This year i joined a group of pretty avid backpackers and will be hiking/camping more than ever before.  I have a hammock/tarp but also have a single person tent.  The hammock/tarp combo weighs around 1-1/2 lbs and the tent weighs around 3-1/2 lbs including a tarp to put under it.

Aside from a slight weight difference what do you think are pros and cons of each item?

Would weather influence your decision on which way to go?  

Packed up the tent is about twice the size of the hammock with the poles strapped to the outside of my pack.

Ive only ever tented it and every time i go, i plan on using the hammock but puss out, usually based on temperature or possible rain.

Thanks

I cant sleep in a hammock, rest for an hour or so but just cant stand to be in them any longer then that. Just me maybe. I would take the tent and find a girl to keep it warm.

Tried the hammock thing. Couldn't get a decent night sleep. Kept having dreams were I was falling. Then I was and landed hard.

Haha.  Thats a con of hammocking for sure.

I prefer a tent.  I think a tent is much more versatile and when paired with a good sleeping pad, I sleep much better.

I've done the hammock thing with my kids. I can't sleep on my back. The kids sleep great. Ironically I can nap in them pretty good during the day but for a good night sleep I need to be able to flip over and at least lay on my side. I've tried pulling the hammock as tight as possible but non bueno. Theoretically speaking, you can accomplish the same thing with a cot on the ground along with a tarp.


And being in south FL, the idea of sleeping open like that with silent giant snakes in the area ain't much of a good idea. Would not be fun waking up to a 15ft snake wrapped around you.

I'm new to hammock camping but one think that drew me to them was not having to find a flat spot to pitch my tent.

For those that don't know, you need a "underquilt" in cooler weather. Also the pressure points in a hammock completely compresses the fill in a sleeping bag making the bottom of the bag almost useless for keeping warm (without an underquilt) .

Underquilts look like this. Basically half a sleeping bag on the outside of the hammock, but snugly pulled up so your lightly laying on the underquilt without compressing the fill. 



Some links.

https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/

https://hennessyhammock.com/ 

http://hammockgear.com/

Hammock camping really sucks if you can't find any trees. 

Hammocks are tricky, and take some getting used to.. However, once you figure it all out, and find your sweet spot, you will never have a sleepless or restless night in the woods again.. No more unlevel ground, or that damn rock, or root you missed, or waking up to a wet floor... You lose the privacy of a tent with some tarps, but I love being able to poke me head out and see the woods at all hours of the night.. My only gripe about hammocks getting up to piss... It takes a little more effort to get up and out, and back in again.. I can not for the life of me sleep on my back in my bed, or even fall asleep in a chair for that matter, but the hammock? best sleep I can get.. I actually had my hammock set up in my bedroom for a few years in my old place, and only used the bed when I had "visitors"...  Sadly my new houses bedroom layout wont allow me to set up my hammock... I think this summer Im going to rig up a stand in my back yard near my fire pit and spend the weekends out back..

I camp a lot as I do it professionally and recreationally, sometimes making up camp for weeks and other times moving camp daily around wilderness survey routes.  

Even when packing it on my back, I almost always default to the tent for some privacy and  ease of dry, bug-free space to myself and my gear.  If I'm in the field for a few days or longer, no question that I prefer the tent.  But I like to have a hammock handy if I'm going to have days off to hangout in camp.  When I worked in Belize for a few months at a time, I slept in hammocks and have always been very comfortable in them, but I'm also that guy who falls asleep within seconds of crawling in my fart sack.  

I like to sleep on the ground, too (on a 2" Big Anges or similar), but my old shoulders don't like it as much as I do.  I would like to give hammocking an exclusive try for a year or two for recreational or when not with a crew and doing tons of hiking, survey, rehydrating, and note writing every night.

I would LOVE to get my wife hammock camping for the recreational camping, but she has no interest at all.  She loves camping, but likes to sleep under a tarp or in a tent whether backpacking or car camping.  She'll even do snowcaves all winter, but she just cannot imagine overnighting in a hammock.  We used to joke in Belize and Guatemala about howler monkeys and jaguars feasting on us in our hammocks at night, and I think she has a touch of paranoia now that Sasquatch is watching, waiting for her to wrap herself up like a burrito.  Of course, I've tried to rationalize with her that she is just as likely to get dragged out of a tarp shelter or tent by a bear or serial killer, but that doesn't seem to put her mind at ease.

