Newbie Question

[themoose64]

I'm interested in switching from a tent to a hammock but had a silly question that I have not seen addressed. Is there a way to change clothes while inside a hammock? A tent provides some privacy but how is this achieved in a hammock? Also, where do you keep your boots? Do you hang them as well?

[thatguy]

Privacy: lots of people use tarps. Depending on how agile you are, you can change in the hammock.

[Bubba]

I always set up with a tarp I some privacy. Usually just change standing in front of my hammock. My summer tarps do not have doors so the ends are open. It's not a problem since people don't walk up unannounced. My winter tarp has doors that are usually closed. My boots just sit on the ground ready to put on in the night when I need to relieve myself and for when I get up in the morning.

[Mountnman]

Never had a problem! I found it harder to get dressed in my backpacking tents. At least with a tarp over your hammock you can sit on hammock while changing, that's what I do anyway. Boots sit next to me or lately been tying laces together and hanging them over my suspension because of a curios raccoon that was about to steal my boots one night recently

[GregB]

RE: Boots. I keep a piece of Tyvek about 4'x4' which I lay on the ground as my "porch". I leave my trail shoes there. This gives me a place to stand up without having to stand in the dirt.

Regarding privacy and getting dressed. When I first started hanging (just this past summer) I had a tendency to hang my hammock too high. Now I hang it lower and it's just the right height to be a very comfortable chair. I can sit down and put my shoes on easily. There is an additional piece of gear called a "Bird Beak" which you can use to close off one end of a tarp. It's mainly used for heavy weather, but it could also be a privacy feature.

[Naha]

I know i don't have a lot of experience but I normally will sit in the middle of my hammock and change my upper body, lay back down and change my lower body. Like everyone was saying the tarp provides a nice privacy fence. As far as the shoes, this depends on where you are. In some places, where there are bugs everywhere i will tie my shoe laces in a simple knot and then hang then on my whoopie slings. I do that because i have a pair of "camp shoes" that i use to walk around camp. Those don't normally get a dirty and so i bring those into my hammock with me. In other places you can just leave your shoes where you took them off... right beside your hammock.

[SilvrSurfr]

Welcome from the Jersey Shore! I hang everything from my hammock ridgeline (1.75 Zing-It). I used to leave shoes and stuff on the ground, but I've encountered too many critters that will, for no particular reason, walk off with a shoe or a sock or whatever.

Changing is easy as you sit in your hammock. I don't see why a tarp would provide any less privacy than a tent.

[XTrekker]

I'm interested in switching from a tent to a hammock but had a silly question that I have not seen addressed. Is there a way to change clothes while inside a hammock? A tent provides some privacy but how is this achieved in a hammock? Also, where do you keep your boots? Do you hang them as well?

Hang the boots from the ridge line if you want or set them under the hammock. Some people even use a small hammock just for their gear that hangs separately under the same tarp. For privacy you can just hang your tarp low or buy a larger one that reaches the ground.

[themoose64]

Thanks for the info Silvr. We are practically neighbors, I'm from Red Bank.

[bryce1201]

stand behind the tree and look both ways and when no one is looking... I've also changed while laying down if the clothes have been within reach. Never really had a problem. Boots just go right underneath me so when i stand up they are there.