Hammock on the AT?

Hi All,
I have been contemplating an AT hike for many years. As a teacher, I would need to break the hike down to two summers, so technically, not a thru-hike, but can't get the time to pull off the whole shebang in one shot.
After reading much material, I am wondering if one could hike the entire trail with a hammock and tarp, or do you get above the tree line too often to pull that off. If it cannot be done, and you've hiked it, do you carry a tent/tarp for a portion, or try to add the weight and carry both, or do you use your hammock on the ground? Hoping some of you can give me some advice as I am in the early stages of planning this, and would like to get a good start on what I will need to carry. Thanks everyone!!

The only place you will have a problem hanging is in the Whites (above treelike).

Thanks LO,
What do you recommend for that area?

Dutch thru hiked in 2003 with a hammock.

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=1215

Most of the whites are wooded. Some of the higher elevation sections that are above treeline-ish are where you technically are supposed to stay in the AMC huts. I have not hiked the entire AT but you might want to consider having a pad as part of your hammock system - for those times you might need to sleep in a shelter. Otherwise a hammock is a good idea for the AT.

I thru-hiked in '09 using my hammock. I chose not to carry a pad and thus commit to using the hammock every night. The only exceptions were in the Smokies and the Whites. In the Smokies hikers are required to sleep in the shelters unless they are full. Plenty of people ignore this and hang or tent near the shelters, but it is not in my nature to violate rules without a good reason. In the Whites I did a series of work-for-stays at some of the Huts, which meant sleeping on the tables in the dining room.

I had my Thermarest Pad sent to me at Fontana Dam before the Smokies, and at Glencliff before the Whites. Other than that, every night I spent on the trail I spent in my hammock.

2009 was a very wet year -- it pretty much rained from March until the beginning of August -- and I saw a lot of swamped tents. Hanging above the flood sure was nice!

You will be able to cross the whites except "the Presidentails" You will have to camp in the notches though The trees become shrugs ver quickly and they are dense half way up. Almost everyone stops at the lake of the clouds hut. I hiked with a pad but that is because it was before quilts. If I did it today I would have 3/4 UQ and a pad. I would ship an inflatable for the Smokies and Whites. In the Smokies you can stealth it but you may get caught and there are rangers and ridge runners. You should at least be prepared to obey the rules. Hammocking is totally the way to go and it will give you so much flexability for when and where you stop.

Lots of folks have thru'd with a hammock. By the time you get to the whites, you'll have figured out what to do. Keep in mind that you can use your tarp without the hammock. Figure you might carry a light pad for this use, and to supplement on cold nights.

Thanks everyone. Great advice. Exactly what I needed to know. I appreciate all your input!

I'm pretty sure that in the whites, you're not allowed to camp above alpine zone (trees <8ft) regardless of your style; except in winter with 2ft of snow or more. The idea being your not really supposed to go off trail here and snow will make it so you dont damage these areas. with that in mind, it would seem that anywhere you could camp with a tent, you could camp with a hammock for the most part, maybe losing a little more elevation for hammock use.

Huts and downhiking partway to camp will help you get across the presis. it is possible to do it in a day if your quick and the weather is friendly, but can be tricky. this is really the only part where it matters, maybe franconia ridge..most other areas you'll be over and past tree line in time to sleep (or just keep hiking through the night).

I can't say I've hammocked too much in the whites but in my gradual transition (1+ yr or so) every time i've pitched a tent i've thought "if i had a hammock right now, what would i do?" every time, there has been suitable trees...so with planning it is easily possible

http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/whit..._rules_web.pdf

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Originally Posted by pdizzle

I'm pretty sure that in the whites, you're not allowed to camp above alpine zone (trees <8ft)

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I think he's right on this one. Spending time hiking in the Whites, I'd say that where you're not below tree line (which isn't often on the AT to be fair) there's a hut nearby, and the staff are always super supportive. :) Haven't had the chance to thru hike myself, but my personal yoda has gone through that whole section and refuses to leave the comfort of his hennessy if he doesn't have to, so I'd say your safe. Worst comes to worst, use your tarp and your thermarest/pad and do a little tarp-camping. You'd certainly be glad to get back to hanging!

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Originally Posted by 2new2hang

...As a teacher, I would need to break the hike down to two summers, so technically, not a thru-hike, but can't get the time to pull off the whole shebang in one shot...

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As far as I'm concerned that's a thru-hike, HYOH, not changing the subject or starting anything...

I thru hiked last year with a hammock for most of the way. I switched when it got cold (I hiked SOBO) in the fall...and didn't have the capacity on the trail to figure out a colder temps outfit. I used my hammock tarp and a NeoAir for the last month on the trail.

You can hammock the whole thing honestly.

About the Whites - > what folks are saying about camping above treeline is correct, but it just doesn't come up that much. You can plan around it so that you are not above treeline. It comes into play really in just one area, the Presidentials. Hammock near Nauman Tentsite /Mizpah hut (trees are plenty big here) and the next day hike to Osgood Tentsite, which is down from Madison Hut. Long day, yes....but you will have plenty of those..and you have already made much of the difficult elevation getting up to Nauman tentsite.

When I went through the Whites, I wanted to stay in a couple of the AMC doing the work for stay. I had a pad that is used as my back support in my pack, and used that on the floor. Very uncomfortable for me, but I have historically, not had a great back. (It is in great shape now after hiking the AT, btw)

Smokies -> There are some restrictions here. But AT hikers can tent/hang in the Smokies. when the shelters are full. I'd expect in the summer, the shelters to be full. We had a couple over capacity shelters in the Smokies in November...I may be wrong, but I'd expect them to be full. If you don't want to chance it, just take a pad through that area.

