (think I've got that right) over it and let it hang down the sides of the hammock.

I think it's just different. LIving up here in the barren north you have to think about where you might bivy more carefully than in the arboreal south but again some sites that I'd dismissed for ground camping look fine for hanging.

It is pretty gear intensive even at the basic level and you tend to need bigger tarps to cover the hammock and you - the Alpkit Rig7 is fine for summer but not enough coverage for winter for example. Consequently there's a bit more bulk, probably comparable to the kit required to be very comfy on the ground, so there's that to consider as well.

I'm sure Taylor and others on here who've done more than me will have more info/opinions.

[sean_iow]

you can hammock in places where being on the ground would be uncomfortable at best - steep slopes aren't a problem for example. Boggy or stony ground are also of little concern.

I've never tried a hammock but this is what attracts me to the idea, there are lots of places locally that would be ideal for biving as they are out of the way, hidden in woodland, not close to the dog walkers haunts but... the are steep slopes so no chance laying on the ground, but a hammock would solve that. We also don't have any midges.

I'll wait until summer before I look into it any further, the two trees in my garden are too far apart so it's not like I'll get the opportunity to try it anytime soon

[benp1]

I didn’t find point 4 to be a problem for me, but agree with the first 3

I haven’t used my hammock set up for years. I used my hammock for 1-2 nights a month for a couple of years, maybe more. But I flipped over to sleeping on the floor because I find it less faff, quicker, more versatile

The hammock was more comfortable once it was just right, but getting it just right was a faff

[Cheeky Monkey]

You might want to do some reading on this site Stu, particularly the "101" pages

https://theultimatehang.com/hammock-camping-101/

I reckon that would give you enough to summarise hamocking and, If it were me, in your situation, for your book, I would leave it "superficial" and then point the reader off to the ultimate hang and other resources. Just 2p thrown in there

As for hammocking, IMO

Hammocking is the heavier, more expensive, more awkward and less versatile option compared to ground dwelling. All of these can be equalled out, generally speaking, with varying levels of success and with related levels of silly expenditure but it all takes more doing than a bivi, tarp, mat and pit.

Saying all that though it is just fun. Gently swinging in a good hang makes me smile, offsetting all the challenges of the choice and making it worthwhile, to me. YMMV

Yes, there are also advantages but I suspect they are fewer than the versatility of a bivi orientated set-up.

Oh, and midges are easily sorted with a hammock that includes an integral bug net. You still have broadly the same level of midge-interface as a bivi or tent but once you're in it's a comfier, more spacious (maybe) space to chill than in a bivi and a great alternative to a tent.

Dunno if that helps

[Bearbonesnorm]

it is just fun. Gently swinging in a good hang makes me smile, offsetting all the challenges of the choice and making it worthwhile, to me.

That's pretty much what I was after

[Cheeky Monkey]

Happy to oblige

[bluebus200]

I use a Hennessy super light. Has a mozzy net built in. I used it in Asturias this summer... Super humid and tonnes of biting things... Zero problems. The thing I like about hammocks are:

The ground is simply not an issue.

With my set up I get v nearly the protection of a tent without the weight and bulk, I can also adapt it to be a ground bivvy should there be no trees (rarely a problem that I've had to deal with)

The sense of freedom is lovely when your floating under the trees

You have an instant seat that you can use while making your morning coffee!

Issues would be:

Too much hassle/weight to adapt to extreme cold,

A little more fiddly to set up than a straight up ground bivvy (that said once you have your routine it is easy.

Some people just don't like sleeping in them (although I would say that is often a question of fit and type)


All of that said, I check the weather and as best as possible check my route and adapt accordingly. If I was heading off into unknown territory for multiple days or weeks I would take a light tent set up. So yes hammocks are fun and add an interesting dynamic. They are adaptable but imho nothing can cover all the bases like a tent, and nothing is as simple as a good weather ground bivvy.

Sometimes I get the bike out to go hammocking not the other way around.

[Taylor]

Other than the weight and pack size penalties I much prefer hammocking IF you get the right hammock.
I have a love hate with my Blackbird and have found a new love in a cheaper hammock that has no bug net.
I used the “new” one end of October as there was no midges and I knew we would be on a steep hillside.
It got dark by 5.30 and knowing that I should have been up late in the night, I got my head down for a couple of hours but slept through until first light, other than a wee.
Comfort is far greater, having an insulated seat that’s at a proper chair height that I can put my boots on, eat food and do my admin is a bonus that adds to comfort of sleeping.
I’ve been using the floor exclusively for the past couple of years but that last trip rekindled the joy of hammocking.

[TheBrownDog]

Agree with the first three points. Lot more gear really, especially in winter with the under quilt. I can still get it all - hammock, under and top quilts, pillow and a down jacket, into my handlebar harness, but it's a bulky bugger

On the plus side, if you like me like a lot of faff, tying knots and messing with kit, it's a lovely way to spend half an hour, though I can actually get my hammock and tarp up in little over 5 minutes if I have all my kit to hand and unimpaired faculties. The challenge of the perfect hang is quite fun too, if its not pissing with rain. And if it is, you get your tarp up first and fast and it don't matter.

And as Taylor says, one of the best things is that you have a built-in chair to sit in, which adds another layer of comfort to proceedings.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Uhm, hadn't really considered the seat / camp comfort bit

[barney]

For me it's this...

