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Does anyone hammock camp?

bowhunthard88 said:
Who here hammock camps? Enlighten me lol. Is the setup/weight worth it? At what point do you use a tent instead, or you don't? I'm not so much worried about the cost, but exploring this as a viable option for backcountry/overnight hunts/trips.
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My family and I switched to hammock camping a couple years ago. It packs down much smaller than any tent. It’s way lighter. You rarely wake up with that carbon dioxide headache even if the wind is pushing your camp fire in your direction. If you set your tarp or rain fly close to your hammock and use a underquilt or good sleeping bag, it’s as warm if not warmer than tent camping. It is way more comfortable in my opinion. The biggest negative is how expensive it can be. By the time you buy a good hammock, upgraded straps, underquilt, a camp or hammock pillow, a big net and rain tarp, you could easily be in the 400-$500 range. I guess much like saddle hunting vs stand hunting, you pay for those extra nice strong lightweight and comfy set ups. It is nice to know your whole set up can fit in a single backpack though!
 
bowhunthard88 said:
Who here hammock camps? Enlighten me lol. Is the setup/weight worth it? At what point do you use a tent instead, or you don't? I'm not so much worried about the cost, but exploring this as a viable option for backcountry/overnight hunts/trips.
Click to expand...
There was a great thread about this and even some DIY hammock options a while back.

@swampsnyper does it on elk hunts
@Homebrew454 i think makes his own gear I believe

I’ve thought about it but never took the leap because I couldn’t get the missus to do it
 
I do...in fact I absolutely hate tent camping. I have the Hennessey hammock with an underquilt and top quilt. I also have the coleman 12' tarp that I can put over it for additional cover. In fact, if I just want to use the hammock, I'll break out the monsoon tarp that hennessey sells. My outfit weighs in at 2.5lbs for hammock and cover. Add in another 10 ounces for the top quilt and 10 ounces for the bottom quilt. I camp where there are plenty of trees and have rigged my system to take straps and cinch rigs to easily adjust. Dutchware website https://dutchwaregear.com/ is a must.

IF not using trees, I can always use a ground tarp, two walking sticks and set up my system on the ground.
 
The other downfall is if you take the misses, you have to buy the tandom bars from eno so that she can sleep next to you because two people in a two man hammock is not comfortable lol you get pinched together like a burrito. Also you still need a tarp or covered area to keep the rest of your gear out of the rain (if it does rain)
 
You don't save a ton of weight over a tent in cold weather. In cold weather you need an underquilt, tarp, sleeping bag, top quilt. Compared to ultra light tent, pad, and sleeping bag.

But in warm weather, hammock is king.
Bear butt hammock, eno superfly, slap straps(wouldnt buy again but they work) light sleeping bag.

When it gets cold i utilize a hill people gear mountain serape with other cold weather stuff, but 25 degrees is my limit, its not comfortable anymore, and any wind makes it brutal.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
 
Newhunter1 said:
This the reason why I got the 12' coleman tarp...to cover my gear and my quietkat bike.
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The wind down here gets so bad that we usually pitch out 11x8 like a house with on side almost to the ground and the side away from the rain like a small porch. Even then if the kids come with, we pack and extra tarp to put the clothing and snacks ect under. If it’s just me the single tarp is enough
 
Wyatt_burp said:
You don't save a ton of weight over a tent in cold weather. In cold weather you need an underquilt, tarp, sleeping bag, top quilt. Compared to ultra light tent, pad, and sleeping bag.

But in warm weather, hammock is king.
Bear butt hammock, eno superfly, slap straps(wouldnt buy again but they work) light sleeping bag.

When it gets cold i utilize a hill people gear mountain serape with other cold weather stuff, but 25 degrees is my limit, its not comfortable anymore, and any wind makes it brutal.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
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If you take a good sleeping bag, you don’t need an underquilt and over quilt.
 
