On the fence about hammock camping.

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

My wife and I are experienced canoe trippers, backpackers and winter campers. We've always used tents, except in winters when we use snow shelters (quinzhees and lately igloos), but we are thinking seriously about trying out the hammock style.

The biggest incentive for us is that we camp and hike almost exclusively on Crown lands, not in parks, and so we always make our own bush camps after paddling or bushwacking off-trail, where the bush is typically dense, and the ground very uneven or hilly, especially near lakes and ponds. Finding a suitable tenting spot is often hard and we often have to forsake an otherwise ideal camping location because there's no suitable spot to pitch a tent. Stringing a couple of hammocks would eliminate that obstacle.

I'm all ready to take the plunge and try out hammock camping, but my wife is much more reticent (and budget conscious). She has two reservations which I'm sure everyone here has heard: she's concerned about sleeping comfort because she's a side-sleeper, and she likes snuggling in a tent. I can sleep in any position, but she can't sleep on her back except for short periods and she's prone to lower back pain when she can't get a proper sleep. Regarding snuggling, presumably, sleeping two to a hammock is either not possible or not comfortable. The snuggling problem is not a deal-breaker, but sleeping on her back, she insists, is not something she can learn to do. I wonder if anyone here can offer any insight on one or the other concern. We don't have the sort of money it takes to buy a couple of hammocks, tarps, and whatever other gear we might need only to discover she can't sleep comfortably.

I'd consider buying just one setup for myself, which she could try out before buying one for herself, but we always camp together and so I wouldn't need one of my own if it didn't work out for her.

Thanks in advance for any advice or input you can offer, especially from lower back pain suffers.

Cheers,
-Martin

Welcome soon to the dark side :lol:

I also sleep on my side and I sleep better in a hammock then in my bed.

Maybe try and just rig one up with a sheet or tablecloth to try. Give you a feel.
I sleep like a mummy in my hammock....much more still than in my bed where I may toss and turn. A night or three in the real woods is the best test. Home is distracting.
Maybe look at a Clark Vertex if you seem to lean towards hammock comfort. It sleeps two.....http://www.junglehammock.com/store/p...p?productid=38
Carry forth......
Shug

And check out Shug's videos on YouTube, he has a ton of great information on them and they are all very entertaining.

at home i am a side or stomach sleeper and can't sleep on my back but in my wbbb i have no problems sleeping on my back and am also able to get into a comfortable side position and sleep great

if you are looking something even more suited to side sleeping i might suggest the ridgerunner from warbonnet, it has an extremely flat lay and side sleeping in it would be very easy

as far as cost, you can spend lots of $, or if you want to go the DIY route and consider your time "free" you can do it very reasonably

my set-up is

warbonnet blackbird $180
diy down top and bottom quilts $100 total - if you purchase down quilts your probably looking at $300-$500 range
warbonnet bmj tarp $110

add another $50 all the various lines and dutchware

if you search the "for sale" threads here you can sometimes find some good deals or if you watch for hennessy's yearly scratch and dent sale you can find their hammocks at really good prices

there are also many other options out there, eno etc. that are less money, just need to start doing the research

the best piece of advice i could give you though is to find a "hang" in your area and go attend it, there you will be able to see all kind of different set-ups and almost everyone will let you lay in there stuff to check it out, and typically if you let people know you are coming and don't have stuff people will pack along extra so that you can have your "own" set-up to spend the night in and try it out that way

boot

I use just your basic gathered end hammock (IOW nutt'n fancy) and I can comfortably sleep on my side in it. My hammock is the only thing that doesn't give me lower back pain.. my actual bed does.
Being above the rocks and roots is a wonderful thing when it comes to finding a sight for sure. I was initially concerned my wife wouldn't like being off in her own tarp and hammock but she loves it, and I don't wake her up anymore with the 2 or 3 times a night I get up to water the bushes.
The thing with hammocks is ya won't know until you try. Because my lower back does hurt in my bed I didn't think they were gonna be for me, turns out they're the best things go'n.
The cost of the gear is quickly equalized by the quality of sleep achieved with it.

Welcome to the forum.

side sleeper here. i have a $60 modified skeeter beeter pro from grand trunk. im wondering why i pay rent and own a sleep # bed when i always sleep in the backyard. best nights sleep youll ever have.

