I dont think that Warbonnet is necessarily better than other US manufacturers. When it comes to hammocks we are fortunate that we have a lot of cottage manufacturers, with good reputations and quality customer service who are making their gear here.  I think any of the cottage manufactures would serve well whether its Warbonnet, Jacks-r-Better, Wilderness Logics, and so on.

I personally went with WB cause I wanted a bridge hammock, and he offered discounted "blemished" hammcoks.

And here is my set up, a WB Ridgerunner and Wilderness Logics Big Daddy tarp --






And probably the best night sleep

anyone else?

Hammock, best sleep I ever had camping. I will never go back.

The footbox. And the shelf.

I have an FS-1 from from LL bean and it's awesome, lightweight, easy and fast to pitch high sides so you can sit up in it. plus you get the kickass llbean warranty



http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/72836?feat=1096-GN2&page=microlight-fs-1-person-tent&attrValue_0=Pewter&productId=1217291

Edit - nevermind, no trees

I've done a good bit of backpacking with one of these. I got mine for $70. It is light weight. IIRC just over 2lbs.


On a cold morning, dressing in it is comical.

Another vote for hammock, here is my Warbonnet hammock last fall

How do the hammocks do in cold, windy weather? My favorite backpacking weather is somewhere between damn cold and witches tits.





I used a hammock a few times when I was younger, but it was always during shoulder month weather.





I could see how being up in the air could result in more surface area for thermal loss, but thats pure conjecture.

 

Since you have air underneath, you definitely lose heat. Wind also goes right through it. You can get away with using a regular sleeping bag in moderate weather, but it doesnt do so well in the cold. Your body compresses the fill in the bag and it's (almost) like having no insulation at all below you. You can get around this by buying an underquilt that hangs below the hammock. The problem is that underquilts are typically pretty expensive and add weight.

eureka can always be counted to have quality products at reasonable price points.

Winter hammocking is very comfortable, however can be more expensive if you move to a down underquilt and down topquilt. If you camp often and camp comfortable, its worth it. If its windy I put up a Warbonnet Super Fly tarp which is fully enclosed like an A-Frame

For winter I've got

$170 on my hammock (Warbonnet BlackBird)
$225 on my 0* down underquilt (Warbonnet Yeti)
$310 on my 0* down topquilt (Warbonnet Black Mamba)
$130 on my tarp (Warbonnet Superfly tarp)
$80 on my Small Therm-a-Rest ProLite Sleeping Pad for my feet/legs

I do like Warbonnet, but also have another 20* top quilt by Hammock Gear which is excellent as well that I use 3 season.

Keep in mind I built up to all of these upgrades, winter is expensive...but I also use these just about every weekend so its worth it for me. With 3 season hammocking, you can get away with a lot less.

I would highly recommend something like this. You dont want to get caught out in the rain with just a tarp. Exposure, even if the warm summertime, can kill.

I have this. Cant beat it, especially in the swamp.

those are nice but also stinks to be stuck by yourself in a downpour... Tarps like the Superfly you can slam to the ground too for complete coverage... no poles required just two trees



or poles



or opened up like a porch to have a few people to sit under



pretty versatile for a ~1lb tarp

throw in a light bivy and a sleeping bag and you're g2g even on the ground

In that case check Sierra Trading Post or check the closeouts/older models at Campmor.  I bought a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight two man tent on closeout for cheap several years ago and that's what I use if I need a small, lightweight tent.  It can be set up with only the footprint and rainfly to save weight in warmer weather.

$100 gets you a nice mid-level solo tent or a real decent  lightweight and spacious tarp.

The problem I find with solo tents in this price range is that they are short. When your bag touches the side or end, condensation builds on the bag in certain conditions. This could be a problem. Make sure you fit and give yourself some room on top and bottom for your clothing and bag. REI will set it up right in the store for you.

Hammocks are good, but not for everyone. They sleep terribly cold and every waft of wind is felt, even in 60* as you crush down whatever you are laying on, leaving you with no trapped air for insulation. Underquilts are pricey but do a  great job dealing with this. I'm successful below 0* in my hammocks. You can always sleep on a pad in the hammock, which I did for the first ten years before going to a underquilt. (I've been doing this a long while before hammocks got popular)

A good hammock set-up will run you some big bucks if you get all the extras. I throw a regular bag over me instead of a dedicated top quilt, because my bags are just as light and I can get dual use out of them, but the underquilts are specific and there's no better way to get around that cost.