Camping is more than just somewhere to sleep....?

[swoody126]

being retyred, my CAMPING is done with a WEATHER EYE and not knowingly heading into a storm cell

i M/C CAMP, a lot, and motorcycling is also done with the WEATHER EYE

what a luxury...

CAR/CAGE CAMPERS can pack more extra gear than M/C CAMPERS/KAYAK CAMPERS and, therefore, can have extra shelters for enduring the stray storm

i CAMP to be outside as well as save a few shekels and devising methods of enjoying what MOTHER NATURE deals out is part of the big picture, for me

when i was still tent bound I NEVER COOKED IN MY TENT(never cook, eat or store food in or near your sleeping system... period), which can cause more issues than you can count

since i am MOBILE, i have the luxury to camp @ MOTEL-6, when i choose

i guess my answer to the OP's question is that MY HAMMOCK is merely a COMFORTABLE REPLACEMENT for a tent, cot and air mattress, for sleeping

the sleeping bag/linens would be common to both styles of CAMPING

CAMPING, my way, is supposed to be FUN and if the weather doesn't cooperate, i goto PLAN B

just an old man's way of looking at life

sw

[C&PDad]

I don't do much backpacking. My family normally camps at state parks so weight is not an issue. That said, I normally take a large heavy duty tarp with 5 foot poles for the corners and 7 foot poles for the ridge line. That tarp set up has saved more camp outs than I can count. Rather than being stuck in our hammocks we have a fire and plenty of room to move around and actually enjoy the rain. Some of those camps are our favorite memories. Not to mention all the other people in the park think I'm cool!

[Anonymark]

Great topic. I have 2 different types of gear now, expedition and backpacking and they are completely different.

Expedition: a 3" thermarest, heavy (50+ pounds) canvas tent, chuck box, stove, cooler, tons of food, lanterns, chairs, roll up table, and 8 pound sleeping bags... Total weight has got to be about 200 pounds... It's more comfortable than my house, but needs a Jeep to haul.

Backpacking: hammock, tarp, dehydrated food, water , minimal clothing. Base weight, 25 pounds for and over nighter, maybe 30 for multiple day.

Two completely different setups, but I like both. (Mrs Anonymark falls squarely into the expedition side!)

[mukifli]

Well one thing that's helps me out a good cook stove. Check this one out. I got it and it worked great and it for a good cause.
http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewi...id=42578553538

[pullarius]

I'm still a relative newb when it comes to both camping and hammocking (but definitely a hammock convert). My goal lately is to not let work get in the way of living, and to get out and hang more, even if it's on my own.

The other weekend a friend and I headed up to Gathland State Park, just to do a two-nighter, more or less car camping (about 15 min walk from the parking lot). We checked the weather earlier in the week, but not right before leaving. It ended up raining pretty hard.

My friend bailed - he showed up later than me, and hadn't set up his tent. I stayed - I already had my hammock and tarp set up. So, I spent the night by myself, reading in the hammock, listening to the rain on the tarp. To be honest, I really couldn't have been happier. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have been the case in a tent (for one thing, the tent pad was filled with at least 2" of water).

If the gentle swaying of the hammock wasn't already enough, I love the sound of rain on the tarp.

[SilvrSurfr]

Tent camping caused me pain and suffering for 40 years. If there is an advantage to it, I can't remember it. The only thing I remember is that sleeping on the ground sucks with a capital S.

I understand where you're coming from, though. For some folks, the transition to hammock camping is difficult because you have your tent system down and it's comfortable (well, as comfortable as ground dwelling can be). One friend of mine took two years to fully realize that he could never sleep on the ground again. He fought hammocks tooth and nail before giving in.

My transition was easy - after one night in a hammock I knew it was either hammock camping or no more camping, so I made it work. My back was pretty insistent about the hammock: "Don't make me sleep on the ground again!" it cried.

I'm more of a hiker than a camper so it's unlikely I would ever hunker down in one spot for multiple days. I've hammock camped in weather from 95 degrees Fahrenheit down to 3 degrees Fahrenheit, and every night in the hammock was better than in a tent.

[gunner76]

At the Grayson Hang two years ago we had one person in a tent. She earned the trail names "Soggy" during that hang ( got soaked inside her tent during a heavy rain while the rest of us stayed dry ).

To be fair, I did get wet breaking down camp during the rain.

[wake.joe]

I mostly use camping as a way to be places. For instance rather than get up super early to fish right at dawn, I just leave the evening before and camp over night. Then you don't have to get up however early to make the drive!

[swoody126]

I mostly use camping as a way to be places. For instance rather than get up super early to fish right at dawn, I just leave the evening before and camp over night. Then you don't have to get up however early to make the drive!

OH

are you saying it is hard to find a motel, where you would like to wake up?

specially one with such comfortable sleeping arrangements

BTW: they don't allow camp fires in motel rooms

sw

[Firetruck]

being retyred, my CAMPING is done with a WEATHER EYE and not knowingly heading into a storm cell

i M/C CAMP, a lot, and motorcycling is also done with the WEATHER EYE

what a luxury...

CAR/CAGE CAMPERS can pack more extra gear than M/C CAMPERS/KAYAK CAMPERS and, therefore, can have extra shelters for enduring the stray storm

i CAMP to be outside as well as save a few shekels and devising methods of enjoying what MOTHER NATURE deals out is part of the big picture, for me

when i was still tent bound I NEVER COOKED IN MY TENT(never cook, eat or store food in or near your sleeping system... period), which can cause more issues than you can count

since i am MOBILE, i have the luxury to camp @ MOTEL-6, when i choose

i guess my answer to the OP's question is that MY HAMMOCK is merely a COMFORTABLE REPLACEMENT for a tent, cot and air mattress, for sleeping

the sleeping bag/linens would be common to both styles of CAMPING

CAMPING, my way, is supposed to be FUN and if the weather doesn't cooperate, i goto PLAN B

just an old man's way of looking at life

sw

My thoughts exactly. I first looked into hammock camping after trying to figure out the best way to get a tent on my goldwing. My wife and I love camping and have been doing it since we got married. 25 years woo hoo. We have a toy hauler and often take the wing when we go. We love the bike too. She and I have different opinions about how much time to spend in the saddle though so I decided to look for a way to spend more cost effective time on the bike alone. I figured I could ride how ever far then get off and sleep, shower, and head on. The Hammock concept fit the bill. I'm just getting started with this venture and so far I've been to two hangs to learn as much as I could to prepare for my new adventure.
I do see the op's point at times when I think about adverse weather. I don't want to sit or lay in a hammock all day because it's too wet or cold to do anything else. I'm hoping to start doing some hiking to further the adventure. I done got me a pack.