Hanging?

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Nice view from the hammock! I just wish the Unitas didn't rain so much and go without a fly more often. Have you tried using a 30 degree angle on the hammock? http://theultimatehang.com/2014/01/rigging-a-no-sag-hennessy-hammock-tarp/

I like to keep it low enough to put my boots on while sitting in it. It also, lets the tarp keep anything under it that's not in a trash bag from getting wet, or I can just reach for it without getting up. Once inside, I'm lazy as hell.
 
Hurakan said:
Nice view from the hammock! I just wish the Unitas didn't rain so much and go without a fly more often. Have you tried using a 30 degree angle on the hammock? http://theultimatehang.com/2014/01/rigging-a-no-sag-hennessy-hammock-tarp/

I like to keep it low enough to put my boots on while sitting in it. It also, lets the tarp keep anything under it that's not in a trash bag from getting wet, or I can just reach for it without getting up. Once inside, I'm lazy as hell.
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I haven't tried that yet. Thanks for the link!
 
Wow, talk about a hater. I have to disagree about tents being more versatile. Get a hammock that can be set up on the ground as a bivy and you have something than can be set up in far more places than a tent. I like knowing that if I go out somewhere well stocked with trees and all the good campsites for tents are taken, like some areas of the Uintas on a holiday weekend, I can set up my hammock and not worry about finding a good and dry level spot of ground free of rocky points and stubs. It was awkward my first few nights though as I tend to be a side sleeper and found that hammocks are definitely more comfortable if you can keep on your back and lay on the diagonal. I can still roll to my side a bit and still be somewhat comfortable for a bit.

Tents still have their place though, and can be a lot lighter than a typical full hammock setup (with tarp, bug net, stakes, straps, etc) and certainly are a better option if you tend to roll around a lot and especially if you are a stomach sleeper. If I'm going out with my wife or to a place I know won't have any good sites for hanging, such as many areas down in the southern desert, then I will still take a tent. As long as I have enough to keep me warm and a nice pillow, I can sleep well enough in both a hammock and on the ground.

That guy who wrote the gizmodo article though, it sounds like he has an axe to grind or something. He certainly isn't well educated about all the other hammock systems out there that are far less costly, less weight, and much warmer than the Kammok setup he experienced.
 
Hammocks require some experience, you will freeze your ass off literally if you have no pad or under quilt. Most people do not know how to set one up either. They are not cheap , mine cost as much as a nice tent. Plus you have to get an under quilt or pad. However, I'm pretty confident I could weather a storm better than most three season tents, I would be happy in a huge snow storm in freezing weather as well. Even if my rainfly breaks, I still have my hammock weather shield and can take light rain or snow. It just comes down to personal preference.
 
We really should have a hammock hang some time. Pick a lake and meet up and compare setups. Im always, tinkering with mine.
 
One down side of hammocks...hanging under trees inevitably means birds above.

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Makes me hesitant to ever go tarp-less.
 
I will also note that I find the urge to empty my bladder more frequently through the night when laid up in a hammock, typically one to as much as three times a night. When in a tent, as with my regular bed at home, that number is zero to one. Still, that's a small price to pay when a hammock makes sense for a particular trip.
 
WasatchWill said:
I will also note that I find the urge to empty my bladder more frequently through the night when laid up in a hammock, typically one to as much as three times a night. When in a tent, as with my regular bed at home, that number is zero to one. Still, that's a small price to pay when a hammock makes sense for a particular trip.
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It is an interesting phenomenon - I have the same results.
 
12trysomething said:
I have never had this happen on a backpacking trip, only when set up in my backyard for extended time. Not to say it couldn't....and if it did it would be real crappy.
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Having slept out in a hammock numerous times now, this most recent night in my yard was actually the only time it's happened to me thus far. Nothing a little water and a wet wipe couldn't clean right off though. In my experience, being out in the wilderness, the birds are more spread out and don't seem to concentrate in certain trees the way they so often do in neighborhoods, so I would say that odds are you shouldn't have to worry about getting bombed on much, if ever, when out on a wilderness trip, just as you have found in your experience.
 
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