Hammock Etiquette

**PNW HIKER** · 08-18-2018, 01:01

Is there an ambiguous set of rules that we must follow in comparison to a tent camper? A courtesy that hammock campers must extend. And Ground Dwellers can ignore?
I will give you this true account as a example.
While on a long hike with a fellow hammock camper. We settled at a campsite with a fire pit, hanging our hammocks on the surrounding trees. It wasn't long before another group of hikers came upon our campsite looking for a place to set up their tents. I was familiar with the trail and knew there weren't many campsites left nearby. I suggested the possibility of a campsite near the river, and they promptly headed off to investigate. While they were gone I suggested to my friend that we give up our site and allow them to setup on flat ground. I knew the site by the river was very unhospitable and that their tent stakes would not penetrate the rock ridden ground. But, the foremost fact was that we could set up just about anywhere. He refused. Stating that
"They should have gotten hammocks." And laughed.
I sat and imagined thier misery. Attempting to pitch out in such unfavorable tent conditions.
Was my friend wrong if not a bit conceded?
Are tents not limited in comparison? Are we not obligated to give up the flat ground?

**SilvrSurfr** · 08-18-2018, 01:37

That's a bizarre notion. You can have my campsite and I'll move!

Here in the Northeast, many campsites are reservation only. I once reserved a campsite for me and my hammock camping friends, only to find that someone else had taken my campsite. They had a fire going and were all set up in their tents. I informed them I had reserved the campsite and they needed to move.

"You can have our campsite," they said. I informed them I did not want their campsite, that I reserved my campsite based on the fact that it had sufficient trees to support the hammock campers who were coming. I had been slackpacking, so my pack was stashed in the woods. I retrieved my pack and came back, and the party was still in my campsite. Once again, I told them to vacate my campsite, and again they said I could have the campsite they had reserved.

"Listen," I told them. "I have some friends paddling in down the river. One of my friends is not a nice man. If he finds you in our campsite, he's not going to be happy. I suggest you move before he arrives."

They moved, and they were lucky they did. When my friend arrived, he was cold, he was wet, he was grumpy, and he would have chewed their heads off for being in our campsite.

**PNW HIKER** · 08-18-2018, 02:42

The fact that you had a reservation should have been enough for that group of camp heisters! As the sites are usually marked by the Park Services as Reserved (at least here in the NW). So I tend to agree with your reaction too "You can have our site"
In the example I gave in my original post, it was a first come first serve situation. No reservations required.
The question I proposed was whether we should have yielded our campsite to the group on the bases that we could have hung just about anywhere else. Because we are not limited to the average campsite. We could have setup off the trail anywhere. Maybe a better question would be.
"Should a hammock camper occupy a campsite made for tents if he or she doesnt have to?"
Or...
"Does the versatility of the Hammock force us to recognize the the limitations of the Tent?
Or even better...
"What my friend did that day, was it not the equivalent of refusing to give up a Handicap Parking Space?"
~Thank you

**SilvrSurfr** · 08-18-2018, 02:54

First come, first served. The early bird gets the worm!

**XJ35S** · 08-18-2018, 05:32

Originally Posted by PNW HIKER

The fact that you had a reservation should have been enough for that group of camp heisters! As the sites are usually marked by the Park Services as Reserved (at least here in the NW). So I tend to agree with your reaction too "You can have our site"
In the example I gave in my original post, it was a first come first serve situation. No reservations required.
The question I proposed was whether we should have yielded our campsite to the group on the bases that we could have hung just about anywhere else. Because we are not limited to the average campsite. We could have setup off the trail anywhere. Maybe a better question would be.
"Should a hammock camper occupy a campsite made for tents if he or she doesnt have to?"
Or...
"Does the versatility of the Hammock force us to recognize the the limitations of the Tent?
Or even better...
"What my friend did that day, was it not the equivalent of refusing to give up a Handicap Parking Space?"
~Thank you

I agree and would have relocated had I been with you. Unless the weather or darkness made that difficult or unsafe(widow makers). It is 1st come 1st served sure, That doesn't mean a little compassion is forbidden. I realize there isn't much a ground dweller could do to help a hanger in a similar way but I'd like to think they would.

Why is humanity dissipating? It's an all about me society now. Put the cell down....

**jellyfish** · 08-18-2018, 07:01

You are very polite and I would enjoy camping with you.

I would have no problem moving my setup. It is good karma.

**MikekiM** · 08-18-2018, 07:03

hmmm.... interesting situation.

I've never liked the word 'should' as in "Should a hammock camper occupy a campsite made for tents if he or she doesnt have to?" Your statement is specific to a campsite made for tents. In the absence of platforms, I don't think I have seen such a thing here in the NE.

The situation is the boss.

Reserved sites.. no discussion needed... the reservation system exists for a few reasons, preferred site selection being just one of them. If I reserved a table at a fine restaurant, that had a grande view.. I would not feel obligated to give up my table because a late-comer decided they goofed by reserving a less specific, less desirable table, or none at all. Don't tell me I can have your table by the kitchen door because you like my table more.

First come first serve. I've been out more than a few times where we snagged the preferred site simply because we hit the dirt earlier. We put in the effort and get to enjoy the reward. That said, the situation is the boss. If a hammock camper really didn't care where they hung, and it could make or break the ground dwellers trip, then offering to give up the site is magnanimous.. not obligatory. And no one should look down on you if you chose not to give up the site.

More disturbing to me is having another camper show up to a site we've selected, and squeeze a tent between us without asking. That's something I wouldn't do.. it's rude. If they asked politely, I would agree, regardless of whether it's a tight squeeze or not.. I would never say no. Key for me.. ask.. it's what I would do.

**cmoulder** · 08-18-2018, 07:27

I agree with the situational "depends" regards to open backcountry sites and having some flexibility and compassion, within reason.

Reserved site? Fuggedaboudit — that's mine!

That said, tenters might also look at it as a learning opportunity to expand their skills and creativity. I've tented several times in my Duplex in spots that others thought impossible. That's harder, of course, with a big dome tent.

**Five Tango** · 08-18-2018, 07:38

People are funny sometimes.A friend of mine and I encountered a rude young man on one trip that let us know in no uncertain terms that we were not welcome at the shelter.That's ok,we were already set up behind the shelter and informed him we just wanted to use the table.He and his friends made no effort to remove their 6 or 7 identical packs from the table so we made do elsewhere.

First come first serve is what it is but under the circumstances I would have checked out the site the tent campers were trying to use and if it would work for hammocks I would have offered to swap sites.Good karma or "reap what you sew",pretty much the same idea.We're all in this together out there and need to cooperate.

**sidneyhornblower** · 08-18-2018, 07:58

MikeM is spot on with his answer to the query.

And funny that Five Tango should bring up that story because the question reminded me of that incident as well. Those guys were an object lesson in how NOT to behave towards fellow campers. And since he won't tell it himself, I have to relate Five Tango's answer when we showed up at the shelter and the guy asked how long we planned to be there. "All night." LOL, did the guy think we were going to turn around and hike back down Springer?

I'll point out that our hammocks allowed us to find a wonderful secluded spot with a great view of the rising sun while the doofus from the night before set up his tent literally a foot away from the path leading to the privy. Talk about a high traffic area.