As the warm weather comes, it is time for Hammock Camping!
There
is nothing like sleeping out under the stars in a hammock.
Whether you are backpacking into the wilderness or “car camping” with
the family, if the situation is right, consider using a hammock instead of a
tent.
If you are with the kids I would advise bringing both a tent
and the hammock.
The children love to play and lay around in the hammock, but it does
take some time to feel comfortable sleeping in a hammock.
Better to have a tent as a fallback for the kids.
When you are backpacking solo or with a partner, if the conditions are
right, swapping the tent for a hammock may be the best option.
When backpacking, there are several reasons to use a
hammock or not depending on the situation.
Issues like weight, bugs, comfort and temperature.
First let’s consider weight.
This is always a top concern with experienced backpackers.
Compared to an average single person tent, hammocks are lightweight,
mine being just under 2 pounds (a
Hennessy Ultralight Backpacker Asym).
But, compared to an ultralight tent
– they are a bit on the heavy site (my Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is 1 Lb.
10 oz.). On the other hand, if
the weather is warm, with a hammock you don’t need a sleeping pad or ground
cloth so there is a pound or so weight savings there and bit more simplicity
to life. On the third hand (if
you have one) – when you are hiking with a partner and sharing a tent, an
ultralight 2 person tent is lighter that two hammocks even considering the
sleeping pads.
Comfort – After a hard day of hiking you want sleep well.
If you have never slept in a hammock before definitely practice spending
the night in the backyard in it first.
It takes a bit of getting used to.
Some people like it almost immediately.
I think it is more usual to struggle with it at first, maybe even
have a bit of claustrophobia in it (this goes away).
It takes a bit of practice learning
how to get in and out of the hammock without a struggle.
A little more practice to be able to easily be in the hammock and be
able to crawl into a sleeping bag or put on a jacket if you are cold.
The best way to sleep in a hammock is at a bit of an angle.
Have your body 20 degrees or so off center to the center line (ridge
line) of the hammock. This
causes the hammock to be more flat reducing the curve under your body.
When angled in this way you can sleep on your side or turn over more
easily.
Generally I find hammocks more comfortable than sleeping on the ground.
There are no rocks or sticks poking you in the back.
You don’t have to worry about the ground being level and if the rain
starts, you don’t need to worry about the ground getting wet and water
seeping into the tent. As a
bonus you do sometimes get a slight rocking which can help you sleep.
The hammocks I’ve listed in the comparison chart in this article all
have bug netting. This is a big advantage over tarps which are obviously
lighter than hammocks. Most of
the hammocks in my chart include a optional tarp to keep the rain off.
This comes in handy if there are no trees around to hang the hammock,
the tarp can be used alone or you can use the hammock as a bivy.
The main problem with hammocks is that they can be cold.
You are surrounded by air, so as the temperature drops and the wind
starts it can suck the heat out of you.
There are various ways to deal with this, the simplest being – just
use the hammock when it is warm out.
If the temperature is going to drop into the forties you’ll need to
take additional steps. Being
careful to hang the hammock out of the wind makes a huge difference.
You can add a sleeping pad under you or various other attachments can
be added – I will list a few a bit lower in this article.
The problem with adding things to the hammock is that it also adds
weight; at some point is it more logical to switch to a tent.
Continue Reading ...Camping in Hammocks Part 2.
