Hammock camping with kids, dogs and spouses...

[jdschwass]

Hey'all,

This is my first post here. I have been reading through for over a year now, and really appreciate the wealth of information. I finally decided to put my hand up and ask.

I have been a northern Ontario canoe tripper since I was 5 years old, and spent countless nights in one of those odd uncomfortable contraptions with the poles and the mess of screens and fabric. I started hammock camping last spring. I picked up a Hennessy Explorer Deluxe. I liked it so much after the first hang that I bough a Hennessy Expedition for my wife. A couple of weeks later, I bought the Hennessy leaf lounger, basically the explorer without a bug net, and installed it in my bedroom for the nights when my wife is on night shifts.

Needless to say, going back to tent camping just seems horrible. So I was hoping for some advice.

If I am camping alone, it's no problem. If I am camping with my wife, I picked up a set of spreader bars. I have used them once, and they aren't bad at all once you get used to it.
Things get more complicated when I add in the kids and the dog. My eldest is 7, and I don't think he is quite ready to be in his own hammock away from me. If it was the whole family out together, I'd put kids and dogs in their own tent, but we are expecting our third kid this summer, so my wife won't be spending much time in the woods for a couple of seasons.

So I discovered the Pet Palace from Cave Creek. I was wondering if it might work as a kid/pet palace :) The 84 inch large version should easily accommodate gear, and a sleeping pad and dog, while I hang in comfort above. I have a large hex tarp that extends right to the ground when required, so it would enclose the screened in area as well as any tent fly. Not having seen the pet palace in person, I really don't know if this is reasonable, functional or safe to do. ??
My other concern was how the Pet Palace would interface with my Hennessy. Is there any way to attach the tie-outs on the hammock once it's inside? Normally i'd clip them to the tarp, but now the tarp is on the other side of a screen.

I appreciate any thoughts. Up here in Canada it's a fairly expensive investment, so I want to make sure whatever I decide on is something I can use for years, and not just to get through one season.

Thanks,

Jake

[Eclectic]

Regarding the Pet Palace, there is a lot of room in it. However, we prefer to keep the dog at the foot end of it rather than directly underneath the hammock.

The saying is, “Never hang higher than you are willing to fall.” I would add, “Never hang directly over something (or someone) you are not willing to crush.” The chances may be slim, but there is always a possibility of falling. I would hate to land on a child or dog and possibly injure them.

A better option would be a hambunk setup where the child is in a smaller hammock suspended either above or beside you. I am not sure whether the Pet Palace would accommodate that as we have never tried it. You may want to contact the company about that.

Also, be sure your dog is not one who will paw at the screen when he sees someone coming. If he is, you may want to give him booties or keep him confined in a crate.

[tsshaw78]

I can add my experience with children. Mine are six and ten and have their own hammock. I put a glow stick at my hammock so they can find me in the middle of the night. But most times they sleep through the night without waking so it's usually not an issue of them being a couple trees apart.

[jdschwass]

Thanks for the tips. I fully agree that having someone under you seems a bit sketchy... hence my hesitation. I never really considered bunking the hammocks though. I will definitely look into that.

I am not totally against putting a kid in their own hammock, but I will need to try him out in the yard first, and ensure that he is comfortable with it. Once you're out in the woods...there is no turning back.

My canoeing companion dog unfortunately passed a few months ago, and I now have a 7 month old puppy. I really don't know yet how he will behave, but he sleeps with me every night at home, I think he will be fine in the bush. With regards to seeing people, that is not really an issue for me. I am typically very remote, and will be somewhat disappointed if I drive all that way to see another person!

Thanks again for the ideas. I have some more reading to do!

[tsshaw78]

I'll add when my daughter was 4 I had her and her brother in a tent about 10 feet away from me. In the middle of the night she awoke from nightmare and climbed out of the tent. Fortunately I am a light sleeper when I camp with the kids so I was right there but that did concern me that she could have wandered off.
So I say that to encourage the backyard trial runs before heading into the woods.
Now at six she is experienced and I worry less.

[jdschwass]

That's a good point. First off, you called me out... my son is actually still 6. He will be turning 7 this August. (can't believe I screwed that up!)
That being said, he has been backcountry canoeing with me since he was 3. He actually had his last three birthdays while we were tripping.
I don't have any concern with him wandering around. His sister will join us either this year or next, at which time they will share a tent and I trust him to keep an eye. But I would never hang too far away.

[Eclectic]

With regards to seeing people, that is not really an issue for me. I am typically very remote, and will be somewhat disappointed if I drive all that way to see another person!


In our case, the dog saw our kids walk up and pawed at the bug net in excitement. He also pawed at the netting when my husband returned from watering a tree at 2AM (he should have taken the dog with him).

