Talk me into hanging

[Roadtorque]

1Tripod, I can see where you are going with this. I too like to (a hobby) research the ins-and-outs of everything I buy to make sure I get the right one the first time. Did it with hammocks as well. I just got my hammock a few days ago and it has turned out to be this type of situation. Have you ever heard of people talking about how great a movie or certain restaurant was, so great they would not shut up about it. Then you go to the movie/restaurant and while pretty good you think your expectations were set to high and you leave a bit disappointed. This is how I felt with the hammock. You read all these great things and expect it to be amazing and in the end its just a hammock.

At this point it seems like you have found a few great options. Just get one and enjoy it for what it is. If your looking for perfection and you are getting hyped up you will be slightly disappointed. After this much talk from the best in the business and you still need convincing maybe hammocks are not for you. Just my two cents worth

[BillyBob58]

Whooops. Busted.

Well, sort of I guess, But I actually meant that I was going to try not to debate the tent vs hammock weight issue with Richard (1Tripod) any more. Since it was obviously becoming a debate. (Though I did need to edit a small part of my last post to him about that). That doesn't necessarily mean I'm done talking. In case you didn't already know( and to most folks dismay!), I'm never done talking!

[BillyBob58]

...............
A couple of year ago I had my inflatable matress rolled with a RidgeRest on the outside of my pack for a 6 night Grand Canyon trip. I rubbed against some rocks going through some tight places and got mulitple leaks right along the side seam. I had the patch kit, but it would not hold on the seams. I ended up 5 nights on the ground with just a RidgeRest. I will never carry an inflatable outside the pack again.

From your posts I suspect we have similar styles.

I have always worried about that exact problem. That 30 days I spent on the ground under a tarp, years ago, was on a CCF pad, probably 1" thick. Slept on tundra/ground/rock and snow/ice. That for sure was not my most comfortable trip, even though I was over 20 years younger. However, that CCF had at least one benefit- it could not go flat.

[FarStar]

For me, other than the dead of winter, it would be unthinkable to try to sleep(or even sit down for a break) on the ground, on a small pad under a tarp, where I hike. If it is not the dead of winter, I would need a floored tent that seals up tight. And even then, finding flat spots that are also not swampy or covered with roots can be a real challenge. When it is not winter, add weeds/briars or Poison Ivy or ground swarming with various insects, and of course, various poisonous snakes. And you will need to add the weight of a net to the tarp only set up for the mosquitoes. And if it is winter, all of the above terrain factors still apply (slopes, roots, wet boggy ground).

BB58,

Fortunately, having resided in various parts of God's country (WI, MT, WY, WA), I've had the choice of sleeping on the ground, or not. In the country you describe, I don't know if I'd even be comfortable venturing outside, let alone sleeping there. I had to scope out a field job in some God-forsaken terrain in AZ a few years ago -- it made me shudder just thinking about it. Most everything in that habitat -- plant and animal -- was designed to either hurt you or kill you. I had just completed assistant scoutmaster training and remember thinking there was no way I'd lead boys outdoors in that environment.

I have always enjoyed sleeping under a tarp. Huddling in a tent seems akin to crawling into a dog house. Why venture outdoors then shut yourself off from it? In your environs the only way to enjoy tarping would be in a hammock -- if I had the fortitude to even venture out.

Any system that provides comfort, aesthetics, and meaningful security at a reasonable weight (in any order) is a winner.

FarStar

[BillyBob58]

Know what you mean, FarStar. Actually, I don't hike much here once it is truly summertime. Just too much trouble with all the various nasties that must be avoided. But pre hammock, I really didn't hike much at all any other time of year, other than short day hikes that would not entail any kind of break. But now I go all the time fall, winter and spring. Since now if I desire a break, I have a lounge chair with me! I can take a nice break, or camp over night, on the root covered ridge top, in the valleys between the ridges, or on the steep hill side connecting the two. It has really increased my appreciation of the north MS woods, which can be quite delightful other than at this time of year. But even in spring and fall, there are still some critters crawling around that I would prefer not to lie down with. In the dead of winter, there is no problems with that, it can just be tricky to find enough dry and flat and root free areas to sleep comfy on. Not impossible, but tricky.

Ironically, after first feeling about it as you describe, I grew to love those AZ non-summer deserts, as well as their forested mountains all year long. The desert was great in the fall/winter/spring, I much preferred it to here locally. It's just that it might be a problem for hammocks. We used to car camp on cots, sleeping out under a billion stars! Or, just drive up to the beautiful, cool forests at high elevation. Fantastic state!

[dallas]

1Tripod,

I'm a little late weighing in on this, but I am curious:

You seem to be sophisticated in your gear acquisition and use, and while you may not consider yourself SUL, you are certainly in the solidly UL category. Using a Gatewood cape, E-vent bivy and custom quilt is not exactly 'mainstream'. You also obviously research your gear very well before acquiring such.

That being said, I have a coupld of questions;

Why exactly are you considering a hammock system?

What got you interested in considering that as a possible alternate system, (especially since your current system is lightweight and very functional for you)?

And why did you so early on decide you didn't like the bottom entry system of the HH?

FWIW, I have a wide variety of tenting systems so I'm not really a 'hammock proponent'. I prefer sleeping in the hammock (and yes, I have a HH and like the bottom entry) but also have a GG squall classic, several dome tents and a 20' Sioux style canvas tipi (now THAT is a weight penalty).

John