Sorry this was so late! UA-cam wouldn't process the video for some reason! Here are the time stamps: 00:31 Tents (Pros and Cons) 02:19 What I Look for 04:19 Freestanding 05:22 Semi-Freestanding 06:07 Non-Freestanding 07:05 Double Wall 09:48 Single Wall 11:32 Footprints/Ground Sheet 12:33 Stakes 13:42 Tarps (Pros and Cons) 15:52 Poncho Tarps 16:45 Bivys (Pros and Cons) 18:24 Hammocks (Pros and Cons) 19:47 Components 21:38 Quick Summary
Dixie ... Don't buy a hammock --- I will give you my unused Hennessy Hyperlite Asym Zip (hennessyhammock.com/products/hyperlite-asym-zip). I bought it before I really considered shelters & don't want it.
Hey Dixie, if you are considering hammocks I believe many will agree - DD hammocks, you can go either for the ultralight or you can negate the biggest drawback of hammocks (need of trees) with their travel hammock that can be used on the ground as the bottom is waterproof (just check for twigs, rocks etc as it will get pierced). Personally I have the travel one and although I don't have huge experience with hammocks, so far it rocks and beats tarp+sleeping bag setup all the time.
The only kind of shelter I have not tried is the bivy sac. After trying all the different shelters, I have found that tarp Will be my preference of choice including a small mesh enclosure. It is all about the bandages and it is bandages and from there it would be a matter of taking your choice. My tarp is a 12 x 10 ultralight tarp that offers me the perfect set up when it’s raining at arrival. It gives me the comfort of having a very big shelter to deploy all the rest of mine sleep system in a dry area. I can take my time to do things without wearing about getting any more wet. I always set it up over a ridge line that I put between two trees. Good video. God bless you.
Attention side-sleepers: something I learned in the boy scouts a gazzillion years ago was to scoop out a hollow under where your hip will be. I haven't seen this mentioned on any youtube videos that I have watched, and it's probably less effective with an inflatable pad, but it is something to consider to make your sleep on hard ground a bit more comfortable, maybe.
Chad Sanborn -- Nonsense. You leave more trace with your footprints, or the outline of where your tent or ground sheet was. And you can fill in the hip hollow next morning. Don't be so preachy and sanctimonious!
@@petereastwood7868 hardly preachy unlike your post. Just offering a possible explanation. And if your footprints are digging holes with each step you may want to change your shoes. Get outta here with your asshat reply.
@@DadBodDrumming , Compared to all of the other impacts - trekking pole scars, camp fires, trail erosion, digging pooper holes, putting stakes in the ground - a hip trench is inconsequential and is easily reversed, which is what I would do. To be clear, I might only do this if my pad gave up the ghost. The only damage done would be to roots and mycellium, which would grow back in days. In fact, it would likely lead to plant seeds germinating, as any green thumb will tell you.
Long time hiker here and one thing about hammocks they are addictive the first time I used one on a boy scout weekend trip when I was 13 I spent the rest of the summer trying to figure out how I was going to set it up in my bed room at home and now at 40 I still use a hammock everytime I go out
Well, I'm 73...so my happy days of sleeping on the ground are over...bought a Hennessey Jungle 2 layer and have never slept better. 2 layers mean you're not fighting your insulation(pads ...foam or air) once you get in, they are locked in place between the layers
MATTHEW JACOBS Yes but I know of couples who have two hammocks in their bedroom. I think for their intimate issues there are still other places they can go.
If it’s pouring rain💦, with most freestanding double wall tents🏕, you can set up the fly (outer wall) first. It takes a little longer to clip the inner onto the poles from the inside, but at least your inner wall stays completely dry. Love 💕 your videos Dixie, keep them coming. I’m watching from Australia 🇦🇺. 👍🏻
I use a hammock and just wanted to add that I use a slightly modified clear shower curtain as a rainfly/tarp. It keeps me dry but offers the luxury of seeing the stars and nature around me!
I’ve been a backpacker for over 30 yrs. Yes it was a lot of info, but you presented it extremely clearly and thoroughly. I always like to see others takes on stuff, and being a packer from the 80’s I always try to stay up on the lighter materials, especially as I get older. 😁
I'm a free-standing double-walled tent gal. I like the sturdiness of them, the warmth when it's cold, the stars when it's fine, and how lightweight they've become. As well, nowadays, most double walled tents can be set up with the fly and stakes or a footprint, then the inner tent is put up from the inside so it never gets wet. Or, in the case of my 4-year old Mira Exped ii, and many others, the fly and inner tent can be kept connected on take-down and set up as one, thereby also negating the wet floor issues of setting up in rain.
I came here to leave the exact same comment, I also use an Exped which pitches all-in-one and used two Vango's before with the characteristic. On the other hand, most of those kinds of tents don't have the option to pitch the inner alone (which I would never do around here, because you never know when rain hits, but maybe around other places, weather is more predictable).
The Hiking Sailor on the AT 2019 coat all the seams of the tent with a water proof glue before going camping and let it dry. They sell the glue most places and lasts for a while. Without a rain fly I’ve found that the term waterproof tent doesn’t exist
I've camped usually with tents ( in the old days...canvas), tarps, and pop-up campers, but with mosquitoes, ticks, and blackflies...there is no peace in the bush or camp areas if you are not closed in. Here in Canada, weather can be a problem, but the cold can mitigate the bug problem, but then it has it's own serious side effects. I'm still waiting for someone to show me where sleeping in warm weather without bug protection is enjoyable or possible. I know people do it, I've done it myself, but without cold temp's or strong winds...the bugs always win.
Shug is great! He gives a lot of options and why he likes em, so you can weigh what your preferences are in contrast. I love my hammock from Dream Hammock! I have the raven. I also really like my hanger tarp from underground quilts; I've had really good experience with their customer service. And their tarp is very well made. If you're worried about privacy, winter tarps with doors are always an option. I use one when I car camp, to keep neighbors from seeing too much!
My friend sold me his very expensive, light weight double wall tent & I used it while travelling around the world for several years, I didn't realise till the end of my travels that you could separate the inside & outside!! Ahahahah Dixie talking about the inside section getting wet while attaching the outer shel & I'm laughing at my stupidity all those years, would have been cooler in India if I had taken off the outer shell, well mine came from my friend set up like that and I always packed it, unpacked & set it up as a single unit!! I loved that tent, single person tent that managed at a stretch to accommodate me, another girl & our 2 backpacks while hitchhiking around New Zealand - Huge Vestabule. It even survived a morning hungry duck attack!
My wife and I really enjoy your videos. I had a bad motorcycle accident and so a tent just sucks for my hips. I love the Hammock Bliss Sky Bed. It's an asymmetrical design that has a sleeve for you to slide your sleeping pad into. Doesn't slip and I've kept very warm down to freezing temps without anything else under me. Big shout out to The Ultimate Hang and Shug's videos. Also, ProfessorHammock has great videos for all of the people that just want to totally get deep into the hammock lifestyle. Thanks again! And for sure (guys), designate yourself a pee bottle for when you just don't want to get out of your shelter at night. Best advice I ever received.
I ride mountain bikes in the desert and "camp" in the car. I stumbled on this video and learned so much that I may get and use a tent. BTW, the video is extremely well done and edited. Thanks for caring enough to do a good video.
There are a few car tents commercially made, especially for hatchbacks, suvs and trucks. A couple bike tents too. You can also rig up a decent shelter off a car with a tarp. Tent vs. tarp I find is most dependent on how much bug and critter protection you need.
I love spreading out and having the den feeling in my tent! I can definitely be a home body at times, and it was nice to have that settling into my home feeling on trail.
My experience with tarps and why I went back to a tent. 1. Bugs have unrestricted access to you while under a tarp unless you bring a mosquito net which adds back the weight you saved with the tarp. 2. If it is raining when you get to camp, you will be setting a tarp over wet ground. Most tents will be dry inside even on wet ground. 3. Fear of snakes. While a snake would never crawl under a tarp with you, a tent makes one feel safer from this (unreasonable fear), thereby sleeping better. On hammocks: The issue is no insulation underneath, or having to pack in the insulation which adds weight to your pack. Thank you for this channel and all your videos. You are an inspiration! Paul
Dixie (J.) I'm praying for you and your community because of the devastation from the storms and I hope that it'll be a quick recovery. That said, thanks for your informative videos, but take your time in getting some out if you need to, I am sure we can understand your situation. Family, friends, and community first!
I’m not outdoorsy, never once hiked, or backpacked and I have zero intention of ever doing such a thing. But for some reason I find everything you talk about so interesting and have been following you for years!
Great video, I just want to give a bit of advice on using a tarp, being a long time tarp guy. If you use bungees (connect the ends into the ring/hole/whatever it's called, and just wrap the middle around a tree or something), you can set up the whole thing in a matter a couple of minutes, and it eases the need for a bunch of knots. Although there are some drawbacks (you can't do it on plains, in high winds it will move more than if you use a rope, etc.), I'd say it's a good way to start if you've never used a tarp before. I thought that I'd just give something I learned along the way. Also, it's sinfully easy to pack it up if you want to head out at before dawn, since you don't have to untie anything, just watch out so the bungees don't take out your eye ;).
I know the video and comment is old, but this right here is a really good tip! We used to do the exact same thing in the army. The bungee cords is easy and quick to use but also secures down the tarp for a low profile.
Why aren't all UA-cam videos like this? It was informative, direct and to-the-point, easy to follow, had a timeline guide for different sections of the video, etc. And, obviously, the presenter was not only very knowledgable and experienced, but was also not hard on the eyes to look at (with all do respect).
IF YOU ARE SLEEPING IN A HAMMOCK READ THIS!!!! Before you take any chances, buy some good, long hammock straps, don’t use rope, if it rains when you are sleeping in your hammock the water will run down the tree, follow your ropes, and soak you. This happened to me in the summer last year in boundary waters, rainy, cooler night, I woke up at three a.m. cold wet and miserable, I was lucky that one of my friends who was with me let me in his two person tent, otherwise it could have been a lot worse.
Ryan Adams Tie a rope around the hammock rope with a short tail hanging down, just before the ring. The water will drip off the tail instead of running down into the hammock.
I just took my 3 oldest boys each on his own camping trip. My oldest and I backpacked 2 miles and hammocked there. That was, by far, the most comfortable sleep of the 3 trips! Despite the insane thunderstorm, the hammock trip was cooler and generally more comfortable than the tent trips. This was our FIRST backpacking overnight, but we knew enough to bring tarps, lol
same here. i live in FL and aside from about four weeks a year you can count on hot, humid, rainy, buggy. A hammock feels like air conditioning compared to a tent. I'll never sleep on the ground again unless I have no choice. Unless you can cram a sealy posture pedic into a tent, I"ll stick with the hammock.
I'm a new hiker and I am leaning toward hammock camping. I've been watching Shugemery and also picked up "The Ultimate Hang v2" and am reading it now. So many options on gear it's mind blowing!
One thing I love about tarps is all the room they provide. I have recently started using an oversized tarp in addition to my tent when I'm not as constrained by weight.
I just got a pocket tarp. Very light weight. Not huge, but big enough to create a nice shelter in addition to my Zelter Shelter. I'm a huge fan! It really does fit in a pocket and is really good and waterproof.
Dixie this is one of the most comprehensive videos I've seen on the subject matter. I've been camping and canoe trekking for 40 years and thought I've seen (and tried it all). I found myself agreeing with you on pretty much all of your points. Canoe trekking is a bit more weight luxurious compared to backpacking, but like yourself I've settled on single wall cuben fiber (now apparently called Dyneema) tent from a custom tent maker. Our first one was a 4 person pyramid style tent that lasted 6 years but was more of a tarp shelter as it was floorless. We just upgraded to one with a floor and mesh front and back doors plus mesh linking floor and sides to alleviate the condensation issue you mentioned. The Ants finally got to us on our last trip up in Wabakimi Park in northwestern Ontario. One night my wife and I both woke up at the same time, both of us slapping our head with our hand and trying to dig out ant from our ear who decided to forage in the wrong place. We both muttered in harmony, NEXT YEAR WE'RE GETTING A FLOOR!. I liked how you showed that you can use rock cairns on non-spike able grounds with non freestanding tents. This was one of our biggest concern when going to a non-free standing tent. The good news is that when there isn't soil around, rocks are usually plentiful. Sometimes we will fill a couple of stuff sacks with smaller rocks for key tension points and use that as an anchor and load larger rocks on top of it when we think the wind conditions are bad. You can also tie directly to stumps and samplings if you don't mind a less tight set up. I hammock camped for two years and enjoyed it. Thought I'd never go back until the inflatable air mattresses came out (and my wife started tagging along on my trips). Those neoair mattresses give so much more comfort compared to the old foam/partial inflatable thermarests, are lighter in weight and have great r-values. When I went back to ground, there was no more looking up. Thanks again for putting out such great content. Newly subscribed! Ken
I use a hammock with a bug net and a rainfly when its warm, and a double-wall tent with an inflatable mattress and sleeping bag when its cold. A cheap blue polytarp makes a great footprint. I tuck the edges under. I don't understand why so much of the camping community can only use one system for all situations. Why not both?
