Any ex-hangers?

Matthew, Matthew…

Although some may convince themselves they are “comfortable on the ground” if you can hang a hammock, you must agree it is more comfortable.

I recently picked up a TT Notch myself and used it on a desert trip to Anza Borrego with the scouts last month.  SoCal presents a number of locations where hanging might be suspect.  I need more practice or fiddle time with the Notch, but I do like that setup.  It’s a good option, but…my hammock is better whenever I can use it.  Even in the desert I was eyeballing some scrubby trees and/or rocks that would have worked for hanging.

There’s certainly going to be some gram counters that have done the math and will take a few ounces off for comfort.  Even Shug will admit he used to have a lighter shelter before he converted to hammocking.   I contend there are many others that just don’t know what they are missing.

I guess if I’m sure I won’t be able to hammock camp, I will sleep on the ground, but otherwise I think I will be above it instead.

Cheers,

Slbear

I still prefer to hang whenever possible even after 16+ years. But I have a ground setup that is comfortable enough. I don’t dread ground dwelling, but being above it all is preferable.

The Henessey Hammock that I used for many years was a simple to set up shelter with a bit of practice. Now I have a separate tarp and a hammock. I would agree that putting my Solomid XL is a simpler task.

I have a trip this weekend that I will have to sleep on the ground for lack of trees. Another trip in June will be with the hammock. I look forward to both of them.

I thought I’d hear from more folks that have left hanging behind. Interesting.

Given the choice I can’t imagine going back to the ground.  This past weekend we went out on a little 30-mile trip (two nights on the trail) but one of the guys and I spent the night before we started backpacking in a PA state park.  The campground was very grassy and open and I wasn’t sure we’d have trees near our campsite so I packed what I needed to go to ground.  When I got there and found two trees that would work I strung up my hammock.  No question!

Is hanging your hammock really that complicated?  I’m able to hang mine in under two minutes.  I’ve spent more time than that trying to drive one stake into the ground in rocky Pennsylvania.  Adding the tarp adds some time but not that much.  If the weather is looking good I usually don’t put my tarp up. And if it’s raining you can put the tarp up first and then hang the hammock mostly protected from the weather.

Come back Matthew…Your hammock misses you.

I go back and forth between hammock hanging and ground sleeping.  Psychologically I prefer ground sleeping but if there is not a good ground site, I would much rather hang.  In the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, I much prefer to hang due to the infinite number sites available vs. the very few over-used ground sites.  I will never be an ex-hanger or an ex-ground hog….both have their place depending on my mood and the site options.

@kbabione – The hammock doesn’t take that long. The tarp complicates things. I was using my Superfly this weekend. It’s six stakes and then there were some bushes kind of in the way between the trees that were oriented the right direction. I hung the tarp a little low so then I had to move it up which meant releasing and undoing Trucker’s Hitches all around…

I know, waaaaaah.

I’m a little out of practice so that cost me a couple extra minutes but in my Notch it’s like two minutes flat if I am distracted to get the tent up…

I’m not going to sell my underquilt and tarp quite yet. I’m sure hanging will still have a place in my life.

I’ve got another quick one-nighter coming up in a few days and I am feeling like I might go totally crazy and take my bivy and small flat tarp.

Matt. How about some of dutches tarp gear?  Would make setup much easier.  I’m still working on my hammock setup but I do live it.  I hated sleeping on pads.  Arms fall of, shoulders fall asleep, my back hurts.  I couldn’t afford the good pads though.

Yeah I’m pretty blinged out on the Dutch hardware but somehow I moved back to tying knots on my guylines. I do have some extra Linelocs… Maybe I’ll put those on the Superfly…

The old prostate put me to ground LOL to many pee breaks during the night. In and out of a hammock on cold nights got old….just like me LOL

I love my hammock. But my boyfriend likes to have me in the tent at least half the time.

I also love the alpine, and while I can use chocks in cracks with the hammock straps, it’s just more efficient to take the tent on those trips where we are nowhere tree’d.

