Hammock camping anxiety?

**Scarecrow** · 06-07-2016, 20:28

Since I got into hammocks a few months ago, I've been talking about all the different gear, setups, and various particulars with my brother who, quite frankly, is the person responsible for me getting into backpacking in the first place (he's always used backpacking tents, and just recently switched to a bivy). He says he bought a hammock with an integrated bugnet a couple years ago, and wants to try sleeping in it, but he's got a lot of anxiety about the whole thing. Mainly because of wild animals that frequently come through our campsites late at night or early in the morning. In our neck of the woods, it's generally deer, black bears, raccoons, and coyotes. Apparently the idea that an animal COULD chomp on his backside while he's in a hammock, or waking up with a bear staring at him while he's laying there has him freaked out quite a bit. My question is: How does one go about coaching someone into hammock camping with this sort of anxiety? He always says he just feels safer in the tent, even though he knows he's really not that much safer, because he can't "see what's out there" and nothing can crawl underneath him if he's on the ground.

**SilvrSurfr** · 06-07-2016, 20:47

That's a bizarre fear. We get some whacky people with whacky fears on this forum. One guy was terrified of lightning - as if you're any more secure in a tent.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ntry+lightning

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ntry+lightning

Then there are the "what if I have to go to ground?" people, who obsess about going somewhere that has no trees. If I ever camp anywhere without trees, I'll take a tent (though I don't currently own one and have no plans on buying one). It's too easy to plan hikes that have trees for me to worry about such stuff.

Fear is usually irrational, and it sounds like your friend will go to his grave convinced that he's safer sleeping on the ground surrounded by nylon. Let him suffer.

About six years ago, I switched to hammocks. My children were none too keen on the hammock idea, but then Hurricane Sandy rolled through and destroyed my tents. All I had was hammocks, so if they wanted to go camping with me, it was hammocks or nothing. The kids eventually got on board, but my wife insisted she would never sleep in a hammock. Guess what? She's never gone camping with us, and probably never will.

**sidvicious** · 06-07-2016, 21:03

ah, man. just hold his hand a bit and get him out in it. he'll come around.

hammocks do evoke odd responses from people sometimes. a lot of folks i know have me pegged as a survivalist and its solely because of the hammock.

since i've had dewey on the trail, we don't have camp visitors......

cheers,

sv-

**Scarecrow** · 06-07-2016, 21:05

Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

That's a bizarre fear. We get some whacky people with whacky fears on this forum. One guy was terrified of lightning - as if you're any more secure in a tent.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ntry+lightning

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ntry+lightning

Then there are the "what if I have to go to ground?" people, who obsess about going somewhere that has no trees. If I ever camp anywhere without trees, I'll take a tent (though I don't currently own one and have no plans on buying one). It's too easy to plan hikes that have trees for me to worry about such stuff.

Fear is usually irrational, and it sounds like your friend will go to his grave convinced that he's safer sleeping on the ground surrounded by nylon. Let him suffer.

About six years ago, I switched to hammocks. My children were none too keen on the hammock idea, but then Hurricane Sandy rolled through and destroyed my tents. All I had was hammocks, so if they wanted to go camping with me, it was hammocks or nothing. The kids eventually got on board, but my wife insisted she would never sleep in a hammock. Guess what? She's never gone camping with us, and probably never will.

It probably didn't help the situation any either when I told him your story (or whoever it was) about the porcupine that was hanging out under the hammock one time. Haha
My thought at the moment is that maybe if I show him the amount of "protection" (at least the illusion of protection anyway) he can get with a tarp like the Superfly pitched in storm mode, maybe that will begin to change his mind. He wants to hang with the cool kids, but he's gotta overcome this funky fear first.

**weaver2469** · 06-07-2016, 21:09

I don't think it is a crazy fear at all. I bet a bunch of people on this forum felt that way at one time. I actually had the opposite anxiety. When I am in a tent, every noise seems magnified, because I can't see what might be making it or have any idea which direction it is coming from. Under a tarp, especially if it is hung kind of high, you have a great view all around. This seems to be a much better situation for me in terms of the night critters and noises. For me, the more open the better. A beautiful night, without a tarp at all is the best. Maybe try to get him to look at it that way.

