I had forgotten just how terrible ground dwelling can be

**benfishin** · 10-27-2015, 23:21

This past weekend, I had a nice reminder of how much better hammocks are than sleeping on the ground. Our scouts wanted to have an easy camp out in our scoutmaster' back yard, but there aren't any trees there. I have some turtle dog stands that I've built, but I didn't want to go through the hassle of setting them up. I was running late anyway, so I just grabbed my pad, bag, tarp and pillow and walked over. We all hunkered down for the night and I think I managed to find the lumpiest bit of terra firma in the entire yard. I slept fitfully for a few hours with constant tossing and turning. Finally, at 3am, I trudged across the neighborhood back to my house, snuck back into my house, grabbed all my hammock gear and the hammock stand and carried it all back to the scoutmaster's yard. Apparently, I set it up pretty stealthily because everybody was surprised to see me in the hammock in the morning. Needless to say, I slept about a thousand times better after climbing into my hammock. I couldn't believe how bad the ground was after being spoiled by hanging bliss for the past several outings. I know people say it on here all the time, but I really will never go to ground again when it is at all possible to hang instead.

**transeuphrates** · 10-28-2015, 13:40

Great story! I have been in a similar situation and there is just nothing like a hammock for comfort. I bet they all had a good laugh at the stealthy hammock camper. 😁

**bwhntMT** · 10-28-2015, 13:46

Like sleeping on a cloud!

**Rex Clifton** · 10-28-2015, 14:30

If you have a good air mattress, tenting is not so bad. I just hate it when it rains.

**njsurfer** · 10-28-2015, 17:11

I just love to be outside. Although Id prefer my hammock, I dont mind going to the ground at all. My Big Agnes Insulated Aircore is plenty comfy. I find that if I dont sleep well means I didnt do enough miles for the day!

Jon

**Trublmaker** · 10-28-2015, 17:41

You said the G word! I haven't slept on the ground in 5 years and I have no intention of doing it. The only thing that could make me go to the ground at this point might be the zombie apocalypse...Nah, I still wouldn't do it.

**raftingtigger** · 10-28-2015, 17:42

I too have decided I don't ever want to "go to ground" unless I have a full bed sized air mattress. Actually I prefer the hammock to the 6" full size air bed so much that when I spent the night at my brother's house I made sure to field test my NoGround V2.0 pole in their tiny backyard even buried among the young fruit trees. The fantastic night sleep was well worth the eye rolling I got from my husband with my obsession.

Benfishin, now your challenge is to get the rest of the Scoutmasters and the Scouts up on hammocks.

**strikealight** · 10-28-2015, 17:42

When we are family camping at a "proper" campsite in a "proper" family tent, my wife and I sleep on extremely comfortable inflatable mattresses. When I am wild camping I would always go for a hammock now (I am a very recent convert) but here in Wales we have a lot of fantastic wild camping opportunities where there are no trees. I will therefore have to go to my (previously beloved) Robert Saunders Satellite hiking tent - and hence the ground - at some stage. Which I have mixed feelings about! The ground is a lot harder and lumpier than it was when I was in my teens.......

**benfishin** · 10-28-2015, 22:51

Originally Posted by raftingtigger

Benfishin, now your challenge is to get the rest of the Scoutmasters and the Scouts up on hammocks.

We had the scouts make their own tablecloth hammocks a few months ago, and they've been hooked ever since. Our prior two camp outs/hikes have been mostly hammocks. I'm not sure what craziness got us all back on soil for this overnighter, but I doubt we'll do it again.

**zukiguy** · 10-29-2015, 07:33

Awesome....
I've been considering a trip out west but most of the more epic hikes are at/above treeline. The thought of being back on the ground just makes my back ache.

My boys and I are car camping at least once a month. They stay in the big family tent while I've been fortunate to find some good trees nearby. One trip last year there were trees everywhere but the camp host showed up and firmly informed us that nothing could be hung from the trees (park rules). Luckily there was a big pavilion nearby (never said anything about man-made structures). I've built a stand to bring along but I don't want to drag it out every trip "just in case".

I've finally put together a full hammock/tarp setup for both the kids. Now I just have to get the wife to sign off on everyone hanging.....