We have a two-year old, so family camping has been on hold for a while, but we're ready to start introducing the kid to camping this summer.  Will likely be tent camping exclusively for a couple of years as a family, but I've had my daughter hanging out in an Eno between some cedars in the backyard almost everyday for the last couple of months.

That's a big one.  I can pee in Gatorade bottles or out the flap of a tent easily if I'm smoked from a day of hiking, in cold weather or rain, but the bottle hack is probably not easy in a hammock!

I just hammocked overnight for the first time. I loved the tiny pack space and low weight associated with the hammock compared to the tent /sleeping pad setup. Ultralight tents are expensive! No flat ground needed is also a plus.

It was a little tough finding the right angle to sleep at, but I slept good for the most part.

The biggest drawback is that you freeze your ass off without a good underquilt setup in anything less than 60 degrees. Even with a really good sleeping bag.

I do like to sleep on a cozy pad flat in my cozy tent....I don't know- I'll have to go again when it warms up some more but it seems there's a time for both, and like everything here the solution is to get both. Seems the hammock is the fair weather best bet. I was good with my tarp coverage, but the tent is real protection for you and your gear from the elements if you need it, hands down.

I'd be curious about that nice looking underquilt setup there-
I made something similar from a 'woobie' poncho liner but it wasnt *quite* enough warmth. Of course this was on a 40 degree night. I feel like to be light enough AND warm it would have to be some kind of down, and then you'd better not let it get wet. To be a warm enough AND light enough synthetic you'd be paying a small fortune. So I'm a little hung up on that whole deal...

My hammock setup in total is just over 200 bucks now and I'm happy with it, but I'm thinking it's going to be for tropical use only until I get the underquilt thing figured.

I like my hammock. I have a big Agnes lost ranger instead of an underquilt. Have a mosquito net and rain fly and I have camped in downpours and stayed dry. Only advantage to tents is that when I go to red rock country there aren't any trees.

The biggest factor is you.  For those that just aren't comfortable, hammocks are not for them.

Between me and my wife, we have about a dozen hammocks.  We almost exclusively use hammocks for our backpacking shelter from about "freezing" on up in temperature.  It's the only choice in hot weather here.

If temps are above 45-degrees, (in the summer, it rarely drops below 50 at night), I predominantly use a section of Z-Rest inside the hammock for insulation; I use underquilts if temps are expected below 40 degrees.  I sleep better in a hammock than my own bed.  Getting up to pee in the middle of the night is far easier in a hammock than a tent (unless you're married to your pee bottle).  A hammock serves as the perfect lounge chair after a long day of pounding the trail.  The rain fly gives you dry working space and you can even cook.  When it is hot, hammocks offer far more options for air flow and making it much more comfortable.  

As mentioned, hammocks are a better option where flat ground is at a premium.  My wife and I have literally set up on sloping ridges.  Contrary to the "can't use a hammock above the tree line", you can if you use trekking poles.  Most hammocks can be supported and put on the ground just like a tent or pseudo bivvy, to include your rain fly. Granted, it's a PITA to do it several nights in a row, but it can be done.  Best use of course is to get off the ground when it's buggy, wet, or too steep an angle to consider a tent.  

My favorite advantage of a hammock over a tent is that during the summer thunder showers, I can put my rain fly up in less than a minute and be completely out of the rain to either set up or break down my hammock/camp.  I've evolved from tents to hammocks.  The only time I will begrudgingly pack a tent is when temps are consistently below freezing or we are doing a longer hike above the tree line.  

Chock me up as a vote for the hammock.  Evolve to the hammock instead of that old Neanderthal, ground dwelling cave that you have to get on your knees to crawl in and out of and set up or take down IN THE RAIN...no thank you!  I would rather elevate my outdoors experiences in the luxury of a suspended recliner chair looking down on the poor saps who just haven't evolved to my level yet where I'm dry from the start to breaking down camp and packing up

































"Hang'em if you've got'em"

ROCK6

I sleep SO much better in a hammock.  I have been down in the 20's and slept great.  I have been in monsoons, where everyone in a tent was soaked and I was the only dry camper.  I have been in 90 degree weather where those in tents were sweltering and I at lest was a little cooler.  I love hammock camping..backpacking etc.  I sleep in a tent if I must, but not nearly as well.