I definitely use both being in Arizona. I do alot of kayak camping, so im usually near trees to use a hammock, but when its a big multiday, or i know the area is lacking trees, i will use one of my tents.
Tarps are soo light and once you get the hang of it you can set them up super fast, which is great if the weather turns bad suddenly. Also, you can get an additional component to add door vestibules to make it private and to block out wind.
Thank you Dixie. That was an absolutely fantastic breakdown of the different shelter types along with the pros and cons of each. I really think this is going to be a great series and I appreciate you doing it.
I used a Big Agnes Tiger wall 2 ul on the AT this year (Vermont and NH). The tent with dual entry and vestibules provided lots of room and amazing water protection. One night it rained hard and I had set up the tent in a bit of a hollow area. In the middle of the night, something felt strange. The entire tent floor had water under it. Not a DROP came through. The color-coded single pole system is easy to set up. With foot print weight is about 3 lbs. Big thumbs up on this tent.
Great overview, Dixie! Personally, I favor a hammock for myself in the backcountry. When I first got into hammocking I got an all-in-one system from Hennessy Hammock. After a while using that, I realized that silnylon wasn't the best shelter/tarp material in wet weather, and I needed a longer hammock to be a bit more comfortable. So, I switched to a Warbonnet Blackbird XLC, and got a few specialty bits and pieces for it such as a cuben fiber tarp from Hammock Gear, "spider web" tree huggers, and a ridgeline and suspension system from Dutchware Gear. I still really enjoy my hammock, and plan to use it on the Benton MacKaye trail in a couple of weeks, as well as on the JMT this year (if I can get a permit!). However, despite the superior comfort, I have noticed 3 major downsides. Despite my best efforts to get the lightest gear money can buy, a complete hammock setup is going to be heavier than a comparable tent or tarp setup. As you mentioned, you also need suitable trees, and while this isn't a problem on the AT, it can be an issue on other trails, meaning you may need a second shelter system for use on other trips. Finally, setting up a hammock properly takes skill and time. Even with practice it can take me 20-40 minutes to get everything setup just right, plus 15-20 minutes to take down and pack, and that may be a lot more time than most people are willing to put into their shelter each day. I still use a 2-person tent with my wife when we go camping together - a Big Agnes HV UL 2 - but tents definitely aren't my favorite when hiking solo. The main issues I have are sleeping on the lumpy ground, the awkwardness of an inflatable pad, competition for great sites, risk of flooding in really wet weather, and how filthy the outside can get. Bottom line: there's no perfect shelter.
I used to use hammocks when I paddled through the boundary waters but my butt nearly always gets cold and I can't twist and turn to get comfortable. Bringing more blankets takes more weight to carry. I use a small Bivy now and its pretty easy to set up.
Hi Dixie! I started out with tents and got rid of them because of the boundary it puts with nature. you hit the spot with the comment of how important it is to look outside. That's the whole point of being outdoors! Then I switched to just sleeping on the ground under a tree. It eventually had a cost on my back. So here I am at my 50s! Started with hammocks a few years ago and wouldn't go back for anything in the world. Yes it's heavier than ultralight tents, but my trips are from 3 to 10 days so weight isn't that much of an issue. Why even complain if I am bringing a few pound steaks also! Great video girl!
Umm...Most of us hammock campers do use a good tarp. DCF tarps and hexon 1.0 make for an exceptionally light setup. Ultimate hang is good, look at Shug's videos, and go look at the gear by Jared at Simply Light Designs. Jared will walk you through whatever you might need (he makes good stuff and gets it to you lightening fast too). Dutch over at Dutchware is a wealth of knowledge and resources too. You can lighten your hammock setup just the same as tent camping by paying a lot of attention to your sleep gear and getting better quality down or by having different summer/winter configurations (you don't always need a 20 degree underquilt). Shug also has a video about how to side-sleep in a hammock. Side-sleepers might consider a bridge hammock or another style that uses a spreader bar. Personally I find that sleeping at a 30 degree angle or a little more in a standard gathered end hammock lets me sleep on my side (so does extremely cold conditions if you consider the fetal position a form of side-sleeping, but I do that in a tent too). Hammock camping takes a little dedication and a willingness to experiment with styles and setups but once you get it dialed in...nothing beats it. Oh, and you can take most hammocks to the ground and use trekking poles for the tarp if you have to...and if you are also using a winter/summer sock or bug net the hammock is just like a bivy under a tarp. Only draw back to taking a tarp to the ground is that most hammock campers seldom bring a sleeping pad, but if you know your going to spend time on the ground you can plan ahead. Also, you don't always have to use trees...2 cars that won't be moving, 2 posts or signs, under a bridge, 2 big rocks (that also will not be moving), a swing set all work... NOT cacti though (you can, but if you damage them, depending on the type, you can be in a lot of trouble)...so yeah, after a while you'll be surprised at the solutions you can come up with for hanging a hammock.
Dude YES! I've hung underneath a bridge over a creek in summer, between two telephone poles, between two cars, and on a swingset. Another plus of hammock camping is if one person likes a tight hang and one likes a loose hang, you can stack two hammocks and a ground-dweller under one tarp like 3-level bunk-beds and save a ton of room at campsites.
Heh...yeah, I've stacked them before too...can be funny when they try to convince my short self to hang higher. I've also paddled up to a shore and just hung a hammock between trees over the water with my kayak under me...it's a little scary in Florida because I'm always worried about gators, but it was great in Hawaii. Hammocks also come in all different sizes so figuring out how you like to lay is part of the fun...and you get to own a bunch of hammocks :)
@@HomemadeWanderlust Hey Dixie...i forgot to mention that if you want to avoid the whole underquilt thing and make it easier to go to the ground with a hammock setup; consider a double layer hammock with an open end to insert your inflatable sleeping mat. Schill brothers also have a good video from a while back where they and one of their wives all tried the same model hammocks but with one made of Hexon 1.0 and the other made from Hexon 1.6...long story short, the wife thought the 1.0 was softer but noticed no difference in the sag while the heavier guys thought that the 1.0 was softer and each had about 23% more sag than with the 1.6. however, they both preferred the increased sag as they felt it let them sleep on their sides better. Just some thoughts...
This is a good overview. Don't be offended by the hammock people. We are sometimes too enthusiastic. Long distance hikers need to know about all options, because things can change with territory. I have some friends (AT thru-hiker couple) who had to go buy a t**t, because they were going to hike the CDT, where they would often be above treeline. All knowledge is helpful.
I am a hammock kind of guy, and something i would suggest is to ALWAYS have an under quilt. That is the most important bit. And know the weather before you go and make shure that if there is rain bring a tarp. One thing that i like is a bug net for my hammock.
I use the Hyke and Byke Zion 2P Lightish weight, and only cost me around $100 (compared to other tents of this type and quality, THIS IS REALLY GOOD). It's a two person tent that can actually fit two people plus gear. Comes with it's own ground cloth, free. Really good quality. Great company. CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS TENT ENOUGH!!!!
Great to hear you are thinking about trying a hammock again! I love being outside camping but I was really tired of waking up in a tent with a sore and stiff back every morning. So when I saw some other scout leaders using hammocks a few years ago I decided to start doing some research. The most common thing I was reading, when I first started researching, was how comfortable people were sleeping. So I took the plunge and bought a Hennessy Jungle Explorer Asym Zip. Wow was it ever an amazing sleep! I went from tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable and waking up tired to sleeping 10-11 hours a night and waking up very rested. I now have three hammocks for myself and family. I have added a Hennessy Cub (for the kids) and most recently a Dutchware Chameleon. Hennessy is a great starting point for hammock noobs because of their all in one hammock kits. They also have a wide range of hammocks for everyone's needs (ultralight to heavier double bottom hammocks). I now love the Chameleon for its modular nature. You can get just what you need to get started or buy everything for it and be set up for all the seasons and possible weather that mother nature can throw at you. Don't for forget to get an underquilt (like the Hammock Gear Incubator) for backside warmth. If you go with the Chameleon you will also need to get a tarp. There are many options for tarps all depending on how much coverage you want and how light you want it. You can even get tarps with doors for bad weather and privacy! Well I hope you enjoy the hammock this time and don't forget to check out Shug's videos for all hammock info.
Hiked the Marble Mountains/Trinity Alps and norther Yosemite back in the '60's with homemade denim hammocks with a tarp slung over them. Heavy but comfy. Currently using Zpack Triplex which I love! Wow your videos are outstanding Dixie. Thorough, entertaining, and spot on!
Love the way you call the poncho tarp the extreme end... I've been camping with with a poncho for over 20 years and has always been my favorite camping set up. Never realized it was extreme, just though it was normal ;-p
I got interested in hammocks from watching Shug Emery also. Just got my first one at Christmas - a sparrow from dream hammock. Love it. Under and top quilts from Ugq. First nights sleep was 30 degrees and I was toasty warm and sooo comfortable.... you should definitely give it another try....All clear in sector 7 !!!!
Have you heard of a Tentsile tent? It is a hammock style tent that you suspend from trees, but it has ratchet straps to tighten it up so that you are sleeping in a flat suspension hammock type thing. It is very comfortable, and you can sleep off the ground, but you're still sleeping in the relatively flat space. I have one and I highly recommend them.
Great video. Very informative. I'm a long-time minimalist hammock camper... and have made just about all of my own gear. Granted, not all of my seams are 100% strait - in fact, some are quite ugly... but they've been doing the job failure-free for more then 15 years now. My suggestion is to get yourself a Warbonnet Blackbird, a Mamajamba tarp (which is what I modeled my gear after), read "The Ultimate Hang" and spend a week out in the woods with it. Caution! - 8 out of 10 people never return to sleeping on the ground after following my advice! There are so many little tricks and tips... like using a "Reflectix" sleeping pad and slipping it between the two layers of your hammock. This little 10 ounce pad will help keep you warm down into the 30s. Anything lower then that and I break out the under-quilt, which is a re-purposed sleeping bag. Geeze! I could talk about this stuff for hours...
I love my hammock. Last time I went out backpacking it started to rain and once I got my rain fly up first I set everything else up under the fly and out of the rain. It was also nice in the morning having my cup of coffee and breakfast while staying warm in my hammock.
In “the old days” I used a tarp, then a bivy bag I actually made (it wasn’t pretty, but it worked lol). In middle age I love my tent. I don’t go as far and I’m much slower than I was twenty years ago, but I like my comforts with my tent, sleeping pad, and my little pack chair...and my knee brace and medication lol.
I started hiking with a tube tent a long time ago. Essentially a 10 x 10 trash bag. It worked great! In the summer, with few mosquitoes, in the forest, with very few rainy nights. If mosquitoes, rain, privacy and humidity are big issues a double walled tent is best. As I’m a desert hiking guy, the ground cloth, poncho is mostly all you ever need. Your enemies are wind and sun. With emergency cover for thunderstorms. Anything wet dries quickly bugs aren’t bad. (Shake out everything before packing) Looking forward to trying hammock camping in the future as old backs need all the help they can get. It’s really about conditions, comfort, and survival in cold and wet. Hypothermia is a life and death deal.
My old & trusty standard issue GI "woodland" camouflage poncho never fails ... a little more weight but durable and very versatile...including rain cover, tarp, foot print(ground sheet - dating me) including many configurations for a tent ... excellent presentation!
Hammock suggestion: Warbonnet Blackbird. Has everything you could ask for in a hammock. I’ve taken it on a couple trips and love it. The “shelf” on the side is indispensable for a backpacking hammock in my opinion.
i sleep in a blackbird xlc every night, indoors and out. i am a side sleeper, and i have found that i experience better, longer sleep and also a great deal of pain abatement in a hammock. literal life changer.
Did the pct in 2016 in a warbonnet blackbird and edge tarp. Doing the same this year! 15' straps. Dutchclip, Dutch beetle and dutch tarp bling all around.
🇨🇦/🇺🇸... As an old guy who is also a side-sleeper, I CANNOT imagine using a hammock for a full night. I NEED to TURN OVER several times during the night and lie FLAT. I have used a hammock for a short time, relaxing at a cottage but I wouldn't be able to take a night of sleeping in it before ditched it and lay on the ground underneath.
Me too. I could taking a nap in one, but not sleeping all night. Also, I'm kind of heavy, and the idea of trusting myself to a couple of straps would have me too anxious to sleep. Can't fall off the ground!
I used a poncho tarp a ton in the military (along with a Bivy Bag) and I loved it. Highly recommend permethrin treating everything though. A benefit of the poncho is that you can put a rock in the hood and tie a string around it to have a guy-out point that's distanced from the body of the tarp. Prusik knots or bunjee cords make life much better My preferred camping method is still a bridge hammock though like the REI Quarter Dome Air at 19:53
Good to see the video, wondered if you were safe. That was terrible yesterday in Beauregard. Hope all your people were all right. We're down here in Montgomery. War Eagle!