**SilvrSurfr** · 06-07-2016, 21:25

It might take some time to convince your friend. When I started hammock camping six years ago, a friend of mine (Gmarc) called me up and asked if I wanted to go canoeing in the Adirondacks. He said he had bought a camping hammock and was going to use it. The light went off for me, and I also bought a hammock (Hennessy Expedition Asym Zip).

Meanwhile, Gmarc's brother KYBob, who also came along, was a diehard tent fan. The first night out, it rained 5 inches. As we set up our hammocks, he said, "I'm telling you - this is 40 years of camping experience talking. You're gonna be wet and miserable in that hammock." Gmarc and I set up our hammocks, slept like babies and stayed dry as a bone. KYBob slept in a shelter, got soaking wet, and had rats and mice running over his sleeping bag all night.

Each year we went to the Adirondacks, and KYBob gave the same speech about "forty years of camping experience," and Gmarc and I slept like babies while KYBob slept on the ground. After a couple of years, KYBob showed up with a hammock. Next thing I knew, KYBob bought himself an underquilt. KYBob is stubborn as a mule and there was no way I was gonna convince him that hammocks were good, but eventually, he saw the light.

KYBob still does stupid stuff, like carrying a 60 lb. pack for an overnighter, and he's stlll convinced that a bivy inside a hammock is a wise idea. I laugh my butt off hearing him getting inside his bivy, inside his sleeping bag, inside his hammock. It takes him about 15 minutes to get situated, but he's sold on that bivy and nobody can talk him out of it.

**Campdavid** · 06-07-2016, 21:31

While the fear may be odd, it's not unheard of at all. I've had folks ask if I feel safe. Also, I know a guy that hangs real high to stay safe from bears (uh?).

One way to get over a fear (when it's irrational like a phobia) is "flooding" where the person is thrust into the situation that he fears in order to see that it really is unfounded.

So, maybe secure him into a hammock straight jacket style across a game trail and leave him there overnight? With any luck we won't be attacked and will find out that it really is safe. YMMV

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**TrailSlug** · 06-07-2016, 21:46

You could always carry something that makes a loud noise if you are afraid of larger animals. I hang with a guy that carries an air horn just in case of a wild animal comes through camp. I think it all depends on where you hang as well. I'm normally not afraid when I hang but I was hanging a month back and one of my cats was flying through the yard and ran into one of my tarp guy lines in the middle of the night. Needless to say it didn't take me long to get our of the hammock to see what was going on.

**xMagnolia** · 06-07-2016, 21:54

My fear manifests itself in the opposite manner of your brother- I want to be able to see what's coming at me and shine a light or throw something to surprise the intruder without warning them with the sound of a zipper. I like my raised outpost, off the ground, away from rodents, raccoons, and smaller critters. In a tent, my imagination makes every little moving leaf a Sasquatch or hungry mountain lion, even if I'm only 2 miles into the Sipsey Wilderness in AL. I'm certain everything "out there" is coming to get me. In the Hammock, I can look around & see that's not true.

Charlotte.

**Scarecrow** · 06-07-2016, 21:55

KYBob sounds kinda like a friend of mine who I go backpacking with frequently... except it's not so much the tent that he doesn't want to let go of, but his rectangular synthetic-filled sleeping bag and nothing underneath it. He's all about that lifestyle, and to each their own. Personally, if I'm going to ground dwell while backpacking, I'd much prefer a mummy bag with a pad underneath it.

Originally Posted by Campdavid

...One way to get over a fear (when it's irrational like a phobia) is "flooding" where the person is thrust into the situation that he fears in order to see that it really is unfounded...

That's pretty much what he did on his own when transitioning to the bivy. He brought the bivy and nothing else to use as a shelter just so that he'd have to ride it out until morning with nothing to fall back on in case it wasn't working out so well. Despite some initial concerns, he went through with it, and afterwards said he was totally fine sleeping in that thing. That may be what he needs to do with the hammock. No fallback plan.