As an avid backpacker, I've got to say that it's a wash. A lot of folks here try to swing it toward the hammock side with an almost Prius-driver-esque superiority complex, but in the end it's tit for tat. Tents suit some situations, while hammocks suit others... and if you invest in ultralight tent gear to the same extent that many of you invest in ultralight hammock gear, you'll find the weights are fairly comparable.
Hammocks open up site selection in some areas, and fall short in others.. Wide open spaces, above the tree line, high elevation snowfields and so on - clearly a hammock will be of little use to you in such situations. Use what's best for the given situation and don't stress too much about it.
"Going to ground" is treated as this 'dare not speak of' sort of thing around here, in the same manner that people try to rename sewing machines as a 'thread injector' to fit in with the crowd and feel better about something. It's a bit ridiculous, and there's entirely too much of an attempt at justifying things around here that really shouldn't be an issue. It's like the kid shouting at others and trying to prove his superiority, when it's just a false sense of confidence masking self doubt.
It's just a hammock, folks. You're overcomplicating it.
There are some places where being in a hammock really doesn't bother me all that much.
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