Hammock Camping

Kai Gets High

I'd heard about hammock camping before this trip, but it seemed like a reasonable solution for this trip. I really was disinclined to sleep in a tent with a bunch of other people, and carrying a 1-man is pretty light, but expensive. So, I went with a Byer "Traveler" hammock, which cost me about $20. Add in another $12 for rope, and $2.50 for a 2.5mil 9x12 drop cloth, and my entire shelter cost less than a decent sleeping bag.

Better yet, it worked really well. Hammocks are easy to put up, the drop cloth kept my very dry, and it all packed away inside a pot. The drop cloth went under my sleeping bag on the rack to protect it from water off my tire. I was never cold, almost always comfortable, and didn't worry about the condition of the ground.

The one thing about the Traveler hammock is that it uses cords on the ends, which ended up tangling and causing the hammock to lie oddly. So I cut them off, knotted the ends, and used that. I'm 6'1" and there was still enough length to just barely fit me. But the snugness was good, and my sleep quality went back up.

The other downside is that there are times when there aren't trees available. I just threw down a ground cloth, put my sleeping bag on that and slept. If there was a wind or a chance of rain I put up the drop cloth, using my bike as a support. This works well unless there is a significant amount of rain, as it provides no protection from runoff.

Going to ground.

Overall I think I was more comfortable and dryer than the tent campers. I certainly enjoyed the freedom of having a hammock, and feel that the benefits outweigh the (very few) downsides.

Kai and Hunter also used hammocks; Kai going for one slightly more complex than mine, and Hunter rocking a Hennessy. Both seemed to also have excellent experiences with their hammocks.

(Robert)