Dogs in Hammocks

[RedBadger]

Gents & Ladies,

Looking to bring the pup along for the next hammock camping trip. She is a 65lbs Brown Lab and I am a 240lbs Wisconsinite of the Human Species. I have 11.5 yukon double wide Mock and has a break strength of I think 350 lbs.

Wondering if anyone normally sleeps with dog in hammock or do your pups sleep underneath?

if underneath, kennel? Rope? just stays around?

If in Hammock how do you get the beast in there with you comfortably?

THanks!

[Uphill]

I unfortunately I am not a dog owner, but I did see that Fronkey did a video about hammock camping with dogs. Check it out.

http://youtu.be/tcZlq_O-hxY

[rgambord]

I frequently bring my dog in the hammock (150lb + 90lb) with no problems. Sharp claws can be a bit worrisome, though. Otherwise, I put my sack under the hammock, and tie the dog to that. He could probably drag it, but it would wake me up, and he's never tried. Reminds me of a picture I saw a while back of a horse hitched to a folding chair.

Also, my hammock claims 250 lb max strength, but I came back to camp once to find my 270lb friend sleeping in it. It was a little stretched out for a day.

[gunner76]

It could be done but I would not want have a dog that size in a hammock with me possibly tearing a hole in the hammock with its claws. Also...can you see the dog doing its turning in circle several time in the hammock before laying down.

My labs never wanted to get into the hammock with me and always curled up under or near the hammock.

[gmcttr]

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...s.net%2F%20dog

[oldbiker]

I let my puppy spend the night in the hammock with me when he was a couple months old. Now he's 2 & 70lb & still wants in there. He jumps in from time to time & I let him nap but I make him stay out @ night. He sleeps under me & wakes me from time to time with head laid on me but after a reassuring petting he lays back down. I'm 250lb and don't worry about things holding but as stated I do worry about claws tearing material.

[blpalmer76]

I have a Clark NX-250 and my 35lb puggle has slept with me on all my trips. I say after every trip that is was the last time he would slept with me. In a hammock you move around a lot and the only good place for the dog is by your legs and that is what I move the most throughout the night. Plus my base layers are covered in hair.

I just bought a dog tent off amazon that fits in his back. My next trip in a month or so he will be sleeping in that. He also carries his bed and over coat if needed. I will use my pack backrest for added insulation under his bed in the winter.

Our last trip that we went on he slept out of the hammock most of the night but then he started telling me he wants in. That I think is my fault. Since he was a pup (nice and small) he has went on all my backpacking trips with me and I had him sleep with me. I hope the tent will solve this problem.

Hope this helps. Dogs are a blast to take backpacking and they are a good alarm when critters start to come into camp. I make my dog carry his own stuff minus water, and food in the winter time since his back is full of winter sleep system. I keep his pack weight between 4 and 6 pounds.

[LuvmyBonnet]

I've slept with my dog in the hammock. Not really an issue when you have a 10lb hound. Mini Dachshund that loves the woods. She just like to snuggle, doesn't get rambunctious in the hammock. I still try not to let her claws come in direct contact with the hammock material.

[ccolclou]

Agree with the previous posters. My struggle is where to put the dog if it is in the hammock. Keeps you warmer if it's cold, but also if it's hot, that's a definite downside. I would like to be able to move my legs around more, but the dog takes up that space - otherwise it settles down on top of me and makes it hard to breathe.
I don't worry about hammock failure, but I did have one hammock pull away along a seam by my head (where it was sewn through for a pad opening), so I would worry about seam failure, although not material failure in my experience. My experience is 150 lbs + 50 lbs, though, so extrapolate accordingly. Really, it's all going to be knowledge from experience though!

[Ranger_b]

My pup gets in sometimes but normally sleeps under. 70 pound belgian Malinois. I have a blanket I keep for him when we camp and if he is trying to climb In I put the blanket down.