If I were hiking in just summer, I'd just take the hammock.. Easier to find a great hammock site than a mediocre tent site in my opinion.

Have fun!

Please read Shugs thru hike. Great from a hangers point of view plus you get an early insight into his great sense of humore we see today. Laughed all the way through it. I would do the hammock also with using the tarp where I couldn't hang rather than using overcrowed shelters.

I plan on doing the same trip starting in about five weeks and plan on using a hammock the entire way. I'll use some sort of pad or air mattress for the Smokies just in case I'm forced to sleep in a shelter. If the shelters are full and you are a thru hiker you can tent or hang in the vicinity of the shelter. I don't see that as being much of a problem in April when the masses are passing through.

I'm also a teacher albeit retired. We're doing it in two seasons because we want to take our time and really enjoy all that the trail, people and towns have to offer, without the pressure of meeting a deadline. Our plan is to go from Springer to Harper's Ferry this year and finish the second half next year.

Good luck on you plans and trip. When are you planning to go?

Miguel

I used my hammock on my thru last Summer. I had a NEO for the Smokies and needed it for two nights. The shelters did not fill for two nights and there was a ridgerunner at the shelter. He made it very clear that the shelter was MANDATORY.
I went to ground a couple of other times where camping was provided behind a very nice bar and at a convenience store. I could have avoided each but wanted to stay around friends.
Later in the hike I used shelters when the weather turned suspect and was happy to have my NEO although I could have hammocked quite easily.
I had hammocked several nights early in the hike and had very disturbing lightning storms so when I found myself high on a mountain with suspect weather I found the shelters quite reassuring.
In the Whites I needed and got work for stay at Lake of the clouds, other than that one night I was at places where I could legally hammock. A long day out of Lake of the Clouds to beyond Maddison but I made it just before dark.

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Originally Posted by Miguel

I plan on doing the same trip starting in about five weeks and plan on using a hammock the entire way. I'll use some sort of pad or air mattress for the Smokies just in case I'm forced to sleep in a shelter. If the shelters are full and you are a thru hiker you can tent or hang in the vicinity of the shelter. I don't see that as being much of a problem in April when the masses are passing through.

I'm also a teacher albeit retired. We're doing it in two seasons because we want to take our time and really enjoy all that the trail, people and towns have to offer, without the pressure of meeting a deadline. Our plan is to go from Springer to Harper's Ferry this year and finish the second half next year.

Good luck on you plans and trip. When are you planning to go?

Miguel

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Thanks Miguel! I have two more summers (this coming and next) to finish up some training classes I am taking, so I'm shooting for the summer following 2014? Although, I did consider doing something a bit shorter and not quite a strenuous (Camino de Santiago) to start off, but should probably just get out there and start.

Thanks to everyone for your great advice. It is exactly the info I was looking for. I will go ahead and take a pad to make sure I'm covered for shelters if necessary. Otherwise, I'm planning on staying in my hammock! Thanks again guys!!

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Originally Posted by 2new2hang

Thanks Miguel! I have two more summers (this coming and next) to finish up some training classes I am taking, so I'm shooting for the summer following 2014? Although, I did consider doing something a bit shorter and not quite a strenuous (Camino de Santiago) to start off, but should probably just get out there and start.

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OK...this is getting a little weird now. :) My wife and I are planning to hike Camino De Santiago in Spain beginning this Sept. I think it will be a fascinating hike through the rural countryside and towns of northern Spain. We're really looking forward to it.

Miguel

Two isles just started her hike thru yesterday i believe. She will be hanging the entire trip

Just read Dutch's thru hike, I could not stop reading it. I laughed out loud routinely. The rant about New England yuppies... Barking Spiders with the eco-system sustained with methane... I love it! Didn't know Shug had a thru hike log, I'm gonna search for his next. My wife thinks I'm crazy reading all that stuff.

Ok, I can't find Shug's thru hike. Could someone throw me a link? Thanks in advance!

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Originally Posted by Miguel

OK...this is getting a little weird now. :) My wife and I are planning to hike Camino De Santiago in Spain beginning this Sept. I think it will be a fascinating hike through the rural countryside and towns of northern Spain. We're really looking forward to it.

Miguel

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You're right, that is a bit strange. Stranger still, I was watching a video of the AT, my wife watched about 5 minutes worth and said "No way, not me.", then 10 minutes later she's sitting with me watching a video about walking the Camino, and says "Hey! Now that's what I'm talking about! I'll go on that one!". So now I seem to have my butt caught in a wringer. Send her on her way to Spain, and I go to Georgia, or we both do the Camino first?

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Originally Posted by jons4real

Two isles just started her hike thru yesterday i believe. She will be hanging the entire trip

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I hope she keeps us all informed. I'm really looking forward to what she has to say.
Anyone know where I can find Dutch's thru info? I was also unaware that Shug did a thru.

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Originally Posted by 2new2hang

I hope she keeps us all informed. I'm really looking forward to what she has to say.
Anyone know where I can find Dutch's thru info? I was also unaware that Shug did a thru.

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http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=29133
Or if you stand beside me for 5 minutes I'll just start talking about it.

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Originally Posted by Ebola

Just read Dutch's thru hike, I could not stop reading it. I laughed out loud routinely. The rant about New England yuppies... Barking Spiders with the eco-system sustained with methane... I love it! Didn't know Shug had a thru hike log, I'm gonna search for his next. My wife thinks I'm crazy reading all that stuff.

Ok, I can't find Shug's thru hike. Could someone throw me a link? Thanks in advance!

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I have never thru hiked the AT. Plus....I would video and not blog so you could enjoy my visage......:laugh:
Shug of No-Thru

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Originally Posted by Dutch

Or if you stand beside me for 5 minutes I'll just start talking about it.

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This made me :lol: