Tentatively camping without the tent

paulTULIP · 09-02-2013, 12:34

I live in SE PA. I recently started backpacking again after a 30 year hiatus and am intrigued by the possibilities of hammock camping. (Light weight, no trace, ease of finding hanging sites below the treeline, etc.) I love hanging in a hammock to relax, but find the idea of sleeping in one overnight daunting. I sleep on my side or on my stomach, and am interested in hearing how some of the vaunted "flat" hammocks (Hennessy, Exped, others?) rate. Any way to try before you buy? Has anyone out there made their own flat hammock?

**crackrbilly** · 09-02-2013, 12:45

welcome free east tenn.

**VictoriaGuy** · 09-02-2013, 19:31

Originally Posted by paulTULIP

I live in SE PA. I recently started backpacking again after a 30 year hiatus and am intrigued by the possibilities of hammock camping. (Light weight, no trace, ease of finding hanging sites below the treeline, etc.) I love hanging in a hammock to relax, but find the idea of sleeping in one overnight daunting. I sleep on my side or on my stomach, and am interested in hearing how some of the vaunted "flat" hammocks (Hennessy, Exped, others?) rate. Any way to try before you buy? Has anyone out there made their own flat hammock?

Paul-
You have arrived at the right place for hammock info! Lots (and lots) to read here - I slept in a hammock for the first time last month, so just learning myself... also after quite a few years not sleeping outdoors.

Probably a new thread in another spot than the 'Introductions' would be a better place to answer your questions, but, anyhow.......

A few thoughts-
Light weight: some of the new (and expensive) tents are quite light weight, and compare with the hammock systems. (Hilleberg Akto for example).

I wanted the hammock as a 'backup' for the tent when kayak camping, and bought an Exped Ergo Combi. Last week I was out for two nights and the tent stayed in the kayak. (Before that, I'd spent a couple of nights sleeping in the back yard in the Ergo.) The Ergo uses the same pad I use tenting, and my sleeping bag works well as a 'top quilt'. It comes with a very good sized tarp which will shelter all my gear, easily. It's very comfortable; I can sleep on my side and roll over with no trouble, and the sides don't push against my body. I definitely don't feel the 'banana syndrome', so it could be considered a 'flat lay' hammock, I guess. Definitely a 'thumbs up' from me, but I haven't tried other hammocks since years ago when I slept in a Forrest Wall Hammock, and it was also designed to be a flat 'lay'. I didn't mind (at all) feeling constricted when hanging out on a wall.....

A DIY version of the Ergo would be a big challenge - even a direct copy wouldn't be worth my time and effort, and I like DIY. Price out large tarps and a good suspension system (and bugnet?) - when subtracted from the ErgoCombi price the Exped hammock isn't that much more than some of the alternatives.

**ScottM** · 09-02-2013, 20:03

Perhaps a bridge hammock would be your best bet although I am mostly a back sleeper but toss and turn, I found I was easily able to sleep on my side if need in my hammock

**Gravity** · 09-02-2013, 20:12

There is a list of vendors in a section of this forum. I can recommend four of them. Alphabetically:

- BIAS (buttinasling.com)
- Dream-Hammock (dream-hammock.com)
- Warbonnet Hammocks (warbonnetoutdoors.com)
- Wilderness Logics (wildernesslogics.com)

But for real-world hammocking you will need more than a hammock. There are four other crucial pieces of equipment:

- A tarp, to protect yourself from the rain.
- A top quilt (TQ) to protect yourself from the cold. As an alternative, you could use a sleeping bag.
- An under quilt (UQ) to protect yourself from the cold coming through the bottom of the hammock. As an alternative, you could use a ground pad.
- A bugnet, to protect yourself against mosquitoes and other insects. Some hammocks come with an integrated bugnet.

**sargevining** · 09-02-2013, 21:49

I sued to be a side sleeper. I still am---when I sleep in a bed. That's because I'm not comfortable. I move in my sleep when I'm in a bed, roll over on my side, my stomach, my back, my other side, trying to get comfortable. My back hurts and it hurts when I wake up That's when I'm visiting or travelling and staying in motels.

After my first weekend camping experience in a hammock, I woke up with no back pain. I went home and hung it in the house. I've been sleeping in a hammock basically full time now for a year and a half. When I sleep in my hammock, I wake up in pretty much the same position I fell asleep in. I fall asleep almost immediately and sleep pretty much the whole night through and it is rare that I have a wakeful moment.

**The Old Boot** · 09-02-2013, 21:50

You asked if anyone else had made their own 'flat lay hammock'...lots of us have. Take a look at Grizz's Bridge Hammock videos that are in the DIY section here.

I didn't even bother to try any of the gathered end hammocks because I know I sleep every which way but on my stomach and that a bridge just made sense to me.

**Duffy** · 09-03-2013, 06:50

Welcome from Fla! I started backpacking again after 30 yrs or so myself. Spent alot of money on a top of the line TarpTent, and found I could not rest well in it. I met Ed Speer and Hank Hennessy at Trail Days in '04, and tried both hammocks. After buying the Speer hammock, I found I slept better on the trail than I did at home! I now have DIY 'flat' hammocks in my bedroom, and sleep deeply both on the trail and at home. Like Sarge, I was a side/back/restless sleeper before.