Hammock vs. tent

In the east a hammock can be a very comfortable way to hike – there are almost always trees around that will work to set up no matter where you stop for the night.  A couple of things to consider:

• Are you hiking the entire AT?  There are some balds down south where you won’t find trees and while you’re in the White Mountains in NH you’ll need an alternative.
• Most of us who sleep in hammocks use an underquilt and don’t carry a sleeping pad.  You’ll need a pad if you’re planning on ever sleeping in a shelter along the AT so that would be extra weight (even if it’s not too much).
• I’ve tried (and still have) a lot of different hammocks, but BIAS (Butt in a Sling) Hammocks are my favorites and offer full suspension and bug netting at very reasonable prices

You’ll need to try out hanging before you go on your trip and that might be tough if you’re in Minnesota until you leave for the trail in April.  Good luck!

Hi Kevin. I will most likely  a do a section hike starting in Georgia. I have a Sea to Summit insulated small pad, nenoair, and a gossamer gear air beam (not my favorite). If I could find a light weight hammock I would rather take the S to S as it is the most comfy if I stay in a shelter. Do you think the S to S would fit in a hammock? Also I am a side sleeper so worried about being able to sleep on my back. Lots of questions.

In our real bed I’m a side sleeper as well, but I find that I sleep mostly on my back in my hammock. The key is having a diagonal lay in the hammock so that you’re laying flat.  It’s then really easy to sleep on your side or even on your stomach.

Starting in Georgia in April should mean that you don’t have temperatures below freezing and shouldn’t see snow, barring a freak storm.  That means that a 3/4-length under quilt should meet your needs nicely, especially with your S-to-S pad.

You just need to try out a hammock or two (or three or four) for a couple of nights to make sure you’re comfortable in them before you head to Georgia to start your trip.  I wouldn’t take a tent on the AT either (I’d plan on staying in the huts in the Whites), especially this year when they’re expecting more thru-attempts than ever.  With a hammock you’ll always be able to find a comfortable spot to sleep as long as you’re in the woods.

I don’t have any trips planned until March at the earliest – PM me if you’d like me to ship you a couple of hammocks to try.  It will only cost you the shipping to return them.

Hammockforums.net is your friend.  The people over there are nice and there’s a wealth of information on their website.

I am mostly a ground sleeper but take my hammock out on the trail every now and then.  No matter how minimalist I go with it, for me, it always seems that my hammock kit is heavier than my ground kit.

Kevin has already touched on this but make sure you get one where you can sleep asymmetrically.  Some hammocks are sewn this way.  I have a couple plain ol’ gathered end hammocks that are both oversized (one is a 1.5 person hammock, the other is a 2 person hammock).  The extra fabric gives me the flexibility to lay asymmetrically, relatively flat, and on my side.

I tried sleeping on a pad in a hammock and found that it was a royal PITA.  Some people make it work but it wasn’t for me.  I’d suggest giving an underquilt serious consideration.

For that long of a hike, I’d skip the minimalist diamond shape tarps.  I’d at least go with a hexagon shaped tarp, and perhaps consider doors as well.  Blocking the wind will go a long way to improving your warmth.

I hiked a good sized section of the AT using a hammock. About 500 miles.

First, you definitely want the A-sym, for comfort. Secondly, you will want long rigging and a long ridgeline for versatility in setting up.

For bottom insulation I reccomend an airpad or foam pad over the bottom quilt. The bottom quilt is overall better in comfort but the versatility to sleep on the mat inside of lean-too’s is worth the slight decrease in comfort.

With respect to the tarp, bigger is better. The standard hennessey hammock hex fly is like 10×12 ish and you can set it up tight to the ground and be nicely enclosed on the sides, or you can raise it up high and flat and make a large hangout space for you and friends to play cards under or do camp work in the rain.

I always hung my backpack and extra gear at the head end carabiner and used my poncho at the foot end to make a door.

OMG Kevin.  That is such a kind and generous offer.  I could take them out to my brother-in-laws as he has a hunting shack out in the woods. I live in town and no trees the in yard.  If this helps: I am 5’4″ and 125 lbs.   I did go on BIAS and look around.  Plan to ask them a ton of questions.

To Ian and Jeff.  Thank you both for you input.  Everyone is so nice on this site….;-)

P.S.  As far as sleeping bags go my zpack  10 degree bag wouldn’t be enough?  I know nothing about under quilts so any suggestions would be great….

Certainly lots of trees on the trail in GA for hanging, but why do you specifically think hammocks are the way to go? It’s not as though the trail in GA is a poor location for ground tents — plenty of shelter huts on the trail and level tent sites.

P.S.  As far as sleeping bags go my zpack  10 degree bag wouldn’t be enough?  I know nothing about under quilts so any suggestions would be great

No unfortunately not.  The issue is that your sleeping bag relies on loft to keep you warm.  The part of the sleeping bag between you and the hammock (or ground) that gets flattened due to your body weight does little to keep you warm.  Any part of you that’s in contact with the hammock itself will get cold unless you insulate.

A pad works as it won’t compress for the most part, but I found that it kept sliding around on me.  Admittedly, it irked me from the get-go so I didn’t invest much time trying to refine the process.  If you go this route, you’ll likely need to add padding to where your shoulders will come in contact with the hammock if you happen to roll onto your back.

The underquilt is separate from your top quilt.  As the name suggests, it is fastened under your quilt hammock which keeps it from losing loft from you sleeping on it.  For me, that’s the way to go.  YMMV.