[jdschwass]

In our case, the dog saw our kids walk up and pawed at the bug net in excitement. He also pawed at the netting when my husband returned from watering a tree at 2AM (he should have taken the dog with him).

Oh no! So I guess people doesn't always mean strangers. My previous dog (Trooper) would have loved being anywhere I was, and I would have no concerns with him trying to escape. Finlay on the other hand is still up in the air. But if he tears through the net on the first night, only he suffers right ;)

I was thinking about trying to put him into something like the Pup Tent, but I'd have to buy it and test him out a few times at the back of the farm before I take him on a trip. At this point I am more worried about the dog than the kid!

My hope is that after 8 hours of portaging, paddling and swimming, he will be so tired that he won't care where he sleeps!

Thanks everyone.

[Hang Williams]

For the dog, I went with the dutchware pup tent because it was cheaper, lighter, and kept him out from being directly under me. He scratched thru the bug net the first night. I've since sewn in a replacement mesh, but I'd make a point of putting your pup in dog boots until you're sure.

For the kids, I haven't figured out a solid plan for when my daughter is too big to share a hammock with my wife, so I'm no help there.

[OlTrailDog]

My kids were long grown and gone before my hammock days. As for my Border Collie she prefers to roll her own when it comes to where to sleep even though I do have an Alcott pup tent and a Pet Palace. I have a long line (the thin cable from Wally World) that runs high between two trees with an amsteel lead off the long line. This gives her room to chose, yet meets campground leash regs when in campgrounds or keeps her from wandering in coyote/bear/wolf country when backpacking. My backpack liner serves as a pad for her bed and as a 'barrel' to stuff my gear in the pack, but really she prefers to ignore the pad and roll her own.

[jdschwass]

I really appreciate the feedback.
Having a bug net is pretty critical for the dog because the insects would otherwise carry him off. The weight savings of the pup tent is nice, because the dog can carry his own stuff. I also enjoy waking up in a hammock and looking out at the lake, or sunrise, or both. Hiding behind the mesh of my hammock inside the mesh of a pet palace seems kinda silly.

I also saw the Alcott Pup tent, which would be a great cheap option if I could find one in Canada. Purchasing through their web site and shipping cross boarder made them almost as expensive as the pup tent.
Sounds like I should do some dog booty shopping too!

Cheer.

[jeff-oh]

I have been a northern Ontario canoe tripper since I was 5 years old, My eldest is 7, and I don't think he is quite ready to be in his own hammock away from me.

Jake,

Welcome and glad you posted. I too have been a Northern, Ontario canoe tripper. Cannot wait to get back up there. Where do you go? I am very familiar with the area N. of Wawa: Missanabie/Skully/Dog/Wabtong/Oba/KB and many of the smaller bush lakes. Also there is an active tripping group here that post trips in the Outings area.

FWIW, I had my daughter hanging at 7. At first she just needed to be near, I would share a common tree going to two other trees. Quickly she moved to her own trees, now she does not want to be anywhere near a snoring Chewbacca at night.

Keep getting those kinds out, you are a great dad and they will remember it always, even if they complain about forcing them on trips when they are teens. :)

[jdschwass]

Jake,

Welcome and glad you posted. I too have been a Northern, Ontario canoe tripper. Cannot wait to get back up there. Where do you go? I am very familiar with the area N. of Wawa: Missanabie/Skully/Dog/Wabtong/Oba/KB and many of the smaller bush lakes. Also there is an active tripping group here that post trips in the Outings area.

FWIW, I had my daughter hanging at 7. At first she just needed to be near, I would share a common tree going to two other trees. Quickly she moved to her own trees, now she does not want to be anywhere near a snoring Chewbacca at night.

Keep getting those kinds out, you are a great dad and they will remember it always, even if they complain about forcing them on trips when they are teens. :)

Hey- I started off tripping around Killarney, Temagami, etc... things started to get more populated over the last 20 years, so I have been tripping a lot through the Elliot Lake region, up as far as Northern Lights Lake (North of Thunder Bay) and in the greater Timmins area. That hardest part is finding places to go that don't involve river travel that would put the kids at risk.

Unfortunately for my kids, they also get to hang near Chewbacca. My dad always told us as kids that it kept the bears away... kept us from complaining so much!

It's -19 C here this morning... that's -2 F I think... so waiting for things to warm up a bit before I get out camping here on the farm. I haven't yet invested in any gear for less than 20F.
25 acres of my farm is bush, so lots of great places to test out gear and kids once the weather is more humane.

[Humneso]

I started to write a whole story, but it started becoming a book, so I'm setting it aside for now (perhaps a future thread!). I have 4 kids, currently ages 11-19, and they all absolutely love hammock camping, and have from the first time they slept in one. So much that my 2 daughters have both slept in hammocks full time for about 2 years. The only one who has an issue with it is my wife, who just doesn't sleep well outside no matter what.

