Anyone use hammocks for camping instead of tent/sleeping bag?

iBlade said:
Hey Tonym, love those pictures of yours in the snow, I trust you dug that up on the sides and it did not snow that much...get cold?
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Sorry bro, they are not my pics. Reread the post. They are from a different member who use to hang on the WSS forum her at BF's.

You won't catch me camping in temps under 35F...:D
 
nydude said:
hahaha


I haven't tried it for camping, though I did stay at a hostel in Brazil once and they had these fantastic long heavy cotton hammocks on the property. I think we sleep in them most of the time we were there.... Granted we were drinking shots of cachaca and passing out after eating huge helpings of feijoada and rice.
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that, to me, is the definition of great vacations lol
 
Don't you guys feel exposed in those hammocs. Call me paranoid but I'm always thinking an bear or some two legged animal is going to try something in the middle of the night. I at least feel a little more protected when I'm in a tent.

Do you do anythi g to secure your campsite when your hammoc camping?
 
honestly i think your a bit more secure in a hammock from creepy crawlies in a hammock ... and frankly a tent isnt going to stop a bear , racoon , wild dog... well it doesnt stop a whole lotta things.... atleast your off the ground and most things cant get to ya hangin in a tree that and the bug netting in most of these looks better for out side viewing then most tent options out there....

im still looking into it , but im starting to think ill give it a shot next spring ... spend the winter researching and getting used to setting it up... but sounds like ill be getting one soon
 
A tent might feel more secure, but it isn't really. At least in a hammock, I'm less worried that stuff that slithers and crawls along the ground will end up all over me. If a bear thinks I smell like a tasty dinner, a couple of fiberglass poles isn't gonna slow him down.
 
Used to do it all the time when I could get out backpacking. Just stretch a string over it, put your poncho over that for a rain fly. It worked great and only had a sleeping bag in it at night. Mine was of open mesh, and when it got cold we would spread coals from the fire or hot rocks underneath to take the chill away.
 
So I'm the only one who worries about thi gs at night. Especially the 2 legged variety. I guess I'm weird . Growing up urban I guess.
 
Oh, I worry about things at night sometimes, but I don't see how a hammock would make me more vulnerable to those things. In fact, since I don't have to use an established campsite, or clear a big area of ground for a tent, I can camp more stealthily, if I were concerned about two legged predators.
 
I dont see them being any more or less secure ... maybe the hammock acutaly has the edge... theres some pretty hefty tie off straps ... and very little that can be broken beyond repair .... one my old tent got it when my brother fell on it , breaking 2 poles...and i learned how to pitch a tarp shelter.....
 
Anyone got an opinion on the Grand Trunk Skeeter Beater hammock?

I'd love to get a Henesey or Warbonnet setup, but honestly I don't think I can swing the price any time soon.
 
As far as protection from bears and most other furballs goes, tent, hammock, and sleeping laying against a tree are about the same. I've watched raccoons open metal cooler latches, and bear open steel dumpsters. Nylon isn't much of a deterant to either.

I've found hanging my food from a tree, and keeping a fire going to be effective in the north east at keeping away critters, and black bear.
 
I don't mean to hijack this thread but I guess I'm asking more about campsite secureity in general not tent vs. Hammock. I knowthat a tent won't stop anything I was just saying for whatever reason I feel more secure.

My camping experience is limited to parks where there are lots of
people in campsites nearby. I'm looking into some more adventurous campingin more remote places and so I was wondering how you all secure yourselves from predators. I know the basic stuff like keeping food away from the tent ect. But when were talking about people it's a diffirent story. Like I said earlier maybe I'm paranoid but I think about that stuff. A lot.

I recently took a trip
to SC and I went hiking into the night to sorta test the waters. There was nobody around and when it got dark I kept getting this feelinglike I was being followed. I was hearing noises. I had a flashlight and shined it into the woods and saw some eyes ( probably a racoon or something) but I started getting really freaked out.

