Backpacking Tent, Bivy, or Hammock

[Sausagecake]

Hey all,

I recently purchased a dual sport, and have started looking for some camping gear to take on trips. Trying to weigh the pros and cons of the sleep systems listed in the title. Would love to hear the thoughts and opinions of those who have actually used any of them. Looking for something compact, light weight, easy to use, and reasonably comfortable. Mainly planning on doing weekend trips, and some week long trips.

 

[chezuki]

Hey all,

I recently purchased a dual sport, and have started looking for some camping gear to take on trips. Trying to weigh the pros and cons of the sleep systems listed in the title. Would love to hear the thoughts and opinions of those who have actually used any of them. Looking for something compact, light weight, easy to use, and reasonably comfortable. Mainly planning on doing weekend trips, and some week long trips.

I'm absolutely in love with hammock camping. I picked up a ENO Doublenest last season and haven't camped in a tent since. If it's going to be mid 60s or below, you'll need some kind of underquilt or your butt will get cold. I use a milsurp "woobie" (poncho liner) as an underquilt down to about 40* comfortably and then switched to an old 15* sleeping bag as an underquilt down to 20*. You'll still need a blanket or sleeping bag inside the hammock as well, so in colder temps you really don't save any bulk by opting for a hammock system. It's still WAY more comfortable than sleeping on the ground even with a nice mat.

 

[Sausagecake]

Thanks for the feedback. Since most of my trips will probably be during the warmer months, and in wooded areas, I was leaning towards a hammock. I will probably pick up one of those sleeping bag liners that extend the temperature range of a sleeping bag. They are very compact and light. Also, if the weather is going to be warm, I can just take the liner with me and leave the sleeping bag at home. I also wouldn't have to purchase, pack, and blow up an air mat, which seems like a big plus. For colder weather, I do have a 2 man eureka that should work fine. Although its not as compact as most backpacking tents, I could throw it in a compression bag.

How comfortable is the hammock in the rain/wind?

 

[chezuki]

How comfortable is the hammock in the rain/wind?

I haven't bought a rainfly yet (because they cost as much as the hammock), but I bring a 6'x8' tarp and paracord to fashion one.

My first time out with the hammock it poured all night. I stayed completely dry and with the sound of the forest and the rain on the tarp, I slept like a baby.

All my gear for up to 3 days in weather down to 20* fits in an ILBE assault pack. It's grab-and-go whenever I feel like camping.

 

[Archbishop]

OK. I'll weigh in on this. Start by saying that I'm a bit of gear snob, but I really try not be. I'm also an OZ counter. My style doesn't fit with everyone else. So, you have to take it with a grain of salt.
I have, do use all of the methods for camping that you mentioned. Why I choose what I choose when I do has do with the particular trip.
I own one Bivey bag. I like it alright, but really I only choose it when I'm trying to really get my weight down. Either just for the sake of getting my weight down or because I want to carry other gear that I wouldn't otherwise carry. (Camera gear usually.)
Here's the thing about a bivey. They only shave off a couple lbs over one my light weight tents. Even less weight if I'm doing a hammock. The lbs or two might be worth it but I also give up any sort of comfortable "My space" to hang out in in the evening. If you think you might spend a fair amount of time around a camp, this probably isn't the right answer. If you want go in fast and light to spot and get some good pictures and then split, it can be just right. One other factor to consider, Bivey's can have issues with condensation. No fun.
OK on to hammocks. I love sleeping in mine. Not everyone likes them though. Might want to see if you can test drive one first. Depending on where you end up hiking it can be a really nice bonus to not have to find a flat piece of real estate to make camp. They can be cool on the bottom side. This can be good or bad. In the summer, hammocks are generally way cooler than a tent. In the winter it can be a challenge to keep your underside warm. Here's the deal on that. You'll figure out what works for you and you can certainly make it work if you choose. For me I find that by the time I carry the extra gear to make it warm enough I might as well just carry my tent.
And finally that leaves tents. Tents can be really nice, but you have to be careful because they are generally the heaviest option. That being said, you can get light enough tents though My tents range from a bit over 2lbs to right under 4lbs for my solo tents. My doubles and such of course are a bit heavier. I generally opt for a tent when I'm biking or kayaking no questions asked. Also go to the tent when I suspect I might be spending more time around the camp. They are luxury for space compared to a hammock or a bivey. If I'm with a mixed company of backpackers I'll probably choose a tent for the extra privacy of changing clothes. If you're with a companion, that you want to be close to, a tent is a no brainer.
Well, there you have it that's my overview of why I choose one system over another.

 

[kludge]

I've been doing a lot of tarp tents the last few years. Cheap & light. I'm wanting to try to make a Tyvek tarp tent for ultra light weight and some space saving over a tarp. Tyvek+hammock would work too.

