How hot do you go ?...

[Shug]

Never have the same itch to go in summer high heat as I do in cool and cold. you can travel lighter but I just whine more.
Shug

[FLRider]

Yes, I camp in Florida summertime conditions. That's one of the reasons I switched to a hammock, actually.

I find that if there is any breeze whatsoever, I stay reasonably cool. Otherwise, well, it's Florida in the summer...

My Ocala National Forest trip this summer was exceedingly hot, but--out of two nights--I only had one that was miserably hot. It was in the upper eighties most of the night and there was no breeze, with nearly 100% humidity. The second night was similar in temperature and humidity, but there was a breeze.

During the summer down here, I don't even worry about under insulation; I simply carry a synthetic poncho liner for top insulation. If I wind up having to tuck that under me to cut the breeze on a particularly windy night, it works well.

[DivaB]

Went on a group hang in August, when it was almost unbearably hot during the day. I didn't enjoy the days so much, but enjoyed my nights in the hammock. It's the only time I could get a little cooled off. The bug net held in some heat that I wished wasn't there, but it just wasn't possible to go without the bug net.

[tbctx]

We did a mid-summer group hang at the big thicket (south eastern Texas) it was hot, but the hammocks was probably the least miserable of the time. Just go without insulation and tarpless and even a slight breeze cools you off well due to it cooling you on all sides vs a tent where it doesn't much if any.

[olzeke]

After many trips hiking in the Grand Canyon, and sleeping on the ground where it is hottest, I now hang my hammock even in the heat. The ground warms up all day and the first foot of air next to it is the warmest at night, as the earth releases the built up heat. Hanging above that foot makes for a less warm experience. It is also easier to catch any wayward breeze.

How does one hang in an area with so few big trees, you might ask? I have learned to carry a few different sized rock chocks and wedges from the climbing community. They do not weigh much, less than an ounce each. I can place them into cracks in the rocks and hang from them quite easily. It took a small learning curve in how they are best placed, but then I wasn't trusting them to protect my life, only my bottom from bruising.

[SilvrSurfr]

The state bird of New Jersey, the mosquito, may have turned me against summer camping for life. This year there was little rain in July, no mosquitoes, and camping was alright.

Then August came, and lots of rain, and swarms of mosquitoes. No amount of bug spray could keep them at bay and every time I opened the bug net, it seemed like hundreds of mosquitoes got into my hammock. There is no way I can sleep with mosquitoes in my hammock - it is pure misery.

So I'm pretty sure I'm now a three-season camper, and summer is not of those seasons. Some people say a bottom-entry hammock is better for mosquitoes, but I am just too tasty to mosquitoes for them to fall for that trick.

[Spurr]

I know the time of the year dictates what the talk is in here but I appreciate going a head about six months. I'm not surprised you folks down south got a handle on dealing with the hot weather. Glad we only get about a month of the hot stuff up here but when it happens the amount of complaining would make you think we get it half the year..

It would make sense if a hammock gets cooler than a tent in the fall that in the summer heat the hammock would then also be cooler. Although during the day while hiking it makes no difference what you're sleeping in, it's going to be warm no matter what. As with winter camping it's a choice as to how much we want to get out there.

At any rate Thank's for the suggestions and the quick come back from a often times a confused Noob...

[redhawktx]

I have hammocked in semi-comfort in 110+ daytime and 90+ nighttime conditions. I used a tarp but hung it several feet higher than the hammock to allow as much airflow as possible. No UQ, no TQ. Wore as little as circumstances would allow. Used a spray bottle of water to mist myself if I woke up to warm. The misting only works in low humidity conditions. A small fan to help the water and sweat evaporate. I had a good night's sleep.

[BigJake]

I think the real question is humidity. I could tolerate up to 100 degrees if the humidity is low. I did gain a great appreciation for the heat of summer this year though, after many hours in the kayak.

[Catavarie]

The hammock is made for summer camping IMO. I sleep in a wicking shirt and gym shorts with no blanket of any sort. Sleeping near either moving water or even a large enough lake will help to cause a small breeze which feels great through the the thin fabric of the hammock.