Tents are easier for the novice or in colder weather.
Personally, I get better sleep in a hammock (although sometimes less total time sleeping).  

It is something you need to play around with to figure out what works for you.
(Underquilts are worth it, if it's cold out!)

I ditched tents long ago.

It's either sil tarp,ground sheet and pad or hammock.
Weight and bulk is half what a tent is.
I've done only a few hammock trips...so I'm still learning things.
But I can say that a yukon jungle hammocks but net to  can hold me...gear etc for a few minutes.....

All for a 3am piss lol 

Hammocks are fine for kicking back in the shade sipping a beer. But sleep in one? Nope.  I can't sleep on my back, so it's a tent for me.

The idea that one way or another is fundamentally and always better or that hammocks reflect esoteric wisdom and outdoor prowess (generally speaking and not referring to anyone here) is a bit limiting.  

IMO, there are better times for hammocks, better times for a tarp shelter, and better times for tents, so I treat each trip respectively and accordingly.  Sure, I prefer to go lighter no matter what I'm doing, but there are payoffs for tents on many occasions, just as there are times where the costs outweigh (literally or figuratively) the benefits.  

If on gear-heavy trips:

Whether I've been working all day surveying through brush (no trails), following historic river maps in canoes, or chasing waypoints on mountains for LIDAR hits, I'm usually a bit dirtier and more banged up than I would be if I was on a backpacking outing with a buddy, my wife, or soloing with a recreational packing list.  After dinner in camp there's usually an hour or so of note taking and backing up GPS and digital photos, then map work and gear prep for the next day.  Gear might include climbing, caving, mine safety, medical, river, and sometimes dive gear in addition to standard personal packing lists, so tents can be handy to protect some gear more effectively than a tarp and/or to have to hang out/work in for hours in inclement weather.

Privacy:

Not as in junior high wangdoodle/lockeroom shame, but simply wanting some alone space on extended trips.  My crews are usually pretty tight and used to rustic conditions, but if we're on the road and camping 100 nights a year together, we like to have some privacy or sense of getting the hell away from each other for some bit of time.  

Sleep:

I'm with VACaver and like to sleep in other positions.  Basically always, but especially when it's hot and I am dirty, I like to sleep naked, not wrapped up, and in practically every position but on my back.  Between the years working at jungle camps in Central America sleeping in a hammock and the recreational and backpacking trips I've done in the US with a hammock, I've got some pretty good experience comparing the two methods and I do find a hammock very comfortable, but there is a broader form of comfort that comes with tent, as well, particularly if you're not packing too large of one up too steep of a hill.  If you find a mat on the ground to be uncomfortable, then the hammock is the easier choice more often.  Otherwise, other variables can be more heavily weighted.

Again, if I don't have to deal with work gear and crews and am exclusively packing it on my back each day, the hammock and a tarp are pretty light and comfortable.  For recreational purposes and once the family is ready to get back out with me, I would like to do a self-imposed, forced year or two of exclusive hammocking, but I would not do that for most work or extended trips, or if I can afford the space and weight.  Either way, I don't use tents "all for a 3am piss," but it is nice to be able role over and pee.

Great post and nice setups!  I hope to get my wife warmed up to hammocking with me - I'm going to show her your pics as evidence that she can, indeed, enjoy herself.

I'm not following the only on your back in a hammock reasoning.  I never sleep on my back in my hammock....or at home.  Side sleeping is easy and natural for me in a hammock.  Just get a good hammock.  Sleep diagonal.

I'm going to steal that and take it completely out of context:  "Hammocks reflect esoteric wisdom and outdoor prowess"...perfect!

People always ask me about hammocks and I always tell them to get an inexpensive one to just see if they can actually sleep in them.  My wife was very hesitant at first, but after a few trips, she was hooked...she's so bad she talked about getting rid of our bed and putting up hammocks in our bedroom...seriously!

A lot of people just can't get comfortable and if temps are too erratic with colder low-temps, they can really be uncomfortable without a pad or under-quilt.  There is a learning curve, especially when dealing with certain weather conditions.  I do have the equipment to hang in below freezing temps, but when you start adding up the weight and bulk, a tent just makes more sense and simpler.  My cutoff is when there are continuous freezing low-temps; I much prefer the ease of tent for those circumstances.  Also, you get locations where hammocks are just too difficult to make work (deserts, above the tree line, or even down in the Florida Keys where camp sites won't allow their use).

Hammocks aren't ideal for all locations, but under some conditions, they are the bees knees.

ROCK6

No doubt that is true - in fact, while you posted that I was napping on my side in a hammock in the backyard.

ETA: Sleeping on the stomach, for example, is not so awesome.

I agree that getting comfortable with it can be a matter of practice, and I wholeheartedly agree with your conclusion.

Hammock, all the way.  Since I discovered hammock-camping, I haven't once brought my tent.  
I can set up the hammock much faster, and sleep better.  Plus I actually stay dryer, since I can set up the rainfly first, then work under it to set up the hammock.  I'm not tracking water or dirt into my tent, and I hang my gear where I can get to it inside the hammock, so it's dry and accessible.
I bring a small NeoAir air mattress in case I absolutely have to sleep on the ground, I can use a hiking pole or parked motorcycle to support my rain fly as a rudimentary tent.  
It's also useful in the hammock, I will sleep on it instead of a pad, and it functions as a basic underquilt, more or less.  It's also the right size and shape to use as a blanket, partially inflated.  I stay very warm.

I didn't start actually sleeping well in a hammock until I started bringing a small sand-filled pillow.  As a side sleeper, I couldn't really get my head and neck comfortable without it, but now I sleep well diagonally on my side.

I've got a couple, but my favorite hammock is one I found on Amazon with a built-in mosquito net.  It's very light, packs small, and works wonderfully.  Can't recommend them enough.

What are you running for a hammock and UQ in the pic?

Not my picture. I just grabbed a picture from Mr Google to show others that didn't know what a UQ set-up looked like. Thats a Blackbird XLC and hammockgear.com UQ in that picture though.

I have the same set-up as that picture, different colors.

Do you have problems with the UQ shifting under the hammock?  The XLC is wide and my incubator keeps running down the sides.

Weather

Oops - wrong button

I haven't made up my mind on hammock camping.  Some thoughts:

1.  It's hard to get lighter than a tent, particularly if you're a heavier dude.  

2.  It's really nice being in a hammock during a hard rain, wake up, and then not have to worry about putting a muddy tent in your pack. 

3. I like to lay out my kit in the tent.  This is hard in a hammock...even in a blackbird. Everything you need to do is harder in a hammock. 

4.  On a nice night, I like being able to pitch my fly up high and having visibility around me.  It's nice hearing a noise and being able to flash a light in the direction without a fuss. 

5.  If I'm not in an area that's had a bunch of incidents, I'll sleep with my food in my tent.  I won't do that in a hammock. 

6.  It's nice having a dry place to cook your meal under if it's raining. 

7.  My number one take away on hammock camping is that it's a hobby for tinkerers.  Go to hammockforums and it's full of people trying/making new gear, learning new knots, or trying out a new setup that uses a few I less inches of amsteel. 

If you have stuff that is hammock specific, it's going to be better.  But if you try for the flexibility of ground or hammock by using ground-based sleeping pads and bags in the hammock, it's a wreck - while it seems like a great idea, it just doesn't work well.  It's like all the discomfort and awkwardness of bivying on a portaledge ... but without the need.

I just use a tarp and a ground pad.   I can cook without leaving the bag, and I don't have to worry about setting stuff on fire or spilling stuff on a tent floor.  I can set up and take down in the rain, and generally keep things drier than a conventional tent.  Plus my dog is clingy, and insists on curling up next to my sleeping bag, which in a hammock, means jumping into the hammock.

Thats the rout I went.