Great video, comprehensive and full of useful thoughts for beginners. Years ago I changed from using various kinds of tents to a hammock. Got a Warbonnet Blackbird, which is phenomenal. Lightweight and packable, pretty easy (and very customizable) to set up, extremely comfortable for sleep (diagonal flat sleeping), interior gear storage, extremely warm with ultralight down covers, no sleeping bag or pad needed, 10x12 silnylon fly can give you a huge enclosed room, even huger stand-up covered living room (with a super-comfy recliner/couch to lounge around in and massive covered cooking area), or furls away around the ridge line for stargazing, with almost instant deployment if rain starts. The one and only drawback, potentially, is the need for a couple of trees, but I've never once not been able to find a great spot to hang, and in a pinch you can actually pitch the whole rig on the ground using two trekking poles. I would never, never go back to a tent. :-)
Dutchwear is hot right now. I chose Warbonnet Outdoors stuff as it was gear I was able to try out at a hang when I was shopping. I made the initial mistake of buying a complete ENO setup for my first overnighter... After two nights at a hang, I bought the Blackbird XLC.
I own the Warbonnet Outdoors Ridgerunner and Blackbird. If done right, a hammock is sooo much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. I’ll even use them to take naps in my backyard. However, an underquilt is a must; I can’t stress this enough. Hammocks get chilly underneath, even on warm nights. This setup is a bit pricey but well worth the investment.
Like you, I tried one of the cheap hammock setups (last year). It seemed good at first. But after a few hours I was very uncomfortable. This year I got a Warbonnet Ridgerunner hammock. It is light years better than the cheap setup.
@@HomemadeWanderlust Oh the Bridge hammocks Are oh so nice! Like sleeping on a cloud! I sleep better in my bridge than at home in bed. They are ( because of weight) the best car camping hammock or way to sleep rather I've ever found. Get a double layered one and throw a pad in the bottom. Big ol synthetic sleeping bag and your big ole pillow from home off your bed, Heaven! On trail its simple gathered end and fancy 950 fill down quilts, but car camping I bring the luxurious Bridge! Ive got the JRB, my buddy have the warbonnet, both are amazing.
Very comprehensive discussion. I think you covered it all. I use a hybrid system that consists of an 8 x 10 ft tarp with mosquito netting sewn around the edges. The netting keeps the mosquitoes out (although the crawly bugs can still get in). I rig it A-frame style supported with trekking poles or trees, and I generally use it in ground dwelling mode. However, I also have a lightweight (13oz) 9-foot solo hammock that I can rig up in places where I can't find a suitable level, rock free site. For these situations, I use my air mattress in the hammock for insulation and my unzipped sleeping bag as a makeshift quilt. This setup is compact, lightweight, inexpensive, and most importantly it provides flexibility for various conditions.
I love my hammock. I love the feeling of the air moving around me. Tents feel too "stuffy" to me now. Hammocks definitely take some getting accustomed to, though. My first set up was around four pounds. This season, I used the Kammok Mantis UL: the whole rig is two pounds. The trade-off for an UL hammock is that they're more likely to fail. Mine did after a half-dozen uses. Kammok sent me a replacement (they stand behind their lifetime warranty so long as you haven't abused the gear), but had I been out on the trail I'd have been sleeping on the ground. I'm a side sleeper, and my most recent trip was the first time I was able to lie diagonally on my side & sleep. Even when I've had to sleep on my back, I've slept better than I would have on the ground. (I used to be able to sleep on the ground on a Zrest pad. No longer -- I very little sleep & I can barely move the next morning.) I just did the Washington Section J of the PCT. It rained almost every night. I use down underquilt & a Zenbivy. I was warm & dry the entire time. An advantage of tarps is one can set the tarp up immediately once in camp & work/eat/relax under it. I lie a sheet of Tyvek on the ground & keep all my gear (except for food) underneath my hammock. You should hang your hammock so you're relatively close to the ground; if it's hung properly, it's easy to reach all of your gear. I had a couple of short days in that were kind of miserable. I found I can sit up in my hammock (although this requires fairly good core strength). It was really far more a comfortable shelter than most people think. Privacy is less of an issue than one might think. First, I've frequently set up my hammock a ways off the trail, in the trees, where I'm not visible from the trail or practically invisible unless I draw attention to myself. Second, one can set up their tarp for maximum privacy. If there aren't two trees of appropriate size & distance apart, I can set the whole rig up as a bivy. This is the kind of thing one should practice at home ahead of time, and ideally plan for what you'd do on a slab of rock.
I tell ya what, I have been sleeping in a G4Free hammock nightly for nearly 2 years and love it. Bought one for $25 to test out hammocks, and have literally been sleeping in it ever since. It handles being washed and dried. If using it for hiking, If used in hiking, I suggest a pillow of some sort. Whether that be a sweat shirt balled up, or an inflatable. Either way, I'll never go back to a mattress.
The hammocks I would suggest Warbonnet Blackbird XLC or the Hennessy Deep Jungle zip. The Warbonnet has a shelf to the side of that is so convenient. The Warbonnet can ether used with feet left or right. Some people like small light tarps. I like bigger tarps fro DD hammocks 4m by 4m. If You have poles or sticks you can set up your hammock on the ground. Your going want something to protect the hammock from damage.
I started hammock camping with a Dutchware Chameleon and have had some of the best sleep I have ever had, including indoors. I have also experienced a phenomena called "calf-ridge" when I did not have the hammock set up correctly. Once you tweak it in to how you lay, you can get awesome comfort. I chose the Chameleon because it is so very modular and can be customized to the highest degree I have seen offered in hammocks from any vendor. That and the reviews by the Schill Brothers Outdoors UA-cam channel on the various hammocks they have used guided my buying decision. Give it a try with a good setup. It can be a little heavier overall than ground dwelling, but the comfort is worth it.
I've used the single & double walled 1 person tents packing. The side entry type is what I prefer with the back problems I've had. It's much easier to roll into and out off than crawling backwards into the end entrance style. I have both. I've also used the rain poncho tarp style, but find this better for using when on an all day hunting trip. With these it's nice if there's at least one other person with one so you can combine the two in order to create an open air shelter with partial sides to keep the elements out while still having overhead coverage for two or three people. This also allows you to cook in inclement weather. For my multi day river trip I've used the tent & tarp system for some extra convince. Not having to carry it on your back you're not restricted by weight so much, and was easily added to the kayak. We also used the tarp as a sail when traveling over a large stretch of lake prior to arriving at one of the dams. That was an awesome ride.
I've recently gotten into backpacking and bought a rather cheap hammock. It's a small, but all included pack. Including a tarp, hammock and attached mosquitonet. Bought a rather thick foam mat for in the hammock and could comfortably sleep with tempratures of 5°C (about 40F). Just an overhang tarp ( not a wintertarp setup) and without underquilt. Just a light weight sleeping bag (only coldspots where my knees compressing the sleepingbag filling) was enough to keep me from freezing. Quick setup, 30 minutes on first try and easy take down, about the same. No traces where left behind which is the most beautiful of it all.
Long time hammock hanger here. While no system is perfect, I will stick with my hammock setup. You need to find and attend a group hammock hang before you go out and buy anything, You can find group hangs in your area at Hammockforums.net under outings.
About a third of the way through my '18AT hike I switched to a hammock system, got tired of looking for a place to set up a non-free standing single walled tent. I was told that as a side sleeper I wouldn't like it, this is wrong, I had zero problems sleeping. I also liked that the tarp would keep a lot of rain out as I could adjust the height of it. I could also keep my gear under the hammock and it would be dry and handy. The only draw backs I found was 1, not always finding trees that were the best to work with, you have to be really aware of dead trees and branches. 2, was on the rare occasion I slept in a shelter or a hostel I did not have a sleeping pad to use. My small closed cell foam sit pad/door mat provided little padding for my hips on hard plywood. In the end after now having experience with hammocks, free standing and non-free standing tents I use both free standing and hammocks depending on the area I'm backpacking. Most important part of using a hammock is the tree straps, don't go cheap they are the backbone for the system for ease of setting up. Happy Trails
I have been a hammock hiker for years and use Hennessy, there system just works for me. I spend months per year in it and love the comfort vs space. Once you learn about heat loss, the burrito method, you can just go and go. Skip all the single or day hammocks out there and just spend a little more on a good one, you will increase your heat, comfort and speed in set-up.
As a AT year-round section hiker, with 3day/2night to 4day/3night hikes, I have purchased and settled on 3 small shelters WHICH easily fit in the AT shelters, since they are barely wider than a sleeping bag/pad: 1) OR bug bivy (16 oz) with Borah Gear 5.5 x 9 tarp (8 oz) in case I don't make it to the AT shelter. 2) OR Helium Bivy (16 oz). 3) MH Ghost UL 1 Tent, about 2 lbs with fly. For these trips, if you pack light, you can even fit in the pack inside the OR Helium Bivy or Bug Bivy (after hanging or locking the food outside), obviously you may want to consider something different like the Ghost 1 UL tent, which offers better all around protection and a bit more space. #1 and #2 have a loop above your head that gives you some space, plus they are really easy to setup after a long day or in case of emergency, when your body and soul say you must stop and you can stick these just about anywhere as it has happened when I am among thru hikers. The tent is just a little bigger and it is about as standalone as you can get for the discounted price I got it for ($200), the foot section is just a little bit slacky. I believe if you are a section hiker, these are good, robust and rather economical alternatives.
Nice video. You bring so much credibility to whatever you post. I can see the appeal of tents in areas in some areas that lack tons of trees, but I do think that if you had a non-starter hammock (Warbonnet, Dutchware, Dream Hammock, etc...) you might change your mind. Your ZPacks stuff is so light I can understand the appeal for sure. And being a girl is another factor. Privacy is important! I bring my 19 year old daughter hammock camping and with the Warbonnet Superfly (I have two of them) we can quickly setup, have door ends closed for privacy, allow us to cook inside if weather is poor, plus cover our Warbonnet Ridgerunner bridge hammocks very well. Sooo comfortable! I really like being able to put the tarp in a mode that you can see all around or be able to look up at the stars. With the AT only 12 miles away, there are tons of trees and it's much more appealing than sleeping on ground that may not be level. If I was to travel in the West and to places where trees were scarce, I'd certainly consider your ZPacks tent options. In Andrew Skurka's book he definitely mentions wanting to hammock camp more on the AT and really liking bridge hammocks due to their comfor (the Warbonnet Ridgerunner, in particular). See what you think and best of luck!
I am one of those old, decrepit hikers who gave up ground dwelling when it became too uncomfortable. As for good information, you may want to join the community over at www.hammockforums.net. You can literally spend days finding answers to your questions. FWIW, my hammock rig is 1.4 pounds heavier than my ground kit. PS Love your channel! You are one of those who give hope to some of us that we may one day do a triple crown!!
On our first trip to the Serria's as a family (that's seven of us) I purchased 2 MSR Papa Hubbas. It was pricey, but its really hard to beat great quality. Granted, we're not through hikers, but I would recommend MSR's to anyone. Weight wasn't much of an issue cause everyone carried a part of the tent. We're still using them today. Biggest mistake was thinking we needed 6 canisters. Great Video.....
I’m a Scout Leader, and I tent or hammock camp depending on the circumstances. The hammock is by far the most comfortable option. For adult hammock users I recommend steering away from the big box store solutions and seek out the many “Cottage vendors” that are making far superior products than the mass produced versions. If you are under 60” tall, consider a 10ft hammock, over that consider an 11ft hammock, this is crucial to comfort. Also, the wider the hammock fabric the more comfortable they will sleep since you will be laying on a diagonal. Most importantly, I started off with a “Cadillac “ model with integrated screen with zippers pockets etc. and found that all those options were not needed. I’ve evolved to a simple hammock layout with a “Fronkey” net and quick clip and adjustment straps for hanging. This is much lower weight, no zippers, allows you to watch stars if you don’t need the tarp and if it is raining you set up the tarp first and then deploy the hammock out of the rain. In the rain I can have the hammock set up quicker than the tent. Dutchware and Dream Hammock are my two favorite vendors, but there are many more great American made products out there- go research! For ground I currently use a Tarptent which is a great tent, but I’m awaiting delivery from Massdrop for a new design from Durston Gear that I can’t wait to see, check that out at DurstonGear.com. Long story short, hammocks have a learning curve greater than tents but once you have it down they sleep like you’re at home in your bed. And, it can be done for around $150 if you stay simple. Add a budget underquilt for sub 30 temps for another $150.
I used a Warbonnet Blackbird hammock for my 2015 AT thru with Hammock Gear Winter Palace Cuben fiber tarp and under and over quilts. It worked great especially in the rain. Tarp setup first then hammock from under tarp. Stayed dry. Maybe 8oz weight penalty , but could setup anywhere as flat spots on AT AToften hard to come by. Used Whoopi’s slings & tree straps using marlin spike hitch to loop whoopie over. I carried a short neo air pad from NH to Katahdin in case I had to go to ground. Only 5 nights not in hammock. All from NH NORTH. On PCT to me it was a no brainer to use the soloplex so I didn’t have to fool around finding trees. This summer I hope to hop back on PCT to finish and will use the Duplex for more room than soloplex had. Hike on. See you guys on trail.