Wyatt_burp said:
You don't save a ton of weight over a tent in cold weather. In cold weather you need an underquilt, tarp, sleeping bag, top quilt. Compared to ultra light tent, pad, and sleeping bag.

But in warm weather, hammock is king.
Bear butt hammock, eno superfly, slap straps(wouldnt buy again but they work) light sleeping bag.

When it gets cold i utilize a hill people gear mountain serape with other cold weather stuff, but 25 degrees is my limit, its not comfortable anymore, and any wind makes it brutal.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
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Of course I’ve never camped out with it less than 30 degrees either
 
Wyatt_burp said:
Yeah, good sleeping bag, mixed with big winds, my brother and I almost froze to death hammock camping. No under quilt above 40 though.

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using Tapatalk
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The solution to the wind is all in how you position your tarp. We get serious ocean gusts down here. It’s pretty regular to see winds of 25mph but I definitely agree the cold can make things miserable (but I’ve camped in upper 30’s in a tent and was just as cold as in the hammock. Even though tents block wind and trap air, they are thin and when the air outside of them is cold, they do not hold much heat either. The lone advantage is the ground can hold some heat. But with a rated to 10 degrees Fahrenheit sleeping bag, I’ve found hammocks with the tarp positioned properly to be as warm.
 
My kids and I hammock camp a fair amount. It can be lighter than tent camping. I find that the top quilt and underquilt weigh about the same as a sleeping bag (mine are rated to 20F for a comfort rating, but if it's below freezing I don't take the kids out since they're young). I do sleep a LOT better in a hammock. Will you save money? Nope. It will cost about the same if you go with cottage-vendors. You can DIY it a lot and cut your costs in half, but I suck at sewing so I cannot comment much on that. Or you can get the Chinesium stuff on Amazon and save a ton of money too.
There is a wealth of information over at hammockforums.net and plenty of videos - a guy named Shug puts out a ton of videos and camps in sub-zero weather.
 
There is nothing better! My hammock kit weighs less that 6#. Tarp with doors, hammock w/ built in big net, 20* top and under quilts.

Tarp with doors was a big time upgrade! Great to block the wind and rain. Bug nets are also awesome for the cold. It blocks the wind and helps trap your body heat in.

The olive green set up is probably $550. And that’s with buying all from the classifieds besides my underquilt.

You won’t catch me sleeping on the ground again!

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Hammock, rain fly, and bug net under 100.....
doublesteps.com

Double Hammock

Double hammock with 10′ tree straps (2) and aluminum 5K carabiners. 400 pound capacity.
doublesteps.com doublesteps.com

Come on fellow hammockers.....u guys are forgetting 1 of the best advantages in cool weather...I have yet to have condensation build up under the rain fly unlike every tent ever....
 
My buddy just picked up this kit.

If starting from scratch it’s all you need and decent priced for the package. But it is a pretty big investment.

hammockgear.com

The WanderLust - Complete Kit for Hammock Camping

Shop for The WanderLust hammock camping kit: everything you need to get the best night's sleep under the stars. It's ultralight in your pack and on your wallet.
hammockgear.com hammockgear.com

Weighs 88oz according to the site.
 
Weldabeast said:
Hammock, rain fly, and bug net under 100.....
doublesteps.com

Double Hammock

Double hammock with 10′ tree straps (2) and aluminum 5K carabiners. 400 pound capacity.
doublesteps.com doublesteps.com

Come on fellow hammockers.....u guys are forgetting 1 of the best advantages in cool weather...I have yet to have condensation build up under the rain fly unlike every tent ever....
Click to expand...

Don’t forget you don’t have to get dressed laying down!
 
Do it, you won’t regret it.

I DIY’d my hammock, tarp, top quilt and under quilt.
 
The other benefit is no walls when you need to shoo or shoot a bear out of camp. So far have only had to shoo them out but no walls and a good light makes for fast target acquisition if need be. Your back will definitely thank you for a proper hammock setup.
 
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