Tent vs hammock

[johnp.leger]

Which would you recommend for hunting on inclined areas where flat ground seems a little hard to find? If hammock, should I get an under quilt?

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[Team4LongGun]

If you hammock camp, you HAVE to have an under quilt. Even in warmer temps.

If you haven’t used a hammock before, I’d suggest picking up an ENO double and trying it at home.

ENO, Eagles Nest Outfitters DoubleNest Lightweight Camping Hammock, 1 to 2 Person, Olive/Olive https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007MS8X4...abc_N5AB1C2J90MZZB1BE57R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


Even on a 60 evening with a slight breeze after 15 minutes you will get chilly from underneath.

If you don’t like it, send it back.

You can use any top quilt/sleeping bag/blanket for top warmth.

 

[RockChucker30]

Specific to your question: Inclined area where flat ground is hard to find. IF there are trees, that is a strength of the hammock.

There are many threads on this forum that discuss tent and hammock pros and cons...I'd suggest reading a few.

Hammocks require more user knowledge to stay warm, dry, and comfortable. Hammocks are great for wet muddy ground, inclines, tick areas, etc.

Hammocks will freeze you UNLESS you know what you're doing and have the right gear (and experience).

Tents typically better in real storms, better above timberline obviously. My tent setups are lighter than my hammock setups for a similar temp rating.

I love hammocks for summer camping in tick and mosquito areas that get lots of rain. I gravitate to a tent for the Rocky Mountains in hunting season.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I'll take my hammock summer scouting. It's definitely nice when it's warm out, but if there's the potential for weather I opt for the tent. It seems you either have to cover the hammock so completely that it's a pain to get in and out of, or you risk rain being blown in.

I use my inflatable sleeping pad in my hammock, an ENO single nest. It really helps flatten things out and I can even sleep on my side with it. It has a good R-value as well so I stay plenty warm. Slept in the upper 30's, lower 40's with it no problem. Had a little whiskey blanket with me too though.

 

[Aaronpaul14]

I’m a hammock user exclusively. If you have the right stuff it’s so much more comfortable IMO. I can’t sleep on the ground anymore.

My kit weighs 6.1# and will be 1/2# less once my new down under quilt shows up.

-Warbonnet Superfly Tarp
-grand trunk skeeter beeter pro hammock
-EE 20* top quilt
-waiting on hammockgear 20* underquilt
-all lines are dyneema or amsteel

 

[Aginor]

Specific to your question: Inclined area where flat ground is hard to find. IF there are trees, that is a strength of the hammock.

There are many threads on this forum that discuss tent and hammock pros and cons...I'd suggest reading a few.

Hammocks require more user knowledge to stay warm, dry, and comfortable. Hammocks are great for wet muddy ground, inclines, tick areas, etc.

Hammocks will freeze you UNLESS you know what you're doing and have the right gear (and experience).

Tents typically better in real storms, better above timberline obviously. My tent setups are lighter than my hammock setups for a similar temp rating.

I love hammocks for summer camping in tick and mosquito areas that get lots of rain. I gravitate to a tent for the Rocky Mountains in hunting season.

How in the world is your tent setup lighter than your hammock setup? I have a Zpacks Duplex that weighs somewhere in the ballpark of 2 pounds. My hammock, tarp, and suspension comes in just at a pound.


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[Aginor]

Zpacks Tarp
DreamHammock Freebird
All of my quilts have been changed out to UGQ from HG and EE.

 

[johnp.leger]

Sounds like they both have their place. Haven't tried sleeping in a hammock but I know on windy days I tend to get motion sickness. If I went with a hammock, I should be able to use tag lines to minimize the motion right? Any links to the feed already covering some of this? Definitely appreciate the info and advice! This will be my first year mountain hunting and trying it diy backpack style.

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[johnp.leger]

What about a bivy? One of those sleeping bag looking tents? Would that be sufficient in most situations while keeping weight and pack size down?

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[ericacymcdonald]

What about a bivy? One of those sleeping bag looking tents? Would that be sufficient in most situations while keeping weight and pack size down?

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I've tried the hammock and tent but I always go back to a bivy. It definitely isn't for everyone but I'm blessed with being able to sleep literally anywhere and don't care much for the comforts while I'm in the backcountry. I like it because I can usually just sleep where I'm glassing roll out of bed in the morning and glass while I eat breakfast sun up till sun down

 

[Aginor]

Sounds like they both have their place. Haven't tried sleeping in a hammock but I know on windy days I tend to get motion sickness. If I went with a hammock, I should be able to use tag lines to minimize the motion right? Any links to the feed already covering some of this? Definitely appreciate the info and advice! This will be my first year mountain hunting and trying it diy backpack style.