Poncho tarp just sounds like cutting it very very close. I wouldn't want to wear my shelter gear as I'm hiking around..its very likely you could damage it while hiking, esp if its brushy or rocky. When you use multipurpose gear you have to make sure you don't need both functions at once, too....how can you set up a tarp if you are wearing it as raingear?
You are correct. We had the same problem in the Army. Two of us would snap our ponchos together and make a shelter out of it. If you went on guard you got wet. I carried a second poncho to solve that problem. We had heavy green duct tape to fix any holes. I always try to carry two light ponchos when on a day hike. Good Luck, Rick
@@richardross7219 I shopped army surplus and I have had one of those ponchos! I loved it but I also had a separate tarp for sheltering. I did press the poncho into service at times when I needed a boost for my tarp...extra length, another layer, a vestibule, or a beak for one end of my tarp (setup close to a tree to block the other end) for cold or rain. Smaller secondary tarp type materials are also good to set up as privacy curtains for a bathing area...or depending how rugged it is... I also found a stray piece of yardage from a Walmart bargain bin...just an ordinary square of silnylon about 4x4 feet. It was tough as nails and super lightweight! I carried it for sheltering booster but also to sit on while I ate, to stand on while I washed, a place to spread out gear, to lay down for gathering firewood and drag it back into camp, as a pack cover, as a ground cover etc..? Did a thousand handy but not imperative things so I was glad to carry it.
@@lethiapage4767 Excellent. Two other frequent uses of a surplus poncho are as a hammock and as a stretcher. You can set up a surplus poncho as a hammock and use a cheap poncho as a tarp over it. Corporals Corner does some excellent how-tos for these. I still have my two from 45+ years ago but some of the rubber waterproof layer has delaminated. The matching poncho liner allows you to turn a poncho w/ liner into a sleeping bag. Good Luck, Rick
@@richardross7219 yes sleeping bag cover too. I started to say hammock...up there where it says...."depending on how rugged it is" I meant to continue the thought of making a hammock with it. Military gear is no! joke! But mostly not going to lie I used that poncho as rain gear when I was hiking full pack. Another use? Firewood cover! Thanks for your military service and for sharing your backpacking wisdom!
I was considering using my hammock and getting a tarp, but going through storage in our place I found an almost new 2 person MEC backpacking tent. As someone who has never done backpacking or thru hiking but really wants to, it was like a sign from the universe to get out there. Just waiting for it to warm up. Love your channel. You’re an inspiration.
I swear my lightweight, reasonably durable tarp from Harbor Freight $3.50 is doing just fine for me, I don't want your $600.00 Z Duplex. That said I'm not a long distance Thru hiker, I could see maybe a 2 week section hike. I just bought some Atwood Rope Mfg " Micro Cord " for ultralight ridges and guy lines, for longer trips I think I would stick with paracord .
What size tarp did you get? I'll have to check it out. I love using a tarp over my bivy or tent which gives just so much options. How much does the tarp weight?
Don't knock someone because they chose to purchase something you wouldn't. Besides, you said yourself you're not a long distance through hiker. Ultralight gear is so you can comfortably carry everything you want for a long distance. What works for you won't work for everyone and vice versa.
@@joshuasumrallms My apologies. I didn't actually watch the video until later, very well done. I don't have second chance hikers attitude I'm sad to say. No I'm not a long distance Thru hiker, but even if I was I wouldn't pay $600.00.for a tent! Cuban Fiber aka dyneema is used in some of my climbing equipment, in that application where my life (such as it is ) hangs from it I'll pay for it.. That said, I'm not so sure I'd use this $3.50 tarp on a thru hike either? maybe supplement it with Wahlmart insect bivy WooHoo! I was just looking at a ultralight 1 pound down sleeping bag $500.00 really? Not me. Andrew Skurka shops at Costco. I had no idea who Miss Dixie was, I did watch the Triple Crown Trilogy made a believer out of me. I will make a special effort at watching Miss Dixies videos before I run my suck. My ultralight backpack came from Target $36.00 whatever. P.S. I'm working through a spring Milk Thistle cleanse, does make me a little edgy, actually was thrown in jail while under the influence once. Don't knock it untill you've tried it! I apologise, buy a Cuban Fiber jock strap for all I care.
@@tenfourproductionsllc Harbor Freight has quite an assortment of sizes. I got the smallest , I believe it is 5'7" × 6'7" something like that? it's just a little bigger than my poncho tarp. It is what it is , but for the price it's holding up surprisingly well, I have 4 of them all together! (Hoarder). It does have some reinforcement around the edges and the grommets are the more solid kind that don't bend easily. Duct tape for repairs works fine.
That is awesome for you. I would love to be able to tarp tent, but... I live in New England, in RI, not far from Ground Zero for Lyme Disease. Tarp tenting in this general region is like playing Russian Roulette. I know a bunch of people that have or have had chronic Lyme disease. It is agony. Lyme disease is now arguably worse than AIDS, but that is never discussed. There is an excellent docu flick called Under Our Skin that reveals the cover-up by the CDC, AMA and Big Pharma. Lyme disease is a brutal killer that is one of the biggest cash cows for the medical industry, and likely is a weaponized disease from Plum Island, that either escaped on a water fowl or was intentionally released by which to generate trillions in profit. It takes about 20 years to die from chronic Lyme disease. From what I have heard, you will wish it took 20 days. A lot of people kill themselves instead of suffering with it. Don't want to be a Debbie Downer. Just trying to inform.
Having been hiking/backpacking for the last 13years or so, favourite is a multi-pitch tent, mostly because it has all the benefits of a double walled tent but with the advantage of being able to set up the waterproof outer without the inner, and vice versa. This means that in the rain you won’t get the inner wet when setting up but you can also use the outer alone as you would a tarp, or general rain protection, or the inner only if you are hiking somewhere you know it will not rain!!
I'm a side sleeper with a bad back. Been hammocking for a few years now. I absolutely dread the trips when I have to go back to sleeping on the ground, (no trees). Give it a try, just don't lay like a banana and you'll probably get the best night's sleep of your life...
I slept in my hammock prior to having surgery for a herniated disc in my lower back, it was way more comfortable than sleeping in a bed. After some trial and error you can also sleep on your side in a hammock
I want to encourage you to try. I am a side sleeper too and hammocks are great! The peapod style ones (the ones with no spreader bars) swing from a single point rather than a plane so you have to be pretty athletic to tip them. You can get into a very comfortable side position as long as you have the right slack in it...a little dip but not tooooo smiley. Its also easier when you don't have an insulating mat and bulky sleeping bag in there with you. But anyway even if you can't side sleep in your hammock I'm convinced you don't need to, to be comfortable! In my exp the comfort of a hammock is unmatched if you have it set up correctly and really can offset your preferred position a bed. The first night I went to bed in a hammock I don't even remember what happened! I laid down and next thing I knew it was morning and I hadn't moved all night long. I am very pro-hammock as you can tell...I have a lot of body pain and also some anxiety problems and hammocking is one of the very few things I do that I can feel myself relaxing. Laziest yoga ever!
I’ve been hammock camping for years, and it’s the best sleep that I’ve had in the woods. I use a Skeeter Beeter Pro and a sil nylon tarp. Works great for me.
Hi Dixie! You might wish to check out Dutchware Gear. Their Chameleon hammock is quite nice, and they have other good hammocks as well. Thanks for sharing! :-)
Gray Hiker love my chameleon with integrated bug net. I started with a cheaper mass made hammock. While it worked out ok... I like how lightweight and versatile the chameleon is.
I'll second that. The simple netless hammock and an add-on bug-net along with any one of the suspension options Dutch offers gives you a flexible/simple system. Add a tarp and insulation and you're done. If you haven't already stumbled across Amsteel/Zing-It/Lash-It line, give it a look for tarp suspension and tie-outs, suspension, bear lines and all kinds of other fun uses. Very light, very strong, doesn't hold water and doesn't stretch. Dutch's price on cordage is great as well.
After six years of ultralight hiking I just received my second ZPacks Duplex. I am still trying to shave weight off my gear but I can't imagine giving up the space in the Duplex. I am old, lazy, and messy, if I want to see the stars or Northern lights I will cowboy camp outside the tent. I can't do hammocks because of herniated disk in my back, I need to sleep on a hard, flat surface. Condensation in a single wall tent is just like poison ivy, it only effects you if you touch it, just don't touch it and you will be fine. I will never go back to a double wall tent with tent poles unless I loose my mind and decide to climb an 8,000m peak. :) Cheers!
I have seen plenty of campsites in the alpine with "no hammock" signs because the trees were damaged all too often and they take forever to grow/recover up there. Just something to consider when planning your hike/sleep system.
used swags for yrs , good for car travel but to bulky for most other uses , found the bike swags a bit bulky as well as not great in wet weather , you also need to dry out a lot longer in the mornings then other tents etc.. by the way when I say used them I worked with mineral exsploration companys etc etc so used them on a daily working basis
The system I used last time I went on the AT was a ultralight hammock set up by outdoor vitals. It clocked in at just under 5lbs. That was my tarp, hammock, suspension supplies, bug netand sleeping pod/underquilt(20f). I went in may-june just doing sections with the scout troop I was helping lead and it all worked out perfectly. The most comfortable I've ever been hiking or camping. Was in the Carolinas and there are tons of trees to spare. Since then I've used the kit every time I go camping it's just incredibly comfortable. I usually grab a lot of wood and place it on the ground then put my gear on that under my tarp to keep it all dry. All valuables stay in the hammock with me. Again the weight in total was 4.9 oz dry. Condensation was never an issue. I was able to cook under my tarp in the morning. Most nights I found some big logs and put them under my tarp if it was supposed to rain. It allowed me to cook on the log and sit on it under my tarp. I don't think I could ever do tent camping again. It's so much more comfortable and after 3-4 weeks of setting it up every night I became quite proficient at it. Just my personal thoughts and experience.
Also a great resource for hammock that I found is a channel called backpacking with a hammock he covers a lot of basics and how to for backpacking with a hammock. Great resource on UA-cam for those that are thinking about hammocks over tents. Also I didn't bring an overquilt with me since it was warm and I just kept a underquilt and that was plenty for me and it saved weight
When I was hiking the Appalachian Trail back in 2007 I used a Sierra Design 2-person Clip Flashlight double walled backpacking tent that weighed almost 4 lbs complete. I would still do a 2-person tent but certainly something that weighed a lot less than what I had used.
Sorry this was so late! UA-cam wouldn't process the video for some reason! Here are the time stamps:
00:31 Tents (Pros and Cons)
02:19 What I Look for
04:19 Freestanding
05:22 Semi-Freestanding
06:07 Non-Freestanding
07:05 Double Wall
09:48 Single Wall
11:32 Footprints/Ground Sheet
12:33 Stakes
13:42 Tarps (Pros and Cons)
15:52 Poncho Tarps
16:45 Bivys (Pros and Cons)
18:24 Hammocks (Pros and Cons)
19:47 Components
21:38 Quick Summary
Dixie ... Don't buy a hammock --- I will give you my unused Hennessy Hyperlite Asym Zip (hennessyhammock.com/products/hyperlite-asym-zip). I bought it before I really considered shelters & don't want it.
Homemade Wanderlust Thanks for the time stamps. Thoughtful feature.
Thank you! ;)
Hey Dixie, if you are considering hammocks I believe many will agree - DD hammocks, you can go either for the ultralight or you can negate the biggest drawback of hammocks (need of trees) with their travel hammock that can be used on the ground as the bottom is waterproof (just check for twigs, rocks etc as it will get pierced). Personally I have the travel one and although I don't have huge experience with hammocks, so far it rocks and beats tarp+sleeping bag setup all the time.
The only kind of shelter I have not tried is the bivy sac. After trying all the different shelters, I have found that tarp Will be my preference of choice including a small mesh enclosure. It is all about the bandages and it is bandages and from there it would be a matter of taking your choice. My tarp is a 12 x 10 ultralight tarp that offers me the perfect set up when it’s raining at arrival. It gives me the comfort of having a very big shelter to deploy all the rest of mine sleep system in a dry area. I can take my time to do things without wearing about getting any more wet. I always set it up over a ridge line that I put between two trees. Good video. God bless you.
Attention side-sleepers: something I learned in the boy scouts a gazzillion years ago was to scoop out a hollow under where your hip will be. I haven't seen this mentioned on any youtube videos that I have watched, and it's probably less effective with an inflatable pad, but it is something to consider to make your sleep on hard ground a bit more comfortable, maybe.
its a nice idea, but many hikers follow the Leave No Trace principals and this would violate that.
Chad Sanborn -- Nonsense. You leave more trace with your footprints, or the outline of where your tent or ground sheet was. And you can fill in the hip hollow next morning. Don't be so preachy and sanctimonious!
@@petereastwood7868 hardly preachy unlike your post. Just offering a possible explanation. And if your footprints are digging holes with each step you may want to change your shoes. Get outta here with your asshat reply.