In my bed I toss and turn, in my hammock I sleep all night on my back wake feeling good and rested

There are lots of folks in southern Ontario who hang. I would see if there's anyone near you who could let you give a hammock a try. I've seen you on "winter trekker" and know that you understand that to get quality and comfort you sometimes have to spend some $$,,same thing applies to hanging. There are allot of folks on "hammock forums" who turned to hammock camping specifically because they had back issues on the ground. Sleeping in a hammock cured that. Sleeping in a hammock will definitely improve your options for finding a place to camp,,the best thing is once your through the learning curve, and there is a learning curve, you get the same comfort/lay in the hammock everywhere you set up. Have a look at Shugs 10 part series for new folks and also have a look at Jeff's " To The Woods" site. Good luck

bill

Just throwing my two bits in here...
I also suffer from lower back pain when I sleep in my regular bad (sleep number BTW) but not in my hammocks.
I also sleep on my stomach in my bed but I have no problem sleeping on my back or side (or anywhere in between) in my hammock. Many mornings I awake in the exact same position I was in when I went to sleep; we do not toss and turn if we are comfortable!

All the rest is true as well; finding a spot on uneven ground etc.

However, there have been a few documented cases of people who just could not get comfortable in a hammock. So let me just throw this out:
1) DIY a hammock or two on the cheap just to see if you and your wife can handle it.
2) Buy her a good set up (War Bonnet, Hennessey, etc) and give it a go. If she really can't use it then you can sell it on here for (in many cases) what it cost you.
Either way your not out much money.

Best advice so far though is to find and attend a local hang. Let 'em know your coming and I am sure some one will bring extra hammocks.

If'n ya wanna, come on down to Texas in a few weeks and we'll let ya try 'em all out down here!

Hi Martin,

Welcome to the forum. I recognize you from the WinterTrekking forum. If you're not intending to buy until later, say the spring, I suggest attending an Ontario hang to check out some of the setups. There is usually a hang at Valens, so keep an eye out for that.

There is a lot of variety and people also modify their setups beyond the original configurations. With many different manufacturers, one gathered end hammock may not feel the same as another gathered end, and the same for bridge hammocks. Bridge hammock makers have different ideas about spreader bar placement among other things, so each will be different. Mining this forum for information and asking questions when your search doesn't come up with an answer will make purchasing the right hammock easier. The members here are great and very helpful.

Mongrel

Currently using a Hennessy Adventure Racer as my primary and prior to that a Hyperlite, so my experience is with A-sym hammocks only: As someone who is primarily a side-sleeper, I initially found it tricky to get comfortable, but after experimenting/tweaking the setup i.e. how tight it was hung, making sure the foot end was slightly higher than the head and perhaps most importantly (for me anyway) was using one of my clothing stuffsacks or an outer layer to support my legs/knees. Also, as a side-sleeper, switching to a hammock has vastly improved the quality of sleep as I am no longer being awakened throughout the night d/t hip and shoulder pain.

Although you didn't specifically mention it, I just want to add that if your wife is a cold sleeper, be sure to include good bottom insulation. I've found that even when I am having a hard time finding the most comfortable position, being nice and warm makes it better.:)

Mentioned only because size and weight can be a factor when hanging, I'm female, <130lbs.

Quote:

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at home i am a side or stomach sleeper and can't sleep on my back but in my wbbb i have no problems sleeping on my back and am also able to get into a comfortable side position and sleep great

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Ditto

My wife also has a Blackbird and loves it. When ever she says we have too many hammocks I tell her I will sell her BB and she tells me ( in not so polite language) that I had better not sell her hammock.

Welcome to the forums - lots of great info here as demonstrated by the previous posts. I had the same reservations your wife did about sleeping comfort because I am a side sleeper, too. I'm a Scoutmaster for a troop in Lilburn, GA and our troop goes on outings monthly. My son received a hammock as a present for attaining his Eagle award, and he couldn't stop talking about how comfortable it was. So, I finally broke down and bought an ENO DN, bug net and tarp. and slept in the thing for the first time two years ago. I slept better than I have ever slept in my bed or in my tent. I never take my tent on camping trips anymore. All it took was one night of sleep in my hammock to convert me! Once you learn how to lay in the hammock (lay on a diagonal and you can sleep in any position you want), you will not want to sleep in anything else when you venture into the woods! All it takes it making that first step. When you do, you won't look back.

I'm a side sleeper, and in a bed I can't sleep on my back. I've discovered in hammocks I can sleep on my back or my side, or any number of other positions you can't do in a bed.
My wife still sleeps on the ground, and that is fine. I don't say much about it, if she wants to be uncomfortable, more power to her.:lol:

Wow...I expected several responses, but not this many in so little time. Thank you all to those who took the time and trouble to post those thoughtful suggestions and relate their own experiences. I hope my any others who want to weigh in will do so as well. It's been really informative and helpful.