I hate sleeping on the ground. My shoulder goes numb no matter what cushy pad I have, so every 3-4 hours, I have to wake up and switch sides… in the hammock I can easily sleep 10 hours without waking up. I’m warmer in the hammock too.

I have a totally knotless setup, with the tarp on a ridgeline clipped to prussiks that move back and forth, guyllines that are adjustable (more prussiks), and whoopie slings and dutch-clipped straps — everything is so effortless and adjustable it’s nearly as fast as my Lightheart Solo tent, which is literally 10 seconds — two stakes, climb in, pull out the trekking poles, lock, DONE.

My brother uses his Dream Hammock with all the luxuries (great underquilt, top quilt, bugnet…etcetc) and I just can not get comfortable in it.  I’ve borrowed it quite a few times and I sleep very fitfully and more than likely wake up with a stiff neck or headache.  I’ve tried various angles in the hammock, a pillow/neckroll under my neck, laying opposite angle, hanging the hammock slightly looser or tighter (although it has a ridgeline, so I’m not sure that did much).  I bought one and sold it to go back to my xtherm pad and Fly Creek UL2!

I only dabbled in hammocks, so definitely not an ex-hanger.  I like to often sleep on my chest, so hammocks didn’t work for me.  I don’t sleep in a hammock at home, so why sleep in a hammock on the trail.  With the right pad, sleeping on the ground is almost the same as sleeping on my bed (and my son now prefers to sleep on his bedroom floor on his pad than on his bed!).

I love my hammock but I haven’t used it in a few years. I do most of my hiking in alpine environments where appropriately spaced trees are rarish. When I bring my hammock I find that my hiking style looses some of its efficiency since I have to plan on being below treeline at nightfall, and I have to start searching for good trees an hour or so before dark. With my ground setup I just hike until dark and setup camp.

If I did my hiking on the east coast I would probably choose a hammock over a ground setup. I just read an Adventure Alan article where he made exactly that choice for the sake of efficiency.

I have been seriously eyeing a Dutchware Hexon Half-wit to replace my heavy Hennessey, though…

As for comfort, hammocks rock! But I sleep on the floor at home so I’m pretty comfortable there, too.

I have both set-ups, but have only used hammock occasionally, most of the time I opt for a pyramid shelter. I do agree that it depends though, as people commented above for some the comfort or convenience of the set up is a necessity rather than luxury.

Personally I like sleeping on the hard surface, at home we don’t use thick mattresses or pillows. So comfort-wise, I prefer ground. What initially attracted me to a hammock was rainy weather and wet muddy ground here in the UK; I thought it would be nice to have myself and my things well up above that mess! This turned out to be only slightly true.

1. I found that even in the worst of weathers it is almost always possible to find a good camping spot where the ground is well-drained, without mud, and covered either with clean grass or clean leaves. I also realised that the time spent looking for such spot is comparable to the time looking for suitable trees for hanging. The advantage of the ground set up however is the possibility to find such spot either under the trees or in the open, no limitations at all.
2. I also realised that during rain I get more wet when setting up the hammock and doing the chores and cooking, as opposed to the ground shelter. This is because of the side wind driven rain which is here is very common! With my mid (supermid if its two of us, or duomid if on my own), once it is up the rain and wind stop being the issue. Lots of space to spread the gear and keep wet away from dry, start cooking, get the dog comfortable, etc. Even enjoy a luxury of a woodburner if 30oz penalty can be acceptable.
3. Dog is a consideration in my case, it always comes along and being short coated it likes to be inside and protected from the elements. I did read up on people letting the dog inside the hammock, but the thought of all my clean things getting muddy and also the risk of the dog accidentally tearing up ultralight materials (e.g. sleeping bag) doesn’t appeal!
4. Time to setup, here 4 corner 1 post pyramid is a winner.
5. Weight-wise ground setup also wins (not counting the woodburner of course but comparing lightest with lightest). Plus the fact that personally we don’t need air pads, being fully happy with ridgerest type mats which are even lighter.

I won’t get rid of my hammock, but only because the thought of having it brings a sense of adventure! It is a simple GT made of that parachute thingy material, plus whoopie slings, and it lives in my car together with MLD silnylon poncho/tarp :)