Tried a hammock, they are great for naps but no way I'm going to get a good nights sleep in one. I was fine with a tarp and a ground pad but the girlfriend demanded a tent. Now I've got a girl to keep my sleeping bag warm and a stove to keep my tent warm.


2.75 pounds if you're using hiking poles as the tent pole and in warm enough weather not to need the stove. The stove adds a touch over 1.5 pounds.

Please tell more about your setup!  Tent Brand, what stove, etc?

Me too. That looks pretty slick. It would rock that 4 seasons around here.


Another hammock issue I've encountered, freaking bats. 

Spooked me a little bit when they first flew under me' no big deal. The fun really started when one got stuck between the tarp and me. I was a swatting, swinging and swaying.

I don't want to discourage hammock camping though. I love it. I use it on light backpacking trips when the weather is nice.. An $8 hammock and a tarp serve me quite well.

Seek Outside Cimarron with their "medium" (actually smallest) stove. SO has features on their tents that Kifaru doesn't for the same price range. It IS a floorless tent but the SO come with a small sod skirt so you can keep most things out. They also offer but netting with a floor but that of course adds weight.

I set my fly up high...and put my normal ground sheet under my tarp.
I put my boots..camp shoes etc down there. Boots I move to hang from the hammock at night.
Pack hangs from a tree near my tree straps...it it calls for rain...ill put it in the hammock with me....or use all the Dang 550 I carry to suspend it under my tarp.

I sleep with what I need in the hammock...from rain gear to pistol.

I'm not a small guy by any means. But even the cheap ones from yukon. Are rated at 275 if I recall...and the doubles are 300+. Weight isn't much under 1 lb .
I spun upside down in my yukon jungle hammock once....the but meeting held me and my shot..till I unzipped it and slid...dropped my ass out of it ...


My set up is cargo straps..I cut the hardware off of. Cheap aluminium biners..marlin spiked to amsteel whoopie slings that are loop attached to the hammock.
Extra 550 and all that still fits in the pouch the hammock comes in.
My tarp is a sip tarp..13oz with tie out ropes and stakes.
Ground sheet is 5 oz.
Bug net 3oz


My smallest 1.5-2person tent is 4+lbs.

Yeah, I have to agree with Protus.  

Once your rain fly is up, you have far more room than a tent (however, still exposed if really buggy); you can cook, change clothes, sort through gear (lay it out if you have a ground sheet like Protus), do your hygiene, eat your dinner and best of all, you can lounge with a great view.  

I've done various setups.  If the ground is really wet and I decide not to tie my pack to a tree, you can built a quick platform off the ground and in easy reach while you're inside the hammock.  I've also did the boot-stakes, driving tall stakes into the ground so I could place my boots upside-down to keep dry and most insects out of.  

I've never like changing clothes I a tent (backpacking tent), as they are just too cramped and confined (outside of very cold weather).  All I need my hammock for is sleeping, lounging and reading; everything else I do outside the hammock.  Of course the biggest benefit (aside from sleeping comfort if it works for you), is that I just simply hate crawling out of a tent during a rain storm or onto wet/muddy ground; add that putting up a tent or taking it down in the rain also sucks.  It's nice having the choice to fit the environment and weather, but 9 times out of 10, I'll be packing and using a hammock.

ROCK6

1.  Maybe I'm just anal/paranoid, but I have visions of raccoons/opossums running off with one of my salty shoes in the middle of the night.  I prefer to clip them to my suspension.  Plus, your gear on the ground isn't as protected from rodents or the weather.  I can understand how that works for some people, just not for me. 

2.  My absolute lightest hammock is 20oz all together including straps, bug net, etc.  My lightest full coverage tarp is about 16oz.  I have an 11oz asymmetrical, but you're going to have a bad day if it's raining sideways. 

In contrast, my Nemo Meta 2 is 2lb2oz.  I've stayed completely dry during downpours with it.  

A cuben tarp would get you significantly lighter - but then, the same would be true for a Cuben tent. 

Tent pros: dry when it is raining, no 'skeeters. hard to roll over and fall off the ground.
Hammock pros: no rocks in the middle of your back.

I hammock whenever the bugs and snakes are out.  If it's too cold for bugs/reptiles, then it's too cold to hang suspended and I go for the ground with a roll up mat.

