How do you go to ground?

**2017SOBO** · 11-03-2016, 17:16

Hello fellow hangers,

As the name suggests, I'll be thru-hiking the appalachian trail SOBO next year starting in June. This is a xpost from whiteblaze as I'm starting to plan my trip for next year and I'm curious if and what people bring as a backup sleeping system.

From what I can gather from trail journals and blog entries, it seems like most long distance hikers with hammocks go to ground (or shelters) from time to time. They don't feel like setting up camp in the middle of a fierce thunderstorm, or they are given a kitchen table to sleep on after work-for-stay, or they're trying to follow park regulations which disallow hanging. Even worse, they might lose a tree strap or have a catastrophic tear in the hammock.

Hammockers who have done this, how did you sleep on the ground? I have a hammock and a full-length underquilt. Should I consider taking a small sleeping pad on top of my hammock setup? It seems like kind of a drag carrying a sleeping pad that I wont' be using often. Then again, the prospect of sleeping on a nasty cold hard floor also sounds pretty miserable too.

**SilvrSurfr** · 11-03-2016, 17:22

Plenty of people have hiked the AT while rarely, if ever, going to ground. GSMNP is the only place I know of that requires you to stay in a shelter, but if the shelter is full, then folks hammock.

As they say, we pack to our fears, and "what if I have to go to ground?" is a very common fear.

**Double** · 11-03-2016, 17:55

I forget who posted it but they made a video of placing an underquilt into an oversized stuff sack and used it as a inflatable pad. You can try searching for it.

**johnspenn** · 11-03-2016, 18:05

I've never thru-hiked, although I'd love to try someday.

Were I to be so fortunate to be able to attempt to thru the AT, I would plan to hang the whole way. It's been done, and seems doable.

I know that's not much help, sorry.

Good luck!

**WalksIn2Trees** · 11-03-2016, 18:39

Can you see the AT on Google maps in walking mode, satellite view? That's what I'd do. Plan the route to only stop where there's trees. Then again, I'm also not opposed to stealthing it.

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**zukiguy** · 11-03-2016, 19:18

After a few weeks on the trail I think you'll be able to snooze laying on a bed of nails, but I'd rather still sleep in the hammock. So, step 1 of going to ground is "DON'T". When I'm using my gathered end in cold/cool weather I normally carry a 3/4 length UQ and a pair of foam pads. The pads serve as foot insulation, sit pads, and in a pinch would get you through the night on the floor of a shelter.

My $.02

**Valley Scout** · 11-03-2016, 19:49

Carry a 3/4 length pad and the seat adaptor (like thermarest has). Then it is a nice camp seat, inuslation for in your hammock if you need it, and it is a pad to sleep on ground if that comes to pass. That with your tarp strung up (using trekking poles or one side up against a tree plow point style) can get you through much.

**JKJeeper** · 11-04-2016, 01:45

Assuming you have down quilts, which, for the AT you may want to save the weight. Just pack a bivy bag and you can sleep anywhere.

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**hutzelbein** · 11-04-2016, 03:39

Originally Posted by Double

I forget who posted it but they made a video of placing an underquilt into an oversized stuff sack and used it as a inflatable pad. You can try searching for it.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...to-ground-ewww!