I will be working my way through the various sites and videos that people have recommended. I should perhaps mention that I've seen all of Shug's hilarious and informative videos (I make my own camping instructional vids), and Shug's how-to series and Bwillan's video showing his hot-tent hammock setup are what motivated me to join your forum. I'm very glad I did. That's quite an enthusiastic and helpful welcome. You ladies and gents are real hangin' evangelists.

Right now I'm primed to give it a try, but before shelling out the money, I will do what Shug, Rat, and some others suggested and see about a fashioning a simple DIY setup. I already have a cheap nylon gathered-end backyard hammock (the kind you laze about in) and an 8' x 10' sil nylon tarp to hang over it. I just need to figure out what I need to do to it to make it into a serviceable camping hammock that I can sleep in diagonally. Bugs aren't an issue at this time of year, so no need for a bug mesh. Guess I'll need some webbing and climbing rings or some such. But I'll check the DIY sub-forum before salting you all with questions. However, if anyone knows of a good how-to on turning a backyard hammock into a proper camping hammock, I'm open to it.

Lastly, I want to say how reassuring it is to hear from so many back pain sufferers on this matter.

Gratefully,
-Martin

I'm a woman stomach sleeper. Never thought I could sleep on my back, never! So comfy in hammock, back doesn't matter! Many sleep on side in hammock.

Also, you can pick up a Grand Trank Ultralight hammock for about $20 or less, I've got 2 and love them. Grand Trunk UL
Like the others have said, if she can't get comfortable in a gathered-end, a bridge style might help, I can sleep in anyu position in mine includung fetal.
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/
http://warbonnetoutdoors.com/ridgerunner.php
One more thing, if you both sleep in seperate hammocks, you can sleep close to each other under one tarp. Any decent sized tarp will do, but for fun, here's a custom made one from a member here named Smokehouse. Pretty sure he'd make you one, I have one of his self named Smokehouse tarps.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1041111...oneymoonSuite#
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...oneymoon+suite

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ght=dblhammock

I have lower back issues and have chucked the bed in favour of the hammock. My back does not hurt at all anymore, except when I sleep at my boyfriend's in his bed. Then I wake up stiff and sore, and will usually come home and have a snooze in my hammock to straighten myself back out.
When my boyfriend and I go camping, we put both our hammocks under one tarp. I like knowing he's close by because I can sometimes get a little paranoid about bears (even though I've never had an problem with one). The tarp we use is a 12x12 Kelty and we both have Hennessy Explorer zips.

suspension: polyester webbing is the simplest way to get going, with the speer four wrap knot- tree hugger and suspension all in one. Don't get stretchy climbing webbing. Everything else is a way to make the set up ridiculously easy. :) 20 feet- 10 feet either end, should be enough to get you going.

Still one of the best websites for simple hammocking is imrisk.com - check out the test hammock, and also his double hammocking: http://www.imrisk.com/hammock/ultradoublehammock.htm

You can snuggle in a hammock, but then one can go to their own hammock to sleep.

Just Jeff's site is a great explanation of how hammocking works (answering many questions) it's been mentioned up thread, but here's the url:
tothewoods.net

TH

Hey the Pinemartins. Welcome aboard, I hope you will decide to join us. I enjoy your You Tube videos as well as your experienced input on the Maddy the Goose web site. This is a great community to be a part of.

Hammocks are the reason why I got back into camping again, I could not sleep on the ground anymore. Any excuse to get in the woods now is a good one. Hope to hear from you soon.

Another side sleeper here and no problem doing so in a hammock...although I don't seem to feel the need to roll on my side as I do in a bed. I sleep and my joints feel better after hammock sleeping than a bed. We have the real thick memory foam mattresses on our bed, not the old style mattresses with box springs, and I'm still happier in my hammock.

Anyways, welcome to the forums, and I hope that it works out for you.

Okay, so as a result of the encouraging and helpful postings I got here today, most of my concerns have been allayed and I've decided to give hammocking a try...but as I mentioned, I'm too miserly to shell out for one without trying it first, so I'm gonna try my hand at a DIY hammock and suspension system. I've posted my incipient plan to the DIY sub-forum in the hopes that I will be steered in the right direction...or at least be steered away from disaster. If I don't botch this too bad, you may have a convert. :)
Here's the thread for any who might be interested: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=61454

My thanks again to all who replied to my intro post.

Cheers,
- Martin

I got the Lawson Blue Ridge, for my wife because she said she couldn't sleep on her back. The Lawson is very flat and wide. You can lay any way you want. It has a skeeter net to. I got it on sale for about 100. Stake out the sides and its as stable as a bed. Feels like sleeping on a cot.