With the right rain fly you can stay perfectly dry in the hammock (even more so than a tent when entering and exiting), even in sideways rain if done properly.  I know there are aftermarket mosquito nets, but if you live in buggyville, your hammock should have integrated mosquito net.

The only real disadvantages to a hammock without really having to plan or have additional equipment is repeated nights without supports like trees, cold/windy weather (typically below 40 degrees), and ultimately if a hammock is actually comfortable for you or not.  You can work around the first two, but if a hammock isn't comfortable for you, it's a poor choice. The rest really comes down to preferences.  For really cold weather or conditions that keep in you under-cover for longer periods, a tent is a far better option.

ROCK6

Both Hennessy and Warbonnet are running good sales/specials right now.

#1...you see where I said I hang them.(boots,)
Plus...it's the bigger stuff I sorry about....I had a keg sized coin sloth past and under me last year.
Two legs and bears are threats...the rest is..um...entertainment lol 

Rest...um..well. I build tarps..
Mine is 8oz ..with out lines...or bug netting...
Its going on 10 years...of all weather down here...


Then again...I don't need 28 reinforced tie outs..and milspec ribbon this and that or grommets...


Not being a dick..but most of what's out there is way over built vs what the end user will put it through.

My systems are layered...tarp..bivy...bug nets..hammock..ground sheet...
All meant to nest. I tailor to my trip..and then some...

Now you have me interested (not about being a dick, I already knew that).  Have you tried the Dyneema composite material (cuben fiber) yet?  This will be my second year with my fly and it's holding up well (it better for the freaking price!), and weighs a total of 8.5oz; with four stakes+guy lines and suspension line, it's 11.1oz.  Other than sounding like a tin roof in a heavy rain, I love it.  Despite all the claims of how tough cuben-fiber is, I still baby the fly.  I need costs to come down as my wife is now interested in upgraded to cuben fiber as well.

I still like sil-nylon and thinks it's the best value as a rain fly.  We have a few as my wife supplies three other ladies with gear as they're just getting into backpacking.  I like Bushcraft Outfitters tarps, but do agree, that they are way over built.  It's a good thing if you're loaning your gear to a young Marine or Soldier, but for regular use, that construction is really unnecessary and adds a lot of weight.  We could debate bugout vs. backpacking all day, but for general, recreational use, my military gear is overkill and just extra, unnecessary weight.

This is likely the most important planning factor before you even consider gear choices.  

ROCK6

@ROCK6

No I haven't messed with cuben yet. Price keeps me away. Plus sewing is a spotty hobby for me. Ill build stuff for trade,sale,friends heavy...then die out for months. Maybe I'm ADD lmao.
Anyway. I'm sitting on a bunch of AOR2,and bunch of multibarf taslite,so no money in the stitch bitch department.

My tarp is a 1.2iirc oz ripstop silnylon.
Its 8+8ft with tie outs and aluminum stakes,and stuff sack wt is at 13 oz total.
Its the grey one in almost every pic I've posted in the past. Its also not my lightest build. I was still using 1 inch webbing for the tie downs vs grosegrain that I use now. I think with my changes I could still do a 10+10 and keep wt under 12oz raw. And 14 total.

I need to buy or build a larger one once I commit to hammocks 100%. As it get retarded here with weather so it'll be needed.
But hammocks are versatile down here. As I get older...not fighting ants,,spiders,,other bugs or nosey critters face to face is now my mission lol 


I've looked at the company you mentioned..as cost was pretty low for the product. But wt was higher. Still be nice to find real sil in camo patterns in 1.1-1.2oz ripstop.
What puts the wt and bulk is the D rings, larger tie outs and fabric weight. Just the difference between 1.5 to 1.2 is 3+ oz on my builds. Let alone if it's a 1.9 dwr/pu back fabric..aka GI poncho.

Thanks to everyone for their outstanding information. A lot to cover and covered well. 
I love this place!

I don't think anyone has posted up a Link to Shug's youtube feed... So I might as well plug a fellow MN guy, or at least he lives in MN now.. Anyway he covers pretty much everything you needed to know about hanging, and then some..
Shugemery