My advice is to just get them out, and start slowly investing as you can. It's expensive for sure, but you're probably car camping for now, and cheap Amazon hammocks will work for young ones to get started. Kids also tend to sleep warm, so insulating them is a little easier. Start with inexpensive stuff that will work, and slowly upgrade as funds are available. Look for the deals on synthetic sleeping bags, and cheap synthetic foam pads work fine when they're small. Your kids will grow into better gear, as you know what they actually need. Try to find areas where everyone can be fairly close for their comfort. If you can enclose them in a tarp, they tend to feel safer than if they're in the open. I usually set up the hammock for the youngest right above my own, which does have hazards, but they do feel a little better, and mama does too!

As far as the Pet Palace, I have no experience with it. I've taken a number of dogs; most of the time I bring a tie-out for them and position it so they can pick where they want to sleep, usually right under my hammock. The dog we have now does not have much of a wanderlust, and when we're out in the woods, he wants to stay close to protect us, so I just let him free, and he wanders to everybody's hammock and spends some time under each one! Personally, I don't see much use for a tent just for the dog; I'd just tie him to a tree that allows him to roam between the kids' hammocks!

[jdschwass]

I started to write a whole story, but it started becoming a book, so I'm setting it aside for now (perhaps a future thread!). I have 4 kids, currently ages 11-19, and they all absolutely love hammock camping, and have from the first time they slept in one. So much that my 2 daughters have both slept in hammocks full time for about 2 years. The only one who has an issue with it is my wife, who just doesn't sleep well outside no matter what.


Thanks for sharing. At this point I am pretty heavily invested in gear, both for hammock camping and tents. The nice thing is that I can give my kids some pretty nice tenting stuff to use, because I have no interest in sleeping on the ground anymore!
But we are not car camping at all. We are in remote wilderness locations portaging multiple lakes per day. The shortest trip I have had my son on was 7 days, but typically we are outside of all communication for 8 to 10 days. Only this year I decided to invest in sat communication; 2 years ago I had to carry a friend 3 miles out of the woods with a broken leg. At that point we were lucky we were close to an access road to get her to an ambulance.

I guess location is everything when it comes to dogs. I can't imagine leaving my dog out without protection from insects. The clouds of blackflies and/ore mosquitos outside of my hammock screen is enough to drive a man mad... but being out there without the screen, I can't imagine!

I am going to get the kid in my wife's hammock in the next couple of weeks, thinking about setting up in the basement. I think he will catch on pretty quick. If I go with a pup tent, then I can just rig the hammocks up with spreader bars... no need to be far from each other, and dog is protected. It seems like the best plan so far.

Thanks again.
My advice is to just get them out, and start slowly investing as you can. It's expensive for sure, but you're probably car camping for now, and cheap Amazon hammocks will work for young ones to get started. Kids also tend to sleep warm, so insulating them is a little easier. Start with inexpensive stuff that will work, and slowly upgrade as funds are available. Look for the deals on synthetic sleeping bags, and cheap synthetic foam pads work fine when they're small. Your kids will grow into better gear, as you know what they actually need. Try to find areas where everyone can be fairly close for their comfort. If you can enclose them in a tarp, they tend to feel safer than if they're in the open. I usually set up the hammock for the youngest right above my own, which does have hazards, but they do feel a little better, and mama does too!

As far as the Pet Palace, I have no experience with it. I've taken a number of dogs; most of the time I bring a tie-out for them and position it so they can pick where they want to sleep, usually right under my hammock. The dog we have now does not have much of a wanderlust, and when we're out in the woods, he wants to stay close to protect us, so I just let him free, and he wanders to everybody's hammock and spends some time under each one! Personally, I don't see much use for a tent just for the dog; I'd just tie him to a tree that allows him to roam between the kids' hammocks!

[Humneso]

Gotcha! I guess I know in some part of my mind that the bugs are absolutely horrendous up there, but it's been a while since I've been there, so it's easy to forget.
And in that kind of wilderness situation, yes, weight does matter, so it's just back to expensive...
That's pretty impressive to have your kids out in that environment! I have one that thrives in that kind of thing, and another that's getting there. But my oldest and youngest just don't enjoy it nearly as much - a 12-15 mile loop over a weekend is about all they'll do with me! They still love car camping, but I don't like all those people...

