Hammock camping for a family of 4

That seems a tall order.  Both for something large enough and strong enough, but also it would limit your choice of sites to trees large enough to support all of you in this weirdly wide hammock.

How about two double hammocks?  For now, you each sleep with one kid.    REI has the ENO LEF DoubleNest Hammock on a closeout sale now for $59.93 (regularly $99.95) 1.5 pounds, capacity 400 pounds, which they say is “big enough for two, a palace for one”.  Then, in a few years, the kids share one and you and missus share the other.  Prediction: at some point, the kids aren’t going to want to share with each other or with their parents, but, OTOH, some 19th century president’s four sons all slept in the Lincoln bed, sideways.

There are ways to hang two hammocks side by side. But most all backpacking hammocks are designed for a single person.

I think you will find that any hammock you use with more than one person will result in no one getting any sleep. A hammock is a dynamic system that moves with you – this is why the most comfortable insulation for most is an underquilt, suspended with shock cord, that moves with the hammock. It’s why the Clark two person hammock is essentially two hammocks with a connection in the middle. It’s why you don’t find a lot of two person hammocks. Every single move shifts the hammock. And all the weight sinks downward into the middle — toss four balls in a sack and see how they pile on each other. Unless you are okay with sleeping in a pile, the better thought is two hammocks for each adult and a child using you as a mattress, or four hammocks suspended parallel and stacked two deep – child in the hammock over each adult in a hammock but separate.

I love my guy, but he sleeps separate from me when I’m in a hammock. No way we’d do well that way. He’s two feet taller and weighs almost twice what I do, I’d be crushed like a bug if he rolled over.

I definitely agree that you need 4 hammocks.  My son and I have been sleeping out in hammocks since he was about 5, I think your kids might do fine.  Dutch sells spreader bars designed to hang two hammocks side by side, and has a number of really nice hammocks to suit your needs.  I have a Chameleon, and am very happy with it.

Some more time on the weebz has revealed that the contraption we had visualized apparently is called a Tree Tent. I found one more, terribly expensive, product that is more or less what we where thinking of, http://www.treeztreetents.com/The-Aelph-Omega-page.html.

But back to the hammocks: Say we decide to go down this route, at the minimum we would like to be able to keep a kid each at arms reach. As I understand it this would require a spreader, but how does that work? Can one tie of two hammocks from the same two trees? Considering the difference in body weight between an adult and a child, how does one keep them level? Would the child slam into the ground if I get out to take a leak during the night?

If the tree is too springy and flexes when you get in/out it shouldn’t be used for a hammock at all. Damaging trees is no bueno.

A configuration for two hammocks that works well is two hammocks sharing the same tree at the head end, and different trees at the foot end. Triangulated.

I was more imagining a sideways movement across the line, like a teeter/seesaw with two very different weights at each end.

Flexing trees should best be avoided. Slamming into the ground with a tree falling on top of me is not my idea of a good night out. :)

I would recommend separate hammocks with two hammock per tarp and two tarps total. On the spreader bar, my wife and I use one and last year, our three year old (at the time, now four) slept comfortably in my hammock with me on a few overnighters. What you have to do is pitch the heavier person’s hammock higher where you end up at the same level after loading. It takes some fiddling but I enjoy that part of camping. Your best bet is to buy four chameleon bodies from Dutchware and two of his double Dutch bug nets. They are reviewed well and this keeps each parent in reach of the child in the hammock next to them. You’ll need Whoopie sling suspensions with double hammock whoopie hooks at the head ends of the hammocks. And to finally answer your question, yes the spreader bar has you hanging both hammock from the same tree. Give Dutch a call if you want more info. They are happy to talk on the phone and walk you through building the proper setup.