Anyone use a hammock on an AT thru-hike?

**Plug-it In** · 08-10-2015, 22:05

I was wondering if anyone had ever used a hammock on an AT thru-hike before? Did you have problems finding places to set up?

**2Questions** · 08-10-2015, 22:11

Originally Posted by Plug-it In

I was wondering if anyone had ever used a hammock on an AT thru-hike before? Did you have problems finding places to set up?

Dutch did...quite a few years ago!
Donna

**jlink79** · 08-10-2015, 22:24

Yes, many people have. You can do a simple Google search and get a few journals and youtube channels about this, Jim Brewer (Biophthera) is a good one. There was even a national news story about a kid getting attached by a bear in his hammock on the AT.

**Plug-it In** · 08-11-2015, 08:23

Originally Posted by jlink79

Yes, many people have. You can do a simple Google search and get a few journals and youtube channels about this, Jim Brewer (Biophthera) is a good one. There was even a national news story about a kid getting attached by a bear in his hammock on the AT.

Yep, I live near Knoxville and they was a pretty big story about the kid in the hammock. And I'll check out Him Brewers YouTube channel. I was worried more about when the trail get near the White Mountains.

**Jay77gunn** · 08-11-2015, 09:28

I have looked into this quite a bit and it seems like it's been done a lot. I can't comment on personal experience yet, that's still a few years in the future. I was also concerned about the whites, but from what I've read in journals, and watched on youtube, it is possible.

**gnomad** · 08-11-2015, 09:32

loner has a pretty popular set of trail videos

this was a nice write up about the trail and hammocking:
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...king-Breakdown

**jlink79** · 08-11-2015, 09:36

Originally Posted by Plug-it In

Yep, I live near Knoxville and they was a pretty big story about the kid in the hammock. And I'll check out Him Brewers YouTube channel. I was worried more about when the trail get near the White Mountains.

From my understanding if you can avoid the huts you are good. Remember the saying "Hike high, camp(hang) low." It's used for acclimatisation to altitude but works for most situations. It gets you over the hump and you have an easy down hill into camp.

**evilleotter** · 08-11-2015, 09:55

Take a look at the "Long Distance Travel" sub-category under "Camping Hammocks" in the forum. Lot's of good write-ups, suggestions, questions/answers, etc. Endless amounts of knowledge on these forums. Welcome to the addiction!

**gunner76** · 08-11-2015, 10:20

A few years back when I was doing a section hike on the GA section of the AT, I stopped to talk to some folks and they asked what kind of tent I used and I told them I used a hammock. One of the people said it must be hard to find trees to hang from. I looked around at all the trees and told him yes it was and continued on with my hike.

**Dos** · 08-11-2015, 10:27

I used a Hennessey Hammock on my first AT thru. There were 2 instances in particular that I had an advantage over tenters:
1) it was POURING
2) my hiking buddy got a case of the ___ one day and all I had was trees and a hill. Easy!
I used my Warbonnet on my second AT thru (flip flop) as well as this year on the Florida Trail and all of California on the PCT.
no troubles whatsoever.
You can check out my blog : https://wordpress.com/stats/day/thedarkhammah.com