I have a really hard time sleeping on my back, so hammocks are a bit tough for me.

 

[chezuki]

I have a really hard time sleeping on my back, so hammocks are a bit tough for me.

I was very shocked to find how well I could sleep in a hammock. I absolutely cannot sleep on my back in a bed.

The trick without question is to master the "hammock angle". Your head and shoulders are slightly elevated, and you don't hyperextend your knees.

Example (not me):

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I use a clark ultra light jungle hammock and it's the bee's knees unless it is really cold, then it's really cold.

Hammocks are totally awesome because you can pitch camp quick and on crappy ground (uneven, rocky, wet, whatever). I have slept in my clark through blistering thunderstorms and have been dry as a bone. I camped for years in tents and have become totally sold on hammocks (unless it's really cold, I have not made that work yet).

 

[KittySlayer]

REI Bivy

I use my REI bivy for weeklong supported cycling vacations, most recently RAGBRAI in Iowa. Pack size is important in this use and the bivy packs way smaller than a tent. Setup is quick but for my use on these trips tear down is equally quick. You commented about using a liner to extend temperature range of your bag, the bivy will do this also.

Typically I have used this in the heat of the summer with a light 45+ synthetic bag (see condensation below). If you just jump in a zip up it is too hot but if you get in, cool down a bit and slowly start closing up over 10 minutes it is just right. If it is really hot and you are sleeping on top of your sleeping bag inside the bivy the fabric can feel a little clammy next to your skin (not clammy wet, just clammy weird). Bugs have not been an issue on most of my uses but I am a side sleeper so the screen on my face is not an issue, others will wear a ball cap to keep the netting off their face. I put my pad inside which works well since I am a flopper. I like the flexibility of the zipper setup on the REI with lots of options for entry as well as extra venting.

The only issue I have had with the bag is on humid summer nights there is some condensation on the foot of my sleeping bag. Not enough to soak through but damp to the touch. I will typically pull the sleeping bag out to air dry the foot while I eat breakfast and then pack up afterwards. Some mornings I have woke up with lots of dew on the outside of the bivy but no moisture soaking through to my sleeping bag. The REI has a breathable top similar to goretex.


I have slept through a couple of light, early morning summer rains but not experienced a heavy downpour in the bag. No problems with the rain, hid my head under the extended fly of someone else’s tent. A tarp or poncho over your torso would be a must in the rain. I use a Kelty Noah Tarp as I want it for shade during the day too.

While initially a bivy may seem claustrophobic I find it non-confining. Basically you are in a sleeping bag out in the open. Love the ability to stargaze and feel the breeze on my face.


Have also used a few backpacking tents. They are all great during a dry summer night but once it rains the cheap tents get wet inside. I have been pleased with Kelty, Eureka and REI tents. Sizing is illusive, a 2 man tent has barely enough room for 1 person. Two adults, especially if one is a woman with accesseries will want at least a 4 man tent, if she is low maintenance and outdoorsy and you like her a 3 man tent is the minimum size for two adults.

 

[45 x 11]

I have friends who use hammocks, and I have tried a couple out but only for a few minutes at a time. I've never backpacked with one. I have thought a lot about getting one, but I would really like to test one out for at least a weekend trip before I take the plunge. Of the ones out there, I would probably buy a Warbonnet Blackbird and rig some kind of a tarp system as an earlier poster showed. It isn't just the cost of the tent though, there's the underquilt, tarp, etc.

I think there are a lot of advantages to hammocks, it is largely a question of whether you can sleep in it and whether you have suitable trees available. One of the biggest advantages as another person said is not having to find a suitable ground site to pitch a tent. I have been a few places where that was a very real issue.

To be honest though, I do like my tent. It is a two person tent but is under two pounds in total weight and can be used in multiple configurations. It is incredibly spacious too when it is just me. There are a few tents out there which are even lighter now - the ZPacks Hexamid Solo is right at a pound, etc. I use trekking poles so I have tents which utilize those poles for support instead of traditional tent poles.

For me a bivy has never made sense over the other options but I could imagine that in certain climates and conditions it might (no trees and soil or rocky conditions which make staking a tent all but impossible...)

In the end, the ideal scenario is to have a tent and a hammock so that I can choose based on where I'm going, expected weather, solo versus duo, mood, etc. Big investment but if you find yourself doing it a lot, worth it I think.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I used to use a tent for all of my camping excursions, but I finally tried a hammock out and I am sold on them for backpacking, and car camping when it is just me and some buddies. I will keep using my big tent for family trips.

I bought a cheap, $25 hammock from Walmart just to try out, and it works extremely well. I use rachet straps to hang it, para cord for my ridgeline, a tarp I already had as a rain cover, and a spare sleeping bag as an under quilt (more of a peapod setup.) My setup has worked great for me and I have very minimal amount of money stuck in it.