I learned about that in the '70s, then forgot all about it. You are right - if your pad STB, it is the next best thing.
@@DadBodDrumming ,
Compared to all of the other impacts - trekking pole scars, camp fires, trail erosion, digging pooper holes, putting stakes in the ground - a hip trench is inconsequential and is easily reversed, which is what I would do. To be clear, I might only do this if my pad gave up the ghost.
The only damage done would be to roots and mycellium, which would grow back in days. In fact, it would likely lead to plant seeds germinating, as any green thumb will tell you.
I'm a ADV motorcyclist and this is some of the most useful camping information channel I have found.
Long time hiker here and one thing about hammocks they are addictive the first time I used one on a boy scout weekend trip when I was 13 I spent the rest of the summer trying to figure out how I was going to set it up in my bed room at home and now at 40 I still use a hammock everytime I go out
Well, I'm 73...so my happy days of sleeping on the ground are over...bought a Hennessey Jungle 2 layer and have never slept better. 2 layers mean you're not fighting your insulation(pads ...foam or air) once you get in, they are locked in place between the layers
Richard Goeringer I sleep in a hammock at home and sleep so well in it.
@@davidlazarus67 You're single I take it
MATTHEW JACOBS Yes but I know of couples who have two hammocks in their bedroom. I think for their intimate issues there are still other places they can go.
After go hike with my girl friend. I love Tent!!!!;)
If it’s pouring rain💦, with most freestanding double wall tents🏕, you can set up the fly (outer wall) first. It takes a little longer to clip the inner onto the poles from the inside, but at least your inner wall stays completely dry. Love 💕 your videos Dixie, keep them coming. I’m watching from Australia 🇦🇺. 👍🏻
I use a hammock and just wanted to add that I use a slightly modified clear shower curtain as a rainfly/tarp. It keeps me dry but offers the luxury of seeing the stars and nature around me!
I’ve been a backpacker for over 30 yrs. Yes it was a lot of info, but you presented it extremely clearly and thoroughly. I always like to see others takes on stuff, and being a packer from the 80’s I always try to stay up on the lighter materials, especially as I get older. 😁
I'm a free-standing double-walled tent gal. I like the sturdiness of them, the warmth when it's cold, the stars when it's fine, and how lightweight they've become. As well, nowadays, most double walled tents can be set up with the fly and stakes or a footprint, then the inner tent is put up from the inside so it never gets wet. Or, in the case of my 4-year old Mira Exped ii, and many others, the fly and inner tent can be kept connected on take-down and set up as one, thereby also negating the wet floor issues of setting up in rain.
I came here to leave the exact same comment, I also use an Exped which pitches all-in-one and used two Vango's before with the characteristic. On the other hand, most of those kinds of tents don't have the option to pitch the inner alone (which I would never do around here, because you never know when rain hits, but maybe around other places, weather is more predictable).
Sadly we are still wet getting into the tent or do you have a suggestion for this always wet in a tent person lol
The Hiking Sailor on the AT 2019 coat all the seams of the tent with a water proof glue before going camping and let it dry. They sell the glue most places and lasts for a while. Without a rain fly I’ve found that the term waterproof tent doesn’t exist
I've camped usually with tents ( in the old days...canvas), tarps, and pop-up campers, but with mosquitoes, ticks, and blackflies...there is no peace in the bush or camp areas if you are not closed in. Here in Canada, weather can be a problem, but the cold can mitigate the bug problem, but then it has it's own serious side effects. I'm still waiting for someone to show me where sleeping in warm weather without bug protection is enjoyable or possible. I know people do it, I've done it myself, but without cold temp's or strong winds...the bugs always win.
@@blueeyeswhitedragon9839 I travelled through washington and oregon from june to oct without a drop of rain or a mosquito. no tent, no sleeping bag.
Shug Emery’s UA-cam channel is also a good hammock resource. Plus he’s a hoot to watch.
Yes! Thank you for adding that.
yep, exactly what i was thinking.
Shug is great! He gives a lot of options and why he likes em, so you can weigh what your preferences are in contrast.
I love my hammock from Dream Hammock! I have the raven. I also really like my hanger tarp from underground quilts; I've had really good experience with their customer service. And their tarp is very well made. If you're worried about privacy, winter tarps with doors are always an option. I use one when I car camp, to keep neighbors from seeing too much!
Yeah hes hilarious
Will add Tim Watson's and Spiguyver name here. What I did not learn from Shug I learned from them
My friend sold me his very expensive, light weight double wall tent & I used it while travelling around the world for several years, I didn't realise till the end of my travels that you could separate the inside & outside!! Ahahahah Dixie talking about the inside section getting wet while attaching the outer shel & I'm laughing at my stupidity all those years, would have been cooler in India if I had taken off the outer shell, well mine came from my friend set up like that and I always packed it, unpacked & set it up as a single unit!! I loved that tent, single person tent that managed at a stretch to accommodate me, another girl & our 2 backpacks while hitchhiking around New Zealand - Huge Vestabule. It even survived a morning hungry duck attack!
My wife and I really enjoy your videos. I had a bad motorcycle accident and so a tent just sucks for my hips. I love the Hammock Bliss Sky Bed. It's an asymmetrical design that has a sleeve for you to slide your sleeping pad into. Doesn't slip and I've kept very warm down to freezing temps without anything else under me. Big shout out to The Ultimate Hang and Shug's videos. Also, ProfessorHammock has great videos for all of the people that just want to totally get deep into the hammock lifestyle. Thanks again! And for sure (guys), designate yourself a pee bottle for when you just don't want to get out of your shelter at night. Best advice I ever received.
I ride mountain bikes in the desert and "camp" in the car. I stumbled on this video and learned so much that I may get and use a tent. BTW, the video is extremely well done and edited. Thanks for caring enough to do a good video.
There are a few car tents commercially made, especially for hatchbacks, suvs and trucks. A couple bike tents too. You can also rig up a decent shelter off a car with a tarp. Tent vs. tarp I find is most dependent on how much bug and critter protection you need.
Nothing beats a car for shelter. I'll always prefer car to tent if I have car. Can't carry car up mountain switchbacks which is why I use tent
I love spreading out and having the den feeling in my tent! I can definitely be a home body at times, and it was nice to have that settling into my home feeling on trail.
I think a lot of people feel the same.
My experience with tarps and why I went back to a tent.
1. Bugs have unrestricted access to you while under a tarp unless you bring a mosquito net which adds back the weight you saved with the tarp.
2. If it is raining when you get to camp, you will be setting a tarp over wet ground. Most tents will be dry inside even on wet ground.
3. Fear of snakes. While a snake would never crawl under a tarp with you, a tent makes one feel safer from this (unreasonable fear), thereby sleeping better.
On hammocks: The issue is no insulation underneath, or having to pack in the insulation which adds weight to your pack.
Thank you for this channel and all your videos. You are an inspiration!
Paul
With tent you can't enjoy the view haha
Dixie (J.) I'm praying for you and your community because of the devastation from the storms and I hope that it'll be a quick recovery. That said, thanks for your informative videos, but take your time in getting some out if you need to, I am sure we can understand your situation. Family, friends, and community first!
Bernie Broering I was thinking along those lines also-wondered if Dixie lived near the impact....tragic event...puts a lot of things in perspective..
I’m not outdoorsy, never once hiked, or backpacked and I have zero intention of ever doing such a thing. But for some reason I find everything you talk about so interesting and have been following you for years!
Great video, I just want to give a bit of advice on using a tarp, being a long time tarp guy. If you use bungees (connect the ends into the ring/hole/whatever it's called, and just wrap the middle around a tree or something), you can set up the whole thing in a matter a couple of minutes, and it eases the need for a bunch of knots. Although there are some drawbacks (you can't do it on plains, in high winds it will move more than if you use a rope, etc.), I'd say it's a good way to start if you've never used a tarp before. I thought that I'd just give something I learned along the way. Also, it's sinfully easy to pack it up if you want to head out at before dawn, since you don't have to untie anything, just watch out so the bungees don't take out your eye ;).
I know the video and comment is old, but this right here is a really good tip! We used to do the exact same thing in the army. The bungee cords is easy and quick to use but also secures down the tarp for a low profile.
Why aren't all UA-cam videos like this? It was informative, direct and to-the-point, easy to follow, had a timeline guide for different sections of the video, etc. And, obviously, the presenter was not only very knowledgable and experienced, but was also not hard on the eyes to look at (with all do respect).
IF YOU ARE SLEEPING IN A HAMMOCK READ THIS!!!! Before you take any chances, buy some good, long hammock straps, don’t use rope, if it rains when you are sleeping in your hammock the water will run down the tree, follow your ropes, and soak you. This happened to me in the summer last year in boundary waters, rainy, cooler night, I woke up at three a.m. cold wet and miserable, I was lucky that one of my friends who was with me let me in his two person tent, otherwise it could have been a lot worse.
Ryan Adams
Tie a rope around the hammock rope with a short tail hanging down, just before the ring. The water will drip off the tail instead of running down into the hammock.
C M ok thanks
I just took my 3 oldest boys each on his own camping trip. My oldest and I backpacked 2 miles and hammocked there. That was, by far, the most comfortable sleep of the 3 trips! Despite the insane thunderstorm, the hammock trip was cooler and generally more comfortable than the tent trips. This was our FIRST backpacking overnight, but we knew enough to bring tarps, lol
I love my Hennessy hammock tent we used them in the military and I loved it than and now
same here. i live in FL and aside from about four weeks a year you can count on hot, humid, rainy, buggy. A hammock feels like air conditioning compared to a tent. I'll never sleep on the ground again unless I have no choice. Unless you can cram a sealy posture pedic into a tent, I"ll stick with the hammock.
I'm a new hiker and I am leaning toward hammock camping. I've been watching Shugemery and also picked up "The Ultimate Hang v2" and am reading it now. So many options on gear it's mind blowing!
One thing I love about tarps is all the room they provide. I have recently started using an oversized tarp in addition to my tent when I'm not as constrained by weight.
I just got a pocket tarp. Very light weight. Not huge, but big enough to create a nice shelter in addition to my Zelter Shelter. I'm a huge fan! It really does fit in a pocket and is really good and waterproof.
Dixie this is one of the most comprehensive videos I've seen on the subject matter. I've been camping and canoe trekking for 40 years and thought I've seen (and tried it all). I found myself agreeing with you on pretty much all of your points. Canoe trekking is a bit more weight luxurious compared to backpacking, but like yourself I've settled on single wall cuben fiber (now apparently called Dyneema) tent from a custom tent maker. Our first one was a 4 person pyramid style tent that lasted 6 years but was more of a tarp shelter as it was floorless. We just upgraded to one with a floor and mesh front and back doors plus mesh linking floor and sides to alleviate the condensation issue you mentioned. The Ants finally got to us on our last trip up in Wabakimi Park in northwestern Ontario. One night my wife and I both woke up at the same time, both of us slapping our head with our hand and trying to dig out ant from our ear who decided to forage in the wrong place. We both muttered in harmony, NEXT YEAR WE'RE GETTING A FLOOR!.
I liked how you showed that you can use rock cairns on non-spike able grounds with non freestanding tents. This was one of our biggest concern when going to a non-free standing tent. The good news is that when there isn't soil around, rocks are usually plentiful. Sometimes we will fill a couple of stuff sacks with smaller rocks for key tension points and use that as an anchor and load larger rocks on top of it when we think the wind conditions are bad. You can also tie directly to stumps and samplings if you don't mind a less tight set up.
I hammock camped for two years and enjoyed it. Thought I'd never go back until the inflatable air mattresses came out (and my wife started tagging along on my trips). Those neoair mattresses give so much more comfort compared to the old foam/partial inflatable thermarests, are lighter in weight and have great r-values. When I went back to ground, there was no more looking up.
Thanks again for putting out such great content. Newly subscribed! Ken
I use a hammock with a bug net and a rainfly when its warm, and a double-wall tent with an inflatable mattress and sleeping bag when its cold. A cheap blue polytarp makes a great footprint. I tuck the edges under. I don't understand why so much of the camping community can only use one system for all situations. Why not both?
I definitely use both being in Arizona. I do alot of kayak camping, so im usually near trees to use a hammock, but when its a big multiday, or i know the area is lacking trees, i will use one of my tents.
i can barely afford one system, let alone 2 of them
Tarps are soo light and once you get the hang of it you can set them up super fast, which is great if the weather turns bad suddenly. Also, you can get an additional component to add door vestibules to make it private and to block out wind.
Thank you Dixie. That was an absolutely fantastic breakdown of the different shelter types along with the pros and cons of each. I really think this is going to be a great series and I appreciate you doing it.
I used a Big Agnes Tiger wall 2 ul on the AT this year (Vermont and NH). The tent with dual entry and vestibules provided lots of room and amazing water protection. One night it rained hard and I had set up the tent in a bit of a hollow area. In the middle of the night, something felt strange. The entire tent floor had water under it. Not a DROP came through. The color-coded single pole system is easy to set up. With foot print weight is about 3 lbs. Big thumbs up on this tent.
