Tent vs Hammock - Solo Hunts

[NDF]

Tent vs Hammock on solo hunts - Pros and cons

 

[Poser]

-If flat ground is difficult to come by, a hammock can be great (I've definitely slept in a mule deer bed the size of a kitchen sink on a 35+ degree slope and have been jealous of my hammock buddy).

-if you're going to do any camping above treeline, you're going to need a tent.

Otherwise, its largely preference as some people are more comfortable sleeping in a hammock where others are more comfortable on the ground.

 

[NDF]

Thank you Poser and looking at weight they seem pretty similar overall

 

[Team4LongGun]

Several threads on this. Use the search function, lots of info.

 

[NDF]

Several threads on this. Use the search function, lots of info.

Thank you, sorry new on here and finding my way around

 

[justinspicher]

I prefer a hammock, if I go above tree line I can use my tarp with trekking poles. I don’t care for tents.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Thank you, sorry new on here and finding my way around

All good-welcome!

 

[doc holiday13]

Hammock is probably the best option you can pick unless there are 0 trees around OR you're going to be in constant rain

 

[scorpaenichthys]

FWIW I have a bad lower back and have struggled to make hammocks work consistently without pain. I'm also a side sleeper and roll a lot during the night. Not sure if that makes a difference, but I've found a thick pad on the ground is less likely to cause me problems the next morning. For that reason I'm a tent or tarp guy in the backcountry. But I've heard other people with lower back issues do better in a hammock, so I may be an outlier.

 

[Bert01]

Hammock is probably the best option you can pick unless there are 0 trees around OR you're going to be in constant rain

I’ve always liked my hammocks more when it rained. Most everything is up off the ground and to me it’s easier to get more ground covered for the weight with a tarp than a tent. Never had to worry about getting wet from any leaks unless they were over my head. Blowing snow will get you if you don’t get the tarp low to the ground.

 

[fatlander]

I’ve always liked my hammocks more when it rained. Most everything is up off the ground and to me it’s easier to get more ground covered for the weight with a tarp than a tent. Never had to worry about getting wet from any leaks unless they were over my head. Blowing snow will get you if you don’t get the tarp low to the ground.

Agree with this 100%

I watched my buddies thrive during an unusually wet week in their hammocks a few years ago. I was in a floorless shelter sleeping on tyvek. It was absolutely miserable crawling in and out of a mud pit, day after day.

I bought the same superior gear hammock bundle that they have before we even got home. I’ve been nothing but happy with that set up. I’ve had the 30 degree superior bundle down to high single digits with blowing snow and was perfectly comfortable in base layer, hiking pants, grid fleece, and puffy (the clothes I always have with me on a hunt).


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[KeepHammering]

I don’t know if this is helpful as I’ve never backpack hunted with a hammock, but if you’re wanting to go lightweight and ultra versatile, I like using a bivvy with a structured tarp (or tent shell). It essentially gives you a lot of flexibility, is quite comfortable, and gives you an option to keep all your gear out of the weather. Exo Mtn Gear podcast has gone over this more in detail and more eloquently than I am here if you want to listen to their recent episode.

 

[IAm_Not_Lost]

No perfect answer.

Jump into a budget option based on what you’re leaning towards and figure what works for you.

Probably took me 3-4 backpacking trips to figure out what I liked.

I can’t sleep well in hammocks. Never had a problem finding some flat ground for a pad and either a bivy or a tent. But that’s me.

 

[LongWayAround]

I think the hammock takes more practice and requires the right trees at the right spacing.

It seems to work for the people that like it, but it's definitely a niche. There's always ground. There's not always trees.

I love my hammock for camping, but I'm probably not relying on it for a backpack trip.

 

[butcherboy]

Always lightweight tent for me. I don’t like floorless tarps either.

 

[Bert01]

The hammock definetly takes a little practice to get sorted. You need some whoopie slings. For the budget options I think you be lighter than a tent. I like changing my setup based on weather. I can sleep with one whole side of a diamond horizontal and open or close myself up just like a tent. I’ve used them in rain, snow, and golf ball sized hail even, but I’ve only hiked above tree line, never stayed up that high. What got me into them was an after dark hike out of a river valley in the rain. If I’d had the hammock then I would've stopped and waited for daylight. There wasn’t a flat spot for more than a mile in either direction on the trail I was on more than 2 feet wide.

 

[NDF]

FWIW I have a bad lower back and have struggled to make hammocks work consistently without pain. I'm also a side sleeper and roll a lot during the night. Not sure if that makes a difference, but I've found a thick pad on the ground is less likely to cause me problems the next morning. For that reason I'm a tent or tarp guy in the backcountry. But I've heard other people with lower back issues do better in a hammock, so I may be an outlier.

Thanks for your advice - i got a bad lower back and was thinking the same if hammock or ground would be better.

 

[platinumsqueeze4]

Tent vs Hammock on solo hunts - Pros and cons

I like hammock easier to set up and go that’s if there’s a lot of trees

 

[ScreamingPotato]

FWIW I have a bad lower back and have struggled to make hammocks work consistently without pain. I'm also a side sleeper and roll a lot during the night. Not sure if that makes a difference, but I've found a thick pad on the ground is less likely to cause me problems the next morning. For that reason I'm a tent or tarp guy in the backcountry. But I've heard other people with lower back issues do better in a hammock, so I may be an outlier.

I've always wondered how side sleepers do in a hammock. I can sleep on my back for about an hour and then it's side to side rolling probably every half hour the rest of the night.

 

[fatlander]

I've always wondered how side sleepers do in a hammock. I can sleep on my back for about an hour and then it's side to side rolling probably every half hour the rest of the night.

Much better than I do on the ground.


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