Tent vs Hammock Camping

[Lumberjackrob]

I'm just getting my kit together after switching from tent camping. Beyond a better nights sleep I think there are more reasons for hammocking. First and foremost is that it's just fun! It seems like there is new stuff to learn everyday and I, along with most others here, like to 'nerd' out on this stuff and take in as much info as I can. Another thing is versatility there is endless ways to combine all your gear to customize it for yourself and any specific conditions you will be camping in. Also like the DIY aspect of hammocking where you can be proud of putting your own stuff to the test. All of that is worth packing maybe a few extra ounces.

[SwitchbackCat]

Setting up a tent in the rain=no good

Setting up a hammock in the rain under your tarp=might as well not be raining!!

[Woodsie8]

LOVE IT!




And same view with tent door open....

[kayak4water]

Last year, I started the PCT with my diy bridge hammock (Thanks, Bic). Hiking in the deserts challenged me to find places to hang, esp. if I was camping with a ground hiker--only around springs did I find trees to hang from in the deserts. The few places where we camped near desert washes didn't have any roots that I could bridge with my hammock and I luckily had a Neoair Xtherm 2.5" air mattress, or I'd have been a severely hurt hiker. Once the trail got to the Sierra Nevada in California and the Cascades in Oregon and Washington, I could pretty much ignore my HalfMile and GutHooks apps that told me where to find campsites. I'd camp in gorgeous places even if I had two more hours before sunset. I switched to a gathered end hammock (Warbonnet Blackbird) and dumped my xTherm and got an underquilt.

Every morning getting out of the hammock I felt like a new person which I am NOT (at 59 years old now). I had recharged enough to look at the map or trail guide to decide where I wanted to camp 15 or 20 miles away.

Even at home, I never toss and turn in DIY hammock that I use now. Even in Tempurpedics, I got a workout. Nothing beats the rest I get in the hammock.

Mice couldn't get to my food hung on my suspension. Tent campers often reported mice chewing their way in to search for food. In the morning, I had nothing on the ground but my shoes, tarp stakes, and trekking poles. I had everything else, including my backpack, hanging off the suspension or the ridgeline. No tent floor with wet dirt stuck to the floor. And hey, if it's blowing rain outside and you gotta do #2, you got a dry bathroom anywhere you pick it [ sorry, you can't unread that :*) ]Here's a campsite with my Warbonnet Superfly.
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[KiwiMark]

For me it is this:

4 or 5 hours of restless sleep, tossing and turning and waking up achy.
or
8 or 9 hours of restful sleep and waking up feeling refreshed and ready for what the day may bring.

Bulk or weight of the gear, cost to buy what I want - I couldn't care less!
Being comfortable is the most important thing! (something I learned from cats!)

[echinotrix]

+1 on ...
... comfort
... openness (see #14)
... fiddeling with the setup

[Nodust]

God bless hammocks - first night in my hammock and it rained 5 inches. I slept like a baby. That was six years ago and I haven't slept on the ground since.

That was almost my experience as well. I was always the guy up at 4:30 AM making coffee. I woke up at 8 and missed breakfast that morning.

[Woodsie8]

This has been great hearing all the wonderful benefits

[TerminalMonky]

Consistency of sleep. Restorative sleep. Sitting up to put on boots. Breakfast from the hammock.
Shug

This is something I have not mastered yet. Though I really want to. I have tried to research everywhere, but not found a sufficient answer. I know it's a noob question but no matter how much I fiddle with ridgeline, sit height, hangle, etc...., I get a very stiff edge to the hammock while trying to get in and out and being able to just sit up and kick my legs over and tie my laces is too difficult. (Holy run on sentence Batman!) I know it's probably a noob mistake of some kind or another.
My tail just sits too low and my knees are near my chest. And forget gracefully entering and exiting the hammock. Is there any sagely advice anyone can share.

I can spin a new topic off if it is worth it. I don't want to hijack here.

Speaking of which. I still enjoy both tent and hammocks. I am the cub master for my son's cub pack so we do not do much in the way of backpacking yet, but we are discovering the enjoyment of hanging and usually end up pitching both tent and hammock when the chance arises.

The quick ease and comfort of a hammock are great but the privacy and quasi storage of a tent are still a requirement for the groups I usually camp with. I should also say that I rarely sleep on the ground while tent camping. If you are loading a tent into the car you can just as easily load a cot too.

[MatthewStenger]

I picked up about a pound when I switched from tent to hammock.

As far as the view argument goes, I cowboy camp while ground camping all the time, just as often as I sleep under the stars in my hammock. So its really a wash.