I hike to experience the wilderness and to physically push myself. My hammock is lighter and more compact than my tent, but its true value is the quality of rest it provides. I never sleep on a rock and wake up with back pain. The hammock also keeps my legs elevated, which has been amazing for recovery after a long day.
I'm definitely a camper. I did a 16 mile hike one day with nothing on but a fanny pack and realized I'm not a hiker. I will do short 2-4 mile hikes though. I like being in the woods and challenging myself to start fires with a ferro rod or catch at least one of my meals while boiling and collecting all my water. The challenge is readily accepted knowing I have a tarp and a comfy hammock to go to
Motorcycle tourer/camper- gonna try the hammock on my next tour thru the southwest USA into CA.
So far I've tried the hammock as a camper, resorting back to tents for backpacking, bike packing, and winter camping. This year the goal is to use hammocks for all my outdoor pursuits, starting with my first winter hang this weekend.
I just wanted to thank everybody who has responded to this thread. I think it was my first post ever on this forum. I have enjoyed reading every post and honestly learned a great deal. I really never considered all of the different methods of getting to places to hang.
I have a couple of doctor appointments coming up that will hopefully resolve some knee and arthritis issues which may allow me to ease into becoming more of a hammock hiker. My brother in law is going to attempt a through hike of the AT starting this April which has given me a little "fire in the belly" to hopefully get some health issue resolved. But, if that doesn't happen, I will be happy to throw my kit into the truck and go hang. As it has been said many times on this thread..It really doesn't matter whether hiker or camper or a mixture of both, just so long as you are in the woods hanging. Thanks again everybody!
For me, it depends. Sometimes I just want to be outside and away from it all. Other times I want to wander off and explore. Having a hammock gives me the flexibility to do either of those things. I can set up anywhere on almost any kind of terrain and not have to worry about where I'll be sleeping.
Reading everyone's reason for camping and what they classify themselves as was so inspiring.
I'm a camper, both with the Scouts and alone. I've hiked a bit and wouldn't mind getting more into it, especially with the boys to show them that real adventures and wonders exist outside of the digital realm.
There is just nothing like getting out into the woods, off the grid, and enjoying some genuine"facetime" around a campfire.
Now if this infernal winter weather would break....I can get out and recharge the soul!
Hammock hiker for sure, although most of my hikes begin and end with a camp. I was never that fond of having to find a flat spot all the time for tents, and being tied to existing campsites because I didn't want to compress any more ground. Plus, hammocks remind me of Florida while I'm out here in the mountains.
I got my hammock for backpacking, and couldn't be happier. If only I felt less uneasy around all of the beetle kill here in Colorado I would have zero complaints.
Keep on keepin' on.
Eventually I will be confined to car camping, so I might as well put on some miles and get way off the trail while I can. One of the most fun and exciting things for me is getting into areas noone has been or probably even wants to be. Exploring the ends of ridgelines or into a valley surrounded by hills is always a good time.
I'm with Kyle. I have a bad back and find the amount of stuff needed for hammocking much more weight than my 16oz. tent I use for hiking. So, would mostly use the hammock for short distance hiking and meet ups.
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