Is a hammock less gear?

[AScott]

If I didn't use a hammock i would use a tarp and a self inflating pad. Hammock is probably more weight but who wants to lay on the ground? I pee on the ground.

That's going into the sig line expeditiously!

[Raul Perez]

I don't know. My hammock set up is pretty light. Looking at 3.5lbs with hammock, tarp, top quilt,under quilt and leg pad. Beats most tents hands down. Heavier than tarp camping but what isn't? Comfort is second to none.

[backpackingZombie]

If I didn't use a hammock i would use a tarp and a self inflating pad. Hammock is probably more weight but who wants to lay on the ground? I pee on the ground.

And on occasion, usually at music festivals, people pee uphill from, and sometimes on, your tent.

[Law Dawg (ret)]

But are they less gear than a tent?

For me it is substantially less, both in bulk and weight. I am physically unable to spend anything but emergency time on the ground anymore so...

Tent +
Go-Kot+
Big Agness pad+
Sleeping bag+
Folding chair (Kermit)= alot!

WBBB+
Incubator UQ+
Burrow TQ+
Toxaway tarp= much better and WAY more comfortable!

Frankly though I don't care, the hammock is too comfortable to not use over any tent set up.

[MrClean417]

I'm heading to Oshkosh this year for the airshow. I haven't gotten a solution for hanging there that I can carry in my bike trailer. That kinda means tenting it in Oshkosh. Thats no problem as I have the tent, mattress, air pump that takes the place of my hammock and fly. Lack of trees will hold me down. But, as nice as the air mattress is, my rear will be on the ground in the morning, I'll have stiff spots and I'll have to have a place to sit outside. Shoot, last month my Grand-daughter wanted me next to her and Grandma on our Select Comfort bed. Halfway through the night I had to bail on that. It's ok though, last two weeks when she's woken up in the crib, Tat's come to the hammock with me. Course Joe has to re-arrange himself on my lap when that happens.

I'd rather be comfortable.

[tpkanu]

My hips prefer a hammock.

Happy Trails

[BillyBob58]

Mostly already said, but:
Tent(with poles)+ rain fly + sleeping bag(which=TQ+UQ and maybe hood)+ pad(usually a really thick one for me on the ground)
VS
Hammock + tarp + TQ( a bit more than 1/2 sleeping bag) + UQ (and maybe just a torso length)

That looks like close to a wash to me (with the TQ/UQ combo ~ = to sleeping bag) except no thick, heavy pad for the hammock set up. Unless you want a sit pad or a smaller, thin leg pad for your torso length UQ(not really needed in the summer).


In fact, if it is summer in many regions, with lows under 70-75 being way unlikely, you don't even need the UQ, putting you with LESS stuff than tent camping. ( or maybe just to be safe just one layer of torso length IX UQ, which is nearly nothing)

Or, you could just use your ground pad but no UQ. So that part is the same, except you don't need a thick pad for cushioning from the ground, only enough to insulate, putting you again well ahead compared to a thick pad. Again for the really warm weather, no pad needed.

Or, you could rig your sleeping bag as a pod, so again you are the same as on the ground but again: no pad.

[exup]

Hammock, tarp, up, tq, and lines.

Rain fly, bug net, pad, sleeping bag, ground cloth, poles/lines.

Seems like they're to equal, tents just often are packed in one big stuff sack. Hammock systems could be too of courrse a single wall tent or tarp will always be a little less.

[TadTheTinker]

I won't have to worry about tent poles breaking with a hammock. I won't have to worry about rain flooding my tent in a hammock. I don't have to concern myself with getting the tent home and setting it up in the back yard to dry out because of the rain that flooded it. And I don't need to clear away a 10 foot ring of all vegetation so I can set up my hammock. I might move a stick or two to clear the hang but that's it.

And with a hammock, you can camp along side a trail without worrying about finding an area remotely big enough for a tent. Much less impact on your surroundings. (Leave No Trace)

For that matter, I use the same sleeping bag in a tent that I use in a hammock. So one sleeping bag vs. the TQ and UQ.

We really need a gram weenie like Grizz or a hammock ham like Shug to do a video on the weights, list of stuff to bring and all that. Just to see what the differences are.

[Raul Perez]

A few of us started a thread here:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ht=season+gear

But you need to be a donating member to view it.