Deciding whether to tent or hammock

[Roadrunnr72]

Your coming to HAMMOCK FORUMS and asking our opinions on tents vs. hammocks? This is like going to a Ford dealer and asking if you should buy a ford or chevy.

Everyone else is pointing you in the right direction on equipment.

6.- I mostly sleep on my side, and toss and turn all night, except in a hammock, I can sleep on my back with no problems. And sleeping on my side is no problem.

I've done a ton of research about ultralight tents and know exactly which one I would choose. Then came along the notion of hammocks and their reputation for comfort. I was hoping you folks could point me in the right direction if I gave you some facts. My objective is to go as light as possible.

1) I'm 5'11" and 215 lbs.

2) I hike in a heavily-forested area where it is rainy.

3) I've already spent a lot of money on a Western Mountaineering sleeping bag. Can I use it when hammocking?

4) I'll gladly trade money for weight reduction.

5) Would prefer to one-stop shop if that is possible. In other words, not buy each item separately from different vendor.

6) I'm a side sleeper.

7) 3-season use only.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Law Dawg (ret)]

I happen to have a bad back.

I'm a motorcycle camper and it has been the comfort factor that is the biggest draw for hammocks. Hammock camping including UQ, TQ, and tarp has saved me substantual space and weight. Bad back and light weight packing an issue? Then it seems to me the hammock is the answer for both.

Oh and you are now sitting at my target weight (only 45 pounds to go)...slim.

[DuctTape]

Welcome to the forum!

I use my hammock exclusively all 4 seasons in the adks. I have a number of hammocks and would be willing to let you try them out sometime. Since I venture into the adks twice a month, I am sure we could find a time to meet up.

dT

[brushybill]

How does one know whether to choose a HH vs Warbonnet vs Clark vs JRB vs "other"?

It seems there are more moving parts to choose when buying a hammock vs. a tent. The process seems daunting.

while i can't claim to have experiance with all the popular hammocks, i have owned a clark for almost ten years and currently use a blackbird almost
exclusively, i would not hesitate to reccomend either one, if you choose any of the brands that you mentioned you will certainly be very happy with your choice , the problem with gear is that you always think that the other brand will be better than the one you have, i suspect this keeps our venders both happy and frustrated at the same time.
what i am sure of however is that hammock camping will give you worlds of comfort that you never thought possible , no matter what your sleeping habits.
good luck

[gunner76]

Lots of good advice.

My advice is to try and attend a group hammock hang where you can check out a varitey of setups and get a better ide of what will work for you. No one hammock, tarp, TQ ect is perfect for everyone. We all have our preferences and you have a lot of choices. Yes you will make mistakes but that is part of the learning process. I figure that if I don't learn something everytime I go out I am doing something wrong.

[WWhermit]

~50oz for a hammock, tarp and UQ is my upper limit. I'd prefer to be a fair bit lower. I mentioned the rain because, in the Adirondacks, you must have netting and be prepared for rain.

Excellent ideas from everyone.

Easily done, even without going UL. This is my current setup, as soon as my underquilt arrives. Currently being shipped.

Hammock Warbonnet Blackbird 1.0 DBL 22.5 oz
Tarp Warbonnet The Edge 10.0 oz
UQ Leighlo 2/3 UQ with 1.0 extra down 12.0 oz
Tarp ridgeline, guylines, toggles, and 6 stakes 4.0 oz

Total 48.5 oz

This also includes stuffsacks, 10 foot treestraps, whoopiesling suspension, and everything you need to hang for the night. Throw in a modest top quilt, at some point, and you're still looking at less than 4 lbs. That is less than what my tent weighs.

Mind you, there are people on here that have their weight much less than that! It's all a matter of what you want to spend. This is more than good enough for me. It allows me to do 3 or 4 day trips with 22 lbs on my back. Including food. That's great for me, and carrying a ton of luxury items. Check out Shug (He's the man!!), RaulPerez, and others for weight savings. Good luck, and welcome to the forums.

WWhermit

[wiiawiwb]

You folks are great. Thanks.

Where would I go to find out whether there is a hammock hang going on in my area?

[mountaingoat]

Hi!
My hammock setup weighs about 1lb more than my ground set up, but i don't have a spreadsheet for everything else. I find one pound difference to be well worth the comfort of a good night sleep, and the ability to "hang out" at camp and all.
That said, I would not get rid of your ground set up, if you ever go above treeline, particularly in the snow.

[Hangandy]

Looking at that nice bag and the learning curve Hammock camping can sometimes be, you might consider going bivy and then hammock. The benefit of a bivy is that you can start outfitting yourself with an excellent tarp (and Tarp Flyz) so that once you are comfy out-of-tent the hammock step is a little smaller. I recommend the USGI bivy. Though it's nearly 2 lbs, that should compare well with a lightweight tent.

[G.L.P.]

you can do a setup for under 50oz easy

there are lots of great vendors out there so don't just get from one...
like others have said sometimes it's better to mix and match this way you find a system that will work for you

as for side sleeping i'm a side sleeper at home but in a hammock i can sleep on my back... so don't get too stuck on the side sleeping thing untill you try a hammock out first .... you might be shocked to find out you can sleep on your back

i would take a member up on there offer to show you some of there gear might help you figure out what you like befor you spend money on something you don't

sounds to me like your doing the Jump to Ultralight if you want some help feel free to PM me anytime

by the way what is wrong with your back if you don't mind me asking?
sleeping in a hammock will help with back pain...trust me on that

and welcome to the forums ...