Hammocking vs tent(ing?)

[Servo]

Greetings from Sweden.

I was seeking tips and trix about how to set up an ultra-light camping gear when i stumbled upon this forum.

The more i read the more i want to sell my old tent and buy a hammock and tarp.
All i find is people who speaks for hammocking and little to none against.
I think i understand all the advantages of hammocking vs tenting.
But what are the down sides?

What is potentially the advantages a tent can provide that ha hammock can not?

Dont get me wrong, i am going to bring a hammock (DIY) and tarp to try my 2 month hiking semester along with my "backup-system"
(tent poles for the tarp and a blowup sleeping matras)

/A curious Swed

[Rooster]

The only downside I have ever experienced is that you must use trees or some other support to hang from.

I hike in wooded areas, so this is not a problem for me.

[Dutch]

I like the way roots jab into my back when I in a tent. My favorite part of tenting is taking it down in the rain and tring to fold it up after removing all the slugs. Also with a hammock wind up staying away from the crowds because you aren't limited to just where it is flat.

Actually tents better for couples, especially if you want to sleep together. Some folks feel exposed all night by themselves in a hammock. It can be tough to put 2 in a hammock.

[Raul Perez]

sometimes, when I'm alone, I set up my tent in the back yard.... and then I kick it, monkey style.

but in all seriousness.... Tenting is easier to stay warm as it is an enclosed space. But, to me, hammocking doesn't have much of a condensation problem, more comfy, and easier to set up and take down in the rain... plus no mud in your pack from the ground sticking to your footprint of your tent.

[Acer]

I'm 62, and having slept on the ground all my life,,and then switching to a hammock, I can definitely say, I am not sleeping on the ground any more execept when not allowed or where there are no trees. I have even supplimented my gear to include sleeping off ground using cracks in rock surfaces and rope tied to boulders to make it work and there are ways of staying off the ground. Hammock sleeping cannot be beat in my book.

[Jcavenagh]

Cold Butt Syndrome (CBS) is one of the biggest differences between hammock and tent. Insulation underneath you is a bit more difficult in a hammock. There is a lot of information on this site about ways to insulate your underside. You can do it very cheaply with closed cell foam pads and you can do it very expensively with some of the underquilt or peapod type systems. There is a whole range of different under side insulation methods at all different prices.

[WV]

There have been couple of posts that directly address the negative aspects of hammocking, but they are just that, a couple (ok, maybe 3 or 4) out of how many? It's an individual thing - not the same experience for everyone. Look at the questions people have asked, the solutions tried, the experiments undertaken. Then assume that maybe half of them resulted from someone perceiving something wrong in their hammocking experience. Read between the lines.

Or, try it and make your own comparison - probably a better approach.

[Servo]

The only negative things i now know of is "Cold-butt-syndrome" and the possibility off "snapped lines without spares" (thou the last one is purely bad planing)

Sins i will be hiking for 2 months (and being used to tarp "tenting") if the hammock aint for me i will just drop it and pick upp "tenting" again.

Thou considering everything iv read this far im getting exited about my hammock and the trip.

Im going out around June 15th or 20th (depending on work)
And be returning home late august.
Traveling pretymuch around the borders of sweden (maby into Denmark if i can get a hold of a friend who moved there)

Im considering putting upp a blogg about it if i think there will be anny interest in it.
Also sins this is where i found 99% of eveything i now know of hammocking, i will probably putt upp a travel report here too

Thanks guys.(and girls?)

[Jcavenagh]

You may want to contact board member Blazeaway. He has some time free just now and may be able to help you. He lives in Copenhagen, I believe.

Play with the hammock system some before your 2 month trip. There is an adjustment period for most folks. After a few nights you should be close to having the system learned well. You can make various adjustments to the sag of your hammock, the length of your ridgeline, the tarp hang height, etc.

[packeagle]

A lot of what was said is true. I still like tenting when I am in a hurry and don't feel like fussing with all the do dads that come with the hammock. with a tent I just pitch it put in my pad and top quilt and sleep. I always find myself adjusting my underquilt, moving straps, adjusting tie outs. I don't do this in the tent much. This is also a down side to the tent as well because I can't adjust it to make it more level or warmer or cooler. It is what it is on the ground I place it. I personally like both tents and hammocks as long as I make my way outdoors.