The Joys and Suffering of Hammock Backpacking 📷
I love my hammocks and find them to be the most enjoyable sleep system for out in the wilderness. I always have one with me in the woods, if not for staying overnight, at least for any lengthy stop or meal, where I can sit and relax for a bit.
When hammocking however, I find there are many joys as well as some suffering compared to a traditional tent. I'll outline some of these with the photos to help describe it more.
The Joy of Comfort
For me a hammock is the most comfortable bed EVER. My hammock is a Hennessey Asymmetrical Expedition and its designed so that you lay at about a 30 degree angle across the line of hang. This allows the fabric to support your whole body in a flat position because of the shape and so you don't have to arch with the hammocks shape, but instead, lay diagonally across it, layout mostly flat. This is extremely comfortable and I always get a wonderful sleep, nap or rest in my hammocks. The suffering side of this is if you don't sleep well on your back, then don't get a hammock, as they are not as comfortable to sleep on your side and difficult to sleep on your stomach without uncomfortably arching your back.
So, here are a couple of classic scenarios where hammock camping is perfect. These photos of just a few of my trips where I've taken some photos of my setup.
The Joy of Lightweight Gear
Most hammocks are very lightweight and typically still quite a bit lighter than tents. However, tents have become much light in the last few years so the difference isn't as great as it used to be, however, my hammock and tarp fly are still lighter than any tent systems I've seen, even if only slightly. You don't need to cary a ground sheet/tarp and you usually don't need a sleeping pad, so you can shave some weight off your gear. Having a light gear load helps to travel with other comforts or more lightweight in general (which I prefer). I usually can achieve a 5-6 day trip load at around 30 lbs of gear, camera and food.
The Joy of Forests
Backpacking and camping in forests is awesome with a hammock. Having a selection of trees lets you make camp almost anywhere and I usually find a secluded spot, with some tree shelter to protect from the wind.
The Joy of Setups on Uneven Ground
This is when hammocks can be a real treat, if there is just no level ground or everything is rocky, you get to just hang above it all, nice and comfy. This was down at Bright Angel Campground in the Ground Canyon, where I was able to just hang off the rocks, no trees needed even.
the Joy of a Great View
So, I love to leave the fly open on my hammock and go to sleep (as long as its not calling for rain), since you get an great unobstructed view of the stars and sky above you while you go to sleep. I actually just fold my flow back on one half, leave the rope its attached to out around a small stake in the ground and then if I need my fly from rain in the night, I can simply pull the rope and it automatically tightens it down and I can tie it off under the fly back to the hammock. I don't even have to leave up out of bed!
This spot was at Indian Gardens in Grand Canyon was similar, out under the stars, handing from the man made shelter (to avoid any potential damage to trees). Canyon walls all up around me while sleeping, it was fantastic!
So, while there are many joys, there are certainly some things not so great about hammocking as well.
The Suffering of Alpine and Lack of Trees
Well, I try to hammock everywhere I camp, but sometimes there are no trees, either in the alpine, or dessert or just no trees you can tie to or the right distance apart with room in between. So, I've had to made due at times with different setups, like this one, where one end of my hammock was hung over a picknic table. I actually tipped it up so had to put some heavy rocks on the left side of the table to hold it down.
This is an example of alpine hammock, when there are no trees , I'll setup on the ground, use my trecking poles to hold the fly and hammock up off my head and it is basically then a tent. Not a very big one, but it works.
The Suffering from Wind
Wind is the enemy when hammock camping as it makes things VERY cold. The good thing, there is usually not much wind in the forest if you are hammocking in the trees, but sometimes you are on the edge of a stand of trees or want a view of the mountains and skies, so the edge is the best looking spot. I've often used a tarp to block some wind as it cools your backside fast when blowing under neath you in a compacted sleeping bag.
This setup worked well, it had just started to snow when I setup, but we got 2 inches by morning, the tarp definitel helped keep some wind away from me as I stayed warm.
The Suffering from Cold
I'm fortunate, that I usually stay pretty warm when camping but sleeping below freezing in a hammock has its challenges. I use a very light sleeping bag, so usually just wear all my clothes, and when real cold, put a litle or two of boiling water in a container down at my feet. You definitely need some padding underneath you, as a compressed sleeping bag will never keep you warm enough at freezing temperatures.
Lots of hammockers use an underquilt, which is a down blanket for under the hammock, so it doesn't compress and it keeps you warm. I've never bothered with one, but they would be nice. A few bucks for windshield covers (bubble foil) is all I use under me, it works but barely.
