+1 the protip! Thats usually how i put my boots on in the morning. Using my grand trunk ul travel (first one i ever slept in) for storage from now on. Looks brilliant, can believe i havent used it as a gear hammock yet.
+1 the protip! Thats usually how i put my boots on in the morning. Using my grand trunk ul travel (first one i ever slept in) for storage from now on. Looks brilliant, can believe i havent used it as a gear hammock yet.
J-Bend HERE -> http://youtu.be/Rk-P-MVnMPk
J. GarciaOriginally Posted by Shug Emery
I loathe setting up and breaking down a tent. I've found hammock setup/take down to be much easier and faster than for a tent.
I was cleaning up in the basement yesterday and set up my tent just for fun. It's been in a plastic storage container for over 4 years now with not ONE night's use! I purchased it around the same time as my hammock thinking I would only use the tent in winter, but turns out I just can't give up the hammock.
It's an MSR Hubba. After not setting it up for 4+ years, I was amazed how quick and easy it was. I forgot, and sort of miss, how simple a tent can be. But after I got in I realized it's just not comfortable and doesn't give you a nice place to sit and relax.
the comfort is huge.
but i stress freedom. being able to camp wherever is supreme. the stress of being free from "sites" and terrain is a game changer.
example: a few weeks ago i was worn out from a long hike. i moved off trail and set up camp at the top of a mountain. several hours after dark i saw three lights bouncing along the trail. they saw my light and acknowledged me. they were looking for the next tent site after a full day on the trail. i had to break the news that they had another 2 miles to go. it was tough sledding to boot. navigating at night, even with gps, is not fun.
the older one gets, the harder it is to stoop. working while standing is much less stressful. shug mentions this as key during his conversion and he's dead on.
freedom.
cheers,
sv-
Last edited by sidvicious; 05-16-2016 at 07:57.
my hammock stuff weighs about as much as my tent stuff, but takes less space in my pack. i sleep like a baby in my hammock, in my tent, even on my most comfortable pad, i sleep like an antelope in a gators death roll. i toss and turn, have to scooch back onto my pad, etc. then, when I wake, the differences are even more profound. in a hammock,. i wake, unzip my bugnet and lean out to start getting some coffee water boiling, or i dangle my legs off the side and sit comfortably on the side of my hammock and soak in all the wonders of nature i may see while i yawn and think about getting back in for another hour of awesome sleep. in a tent, i sit up, dread having to kneel or sit on my butt on the ground to put my clothes on, then crawl over to the door, often on my knees on the hard ground with rocks and roots, unzip the door, scooch or crawl part way out and achingly get myself into a mostly upright position on my feet while i rub my achy back. i don't feel as well rested after a night in a tent as i do in a hammock and i don't have to worry about the aches and pains that come with tent life.
“I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news”
― John Muir
The biggest proof is what I do immediately after waking up:
Tent: get right up and change, then breakfast and whatever else I need to do
Hammock: relax and take my time to "wake up". Lie there for up to an hour enjoying the sunrise, then breakfast from the hammock. I still don't want to get out, but I know I need to!
I too enjoy the nice feel my back has after a day's hike then a night in the hammock. We have tents as well but it's rare I'm in a tent. The rest of the family are ground dwellers. One thing I have noticed is that the pads are smaller packed up then they used to be (for the ground) but are still pretty heavy for the most part. It's nice for pack size compared with the old thermarest styles. I do agree it's easy to 'store' stuff in a tent but I love being able to set up my hammock in places where you can't set up a tent. One problem I have had is being near the rest of the family if they are needing a tent spot. But we make it work.
Since I backpack with my wife every trip, it's definitely heavier to carry hammocks for us as a couple (2 tarps, 2 hammocks, 2 underquilts gained vs a tent and 2 sleeping pads lost), but the comfort cannot be beat!
I couldn't have said this better myself. I wake up from my tent dreading having to get up but being in so much pain from laying on the ground knowing I have to. And then there's the painful crawling out and trying to get to your feet when you have terrible knees. And heaven forbid if you have to pee and maybe waited too long lol. Wait. Maybe that was TMI. ROTFLMAO
My wife and I backpack together too. I'm not sure we could save much weight in a tent unless it was one of those minimalist ultralight ones.
Our two hammocks with Dutch Double WHs and spreader bar, plus shared tarp (Noahs 12x12) come in between 4 and 5 lbs. for both, and she carries her own hammock/suspension so that weight is split. The insulation is a wash because you need that on the ground too.
I know you can get lighter tents but when you factor in comfort there's really no comparison.
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