Perk's beard releases heat. science.
If perks beard gets any longer, he won’t need a quilt.
Tent? Yes. Hammock? Yes. My bed? Yes. Love some sky watching.
Thanks for your sharing. Side sleeper her also.
Mahalo nui loa. Aloha ke akua. To All.
Great overview, Dixie!
Personally, I favor a hammock for myself in the backcountry. When I first got into hammocking I got an all-in-one system from Hennessy Hammock. After a while using that, I realized that silnylon wasn't the best shelter/tarp material in wet weather, and I needed a longer hammock to be a bit more comfortable. So, I switched to a Warbonnet Blackbird XLC, and got a few specialty bits and pieces for it such as a cuben fiber tarp from Hammock Gear, "spider web" tree huggers, and a ridgeline and suspension system from Dutchware Gear.
I still really enjoy my hammock, and plan to use it on the Benton MacKaye trail in a couple of weeks, as well as on the JMT this year (if I can get a permit!). However, despite the superior comfort, I have noticed 3 major downsides. Despite my best efforts to get the lightest gear money can buy, a complete hammock setup is going to be heavier than a comparable tent or tarp setup. As you mentioned, you also need suitable trees, and while this isn't a problem on the AT, it can be an issue on other trails, meaning you may need a second shelter system for use on other trips. Finally, setting up a hammock properly takes skill and time. Even with practice it can take me 20-40 minutes to get everything setup just right, plus 15-20 minutes to take down and pack, and that may be a lot more time than most people are willing to put into their shelter each day.
I still use a 2-person tent with my wife when we go camping together - a Big Agnes HV UL 2 - but tents definitely aren't my favorite when hiking solo. The main issues I have are sleeping on the lumpy ground, the awkwardness of an inflatable pad, competition for great sites, risk of flooding in really wet weather, and how filthy the outside can get.
Bottom line: there's no perfect shelter.
I used to use hammocks when I paddled through the boundary waters but my butt nearly always gets cold and I can't twist and turn to get comfortable. Bringing more blankets takes more weight to carry. I use a small Bivy now and its pretty easy to set up.
Hi Dixie! I started out with tents and got rid of them because of the boundary it puts with nature. you hit the spot with the comment of how important it is to look outside. That's the whole point of being outdoors! Then I switched to just sleeping on the ground under a tree. It eventually had a cost on my back. So here I am at my 50s! Started with hammocks a few years ago and wouldn't go back for anything in the world. Yes it's heavier than ultralight tents, but my trips are from 3 to 10 days so weight isn't that much of an issue. Why even complain if I am bringing a few pound steaks also! Great video girl!
Umm...Most of us hammock campers do use a good tarp. DCF tarps and hexon 1.0 make for an exceptionally light setup. Ultimate hang is good, look at Shug's videos, and go look at the gear by Jared at Simply Light Designs. Jared will walk you through whatever you might need (he makes good stuff and gets it to you lightening fast too). Dutch over at Dutchware is a wealth of knowledge and resources too. You can lighten your hammock setup just the same as tent camping by paying a lot of attention to your sleep gear and getting better quality down or by having different summer/winter configurations (you don't always need a 20 degree underquilt). Shug also has a video about how to side-sleep in a hammock. Side-sleepers might consider a bridge hammock or another style that uses a spreader bar. Personally I find that sleeping at a 30 degree angle or a little more in a standard gathered end hammock lets me sleep on my side (so does extremely cold conditions if you consider the fetal position a form of side-sleeping, but I do that in a tent too). Hammock camping takes a little dedication and a willingness to experiment with styles and setups but once you get it dialed in...nothing beats it. Oh, and you can take most hammocks to the ground and use trekking poles for the tarp if you have to...and if you are also using a winter/summer sock or bug net the hammock is just like a bivy under a tarp. Only draw back to taking a tarp to the ground is that most hammock campers seldom bring a sleeping pad, but if you know your going to spend time on the ground you can plan ahead. Also, you don't always have to use trees...2 cars that won't be moving, 2 posts or signs, under a bridge, 2 big rocks (that also will not be moving), a swing set all work... NOT cacti though (you can, but if you damage them, depending on the type, you can be in a lot of trouble)...so yeah, after a while you'll be surprised at the solutions you can come up with for hanging a hammock.
Thank you for all of the info! I really appreciate it :)
I've had to use a tree in combo with a van door frame to hang! You can get creative! Good tips, thanks!
Dude YES! I've hung underneath a bridge over a creek in summer, between two telephone poles, between two cars, and on a swingset. Another plus of hammock camping is if one person likes a tight hang and one likes a loose hang, you can stack two hammocks and a ground-dweller under one tarp like 3-level bunk-beds and save a ton of room at campsites.
Heh...yeah, I've stacked them before too...can be funny when they try to convince my short self to hang higher. I've also paddled up to a shore and just hung a hammock between trees over the water with my kayak under me...it's a little scary in Florida because I'm always worried about gators, but it was great in Hawaii. Hammocks also come in all different sizes so figuring out how you like to lay is part of the fun...and you get to own a bunch of hammocks :)
@@HomemadeWanderlust Hey Dixie...i forgot to mention that if you want to avoid the whole underquilt thing and make it easier to go to the ground with a hammock setup; consider a double layer hammock with an open end to insert your inflatable sleeping mat. Schill brothers also have a good video from a while back where they and one of their wives all tried the same model hammocks but with one made of Hexon 1.0 and the other made from Hexon 1.6...long story short, the wife thought the 1.0 was softer but noticed no difference in the sag while the heavier guys thought that the 1.0 was softer and each had about 23% more sag than with the 1.6. however, they both preferred the increased sag as they felt it let them sleep on their sides better. Just some thoughts...
This is a good overview. Don't be offended by the hammock people. We are sometimes too enthusiastic. Long distance hikers need to know about all options, because things can change with territory. I have some friends (AT thru-hiker couple) who had to go buy a t**t, because they were going to hike the CDT, where they would often be above treeline. All knowledge is helpful.
I am a hammock kind of guy, and something i would suggest is to ALWAYS have an under quilt. That is the most important bit. And know the weather before you go and make shure that if there is rain bring a tarp. One thing that i like is a bug net for my hammock.
I use the Hyke and Byke Zion 2P
Lightish weight, and only cost me around $100 (compared to other tents of this type and quality, THIS IS REALLY GOOD).
It's a two person tent that can actually fit two people plus gear. Comes with it's own ground cloth, free. Really good quality. Great company. CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS TENT ENOUGH!!!!
Great to hear you are thinking about trying a hammock again! I love being outside camping but I was really tired of waking up in a tent with a sore and stiff back every morning. So when I saw some other scout leaders using hammocks a few years ago I decided to start doing some research. The most common thing I was reading, when I first started researching, was how comfortable people were sleeping. So I took the plunge and bought a Hennessy Jungle Explorer Asym Zip. Wow was it ever an amazing sleep! I went from tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable and waking up tired to sleeping 10-11 hours a night and waking up very rested. I now have three hammocks for myself and family. I have added a Hennessy Cub (for the kids) and most recently a Dutchware Chameleon. Hennessy is a great starting point for hammock noobs because of their all in one hammock kits. They also have a wide range of hammocks for everyone's needs (ultralight to heavier double bottom hammocks). I now love the Chameleon for its modular nature. You can get just what you need to get started or buy everything for it and be set up for all the seasons and possible weather that mother nature can throw at you. Don't for forget to get an underquilt (like the Hammock Gear Incubator) for backside warmth. If you go with the Chameleon you will also need to get a tarp. There are many options for tarps all depending on how much coverage you want and how light you want it. You can even get tarps with doors for bad weather and privacy! Well I hope you enjoy the hammock this time and don't forget to check out Shug's videos for all hammock info.
Hiked the Marble Mountains/Trinity Alps and norther Yosemite back in the '60's with homemade denim hammocks with a tarp slung over them. Heavy but comfy. Currently using Zpack Triplex which I love!
Wow your videos are outstanding Dixie. Thorough, entertaining, and spot on!
Love the way you call the poncho tarp the extreme end... I've been camping with with a poncho for over 20 years and has always been my favorite camping set up. Never realized it was extreme, just though it was normal ;-p
I'm interested in this method. Can you recommend a good way to learn about it?
I got interested in hammocks from watching Shug Emery also. Just got my first one at Christmas - a sparrow from dream hammock. Love it. Under and top quilts from Ugq. First nights sleep was 30 degrees and I was toasty warm and sooo comfortable.... you should definitely give it another try....All clear in sector 7 !!!!
Have you heard of a Tentsile tent? It is a hammock style tent that you suspend from trees, but it has ratchet straps to tighten it up so that you are sleeping in a flat suspension hammock type thing. It is very comfortable, and you can sleep off the ground, but you're still sleeping in the relatively flat space. I have one and I highly recommend them.
Looks amazing! Amazingly heavy, complicated and requires 3 trees in near perfect positions. Not something to put up daily.
But it does look great.
Great video. Very informative. I'm a long-time minimalist hammock camper... and have made just about all of my own gear. Granted, not all of my seams are 100% strait - in fact, some are quite ugly... but they've been doing the job failure-free for more then 15 years now. My suggestion is to get yourself a Warbonnet Blackbird, a Mamajamba tarp (which is what I modeled my gear after), read "The Ultimate Hang" and spend a week out in the woods with it. Caution! - 8 out of 10 people never return to sleeping on the ground after following my advice! There are so many little tricks and tips... like using a "Reflectix" sleeping pad and slipping it between the two layers of your hammock. This little 10 ounce pad will help keep you warm down into the 30s. Anything lower then that and I break out the under-quilt, which is a re-purposed sleeping bag. Geeze! I could talk about this stuff for hours...
I love my hammock. Last time I went out backpacking it started to rain and once I got my rain fly up first I set everything else up under the fly and out of the rain. It was also nice in the morning having my cup of coffee and breakfast while staying warm in my hammock.
In “the old days” I used a tarp, then a bivy bag I actually made (it wasn’t pretty, but it worked lol). In middle age I love my tent. I don’t go as far and I’m much slower than I was twenty years ago, but I like my comforts with my tent, sleeping pad, and my little pack chair...and my knee brace and medication lol.
Don't forget about shugemery for hammock camping know-how
He's been a pervasive advocate for the hammock way of life
Peanut butter pop tarts. All secure in sector 7.
I started hiking with a tube tent a long time ago. Essentially a 10 x 10 trash bag. It worked great! In the summer, with few mosquitoes, in the forest, with very few rainy nights.
If mosquitoes, rain, privacy and humidity are big issues a double walled tent is best.
As I’m a desert hiking guy, the ground cloth, poncho is mostly all you ever need. Your enemies are wind and sun. With emergency cover for thunderstorms. Anything wet dries quickly bugs aren’t bad. (Shake out everything before packing)
Looking forward to trying hammock camping in the future as old backs need all the help they can get.
It’s really about conditions, comfort, and survival in cold and wet. Hypothermia is a life and death deal.
My favorite backpack tent so far for solo hiking is the Snugpak Ionosphere. It's a mix between a bivi, and a tent. It's great for cowboy camping.
My old & trusty standard issue GI "woodland" camouflage poncho never fails ... a little more weight but durable and very versatile...including rain cover, tarp, foot print(ground sheet - dating me) including many configurations for a tent ... excellent presentation!
Hammock suggestion: Warbonnet Blackbird. Has everything you could ask for in a hammock. I’ve taken it on a couple trips and love it. The “shelf” on the side is indispensable for a backpacking hammock in my opinion.
i sleep in a blackbird xlc every night, indoors and out.
i am a side sleeper, and i have found that i experience better, longer sleep and also a great deal of pain abatement in a hammock. literal life changer.
Did the pct in 2016 in a warbonnet blackbird and edge tarp. Doing the same this year! 15' straps. Dutchclip, Dutch beetle and dutch tarp bling all around.
🇨🇦/🇺🇸... As an old guy who is also a side-sleeper, I CANNOT imagine using a hammock for a full night. I NEED to TURN OVER several times during the night and lie FLAT. I have used a hammock for a short time, relaxing at a cottage but I wouldn't be able to take a night of sleeping in it before ditched it and lay on the ground underneath.
Me too. I could taking a nap in one, but not sleeping all night. Also, I'm kind of heavy, and the idea of trusting myself to a couple of straps would have me too anxious to sleep. Can't fall off the ground!
Thank you Dixie, being a beginner backpacker, I found this video very helpful.😁😁
I used a poncho tarp a ton in the military (along with a Bivy Bag) and I loved it. Highly recommend permethrin treating everything though. A benefit of the poncho is that you can put a rock in the hood and tie a string around it to have a guy-out point that's distanced from the body of the tarp. Prusik knots or bunjee cords make life much better
My preferred camping method is still a bridge hammock though like the REI Quarter Dome Air at 19:53
Good to see the video, wondered if you were safe. That was terrible yesterday in Beauregard. Hope all your people were all right. We're down here in Montgomery. War Eagle!