 

[buckstopshere]

I've been doing a lot of tarp tents the last few years. Cheap & light. I'm wanting to try to make a Tyvek tarp tent for ultra light weight and some space saving over a tarp. Tyvek+hammock would work too.

I have a really hard time sleeping on my back, so hammocks are a bit tough for me.

I roll with an ENO double nest and can sleep on my side no problem. If I sleep on my back I get sleep paralysis so I had some concern about the hammock. A friend told me to go double nest and it wouldn't be a problem and it hasn't been. If I hang it really tight, I can sleep on my stomach.

 

[bwframe]

This ENO double nest has me intrugued (although looking down at chezuki's feet kinda creeped me out.)
Does everyone eventually end up getting ENO's expensive rain fly?
What do you all use as tree attachments?
Is the fire concern such an issue that you cannot have them too close?

 

[nighthawk80]

This ENO double nest has me intrugued (although looking down at chezuki's feet kinda creeped me out.)
Does everyone eventually end up getting ENO's expensive rain fly?
What do you all use as tree attachments?
Is the fire concern such an issue that you cannot have them too close?

Here is a good place for your answers (and waist more of your time!!!): https://hammockforums.net/forum/content.php
From that forum, most go for one of the cottage industries tarps as they can be custom tailored for their needs and they are of better quality and can be lighter than the eno tarp.
Until I figure out what I want I just went with a cheap sylnylon tarp: Amazon.com: Chinook Tarp (Sand, 12 x 9.6-Feet): Sports & Outdoors
I got the green one, and if you look around, you can find it cheaper (mine was $35 shipped).

 

[TippecanoeSportsman]

I use an Eno Doublenest as well. I replaced the OEM attachment points/carabiners with Amsteel whoopie slings (www.whoopieslings.com). I also use an Amsteel ridgeline, under a BushcraftUSA tarp with an underquilt made from a USGI poncho liner. Its all very compact and lightweight.

 

[chezuki]

This ENO double nest has me intrugued (although looking down at chezuki's feet kinda creeped me out.)
Does everyone eventually end up getting ENO's expensive rain fly?
What do you all use as tree attachments?
Is the fire concern such an issue that you cannot have them too close?

First of all, my Hobbit feet are beautiful.

With that out of the way, I haven't yet been able to convince myself to spend more than the hammock on an ENO rain fly. My current "rain fly" consists of a $6 tarp, $2 in stakes, and about $2 worth of paracord. My suspension system consists of a $10 set of ratcheting load straps that I removed the hardware from. I loop one end around the tree and secure the other end to the carbiner of the hammock with a cow hitch (which is appropriately named as it keeps my fat ass secure as I sleep).

These straps roll up neatly and fit in the bag with the hammock. Suspension can be seen here:

As far as the fire is concerned, you don't want to be close enough that an ember might touch the hammock. It would be very easy to melt a hole in the parachute nylon.

 

[6mm Shoot]

I have tried camping most ways. I like using a tent. It gives you privacy, a place to put your stuff and a place to retreat to when the weather is bad or you are just plain tired.

The biggest problem I have camping is sleeping on the ground. It seems like there is always a rock that sticks you in the most uncomfortable place it can fiend.

The best peace of gear I own is a sleeping mat that goes under my sleeping bag. It's bulky and gets hung on stuff from time to time when I'm packing in. But it's the best, it's an egg shaped stuff that is made out of closed cell foam. Looking at it reminds me of looking at an egg cart. It's the best sleeping mat I have ever had. I have had all sorts of mats and that one is the best I have ever used. I think it cost about $20 and it has lasted for years. My tent is a A frame four season. If I am not in it I'm in a 32' travel trailer. Now that is the way to camp. Man am I old, I asked my Dad many years ago why would anyone want to camp in a trailer. That isn't camping. It's comfortable and still fun plus no rocks.

 

[ticktwrter]

I usually find a Holiday Inn Express as my best method for camping lol

 

[45 x 11]

6mm Shoot brings up a couple of good points I didn't think to mention. The privacy a tent can offer is definitely a plus, although it isn't like a hammock with a tarp doesn't offer any at all. But it isn't as much, and it is also much easier to sit up and read or play cards or change clothes in a tent. A good pad makes sleeping in a tent really comfortable too, especially if a hammock isn't the most comfortable for you. If you're looking at really severe weather conditions, which admittedly isn't always predictable, I'd rather have a tightly buttoned down tent.

 

[Archbishop]

I use a Grand Trunk hammock. I think it's a bit lighter than the Eno's. Has the netting sewn over the top with a zipper down the side. For a rain fly I use a Sea to Summit poncho tarp. Doubles as my rain gear.
My Outdoor Life: My review of Sea to Summit's Poncho-tarp.