Ultralight PCT Tent vs Hammock comparison

[LegoFox]

Lately I have been weighing thoughts on comfort vs weight between ultralight thru hike tent and hammock setups. I will be hiking he PCT with my gal and we always hang under one tarp either bunk style or side by side. We haven't ever not been able to find the right trees for 2 hangers so far. But my thinking is for a PCT hike I would feel that options would be slimmer. I really like the new zpacks tent the "duplex". It is appealing because I like the idea of sharing a quilt and the "open" structure of the tent. With that being said I hate sleeping on the ground and love my hammock. I sleep so so good night after night. BUT...with weight being an issue I thought I might be able to save weight with a shared quilt. I have calculated the cost and weight savings of both setups and disregarded comfort for the moment to look at weight factor only. I was surprised to find that even with shared setups we would only carry about 1.4 lbs more each person for the hammock setup. While this may seem like a lot of weight to some hardcore ultralight people...it really would add comfort as far as I know. I have NEVER tried an inflatable pad so I'm totally unsure of its comfort compared to a hammock. Anyway here is the specs

WEIGHS ARE NOT 100% PERFECT

Pct comparison for 2
Tent setup
Zpacks duplex tent 19.3oz $595
Zpacks 2 person quilt 26oz $590
thermarest xlite small 8 oz x2 $130
Total weight 61.3 oz (3.8lb) $1,445

Hammock setup
Winter palace tarp 8 oz $400
Nano 7 hammock 6.3 oz x 2 $60
Burrow TQ 20 17.3 oz x2 $245
Phoenix UQ 20 16oz x2 $200
DIY bug net 4 oz x 2 $48
Walmart foot pad 9oz $12
(Cut in 2 torso lengths pads)
Total weight 104.2oz (6.5lb)$1,013

2.7 lb difference (1.4lb each)

So the only thing that would sway me to going with the ground setup would be if I found inflatables to be comfy on the ground...so far I highly doubt it AND I'm actually pretty impressed that we would only carry 1.4 lbs more considering that we will get better sleep and more space(sometimes good with couples ) plus if you think about it (with the hammock setup) we are only sharing a tarp...everything else is just like solo hanging. Pretty impressive. I might take a look at SOLO hanger vs SOLO tenter

[Catavarie]

More than just the weight on your back or the comfort while sleeping, think about how much easier it is to hike when you've had a good night's rest.

Also I'm not 100% certain, but I seem to recall hearing that the first 500 miles of the PCT are through the desert with no trees to hang from? So terrain, as always, should be a deciding factor. Perhaps carry the tent setup for the stretches where the hammock wouldn't be a viable option anyway and then switch to the hammock rigs when you reach the trees again?

[TheQ]

1st, find out which she prefers.
From my personal experience, "whatever you decide honey," only lasts the 1st night.

That hexamid looks pretty nice, it's a cuben clone of my Nemo Meta 2p. Right down to the headroom tie outs (I just use a stick or thread it through a trek pole handle).
Pretty much the same tent I take when I'm out with the lady. She will NOT sleep separate, and I'll admit, it is pretty nice to be able to share a sleeping bag. Make sure to try a few air pads out at a REI-ish shop.

As far as hanging, some folks on here seem to have good luck with diy Spreader Bars & hang from the same trees. Instead of UQ, you might consider a pair of extra wide pads from GossamerGear.com. Good to 30 in the hammock & 1 is wide enough to share, doubling up 2 should be a cushy bed if you go to ground. JRB has omni tape as an option on their top quilts to attach it to a ground pad... I bet that same option would make 2 top quilts into a big blanket. Nice thing about cottage manufacturers is you can just talk to them & possibly get custom gear you never imagined.

And since your bug net will be DIY, make one of them oversized enough to fit over 2 if you go to ground.
Being creative is 1/2 the fun.

[MotoBoss]

On motorcycle camping adventures I have found the same type of predicament, not sure if a place to hang is always available.

More often than not there is a place to set up a hammock. To solve the carry weight issue I now use a Big Agnes https://www.bigagnes.com sleeping bag with a insulated pad inserted into the pre made sleeve. Using less air in the pad I can sleep in a hammock without an UQ or TQ as the pad and sleeping bags takes care of both.

Now if I have to go to the ground I have an insulated pad under me and a tent pitched tarp over me.

[Tonopah]

I also motorcycle camp and I live in central Arizona. No trees suitible for hanging around here but my motorcycle rides take me through the southwest and up into the trees north of here too. I am only now trying out hammock camping and have a WBRR on order. But I will be camping on the ground too, that's for sure.

I recently bought a Miles Uber Bivy for the ground camping part of trips. It pack up very small and is very light. The fabic is unusual. Waterproof but very breathable -- reminds me a bit of the fabric used in Frogg Toggs.

I have a BA Lost Ranger and an Exped Downmat and my thinking is to use that in the WBRR and in the Uber Bivy too.

Looking forward to seeing how this duo works out on motorcycle trips.

http://www.milesgear.com/UberBivy.html

[Tonopah]

Tried the Miles Bivy last night. High 40's and steady rain. Totally dry, warm and comfortable with Big Agnes Lost Ranger bag, Exped Synth Downmat, and my sweatshirt bundled up in the BA pillow compartment.

I ordered a WBRR on Nov 11 and look forward to it's arrival. Wish I knew the ETA but I have heard nothing so far.

[LegoFox]

So I was lucky and took a hike into Kalalau valley and my friend there, who is an ultralight gear junkie, had a full length xlite thermarest pad. Well long story short, I laid on it and didn't like it at all. It was very uncomfortable and felt like a regular inflatable mattress. I don't like inflatable mattresses to begin with so I decided that ground dwelling is just not for me regardless of if I can stay with my partner in the same shelter and save a pound and a half. After being in a hammock for so long you really get used to the ability to just fall asleep no matter what position. I've found that I fall asleep in almost any position and I don't have to wake up again to reposition like when you're on the ground. Plus I really like the half on your back/half on your side/45 degree shoulders sleeping position that I sleep in regularly. Anyway, I'm fine going as lightweight as possible in my hammock without trying to sleep on the ground at all. It's just not worth the sacrifice of comfort and a foolproof sleep system to save a little weight. Besides I'm pretty sure the solo weights of hammocks vs ground are very comparable. So it will be as if we have our own solo setups, weight wise, but in reality we are camping together.

[arbitrage]

sweet bivy. thanks for the link.

[dakotaross]

Big, big difference between sleeping on the ground on a TR compared to a hammock. Personally, IF you can sleep on one, then I don't think theirs much to compare when it comes to a lite tent setup on the PCT - its what I would choose. However, I can't. So, I would have to compare the weights with a different pad, one that probably weighs about 3x what you have listed. At that point, the hammock comfort weight penalty is a lot less.

One of the most satisfying aspects of hanging to me is that I can wake up and hike - no need to get my bones in order, etc. after tossing on the ground all night. Makes carrying the extra weight seem easier.

[Tonopah]

>sweet bivy. thanks for the link.<

I used the Miles Uber Bivy recently when the temps were in the upper 40's and it was raining off and on. I was warm, comfotable and dry. Used my Big Agnes Lost Ranger bag with a 20" wide full length Exped Syn Downmat.

It has been a pleasure communicating with Dave Miles by e-mail and I am pleased with the Uber Bivy. Roomy, dry, lightweight.