I have a few "hammock sites" near me so I'll know specifically where I'm going. If that's the case I'll chuck my panniers on the the bike so the extra capacity isn't an issue.

I love sleeping in my hammock, far comfier than any ground sleep plus it doubles up as a great seat in the evening. I'm notorious slow at breaking camp in the morning and as my hammock is pretty much the last thing to be packed away it's not uncommon to have three morning brews whatever the weather just enjoying the views etc. before I get my lazy arse into gear.

Not sure if that helps Stu

[sean_iow]

Uhm, hadn't really considered the seat / camp comfort bit

Me either, for some reason in my head the hammock would be at waist height, it had never occurred to me that it could be pitched low enough to use as a chair, but obvious once you've heard it and probably much easier to get into.

[lune ranger]

For me it’s this:
Hammocking is an activity in it’s own right. If I want to sleep in a hammock I’ll organise a trip around it.
If I just want to go on a trip, I’ll ground sleep as it’s way more convenient, lighter and simpler.
Whilst it’s true to point out that hammocks can to some places a bivi can’t like boggy ground and slopes. It’s fairer to say that a bivi can go to way more places a hammock can’t eg. anywhere with no trees. Hammocks limit your sleep options unless you are in a large forest area or jungle.
I like to sleep in a hammock but using them imo is being quirky for the sake of it - similar to single speed mountain bikes

[Taylor]

I like to sleep in a hammock but using them imo is being quirky for the sake of it - similar to single speed mountain bikes

Imagine hammock AND singlespeeds. Not that my knees would cope with a singlespeed nowadays.

The reason I've not hammocked much over the previous year(this year not included due to covid) is I've been on trips where I've been with other ground dwellers/non swingers or we've been using bothies so I'd want a mat over an underquilt and I don't want to carry both.
Ground dwelling is by far easier to work into a trip as you've not got to factor in trees that might have been forested before you've got there.

[bluebus200]

For me it’s this:
Hammocking is an activity in it’s own right. If I want to sleep in a hammock I’ll organise a trip around it.
If I just want to go on a trip, I’ll ground sleep as it’s way more convenient, lighter and simpler.
Whilst it’s true to point out that hammocks can to some places a bivi can’t like boggy ground and slopes. It’s fairer to say that a bivi can go to way more places a hammock can’t eg. anywhere with no trees. Hammocks limit your sleep options unless you are in a large forest area or jungle.
I like to sleep in a hammock but using them imo is being quirky for the sake of it - similar to single speed mountain bikes

I think that is the nail on the head.... Hammock'ing is a thing in itself.

[Charliecres]

I’m a hammock newb but the two things I’ve noticed are a) that I seem to get a more uninterrupted sleep and b) that the hammock as seat thing is a genuine and unanticipated bonus. It definitely requires more planning and faff, though, so it will never be my primary MO.

[bluebus200]

I think it takes more learning and getting your kit right but after that I wouldn't say it's any more faff, well not much more than a couple of minutes. My hammock packs into snake sleeves including the tarp. You just pull the sleeves back and it all drops into place...peg out the tarp and it's done. The whole thing about finding trees is kind of pot luck. Maybe it's a bit more than looking for a good bivvy site but if I am wild camping then I'm fussy about where I sleep anyway. Is looking for a flat secluded non windy/ exposed bivvy site any easier? Maybe a bit but I don't reckon there is much in it really.

[bluebus200]

I think it takes more learning and getting your kit right but after that I wouldn't say it's any more faff, well not much more than a couple of minutes. My hammock packs into snake sleeves including the tarp. You just pull the sleeves back and it all drops into place...peg out the tarp and it's done. The whole thing about finding trees is kind of pot luck. Maybe it's a bit more than looking for a good bivvy site but if I am wild camping then I'm fussy about where I sleep anyway. Is looking for a flat secluded non windy/ exposed bivvy site any easier? Maybe a bit but I don't reckon there is much in it really.

[The Cumbrian]

My hammock is by far the most comfortable outdoor sleep I've ever had, and I'll always choose it over ground sleeping if possible. I've been doing it for quite a long time now and have got my routine sorted, and one of the best things to do to get a consistent hang is to use a structural ridge line on your hammock. My Warbonnet Blackbird XLC came with one fitted, but I've retrofitted them onto much cheaper and simpler hammocks with good results. Before I fitted lightweight Amsteel structural ridgelines to them I experimented with a length of rope to find the right amount of sag. Once you know the correct length for you record it, and make a ridgeline out of whatever suitable cord you have to hand. It does have to be pretty strong though.

[whitestone]

I think most of the faff with hammocks is getting your setup right in the first place. Once you've got the best sag (for you), fit a structural ridge line and you are done. Similarly if you only use one hammock then again once you have the underquilt in the right place and adjusted so that there aren't any gaps to let draughts in then it's just a matter of clipping it on to the suspension at either end, making sure you've got it the right way round, and sliding it under the hammock, certainly a lot quicker than inflating a sleeping mat.

For me at the moment the biggest faff is the hammock suspension and getting that set up right. Takes about five times longer than everything else combined

As someone mentioned earlier it's more riding somewhere to hammock rather than use it as your primary shelter/sleep system.