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I’ve camped more than 150 nights in hammocks over the past 3 years. Many in severe weather. The wind never really causes any rocking that I can recall. There are hammocks that you can anchor though. Look at a Warbonnet Blackbird. It has tie outs on the sides that will prevent swaying. It’s an excellent hammock and as long as you’re not trying to get super light, I highly recommend it

 

[Aginor]

I've tried the hammock and tent but I always go back to a bivy. It definitely isn't for everyone but I'm blessed with being able to sleep literally anywhere and don't care much for the comforts while I'm in the backcountry. I like it because I can usually just sleep where I'm glassing roll out of bed in the morning and glass while I eat breakfast sun up till sun down

Do you often have to deal with rain? I used to be pretty similar, but after moving to Washington and dealing with changing clothes in a bivy just once I switched to the hammock and never went back to sleeping on the ground like a Heathen again

 

[Team4LongGun]

Same here-I've been in some nasty windstorms while in the hammock and haven't had any swaying issues. My favorite is Warbonnet Ridgerunner, which lays much flatter because of the bridge bars.

 

[Team4LongGun]

A bivy doesn't afford the ability to keep you and your gear dry at the same time (with any sense of comfort) on a backpack hunt. So you already need a tarp with it. I'd rather have a tarp over my hammock and my gear below me staying dry

 

[ericacymcdonald]

Do you often have to deal with rain? I used to be pretty similar, but after moving to Washington and dealing with changing clothes in a bivy just once I switched to the hammock and never went back to sleeping on the ground like a Heathen again

Yes and no, I'm in far northern california most my backpack hunting is done otc early season archery unless I draw something out of state. If I think there's a chance of weather i'll bring the tent. Waiting out a storm in a bivy is terrible but if the weather looks good I don't see the advantage to bringing the tent since I use the bivy as a ground sheet anyway

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

OP the forum’s advanced search function is really good. Go to search threads, enter your keyword (hammock) and select titles only. Then select which forum (sleeping systems) and sort by either relevance or date, then hit search. Great for searching the classified’s too.

Alternatively, in google search something like “site:rokslide.com hammock vs tent” and you’ll get good results that are only from this website.

 

[johnp.leger]

OP the forum’s advanced search function is really good. Go to search threads, enter your keyword (hammock) and select titles only. Then select which forum (sleeping systems) and sort by either relevance or date, then hit search. Great for searching the classified’s too.

Alternatively, in google search something like “site:rokslide.com hammock vs tent” and you’ll get good results that are only from this website.

That'll work, thank you!

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[cronsman]

My sleeping style is not conducive to hammocks and plus hammocks are way colder due to drafts, but just depends on your own personal style

 

[twall13]

My sleeping style is not conducive to hammocks and plus hammocks are way colder due to drafts, but just depends on your own personal style

I hear all the time how hammocks are so much colder than tents, and if you don't have the right gear there is a degree of truth there. That's really true for any sleep system though. If you don't have the right gear for the conditions, you'll be cold. If you have a 40* rated bag trying to sleep in a tent in 10* weather, you'll be cold. That doesn't make the bag or tent bad, it's just not the right setup for those conditions. Get the right hammock setup and you can sleep in weather a lot colder than most think. I spent a night in a hammock this winter where it was 4* when I went to bed and 2* when I woke up in the morning. I never felt a cold spot or a draft all night long. Now if I tried to do that with the gear most guys try when using a hammock I'd have froze. My point is, most people who make those comments haven't taken the time to understand the right gear necessary and how to use it to make a hammock comfortable in a variety of conditions. I don't blame them as it can get expensive to have all the right gear and if you are just trying it out to see if it works for you it's hard to spend the money. I also readily admit hammocks aren't for everyone, but I also think they get a bad wrap just from people who don't have all the right gear or information to do it right.

Also, I'm not saying any of this applies to you cronsman as I don't really know how much you've experimented with them, your post is just the one that spurred the thought for me to respond to and I wanted to put it out there that it can be done comfortably.

 

[Poser]

I have come to the conclusion that there is no singular, ideal sleeping setup for a wide variety of applications.

Bivy sack? Yes. I own 3. In some situations, it’s the best and even only way to go.

Tarp tent? Yes. I own 3. A 2 man and two 1 man setups.

Hot tent: yes.

Conventional tents? Have several. Haven’t used any in a good while, but they have their place.

Hammock: I’d definitely have a setup as a option if I weren’t a stomach sleeper.