Tenting vs. hammocking. Is weight really an adavantage?

[briansnat]

A lot of the proponents of hammock camping say weight savings over a tent is a big attraction for using a hammock.

A few years ago I put my 2 person backpacking tent on a scale with poles, stakes, guy lines, everything and it came in a at 4 1/4 lbs. My solo tent is a full pound lighter.

I recently bought a backpacking hammock (Warbonnet Blackbird) and silnylon tarp for it (WB Majimba). Tarp and hammock come in at a shade under 3 lbs according to mfr specs. And that is before carabiners, stakes and guy lines are added. I'm guessing that would push the combined weight to right about that of my solo tent. So if I go with a partner and we each have a hammock
the combined weight would be considerably more than my 2 person tent.

Then you consider that hammocks sleep cold. I've frozen my butt off in hammocks even on relatively warm nights, so you need a heavier sleeping bag than you would in a tent. And if the weather is on the colder side, hammock campers add under quilts and overquilts for warmth. Once those are included you're talking probably a few pounds more than a tent.

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea of hammock camping. Not needing to find perfectly level ground is nice and they are darn comfortable. But saving weight? I'm not seeing it.

 

[Grandpa]

I've never slept in a hammock and I've never figured the weight differences. Everyone can make their own choices but all my friends who tried the hammocks went back to the ground and tent.

I've tried to be open minded with all the discussions about hammocks in these forums but I've come to the same conclusions as you Brians. Any weight savings is minimal if any, comfort might be greater, but severe limitations out here in the west where you can actually hang a hammock.

 

[Theo]

A lot of the proponents of hammock camping say weight savings over a tent is a big attraction for using a hammock.

As a dedicated hammock hanger, I will say that the main attraction to hammocks is getting you off the ground. Period.

I have a variety of ground sleeping options (tents, bivy, tarps) and a variety of hammocks. My main hammock set up is a Warbonnet Blackbird (1.7 double) and a 10' x 12' silnylon tarp. This setup is lighter than some of my ground options, heavier than others. The same can be said when comparing just my ground options. (bivy vs. tent, etc.)

For me, hammocks are just way more comfortable than ground systems. And that is why I use them. I still use a Kelty Comanche pack that weighs about 4 lbs. empty. Why? Because it is so comfortable. That thing fits me like it was made for me. I'm about comfort and comfort alone.

 

[Newanderthal]

spring, summer and early fall is nice for hammocks, but when that temp drops that hammock becomes a freezer. When it's cold I stick to me thermarest and MSR tarp.

 

[Lorax]

I catch some heat for saying the same thing. Yes, the hammock itself might be lighter, but when you add the tarp and the insulation, be it pad or underquilt, you are as much if not more than some quality even free standing tents. I do have hammocks and tarps alone that weigh more than my tents.Plain undisputed fact.

The issue really becomes about comfort and the ability to move around a little. For some, a tent works, for others, nothing but hammock. I do about 80% hammock and 20% tent myself.

The hammock is not an instant cure all, as much as the hype might try and dictate.

 

[hikeorbike]

Sleeping in a hammock while camping sounds fun...but only if the weather doesn't turn miserable. What are campers with hammocks to do if a major storm hits? At least tents provide *some* shelter.

 

[Judy Ann]

I'll pack both for car camping. Nothing sweeter than hanging with a cozy blanket thrown over me while watching the fire flicker and twinkling stars above while listening to the sounds of waves crashing against the surf. When I wake up cold I just move into the tent with the old dog for the rest of the night! Ain't life great! :tinysmile_fatgrin_t

 

[Lorax]

Sleeping in a hammock while camping sounds fun...but only if the weather doesn't turn miserable. What are campers with hammocks to do if a major storm hits? At least tents provide *some* shelter.

Depending on your tarp, you can stay totally dry, even in driving rains. It all depends on the size of the tarp as well as the pitch against the prevailing winds to offer the best shelter from sideways rain. Just like a tent.
I was just out in my hammock for two days of steady rain a few weeks back. I never got wet as much and as hard as it rained at times. I have also been in some storms that downright worried me and I could see water running underneath the hammock, once again, I was set up right when the weather was about to move through.

 

[Theo]

I stay a whole lot drier in my hammock than I ever did in my ground set ups. Of course, a tent doesn't have problems with shifting wind patterns that a hammock does.

 

[SmackontheWeb]

I have been thinking about trying the hammock option but have run into three issues I cannot get around. First, I sleep on my side and have not found that a comfortable position in any hammock for any amount of time. Second, I like the space to move around my tent offers if weather has me stuck in it for extended periods of time. Third, I like my boots out of the weather and away from the varmits and critters while I sleep and that would be kinda hard to do with a hammock.

 

[TroyS]

Tried sleeping in a hammock that my brother brought when we went camping two years ago. While he slept like a log, my back felt really stressed and began to hurt after just a few hours.

 

[bsmit212]

I still do both. I don't use my hammok for wieght saving but for comfort, and like others have said when it is looking like a cold night I will bring my tent instead. When I car camp I always have both. Just depends on the night, location, etc.

 

[IndianaHiker]

I am getting where I rather use a hammock. For me there is some weight savings as I don't use bug netting, and the 8x10 tarp I use is only 1 lb as is the hammock. As far as staying dry just rode out a good storm this Friday night and stayed dry. However will admit was concerned about that. The 8x10 tarp is not real big but was able to set it low enough under to be close to the hammock I stayed completely dry. I don't use a tent anymore as if I don't take the hammock I do still use the the tarp in a ground set up. The tarp I have is great for both as it has many different straps that allow you to really tighten the tension on the tarp. The Granite Gear White Lightning is a great tarp with the features that it has.

 

[charley]

I can get lighter with a tent but hammock is more comfortable.

 

[littlefire]

The only time I've slept in a hammock is on a warm summer's day in my Grandmother's backyard. Hammocks are not made for camping, they are made for lounging!

 

[Theosus]

Top and under quilt together - 2.5 pounds. Hannessy Hammock and fly, 2.5 pounds.
So 5 pounds for shelter and sleeping system together. No need to carry the bulky underpad that doesn't pack well. Rated at 20 degrees.

 

[briansnat]

The only time I've slept in a hammock is on a warm summer's day in my Grandmother's backyard. Hammocks are not made for camping, they are made for lounging!

I think you are confusing your grandmother's big canvas or net hammock for modern hammocks that are made specifically for camping.

One huge advantage of the hammock that I see so far is how long it takes to set up. If it's a nice night with no chance of rain (hence no need for the tarp), I can set my WB Blackbird in 47 seconds (I timed it). I haven't timed it with the tarp setup because I don't have the guylines for my tarp yet, but I'm sure the setup time will still be considerably less than a tent.

Also, where I backpack, sometimes it's very difficult finding a flat enough area for my tiny 2 person tent and even my solo tent. As long as trees are plentiful, which is rarely an issue in the northeast, the number of potential campsites increases dramatically.

 

[dinosaur]

I hang my food from a tree, not my person.

 

[Theo]

For all of you ground dwellers, just remember you are sleeping where I pee. :heh:

 

[dinosaur]

True but you have to come down sometime.