I tented for a while, was pretty good at it I think. Comfortable in general and got used to all the things you do as a tent user. There were however some common problems I always had to address. Putting up a tent in the rain and keeping more or less dry. Can be done but not easy. Packing up after time on the ground, making sure everything is clean. Finding a flat spot which can be very hard. Not being able to put a tent in heavy growth areas. And a number of other things. There are some positives though. Privacy is greater in a tent, nature call in a bottle is easier, my stuff is easier to have within reach, backpack getting wet or a critter getting into it not really an issue. Taking my dog along. Using a hammock was an easy way to address some of the biggest issues of tent camping. I am new to hanging and still learning to address some of the issues but for the most part, they are minor when camping alone, become a little more important when camping with my wife or if I bring along my dog. My wife likes sleeping next to me when we camp and that is now out. That is probably the biggest issue. Most everything else I have been able to adjust for. Still working on staying warm without bringing along a lot of stuff which is hard to do with backpacking. Camping alone I prefer the hammock by a good margin, when I camp with my wife, we still tent. With a hammock you can sleep anywhere, over a stream if you want, and it is possible to go to ground. Set-up and take-down easier and faster (though not in a race). Easier to stay dry during set-up and take-down with a hammock. So, overall, hammock was the easy winner for me though still working a few issues . . . and with the one exception of camping with my wife.
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