Tent or Hammock

I recently got a hennessey hammock. The first night I slept in it, I was in love. I had never been camping and not awaken with some sort of an ache or pain, from sleeping on a root or rock. Even with a thermarest pad, it was not great. I slept all night in the hammock and hardly stirred. I sleep on my side, and the asymmetrical design of that hammock allowed me to do that comfortably. When I got home, I wanted to hang it up in my bedroom, because I thought it was more comfortable than our mattress. My wife said "no".

they're the bomb :>

and they make family sized, sleeping hammock ya know :> "mayan hammock"

just throw out the old stinky mattress. don't ask :> then there's no choice! you'll be sleeping in that hammock a lot thereafter. alone :)

now, the sneaky trick, of course, is to get the wife to adore and accept it, string them up all over the yard. encourage outdoor naps and lounging. the bed will soon become a hated object. then you'll come home to a missing mattress set with the instruction "honey do, set up the hammock" :)
 
The Warbonnet Blackbird is a mighty fine hammock. You have to buy a tarp seperate though. A previous poster mentioned the Claytor Jungle. An excellent value as you get a double layer hammock with a built in bugnet and a nice sized tarp for $150. Hennessey makes a good hammock also. AT 6'2" and 240 lbs. I found the Clarks too constrictive but loaded with features, my favorite being the weather shield. I started out with a Travel Hammock(now Grand Trunk) which I bought off Cabelas. If you look around I'm sure you can find a lightly used hammock for a very reasonable price. As far as winter camping I've read of people going subzero with their hammocks and still sleeping very comfortably.
 
I'll sleep in either but prefer my hammock. ENO makes decent ones for not too much cash. Here's mine (note: mandatory Becker content achieved in this photo)...

eno.jpg


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Beckerhead #42
 
Love the Hennessey. Best sleep I ever got outdoors. My son has a Clark and it looks bomb proof. He loves it. Only carry a tent now when the hammock isn't an option.
 
I use the Clark Jungle Hammock and I love it.

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It's great because I can stow ALL the contents of my pack inside the stow pockets, along with my boots.

Pack can be placed empty underneath my hammock/tarp or inside the hammock with me.


http://www.junglehammock.com
 
Just curious on what you guys do or don't do about wild animals ?(bear, snakes, mountain lions etc.) It seems like sleeping in a hammock it's almost like hanging feed for those critters.
 
Just curious on what you guys do or don't do about wild animals ?(bear, snakes, mountain lions etc.) It seems like sleeping in a hammock it's almost like hanging feed for those critters.

BK9 = very stabby ;)

-Nadz
 
Wow, I just checked out the Clark hammock systems. View look great, with lots of features. How do you guys think they compare to the ENO systems? I almost pulled the trigger on an ENO system last week.
 
Just curious on what you guys do or don't do about wild animals ?(bear, snakes, mountain lions etc.) It seems like sleeping in a hammock it's almost like hanging feed for those critters.

:DYou are correct a tent offers alot more protection:D
Seriously,I carry a gun.
 
Wow, I just checked out the Clark hammock systems. View look great, with lots of features. How do you guys think they compare to the ENO systems? I almost pulled the trigger on an ENO system last week.

ENO hammocks are great - the tarps... not as much. The ENO tarp is small and only ok - you can do much better for the same money. The ENO bug net is ok as well but heavy - you can fix that with a bit of surgery or better yet, get the warbonnet net (about the same price) or a DIY thing.

ENO is a great way to get into hammocking though - that and a WalMart tarp is enough to get a good taste.

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Beckerhead #42
 
Don't forget to check out Warbonnet Outdoors. The Blackbird comes in different weights and strengths. They also do excellent lightweight tarps.
 
Glad to hear all the good words about Hennesseys.
I just picked up the Ultralite Explorer Zip with the Hex Tarp upgrade, and I got an Expedition Zip as well.
Can't wait to try them out.

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I've never been hammock camping before but with the rig that HandofCod strung up, I might just enjoy it. A LOT. Mosquitoes are the enemy though, I'm a well known attractor to blood sucking insects, my blood is like PBR to them. I'd need to make DAMN sure that hammock would keep me safe. I'd go so far as to soak the whole thing in deet just to avoid em'.
 
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Don't forget to check out Warbonnet Outdoors. The Blackbird comes in different weights and strengths. They also do excellent lightweight tarps.
When I bought my hammock it was between the Clark and the Warbonnet. It was close, but the enormous pockets on the Clark gave it the edge. I still want to pick up a Warbonnet one of these days...

I don't know about all of the other brands but one thing that I liked about the Clark was that it was made in the USA. That's not a common thing in backpacking gear. Clark also claims to be insect and 100% mosquito-proof. All I know is I've never woken up with a spider on my face (like my friend with the tent) or mosquito bites on my ass.

Arkanian: Do not soak your hammock in DEET! DEET is a known enemy of synthetics and may melt or weaken your hammock.
 
Clark also claims to be insect and 100% mosquito-proof. All I know is I've never woken up with a spider on my face (like my friend with the tent) or mosquito bites on my ass.

One thing I've found about the Hennessey is that mosquitos can bite through the bottom material. Of course I still have the first generation ones (which says something about durability) but I don't think they have changed the material used for the bottom.....and the skeeters around here are pretty big. Killed one last year that had three ticks on it.:rolleyes:
 
Don't forget to check out Warbonnet Outdoors. The Blackbird comes in different weights and strengths. They also do excellent lightweight tarps.

Best in the business or so I hear. One of these days, I'll have to plunk down the cash for one. They look comfortable!

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Beckerhead #42
 
I prefer a tent if there's any risk it will get down below ~40F at night... even with a sleeping pad all that air blowing around you can get very cold.

My $.02
 
One thing I've found about the Hennessey is that mosquitos can bite through the bottom material. Of course I still have the first generation ones (which says something about durability) but I don't think they have changed the material used for the bottom.....and the skeeters around here are pretty big. Killed one last year that had three ticks on it.:rolleyes:

:D That was a funny line. I like the small packaged minimalist idea (since I use to travel by motorcycle), but where I'm at, mosquitos are a big problem and my previous comments on being hanging critter bait (especially sleeping) was serious. Down here, where I've camped, the main unsafe wildlife consists of gators, poisonous and constrictor snakes, and panther. :eek: Maybe I should camp elsewhere.:confused:
 
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