If you are interested in hammocking, the best resource I know of is a site, called, The Ultimate Hang so check it out. And if you want a super cheap but decent day use hammock to start out with, then this link at Gear Best site has an awesome affordable hammock.
So, I hope you enjoyed this series of hammock camps, I encourage you to try one out for yourself, they are a very lightweight and comfortable way to camp if you ask me.
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Hey I tried Auto Steem over a week ago and tried to do everything right as per the screen, it kept turning off on me.
I slept in a hammock last year more than half the year as soon as I got it set up full time and all my time in the woods the last 2 yrs has been in one.
I scanned the pictures a little quickly as it is late for me....... I did not see an UQ in your photos (UnderQuilt) to avoid the convection under your butt side of the hammock, and trap the air in a pocket to insulate you.
You have one right???????
hi barry, actually no I don't have or use an underquilt. I'd like one, but never prepared to spend the money on one. I'm usually pretty warm, but have to layer up and often just sleep on a small fleece blanket when it way below freezing, and otherwise, a simple foil bubble layer is all I use under my bag as a pad. Works for me.
Yes, I have tried a lot of things under and around me like the reflectix type stuff you mention among other things.
This year when it started to turn to winter I draped a wool blanket over my ridgeline, binder clipped the ends together so it became like a hanging tarp/teepee around me to keep the wind and moisture out yet still breathe bc it is wool.
Wool is invaluable in the outdoors, it is great.
I am not sure where you are but some entry level models work great, pack down small, and REALLY make a big difference, - so a warm sleeper like you would benefit in the cold.
There are sites online like FB or others too where people will sell off used gear like this as you know or swap it.
Have a look at the SnugPak UQ to start.
They are pretty well made for gear, pretty well priced and do supply things to some of the military. Based in the UK.
I also know 3-4 other people personally (small businesses) that make all this stuff on their own and is top notch stuff.
Great tips, thanks barry! Yes, Wool is certainly a good addition, its funny, I just picked up a wool blanket today, as I'm winter camping again next weekend and figured I needed something warmer. I like the tips of the wool over ridgeline and tied off. I'll have to try that. The only reason I haven't had wool or an underblanket before, is I'm a sucker for going as lightweight as I reasonably can without freezing. So, the added weight kept me away. However, I may change my mind after testing it on this next trip!
I have several SP items, they are similarly made. There are a lot of features in their stuff. You do not really PAY a lot -- but you GET a lot. Have a look here,
http://www.snugpak.com/outdoor/hammock-under-blanket
Frankly with a minimalist, the features in this, and the light weight, you could get 3 or 4x the uses out of it. This stuff is light, rip resistant and treated with Paratex and mold resistant. You could have an emergency tarp use here, wrap it around you for literally another 10 degrees of thermal resistant / wind resistant material -- all kinds of ideas.
NP my friend. I have invested a lot of time in that world LOL and in learning crypto and doing my best with my worldly challenges I face daily.
Oh and not sure what you meant by 'kept turning off' with autosteem? does manual votes for you work with it, if you check that first please it confirms your id and key are right. From there, once you turn on a autovote, it shouldn't ever change to off on you, so let me know what you meant by that.
Thanks.
@fyrstikken wanted people for a community wide 1% vote for his bot to encourage people so right now for about a week, he has been running that on my account and around a dozen others.
I asked @klye if he knew why I was having problems since he is a tech guy I trust and like a lot and he was not sure but even he had some issues he said.
I know when it was working, it was working well!! I followed your project updates over the many weeks prior to launch.
TY for replying!
Thanks barry! Things have improved dramatically with Autosteem in the last few weeks and I realize some people had more issues earlier on with it. I've got one more voting related issue to sort out, and that is that if you don't do any voting (manual or auto) in autosteem or steemit, the API will forever return the same voting power, so then autosteem goes into pause mode. I'm not sure why that is yet, I'll have to hit up the slack / steemchat channels and ask some of the devs.
I vote every day on Steemit, some say too much LOL, but I am active in that regard and always have been. So for me, that would not be the issue for sure.
TY for taking time for me, and again, great post. I have preached the gospel of the hammock since I started using one!
My as well, I've got one other person into using hammocks and many interested, its a great way to go for sure. And I finally got that final voting issue solved in autosteem! not if only firefox wouldn't eat all its memory up when running it. Anyway, appreciate the info and chat barrydutton!
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