Great video, comprehensive and full of useful thoughts for beginners. Years ago I changed from using various kinds of tents to a hammock. Got a Warbonnet Blackbird, which is phenomenal. Lightweight and packable, pretty easy (and very customizable) to set up, extremely comfortable for sleep (diagonal flat sleeping), interior gear storage, extremely warm with ultralight down covers, no sleeping bag or pad needed, 10x12 silnylon fly can give you a huge enclosed room, even huger stand-up covered living room (with a super-comfy recliner/couch to lounge around in and massive covered cooking area), or furls away around the ridge line for stargazing, with almost instant deployment if rain starts. The one and only drawback, potentially, is the need for a couple of trees, but I've never once not been able to find a great spot to hang, and in a pinch you can actually pitch the whole rig on the ground using two trekking poles. I would never, never go back to a tent. :-)
Check out Dutchware hammocks, tarps, and connecting gear. Make it easy to set up.
Dutchware gear is great. It always seems to add up quick in my cart, but don't regret anything I've purchased.
Dutch is the way to go. Check out his chameleon line. Best set up I have found.
Dutchwear is hot right now. I chose Warbonnet Outdoors stuff as it was gear I was able to try out at a hang when I was shopping. I made the initial mistake of buying a complete ENO setup for my first overnighter... After two nights at a hang, I bought the Blackbird XLC.
The Blackbird XLC is fantastic! I have a friend with a Dutch, a Hennessy, and a Blackbird, and the Blackbird XLC was by far my favorite
Currently using a Dutch hammock and a Warbonnet tarp. Can't wait till I can get Dutch's Chameleon.
I own the Warbonnet Outdoors Ridgerunner and Blackbird. If done right, a hammock is sooo much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. I’ll even use them to take naps in my backyard. However, an underquilt is a must; I can’t stress this enough. Hammocks get chilly underneath, even on warm nights. This setup is a bit pricey but well worth the investment.
Like you, I tried one of the cheap hammock setups (last year). It seemed good at first. But after a few hours I was very uncomfortable.
This year I got a Warbonnet Ridgerunner hammock. It is light years better than the cheap setup.
Glad you got it figured out. With backpacking gear you often get what you pay for!
@@HomemadeWanderlust Oh the Bridge hammocks Are oh so nice! Like sleeping on a cloud! I sleep better in my bridge than at home in bed. They are ( because of weight) the best car camping hammock or way to sleep rather I've ever found. Get a double layered one and throw a pad in the bottom. Big ol synthetic sleeping bag and your big ole pillow from home off your bed, Heaven! On trail its simple gathered end and fancy 950 fill down quilts, but car camping I bring the luxurious Bridge! Ive got the JRB, my buddy have the warbonnet, both are amazing.
Very comprehensive discussion. I think you covered it all. I use a hybrid system that consists of an 8 x 10 ft tarp with mosquito netting sewn around the edges. The netting keeps the mosquitoes out (although the crawly bugs can still get in). I rig it A-frame style supported with trekking poles or trees, and I generally use it in ground dwelling mode. However, I also have a lightweight (13oz) 9-foot solo hammock that I can rig up in places where I can't find a suitable level, rock free site. For these situations, I use my air mattress in the hammock for insulation and my unzipped sleeping bag as a makeshift quilt. This setup is compact, lightweight, inexpensive, and most importantly it provides flexibility for various conditions.
I love my hammock. I love the feeling of the air moving around me. Tents feel too "stuffy" to me now.
Hammocks definitely take some getting accustomed to, though. My first set up was around four pounds. This season, I used the Kammok Mantis UL: the whole rig is two pounds. The trade-off for an UL hammock is that they're more likely to fail. Mine did after a half-dozen uses. Kammok sent me a replacement (they stand behind their lifetime warranty so long as you haven't abused the gear), but had I been out on the trail I'd have been sleeping on the ground.
I'm a side sleeper, and my most recent trip was the first time I was able to lie diagonally on my side & sleep. Even when I've had to sleep on my back, I've slept better than I would have on the ground. (I used to be able to sleep on the ground on a Zrest pad. No longer -- I very little sleep & I can barely move the next morning.)
I just did the Washington Section J of the PCT. It rained almost every night. I use down underquilt & a Zenbivy. I was warm & dry the entire time. An advantage of tarps is one can set the tarp up immediately once in camp & work/eat/relax under it. I lie a sheet of Tyvek on the ground & keep all my gear (except for food) underneath my hammock. You should hang your hammock so you're relatively close to the ground; if it's hung properly, it's easy to reach all of your gear.
I had a couple of short days in that were kind of miserable. I found I can sit up in my hammock (although this requires fairly good core strength). It was really far more a comfortable shelter than most people think.
Privacy is less of an issue than one might think. First, I've frequently set up my hammock a ways off the trail, in the trees, where I'm not visible from the trail or practically invisible unless I draw attention to myself. Second, one can set up their tarp for maximum privacy.
If there aren't two trees of appropriate size & distance apart, I can set the whole rig up as a bivy. This is the kind of thing one should practice at home ahead of time, and ideally plan for what you'd do on a slab of rock.
I tell ya what, I have been sleeping in a G4Free hammock nightly for nearly 2 years and love it. Bought one for $25 to test out hammocks, and have literally been sleeping in it ever since. It handles being washed and dried. If using it for hiking, If used in hiking, I suggest a pillow of some sort. Whether that be a sweat shirt balled up, or an inflatable. Either way, I'll never go back to a mattress.
The hammocks I would suggest Warbonnet Blackbird XLC or the Hennessy Deep Jungle zip. The Warbonnet has a shelf to the side of that is so convenient. The Warbonnet can ether used with feet left or right. Some people like small light tarps. I like bigger tarps fro DD hammocks 4m by 4m. If You have poles or sticks you can set up your hammock on the ground. Your going want something to protect the hammock from damage.
I started hammock camping with a Dutchware Chameleon and have had some of the best sleep I have ever had, including indoors. I have also experienced a phenomena called "calf-ridge" when I did not have the hammock set up correctly. Once you tweak it in to how you lay, you can get awesome comfort. I chose the Chameleon because it is so very modular and can be customized to the highest degree I have seen offered in hammocks from any vendor. That and the reviews by the Schill Brothers Outdoors UA-cam channel on the various hammocks they have used guided my buying decision. Give it a try with a good setup. It can be a little heavier overall than ground dwelling, but the comfort is worth it.
Honestly, I like and use all 3 options. Just depends on the length of the hike, weather, etc.
I've used the single & double walled 1 person tents packing. The side entry type is what I prefer with the back problems I've had. It's much easier to roll into and out off than crawling backwards into the end entrance style. I have both. I've also used the rain poncho tarp style, but find this better for using when on an all day hunting trip. With these it's nice if there's at least one other person with one so you can combine the two in order to create an open air shelter with partial sides to keep the elements out while still having overhead coverage for two or three people. This also allows you to cook in inclement weather. For my multi day river trip I've used the tent & tarp system for some extra convince. Not having to carry it on your back you're not restricted by weight so much, and was easily added to the kayak. We also used the tarp as a sail when traveling over a large stretch of lake prior to arriving at one of the dams. That was an awesome ride.
Thanks Dixie, good info. Glad to hear you are ok from the storms.
I've recently gotten into backpacking and bought a rather cheap hammock. It's a small, but all included pack. Including a tarp, hammock and attached mosquitonet.
Bought a rather thick foam mat for in the hammock and could comfortably sleep with tempratures of 5°C (about 40F). Just an overhang tarp ( not a wintertarp setup) and without underquilt. Just a light weight sleeping bag (only coldspots where my knees compressing the sleepingbag filling) was enough to keep me from freezing.
Quick setup, 30 minutes on first try and easy take down, about the same. No traces where left behind which is the most beautiful of it all.
Long time hammock hanger here. While no system is perfect, I will stick with my hammock setup. You need to find and attend a group hammock hang before you go out and buy anything, You can find group hangs in your area at Hammockforums.net under outings.
You are thorough, young Lady. You could, without being arrogant, call this video the ultimate tent/this and that guide. Very informative.
You got some hard core southern twang when you say nice.
About a third of the way through my '18AT hike I switched to a hammock system, got tired of looking for a place to set up a non-free standing single walled tent. I was told that as a side sleeper I wouldn't like it, this is wrong, I had zero problems sleeping. I also liked that the tarp would keep a lot of rain out as I could adjust the height of it. I could also keep my gear under the hammock and it would be dry and handy. The only draw backs I found was 1, not always finding trees that were the best to work with, you have to be really aware of dead trees and branches. 2, was on the rare occasion I slept in a shelter or a hostel I did not have a sleeping pad to use. My small closed cell foam sit pad/door mat provided little padding for my hips on hard plywood. In the end after now having experience with hammocks, free standing and non-free standing tents I use both free standing and hammocks depending on the area I'm backpacking. Most important part of using a hammock is the tree straps, don't go cheap they are the backbone for the system for ease of setting up. Happy Trails
Just ordered my Duplex and can't wait for it to arrive. Lightweight tents are the way to go imo.
I have been a hammock hiker for years and use Hennessy, there system just works for me. I spend months per year in it and love the comfort vs space. Once you learn about heat loss, the burrito method, you can just go and go. Skip all the single or day hammocks out there and just spend a little more on a good one, you will increase your heat, comfort and speed in set-up.
Dream Hammock is the best, very customizable and hand made n Ohio. I have 4 of there hammocks and love them.
As a AT year-round section hiker, with 3day/2night to 4day/3night hikes, I have purchased and settled on 3 small shelters WHICH easily fit in the AT shelters, since they are barely wider than a sleeping bag/pad:
1) OR bug bivy (16 oz) with Borah Gear 5.5 x 9 tarp (8 oz) in case I don't make it to the AT shelter.
2) OR Helium Bivy (16 oz).
3) MH Ghost UL 1 Tent, about 2 lbs with fly.
For these trips, if you pack light, you can even fit in the pack inside the OR Helium Bivy or Bug Bivy (after hanging or locking the food outside), obviously you may want to consider something different like the Ghost 1 UL tent, which offers better all around protection and a bit more space. #1 and #2 have a loop above your head that gives you some space, plus they are really easy to setup after a long day or in case of emergency, when your body and soul say you must stop and you can stick these just about anywhere as it has happened when I am among thru hikers. The tent is just a little bigger and it is about as standalone as you can get for the discounted price I got it for ($200), the foot section is just a little bit slacky. I believe if you are a section hiker, these are good, robust and rather economical alternatives.
Hope you and your family are doing alright with all the tornadoes down your way!
Nice video. You bring so much credibility to whatever you post. I can see the appeal of tents in areas in some areas that lack tons of trees, but I do think that if you had a non-starter hammock (Warbonnet, Dutchware, Dream Hammock, etc...) you might change your mind. Your ZPacks stuff is so light I can understand the appeal for sure. And being a girl is another factor. Privacy is important! I bring my 19 year old daughter hammock camping and with the Warbonnet Superfly (I have two of them) we can quickly setup, have door ends closed for privacy, allow us to cook inside if weather is poor, plus cover our Warbonnet Ridgerunner bridge hammocks very well. Sooo comfortable! I really like being able to put the tarp in a mode that you can see all around or be able to look up at the stars. With the AT only 12 miles away, there are tons of trees and it's much more appealing than sleeping on ground that may not be level. If I was to travel in the West and to places where trees were scarce, I'd certainly consider your ZPacks tent options. In Andrew Skurka's book he definitely mentions wanting to hammock camp more on the AT and really liking bridge hammocks due to their comfor (the Warbonnet Ridgerunner, in particular). See what you think and best of luck!
I am one of those old, decrepit hikers who gave up ground dwelling when it became too uncomfortable. As for good information, you may want to join the community over at www.hammockforums.net. You can literally spend days finding answers to your questions. FWIW, my hammock rig is 1.4 pounds heavier than my ground kit.
PS Love your channel! You are one of those who give hope to some of us that we may one day do a triple crown!!
On our first trip to the Serria's as a family (that's seven of us) I purchased 2 MSR Papa Hubbas. It was pricey, but its really hard to beat great quality. Granted, we're not through hikers, but I would recommend MSR's to anyone. Weight wasn't much of an issue cause everyone carried a part of the tent. We're still using them today. Biggest mistake was thinking we needed 6 canisters. Great Video.....
When tarping, dig a shallow trench all the way around. This keeps most moderate rain from running back in and prevents a lot of back splash.
I’m a Scout Leader, and I tent or hammock camp depending on the circumstances. The hammock is by far the most comfortable option. For adult hammock users I recommend steering away from the big box store solutions and seek out the many “Cottage vendors” that are making far superior products than the mass produced versions. If you are under 60” tall, consider a 10ft hammock, over that consider an 11ft hammock, this is crucial to comfort. Also, the wider the hammock fabric the more comfortable they will sleep since you will be laying on a diagonal. Most importantly, I started off with a “Cadillac “ model with integrated screen with zippers pockets etc. and found that all those options were not needed. I’ve evolved to a simple hammock layout with a “Fronkey” net and quick clip and adjustment straps for hanging. This is much lower weight, no zippers, allows you to watch stars if you don’t need the tarp and if it is raining you set up the tarp first and then deploy the hammock out of the rain. In the rain I can have the hammock set up quicker than the tent. Dutchware and Dream Hammock are my two favorite vendors, but there are many more great American made products out there- go research!
