Tents vs Hammocks | Which Backpacking System is BEST

I brought a tent with me on a bushwhack because where I was going had been logged a few years ago and I figured the trees would be too small for a hammock. I couldn't find a flat spot big enough for my one person trekking pole tent. Thankfully it was forecasted to be a clear night. I used the groundcloth and cowboy camped it that night. I picked up a tent for the times that I knew the area wouldn't be good for hammocks. Unfortunately, I was wrong for that trip. Privacy with hammocks, you can figure out a way to discretely change your clothes in a populated campsite with a hammock and tarp. Hammock as a seat - only when you are solo camping. Often the fire and friends are not near where you set up your hammock. When solo camping, I'll often forgo to campfire and use a candle lantern or a twig stove in it's place to have a flame to watch in the evening. Regarding hammocks potentially being lighter... consider the hammock and tarp as comparable to your tent. The top quilt to your sleeping bag and the underquilt to your sleeping pad when comparing weights. I've hung multiple times on the side of a mountain where you would be rolling downhill if you were tenter. Covered spot - YES! I've set up my tarp and chilled and then only set up the hammock later at night. Creepy crawlers - I've had spiders and other bugs on the bug screen of both my tent and my hammock. I do spray both with permethrin and picaridin. Camping in the rain - my tent has gotten disgusting with splash back from the raindrops and with the wet ground. My hammock on the other hand is usually just damp. Micro adjustments - probably just due to lack of practice but adjusting the rainfly and poles and stakes on my trekking pole tent is such a big PITA compared to adjusting my hammock and tarp. It just boils down to what we are used to. Claustrophobic in a hammock? A hammock is more open with the tarp. Maybe claustrophobic because the hammock hugs you, but you can have more visibility with a hammock. That's why you have less privacy when changing. ;-) Space on the inside - consider the space under the hammock tarp as the space inside of your tent and the hammock as part of your sleep system. Your mummy bag hugs you and so does the hammock.

Great comparison Dave! I’m primarily a hammock camper but I do tent camp quite a bit. I started with a tent and used one for decades before switching to a hammock. I started with the ENO like many do but as soon as o went to an actual hammock you sleep in (one for backpacking) it was like night and day. There is definitely a learning curve with hammocks because you have a tarp, under quilts, the hammock, suspensions, etc. But that makes it 100% customizable. As far as finding spots, here in PA I can just about always find a spot for a hammock but it is hard to find a space for a tent outside of a predesignated camp site. In your area, it looks like it’s the opposite. As far as putting your sides down on a tarp when changing, you have to shut your vestibule doors in a tent for privacy. If your suspension fails or if your hammock rips, you simply sleep on the ground. You still have your tarp for protection. A bridge hammock is good for those with claustrophobia. Overall I prefer a hammock over a tent hands down. I’ve used tents for decades longer than a hammock but hammock wins for me. It is much more comfortable and is more versatile in vetting weather conditions. At least for me. You should give it a try but lose the ENO and try to find or borrow a hammock that is for camping. Being cocooned is a side affect of those types of hammocks and if you lay straight which you never should do in a camping hammock. Diagonal lay all the way.

Good job explaining the pros and cons of tent vs. hammocks.

Tried the hammock thing to try it out with a full system. Sold it after 1 night and back to tents for me. I did take a hammock to Havasupai before that decision and slept in that for a couple nights next to the river.

Nice one, Dave! I am tent through-and-through, but I will also say that I've had great experiences in the mountains in hammocks where flat campsites are rare. 🙌

I’m a tent backpacker but I’ll not say I’d never use a hammock. I can see me using one for car camping. Nice video, Dave. Happy holidays to you and yours!✌️

Fantastic breakdown. I’m with you on all points, however I love the feeling of being swaddled in a hammock. I’d love to get a good hammock system but I’d only be able to use it when I’m solo. I don’t think Ruby would lay under me all night. I do sleep well in a hammock though.

another great vid... when i'm on the east cost (Appalachian Trail) i'm typically using a hammock (superior gear 30 degree or dutchware chameleon w/ UGQ quilt sets) gives me more options on where i can setup. west coast typically using durston xmid 1 car camping using McLean Metalworks Hammock Mount for the car or ShiftPod Mini

Long time hammock user and backpacker. I find that my preference is to backpack with a hammock. I have several, because once you catch that bug, your collection starts growing. I find I still take a 1lb chair most times for those campfire times, and my Schwatrzbeine table, as pretty consistent creature comforts. The secret to good trail hammock experiences is the hammock you use. Have an integrated bug net and the ridgeline. Get one wide/long enough for you. Do your homework (Shug's YT channel is basically the bible for hammocking). Also, understand it's not going to be perfect every time. Even though I'm an avid hammocker, I still have a good ultralight tent load out for those trails/experiences where hammocks just won't work. Get a good tent with a feature set that works for you. Get a good sleeping pad with enough warmth and thickness to keep you comfy. There's no one best solution for all trails. Heck, I've even been known to bring my hammock setup (with quilts), and my sleeping pad, just in case. I've had those trails where the ecology is variant enough you may have to go to ground every now and again, and I can pitch my hammock on the ground like a bivy, with my tarp as top cover. I've tarp camped on the ground with no bug netting during the right seasons. I've gone the other route as well, where I bring my tent setup with my hammocking tarp ... and I've had to tarp camp sometimes when I couldn't find a big enough spot to set up my tent (I use trekking pole tents). The trick is to get the best sleep you can on the trail you're hiking. Some people sleep better on a pad than in a hammock, some vice versa. If you want to explore hammocking, just remember buy once cry once. Start with as good of a hammock (Warbonnet, Dutchware, Dream, SuperiorGear, etc.) as you can afford. ENOs and clones are fine for kids in the back yard, but fall far short of the kind of experience you'll have with a good hammock. Backpacking hammocking is a long trail, with a million options, endless tweaking, and a bottomless pit of ways to make it work for you. Start in your yard or at a local park. Get some time in your hammock finding what works for you (head right vs. head left, bridge vs. gathered end, regular vs. wide, 11' vs. 12', daisy chains vs. whoopie slings vs. Becket hitch vs. hybrid, etc.). There are no universally right answers. You have to work through it and you'll have some off nights the first couple years. It's just like tent camping ... sometimes, no matter how good you are at it, you just don't sleep well. Chalk those lessons up and continue tweaking your setup.

Hammocks are by far more comfortable but over here in California it's not the most practical. There's just not enough trees. The setup time is longer compared my single walled freestanding tent. The cool thing about hammocks is everyone's setup is different and personalized to your taste. It's fun to dial in how you want your setup to be like. The weight difference is a wash. It's just a a bit bulkier. At first I picked up a Hammock Gear top quilt for tents and completed the system with their bottom quilt and Circadian hammock & tarp combo. Then I added a Winter tarp and it was a lot of fun figuring out how to make all the hardware for it myself.

Definitely tent! Have not got hammock camping down and I feel it is a little heavier to carry.

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