A long time in the past, once I first began tenting, I’d by no means heard of anybody who used a hammock; all of us used tents. Issues have modified so much, with hammocks now competing for recognition. So, which do you have to purchase? It relies on the place you’re tenting, when, and different components, and there’s no one-size-fits-all resolution. Nonetheless, some primary tips ought to assist you determine the very best reply in your state of affairs: hammock tenting versus tent tenting.
Hammock Tenting Protection on AllOutdoor
Benefits – Hammock Tenting
Hammocks don’t want Stage Floor
It is a big benefit for hammock tenting. I’ve hung my hammock in boggy areas within the northeast the place a tent would have slowly sunk into the marshy floor over an evening’s relaxation. I’ve hung my hammock on the aspect of building websites in Labrador, the place stage, rock-free floor was troublesome to seek out. I’ve hung my hammock on a slim opening within the woods alongside a rocky seashore, permitting me to get up to a free million-dollar-view over a lake. You get the thought. Nonetheless, in the event you’re hammock tenting, you might want to find out how a lot area you might want to dangle your lodging, as a result of in the event you’re strung between two timber which might be too far aside, or too shut, you’ll be able to have an uncomfortable sleep.
Hammocks Don’t Want a Mattress
Swaying gently within the breeze, with no mattress wanted; hammocks can present rather more consolation than a skinny pad between you and the bottom. Nonetheless, you’ll nonetheless want one thing to maintain the breeze from slicing by the compressed loft on the backside of your sleeping bag and freezing you all evening lengthy. On something however the hottest summer season nights, I nonetheless typically use a sleeping pad, an underquilt or another heat retaining layer, so the load financial savings aren’t as nice as you may suppose.
Hammocks Deal with the Rain Higher
In my expertise, it’s a lot simpler to pitch and take down a hammock within the rain and maintain it dry, versus attempting the identical factor with a tent. In case your hammock has a big rainfly, you’ll be able to maintain a variety of gear dry beneath with out truly having to cuddle as much as it in your sleeping quarters. And since your hammock isn’t sitting on the bottom, it’s not absorbing water from beneath. I feel that for knowledgeable tent campers, that is much less of a difficulty, however for somebody who doesn’t camp as steadily, a hammock with a superb rainfly can deal with a downpour while not having a variety of trickery to remain dry. Nonetheless—in the event you’re tenting with different individuals and also you anticipate a variety of rain, a tent can provide a spot for a bunch of individuals to hang around, speak, play playing cards—except you dangle a tarp, you gained’t try this in a hammock.
Hammocks are Simpler to Pack
In case your hammock doesn’t have any poles—and except you will have a bridge hammock, this needs to be the case—then it’s simpler to jam it right into a stuff sack with out worrying about breaking something. Most of my hammock tenting has been within the Hennessy Explorer Deluxe Zip XL, and whereas time to hold the hammock relies on your location, it comes down in virtually no time in any respect; stuff the hammock physique into the “Snakeskins” that sit on the man rope (mainly, cloth tubes that comprise the hammock physique), unclip the hammock ends, and throw it right into a stuff sack. Jam the rain fly on high. Straightforward-peasy. See it demonstrated under, with the rainfly connected on this case.
Benefits for Tent Tenting
Tents don’t want Bushes
That is apparent—if there are not any sturdy timber or different excessive factors to hold your hammock (fence posts? mild poles? be inventive), then you definately’re going to be wallowing round on the bottom.
This has occurred to me earlier than, tenting in an space with stunted saplings however no grownup timber. If I’d had my tent, I may have loved a a lot much less claustrophobic evening. When you’re within the desert or different tree-less terrain, a tent might be preferable.
Tents are Hotter
As famous above, the wind will lower proper by your sleeping bag’s compressed loft while you’re hammock tenting, except you will have a layer beneath. In a tent, your sleeping pad gives that insulation between you and the bottom. Typically talking, a tent retains the wind out higher than most hammocks, and if you’ll find heaters for cold-weather tenting as effectively, from battery-powered options for small, single-man tents to wooden stoves in bigger tents.
Tents have extra House and Privateness
I see two-man hammocks marketed, however I feel they’d be even much less snug than a two-person air mattress—no thanks. Fly solo or go away the hammock at house. However a two-man tent has room for you and your sweetie, and you’ll deliver the entire household in the event you go sufficiently big. This isn’t to be discounted. And likewise, a tent does so much higher job of defending you from outdoors viewers, in case you’re anxious about pervs eyeballing you as you modify your skivvies. A tent is far simpler for getting dressed and undressed normally.
Tents are Cheaper
An costly tent will value you as a lot as an costly hammock, or extra, however you’ll find a serviceable tent for lower than a good hammock. Having stated that, lower-priced hammocks like this one from Onewind are providing a lot better bang-for-buck than the tenting hammocks available on the market from a decade again. Nonetheless, it’s a lot simpler to discover a whole lot on a high-quality tent than a high-quality hammock, in my expertise.
Having stated that: You will get a mid-priced hammock just like the choices from Warbonnet and assist a made-in-the-USA product whereas it’s more durable to try this with a tent.
What’s Greatest for You?
If I may solely have one or the opposite, I’d rigorously take into consideration the place I used to be spending probably the most time tenting, and what climate I anticipated, and purchase accordingly. On my half, I did virtually all my tenting in hammocks till I broke down and purchased a brand new tent about 5 years again once I realized its benefits have been fairly useful in some conditions.
There may be one different choice: You should purchase a hammock that doubles as a tent. There are just a few hammocks that work like this, however the one I’ve used up to now is the Lawson Blue Ridge. Whereas not as spacious as most tents, this bridge-style hammock did work effectively once I needed to pitch it on the bottom in treeless terrain within the American Midwest.