[jdschwass]

I agree. As I mentioned previously, my goal is to not see another person. Though I do enjoy car camping during road trips, which has a different purpose, therefore people are alright.
When my boy was 3, he liked some parts of it, but also didn't appreciate the little things. Being almost 7, he is catching 7 lb lake trout, collecting firewood, and carrying his own gear. He gets it, and can be a big help.
My daughter is more of a princess, but she is only turning 4 in April. This year would be her first trip, but I am considering pushing it off until next year so that my wife can be there with us. By our August trip, kid #3 will only be 2 weeks old. I say start'em young, but that's pushing it.

[lorazepam]

I really appreciate the feedback.
Having a bug net is pretty critical for the dog because the insects would otherwise carry him off. The weight savings of the pup tent is nice, because the dog can carry his own stuff. I also enjoy waking up in a hammock and looking out at the lake, or sunrise, or both. Hiding behind the mesh of my hammock inside the mesh of a pet palace seems kinda silly.

I also saw the Alcott Pup tent, which would be a great cheap option if I could find one in Canada. Purchasing through their web site and shipping cross boarder made them almost as expensive as the pup tent.
Sounds like I should do some dog booty shopping too!

Cheer.
A sewing machine can be had very reasonably used, and with some practice, you can make some gear that will surprise you.
Sewing is like driving. There are those who drive at an elite level, but most of us do a perfectly capable job driving ourselves where we need to go. Same with sewing. There are those who can make incredible creations, but most of us, with practice can sew well enough to make perfectly serviceable gear with some practice.

[jdschwass]

A sewing machine can be had very reasonably used, and with some practice, you can make some gear that will surprise you.
Sewing is like driving. There are those who drive at an elite level, but most of us do a perfectly capable job driving ourselves where we need to go. Same with sewing. There are those who can make incredible creations, but most of us, with practice can sew well enough to make perfectly serviceable gear with some practice.

Actually funny you should mention that... I do have an old sewing machine that I have dabbled with. But I was talking to my dad about it today, and he says to me "we have all our old tents saved up in the basement, why don't you just chop those up and sew them together into something" I may just have to try it. Worst case is I waste several hours trying to figure out how to spool a bobbin and give up :) Thanks!

[Eclectic]

Beware of the sewing machine! It will cause a complete dissatisfaction with all off-the-rack items. You will want only bespoke items: clothing, packs, hammocks, etc. - all customized to meet your specific needs. Pockets here. Stuff sacks there. Hammock chairs, water bottle carriers, sling bags. You will be shopping remnants on Dutch’s site before you know it, and your project list will grow by leaps and bounds. Haha!

[jdschwass]

Beware of the sewing machine! It will cause a complete dissatisfaction with all off-the-rack items. You will want only bespoke items: clothing, packs, hammocks, etc. - all customized to meet your specific needs. Pockets here. Stuff sacks there. Hammock chairs, water bottle carriers, sling bags. You will be shopping remnants on Dutch’s site before you know it, and your project list will grow by leaps and bounds. Haha!
Sounds like a slippery slope! Based on my sewing skills though, I wouldn't trust my gear not to fail! But that gives me some ideas to work up to! Thanks.

[bwhntr]

Beware of the sewing machine! It will cause a complete dissatisfaction with all off-the-rack items. You will want only bespoke items: clothing, packs, hammocks, etc. - all customized to meet your specific needs. Pockets here. Stuff sacks there. Hammock chairs, water bottle carriers, sling bags. You will be shopping remnants on Dutch’s site before you know it, and your project list will grow by leaps and bounds. Haha!

Well this hits close to home!

[swinglow]

Great thread! My kids love camping in a hammock. I go with the cheaper ones for them though, lol.

[BizzyBee]

My lab carries his food as well as a chuckit travel mat when it's cold. When he was a puppy I would use a long tether and put the mat under my foot end. He never wandered so now he just sleeps where I put the pad which is near the foot end under whatever tarp setup I may have. As for the kids, there are options like the Vertex which you might consider as well, especially if you go out with them often. BizzyBee

[Hang Williams]

My lab carries his food as well as a chuckit travel mat when it's cold. When he was a puppy I would use a long tether and put the mat under my foot end. He never wandered so now he just sleeps where I put the pad which is near the foot end under whatever tarp setup I may have. As for the kids, there are options like the Vertex which you might consider as well, especially if you go out with them often. BizzyBee

That Chuckit mat is pretty bulky, how do you attach it to the dog's harness/pack so that it stays put and doesn't end up lopsided the whole way. It would sure help my ultralight aspirations to get that out of my pack.

[BizzyBee]

On a short trip it's food in one side of the pack and chuckit mashed into the other side. If we need both sides for food then we roll or fold it and stick it through the handle on the harness. He loves it...we have to pack his pack in the garage because he starts dancing around the house as soon as he sees it! I like that it works the same is a human pad providing insulation from the ground. He does fine even on snow with it provided the temp is not too cold or windy. In those conditions he is with one of us.