Post removed – No longer needed

The 90 degree hammock might be a good option for a thru hike.  It utilizes a pad, and can be lowered to the ground and used as a tent as well.  The owner also designed the Exped Ergo Hammock Combi, but the 90 degree hammock is a lighter version with some other tweaks, such as a cuben tarp.  He hiked the PCT with it I believe.

http://www.hammocktent.com/en

Also, if you would like to try a hammock, UGQ (Underground Quilts) rents them…The hammocks are Dream Hammocks, and the tarp and under quilts are made by UGQ.

http://undergroundquilts.com

Also, read this book:

Another good resource, as mentioned before, are the Hammock Forums.

Shug’s videos on YouTube are also helpful.

I’ll post a correction for Ian’s post above…

The under quilt goes under the hammock and snugs up against it – that’s what keeps it from being squashed by your weight in the hammock.

Oops!  What I meant, not what I said!

Good catch.  I’ll edit and correct my comment.

All good ideas and suggestions.  Ah Ha. Now I understand what an under quilt is.  I kept thinking it goes under the pad inside the hammock.  Makes sense to me now.  I have never seen a hammock set up so had no clue.

To J R:  I have read a ton of books, the latest being: “Lost on the Appalachian Trail”.  The author  used one and sounded like a good idea.  I could be wrong….;-)

If you are anywhere close to the north shore there is a group hang of hammockforum.net members happening near Finland, MN this weekend. It would be worth it to drive up for the day and see all the different hanging rigs used. Hammock people love to show future possible hangers their set ups. Great group of people. Just thought I’d mention it if you’re close enough.

Victoria,

Shawn Peyton’s suggestion of going to a hammock hang is a good one.  I went to one earlier this year and learned a ton.  Many people will let you even crawl into their hammocks so you can judge for yourself if you find them to be comfortable.  You can learn how to set them up, learn about various suspension and tarp options, under quilts, etc.

At the hammock event I attended, there were many prospective hammock campers who just came up for a day (instead of the whole weekend) just to learn.  They generally welcome tent dwellers too.

If you’re a cold sleeper, you should definitely look into getting an underquilt. Some people get by with a sleeping pad and a sleeping pad holder like one of these:

http://www.rei.com/product/830279/eno-hotspot-hammock-sleeping-pad-wings

This allows you to use the pad for sleeping in the hammock or on the ground. I’ve been thinking that one of these pad holders with wings fitted to a Klymit Static V Luxe would be pretty decadent, but I don’t think such a setup exists. And of course, the V Luxe alone weighs more than some fully enclosed shelters.

My lower back and my shoulders/neck bother me pretty quickly if sleeping arrangements aren’t up to snuff. Sleeping on the diagonal, on my back, my neck and lower back are fine. Sleeping on my side, a fairly tall pillow is needed – but this is true for me in a hammock or on the ground.

If you have a good idea of what you want, check on Hammock Forums – hammocking gearheads are always turning over gear. I eventually picked up a Warbonnet Blackbird dual layer 1.1 hammock there and love it – but I weigh 50lbs more than you. You could probably get by with a single layer hammock. If you could pick up a single layer hammock with a static ridgeline and a “knotty mod” elastic at the edges and a “fronkey” bugnet, you would be at the sweet spot of what the hammock forum crowd currently considers an inexpensive, lightweight and comfortable basic setup.

And as people have pointed out, everyone is very friendly on their forums.

Shawn, that is an excellent idea as long as the roads are good.  It’s crappy up here at the moment.  Do you have any specifics on the event?  I am having trouble navigating the new website.  I sent a message to administration about sending PM but they haven’t gotten back to me yet.  Liked the old website way better….;-)

Aye I hear ya. I’m right below you on the south shore. Last couple of weeks haven’t been fun. Got your PM and am replying the details.

I have a Warbonnet blackbird (1.1 double layer), matching hex tarp, and love it.

As a solo woman, the hammock is good for personal security: lots of options of where to stop and good ability to be stealthy.

I got double layer because I wanted the option to have a sleeve for a pad. Tried 3/4″ foam, but I was too cold. I’ve been rigging up my son’s quilt as an under quilt. I’d probably get single layer if I were doing it over. But I do use the sleeve and stuff my sit pad, backpack foam panel and and other flat, dry unworn clothing to supplement the underside insulation.

If you get a little hole sewn in the bottom of your sleeping bag you could go “Chrysalis Mode” (thats my term, i’m told “podding” is more common). This way all you need is the sleeping bag. This style limits you to sleeping end to end instead of diagonally, which is ideal for me but the vast majority of hangers disagree. I sleep mostly on my side and hang the hammock at 15-20 degrees. This isnt recommended because it basically doubles the tension on the hammock, but you are much lighter than i am and i have hung that way hundreds of times in the same lightweight hammock without incident. This setup also requires a fairly short and narrow hammock.
Just a thought. Might be worth a try.

To J R:  I have read a ton of books, the latest being: “Lost on the Appalachian Trail”.  The author  used one and sounded like a good idea.  I could be wrong….;-)

Hanging on the AT can be a good choice, my comment was only that your original post seemed to be premised on some belief that a tent would be a bad or problematic choice, which I would say it is not. But maybe I’m wrong about what’s driving your question. ;-)

Stefan, you got me on this one.  I am not sure what a hole in the bottom of the sleeping bag does.  Would you be so kind and explain?  ;-)

J R.  Part of my interest in a hammock is the fact that it sounds like there are a ton of mice in the shelters and I have heard that they will chew through your tent, too.  A hammock would give me  peace of mind….and options if there is no space for my tent.  I HATE MICE….;-)

I know someone already mentioned it, but go to hammockforums.net. There’s a link for the Minnesota “frozen butt hang” with a google maps link exactly to the location.

I’m just getting started with hammocking, and there is a ton of information there with lots of really kind people.

Thanks Gator. Yep, joined yesterday and was accepted.