I am really intirested In primative camping ect but I grew up urban so I'm really lost . I have researched lime crazy but when you get out there it's diffirent.

Soooo any advice onsecureing your campsite? Do any ofyou evn bother? Or is this just paranoid overkill?
 
Interesting- I would be much more concerned in your case about the two legged predators in a busy park campsite than the critters in an isolated backcountry site. In any case, I usually keep a headlamp and knife inside my hammock for quick access and the pack (and boots) directly underneath. In the smokies, I was at a campsite frequented by bears and saw one tent with bear bells that were strung around the tent with fishing line. If a bear really wanted to get at them, this would be just a dinner bell a moment before their tent was peeled like a banana. I guess it is possible the bells would scare them off, but these are bears that see people on a regular basis.

You may want to consider carrying pepper spray/bear spray as it will repel most animals (and humans) in a confrontation.
 
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kycolonel said:
Interesting- I would be much more concerned in your case about the two legged predators in a busy park campsite than the critters in an isolated backcountry site.
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BINGO! I feel a lot safer in the woods with the animals than I do in some of the skeezy campgrounds or popular woods camping spots.

I generally don't take any precautions beyond keeping a knife handy and putting my food up if I'm in an area populated by bears. If I were to go somewhere where there is more risk of things like mountain lion attacks, then I'd probably keep a pistol with me too, but I have felt no need to carry one at most locations I've been.
 
SOUTHSTAR said:
I don't mean to hijack this thread but I guess I'm asking more about campsite secureity in general not tent vs. Hammock. I knowthat a tent won't stop anything I was just saying for whatever reason I feel more secure.

My camping experience is limited to parks where there are lots of
people in campsites nearby. I'm looking into some more adventurous campingin more remote places and so I was wondering how you all secure yourselves from predators. I know the basic stuff like keeping food away from the tent ect. But when were talking about people it's a diffirent story. Like I said earlier maybe I'm paranoid but I think about that stuff. A lot.

I recently took a trip
to SC and I went hiking into the night to sorta test the waters. There was nobody around and when it got dark I kept getting this feelinglike I was being followed. I was hearing noises. I had a flashlight and shined it into the woods and saw some eyes ( probably a racoon or something) but I started getting really freaked out.

I am really intirested In primative camping ect but I grew up urban so I'm really lost . I have researched lime crazy but when you get out there it's diffirent.

Soooo any advice onsecureing your campsite? Do any ofyou evn bother? Or is this just paranoid overkill?
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A handgun works well against everything from wild dogs to wild people. Sounds like you need one.
 
Most animals will avoid humans given the chance. About the only thing I worry about is the odd mountain lion, but if it was totally safe, would it be fun?
 
I was thinking about a pistol. A lot of parks around here don't allow firearms. I'll just have to work it out. THanks for the advice.
 
situational awareness....

you dont "need" a gun , a knife will do most the time or a stick or a rock... get a head lamp and a nice bright flash light , pick your camp sites. what you get with the paranoia you can defeat with a light and wearing yourself out. if your not used to camping it can play tricks on your mind. fires also really help mentaly. Most places dont allow pistols or rifles.

any camping comes with risk.... when you leave a camp site you should take every thing thats important for you with you... the rest needs to be packed up and not visable ... bear bag hanging is also a good skill to pick up... i normaly just put every thing thats to stay in camp and heavy like cloths etc in the tent and zip it up... i havnt had any thing run off... in a long while....

most animals wont bug a camp site ... and moutian lions are rather timid beasts in general ... as long as i could remeber the only animals i ever had trouble in camp from are people... racoons , squirrels ... and the odd snake , and well bugs lots of issues with bugs...

In a prepared camp ground , you should lock every thing up in your car if you can .. out in the back country .... most people avoid each other ... but be friendly if you do see some one. you should look to see wahts up.... camping is relaxing and rarely have i had any thing bad happen but it does.
 
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