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Hammocks - should I pull the trigger

I

iBlade

Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
446
I have been tossing around with the idea of getting a full on camping hammock to replace an aging and heavy tent for a while now, I have a backyard hammock but do not think that can really compare to a proper outdoors one.

I know which one I am going to buy, and our dollar is very strong right now, add free shipping and it seems like a terrific deal, plus I have a few bucks flopping around at the moment from selling some unseded stuff, still lots of bills but what thet hey.

Anyway everywhere i look or ask people kepp telling me how good there are to sleep in/camp in, but i am trying to see if anyone has BAD experiances to say about hammocks before I buy - probably in an hour or two!
 
Well I just bought a Hennesey last week so I say go for it. I'm in the same boat as you. Was toying with the tarp thing for the summer, but I like the versatility of the Hammock and it costs about the same as a silnylon tarp.

Only downsides on the Hammocks as far as I can see are winter camping and the guarantee that you WILL NOT get lucky during the night....
 
I am looking to do the same thing soon. I already have my eyes on one... a Clark North American. Made in USA, and designed for 4-season camping.
 
I am going for the Mosquito jungle hammock, not as many bells and whistles as the Clark, but supposed to be a little roomier, and a LOT cheaper.
 
The efficiency of the hammock attracts me.

But I cannot get away from my need to have room to "spread out" in a protected environment, I.e., if it's raining, cold, and I'm confined to the covered area for awhile.

How do you deal with the lack of space and the hammock concept in inclement conditions?

I'd get into it if I could determine a strategy to deal with the lack of "space".
 
i like a hammock for spring and summer, up to early fall. fall and winter i prefer living in a tent.
 
Fubarski said:
The efficiency of the hammock attracts me.

But I cannot get away from my need to have room to "spread out" in a protected environment, I.e., if it's raining, cold, and I'm confined to the covered area for awhile.

How do you deal with the lack of space and the hammock concept in inclement conditions?

I'd get into it if I could determine a strategy to deal with the lack of "space".
Click to expand...

Well, hammock camping is really just tarp camping with a hanging bed. If you have a good sized tarp, you will probably have more room to move than you would in a 1 or 2 person tent.

I haven't been out in any nasty weather with mine yet (just rain & light wind)... I might not like it as much if it's really blowing.


Hanging does get a bit chilly, though. At 60 deg, I needed a thin fleece to keep my back warm enough to sleep.
 
Hi Fubarski,
I use a big tarp with my hammock. About 8 by 12 foot. This can either be brought down to protect the hammock from wind, or in rainy weather, spread out to provide an enormous awning. This gives me room to use my hammock as a chair, and sort out all my gear. Can't get much roomier than that!

I feel the best hammocks out there are the Warbonnet Blackbirds, but Mosquito hammocks look great, with a double layer to help keep your sleeping mat in place. Really well priced too.

As long as you sort out the insulation issue from beneath, hammocks are great!
 
I appreciate the input, and iblade, I apologize for the hijack. I hope this info was helpful to you as well.

Chop and beef, I'm probably going to end up in a hammock at some point, and you'll share the credit/blame, however it turns out.
 
As far as negatives...

there's the cold issue (you need more insulation b/c there is air all around you, instead of ground beneath)

I haven't really figured out what to do with all my gear yet... sometimes I try and stuff it in the end, or I hang my pack from the suspension, or pile it all underneath me... I don't have a system I like yet

My wife gets motion sick, so whenever we go out together, we're in the tent.

If there aren't a ton of trees or if they're spread out or the wrong size (too big around or too small), you might have to get creative on how you hang.

I think a hammock that either has a spreader bar or one where you can lay at an angle to the ridge line would let you lay more flat & are more comfortable. I find that some of the smaller hammocks I've been in can get uncomfortable after a few hours.


I have a Hennessey asym explorer. If I were doing it again, I'd have gotten the expedition model, which is longer & a bit roomier. I would also get the hex fly or a bigger tarp.

I actually almost got a mosquito hammock rain fly, but ended up going a different direction for something lighter.
 
warbonnet blackbird, one of the best sleeps ever, tried it for the first time in early sept., still getting used to setting up and all but i wont go back to a tent. hammock forums has a ton of info. i cant waite to get back out with it again!
 
I've found them to handle the cold pretty well with one of those blue foam pads wedged in underneath me. Trimming the corners so its sort of barrel shaped seems to make it fit and stay in place better.
 
I have been sleeping exceptionaly comfortably in a Clark North American model for a couple years now. I'd say go for it.
 
Well, I'm sure I did it wrong, but since you asked for bad experiences with a hammock.

Circa 1978, I was camping in northern Minnesota with the scouts. Just for grins, I took a backpacking hammock with me so I could give it a go. I draped mosquito netting around me, but the little buggers got to me anyway. Couldn't get into my sleeping bag -- it was too hot -- so I just put it on top of me, which kept the 'squitos off my face and chest. But then they just went for my back, which was a nice buffet for them, hanging up off the ground like it was.

That was one of the most uncomfortable nights of my life. I'll never forget it. And I'll never try a hammock again.

Just sayin' ....
 
Actually, last night I was looking at the website for those Clark hammocks. Those just might work.

Damn, now I want to try them out. Definitely not good gear for camping in the scrub or the desert though.
 
jca21 said:
i like a hammock for spring and summer, up to early fall. fall and winter i prefer living in a tent.
Click to expand...

Agree... however mine is summer only. Even end of May it could get below 40 in the day... you FREEZE your AZZ off if you do not have quilting/ padding etc... Which makes carrying a tent smaller.

I own 3 HHs, want a clark, but they just seem to complicated to setup compared to the ease of the HH. If getting a HH, I HIGHLY recommend getting the larger fly... The Asym rectangular turned sidesways thing does not work for me.

Heres mine, HH explorer deluxe with Hex fly, speaking of fly... get a seperate set of snakeskins for the fly alone so you can set it up in the rain THEN setup the hammock in a completly dry enviroment.

HH1.JPG

HH2.JPG

HH3.JPG
 
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