For ground I currently use a Tarptent which is a great tent, but I’m awaiting delivery from Massdrop for a new design from Durston Gear that I can’t wait to see, check that out at DurstonGear.com.
Long story short, hammocks have a learning curve greater than tents but once you have it down they sleep like you’re at home in your bed. And, it can be done for around $150 if you stay simple. Add a budget underquilt for sub 30 temps for another $150.
Check out Dream Hammock, Hammock Gear, and Dutchware Gear, three of my favorite cottage vendors. Great video!
I used a Warbonnet Blackbird hammock for my 2015 AT thru with Hammock Gear Winter Palace Cuben fiber tarp and under and over quilts. It worked great especially in the rain. Tarp setup first then hammock from under tarp. Stayed dry. Maybe 8oz weight penalty , but could setup anywhere as flat spots on AT AToften hard to come by. Used Whoopi’s slings & tree straps using marlin spike hitch to loop whoopie over. I carried a short neo air pad from NH to Katahdin in case I had to go to ground. Only 5 nights not in hammock. All from NH NORTH. On PCT to me it was a no brainer to use the soloplex so I didn’t have to fool around finding trees. This summer I hope to hop back on PCT to finish and will use the Duplex for more room than soloplex had. Hike on. See you guys on trail.
Poncho tarp just sounds like cutting it very very close. I wouldn't want to wear my shelter gear as I'm hiking around..its very likely you could damage it while hiking, esp if its brushy or rocky. When you use multipurpose gear you have to make sure you don't need both functions at once, too....how can you set up a tarp if you are wearing it as raingear?
Good point on damaging it. I agree it is a bit risky. Not for me, but the option does exist!
You are correct. We had the same problem in the Army. Two of us would snap our ponchos together and make a shelter out of it. If you went on guard you got wet. I carried a second poncho to solve that problem. We had heavy green duct tape to fix any holes. I always try to carry two light ponchos when on a day hike. Good Luck, Rick
@@richardross7219 I shopped army surplus and I have had one of those ponchos! I loved it but I also had a separate tarp for sheltering. I did press the poncho into service at times when I needed a boost for my tarp...extra length, another layer, a vestibule, or a beak for one end of my tarp (setup close to a tree to block the other end) for cold or rain. Smaller secondary tarp type materials are also good to set up as privacy curtains for a bathing area...or depending how rugged it is...
I also found a stray piece of yardage from a Walmart bargain bin...just an ordinary square of silnylon about 4x4 feet. It was tough as nails and super lightweight! I carried it for sheltering booster but also to sit on while I ate, to stand on while I washed, a place to spread out gear, to lay down for gathering firewood and drag it back into camp, as a pack cover, as a ground cover etc..? Did a thousand handy but not imperative things so I was glad to carry it.
@@lethiapage4767 Excellent. Two other frequent uses of a surplus poncho are as a hammock and as a stretcher. You can set up a surplus poncho as a hammock and use a cheap poncho as a tarp over it. Corporals Corner does some excellent how-tos for these. I still have my two from 45+ years ago but some of the rubber waterproof layer has delaminated. The matching poncho liner allows you to turn a poncho w/ liner into a sleeping bag. Good Luck, Rick
@@richardross7219 yes sleeping bag cover too. I started to say hammock...up there where it says...."depending on how rugged it is" I meant to continue the thought of making a hammock with it. Military gear is no! joke! But mostly not going to lie I used that poncho as rain gear when I was hiking full pack. Another use? Firewood cover!
Thanks for your military service and for sharing your backpacking wisdom!
I was considering using my hammock and getting a tarp, but going through storage in our place I found an almost new 2 person MEC backpacking tent.
As someone who has never done backpacking or thru hiking but really wants to, it was like a sign from the universe to get out there.
Just waiting for it to warm up.
Love your channel. You’re an inspiration.
I swear my lightweight, reasonably durable tarp from Harbor Freight $3.50 is doing just fine for me, I don't want your $600.00 Z Duplex. That said I'm not a long distance Thru hiker, I could see maybe a 2 week section hike.
I just bought some Atwood Rope Mfg " Micro Cord " for ultralight ridges and guy lines, for longer trips I think I would stick with paracord .
What size tarp did you get? I'll have to check it out. I love using a tarp over my bivy or tent which gives just so much options. How much does the tarp weight?
Don't knock someone because they chose to purchase something you wouldn't. Besides, you said yourself you're not a long distance through hiker. Ultralight gear is so you can comfortably carry everything you want for a long distance. What works for you won't work for everyone and vice versa.
@@joshuasumrallms My apologies. I didn't actually watch the video until later, very well done. I don't have second chance hikers attitude I'm sad to say. No I'm not a long distance Thru hiker, but even if I was I wouldn't pay $600.00.for a tent! Cuban Fiber aka dyneema is used in some of my climbing equipment, in that application where my life (such as it is ) hangs from it I'll pay for it.. That said, I'm not so sure I'd use this $3.50 tarp on a thru hike either? maybe supplement it with Wahlmart insect bivy WooHoo!
I was just looking at a ultralight 1 pound down sleeping bag $500.00 really? Not me. Andrew Skurka shops at Costco.
I had no idea who Miss Dixie was, I did watch the Triple Crown Trilogy made a believer out of me.
I will make a special effort at watching Miss Dixies videos before I run my suck.
My ultralight backpack came from Target $36.00 whatever.
P.S. I'm working through a spring Milk Thistle cleanse, does make me a little edgy, actually was thrown in jail while under the influence once. Don't knock it untill you've tried it!
I apologise, buy a Cuban Fiber jock strap for all I care.
@@tenfourproductionsllc Harbor Freight has quite an assortment of sizes. I got the smallest , I believe it is 5'7" × 6'7" something like that? it's just a little bigger than my poncho tarp. It is what it is , but for the price it's holding up surprisingly well, I have 4 of them all together! (Hoarder). It does have some reinforcement around the edges and the grommets are the more solid kind that don't bend easily. Duct tape for repairs works fine.
That is awesome for you. I would love to be able to tarp tent, but...
I live in New England, in RI, not far from Ground Zero for Lyme Disease. Tarp tenting in this general region is like playing Russian Roulette. I know a bunch of people that have or have had chronic Lyme disease. It is agony.
Lyme disease is now arguably worse than AIDS, but that is never discussed. There is an excellent docu flick called Under Our Skin that reveals the cover-up by the CDC, AMA and Big Pharma. Lyme disease is a brutal killer that is one of the biggest cash cows for the medical industry, and likely is a weaponized disease from Plum Island, that either escaped on a water fowl or was intentionally released by which to generate trillions in profit.
It takes about 20 years to die from chronic Lyme disease. From what I have heard, you will wish it took 20 days. A lot of people kill themselves instead of suffering with it.
Don't want to be a Debbie Downer. Just trying to inform.
Having been hiking/backpacking for the last 13years or so, favourite is a multi-pitch tent, mostly because it has all the benefits of a double walled tent but with the advantage of being able to set up the waterproof outer without the inner, and vice versa. This means that in the rain you won’t get the inner wet when setting up but you can also use the outer alone as you would a tarp, or general rain protection, or the inner only if you are hiking somewhere you know it will not rain!!
I've always wanted to try a hammock but being a stomach/side sleeper with a bad lower back, I just don't think it's in the cards haha.
I have had back surgery and a cot or hammock is the only way I can camp well.
I'm a side sleeper with a bad back. Been hammocking for a few years now.
I absolutely dread the trips when I have to go back to sleeping on the ground, (no trees).
Give it a try, just don't lay like a banana and you'll probably get the best night's sleep of your life...
I slept in my hammock prior to having surgery for a herniated disc in my lower back, it was way more comfortable than sleeping in a bed. After some trial and error you can also sleep on your side in a hammock
I want to encourage you to try. I am a side sleeper too and hammocks are great! The peapod style ones (the ones with no spreader bars) swing from a single point rather than a plane so you have to be pretty athletic to tip them. You can get into a very comfortable side position as long as you have the right slack in it...a little dip but not tooooo smiley. Its also easier when you don't have an insulating mat and bulky sleeping bag in there with you. But anyway even if you can't side sleep in your hammock I'm convinced you don't need to, to be comfortable! In my exp the comfort of a hammock is unmatched if you have it set up correctly and really can offset your preferred position a bed. The first night I went to bed in a hammock I don't even remember what happened! I laid down and next thing I knew it was morning and I hadn't moved all night long.
I am very pro-hammock as you can tell...I have a lot of body pain and also some anxiety problems and hammocking is one of the very few things I do that I can feel myself relaxing. Laziest yoga ever!
Try one of the bridge hammocks. They are awesome for side and stomach sleeping.
I’ve been hammock camping for years, and it’s the best sleep that I’ve had in the woods. I use a Skeeter Beeter Pro and a sil nylon tarp. Works great for me.
Hi Dixie! You might wish to check out Dutchware Gear. Their Chameleon hammock is quite nice, and they have other good hammocks as well. Thanks for sharing! :-)
Gray Hiker love my chameleon with integrated bug net. I started with a cheaper mass made hammock. While it worked out ok... I like how lightweight and versatile the chameleon is.
I'll second that. The simple netless hammock and an add-on bug-net along with any one of the suspension options Dutch offers gives you a flexible/simple system. Add a tarp and insulation and you're done. If you haven't already stumbled across Amsteel/Zing-It/Lash-It line, give it a look for tarp suspension and tie-outs, suspension, bear lines and all kinds of other fun uses. Very light, very strong, doesn't hold water and doesn't stretch. Dutch's price on cordage is great as well.
After six years of ultralight hiking I just received my second ZPacks Duplex. I am still trying to shave weight off my gear but I can't imagine giving up the space in the Duplex. I am old, lazy, and messy, if I want to see the stars or Northern lights I will cowboy camp outside the tent. I can't do hammocks because of herniated disk in my back, I need to sleep on a hard, flat surface. Condensation in a single wall tent is just like poison ivy, it only effects you if you touch it, just don't touch it and you will be fine. I will never go back to a double wall tent with tent poles unless I loose my mind and decide to climb an 8,000m peak. :) Cheers!
Love your accent. Reminds me of watching the Dukes of Hazzard!
I have seen plenty of campsites in the alpine with "no hammock" signs because the trees were damaged all too often and they take forever to grow/recover up there. Just something to consider when planning your hike/sleep system.
You need to see an Australian swag
used swags for yrs , good for car travel but to bulky for most other uses , found the bike swags a bit bulky as well as not great in wet weather , you also need to dry out a lot longer in the mornings then other tents etc.. by the way when I say used them I worked with mineral exsploration companys etc etc so used them on a daily working basis
They're great 4 Australia.
@@jeffpiper7430 i was about to say this :) would be hard pressed to see anyone hiking around long term with a canvas swag
I'm kinda new to it but I've been hammock camping on my last few backpacking trips and am loving it so far.
Actually, if you know how to use a tarp it will provide better protection from weather than a tent.
The system I used last time I went on the AT was a ultralight hammock set up by outdoor vitals. It clocked in at just under 5lbs. That was my tarp, hammock, suspension supplies, bug netand sleeping pod/underquilt(20f).
I went in may-june just doing sections with the scout troop I was helping lead and it all worked out perfectly. The most comfortable I've ever been hiking or camping. Was in the Carolinas and there are tons of trees to spare.
Since then I've used the kit every time I go camping it's just incredibly comfortable. I usually grab a lot of wood and place it on the ground then put my gear on that under my tarp to keep it all dry. All valuables stay in the hammock with me.
Again the weight in total was 4.9 oz dry. Condensation was never an issue. I was able to cook under my tarp in the morning. Most nights I found some big logs and put them under my tarp if it was supposed to rain. It allowed me to cook on the log and sit on it under my tarp. I don't think I could ever do tent camping again. It's so much more comfortable and after 3-4 weeks of setting it up every night I became quite proficient at it.
Just my personal thoughts and experience.
Also a great resource for hammock that I found is a channel called backpacking with a hammock he covers a lot of basics and how to for backpacking with a hammock. Great resource on UA-cam for those that are thinking about hammocks over tents.
Also I didn't bring an overquilt with me since it was warm and I just kept a underquilt and that was plenty for me and it saved weight
Hammocks! Like Shug would say WhooooBuddy))))
All clear in sector 7
When I was hiking the Appalachian Trail back in 2007 I used a Sierra Design 2-person Clip Flashlight double walled backpacking tent that weighed almost 4 lbs complete. I would still do a 2-person tent but certainly something that weighed a lot less than what I had used.
There is a great channel about Hammac camping. Called,
shugemery, here on youtube.
Very informative and intertaining!
Can’t go wrong with Dutchware gear. Love my set ups from them. Awesome customer service. The hardware they have can’t be beat.