Cycling UK Forum

Hammocks and Hammock tents seem to be more of a thing in the USA, why is this?
Is it a cultural thing or a lack of trees in the UK and Europe.
Does anyone use one?

There's a few who do in the excellent "Handy stuff" thread:
viewtopic.php?t=137430

Jonathan

I've used and have three hammocks, they are great, as long as there is somewhere to hang them. It takes a bit of getting used to but coupled with a tarp they incredibly versatile! Also great for stealth camping.

I tried a regular hammock once and couldn't get comfortable. That arc shape isn't one that your legs want to conform to.

I have one but haven't used it outside of a setup test locally so not for the night. I don't like the idea of sleeping on the ground and hope it will be comfy for a full night. I have read one of the issues is with the temperature so I have an inflatable mat and a reflective blanket that I hope will help keep the warmth in. I will report back after using it on a couple of micro-adventures I have planned for the summer. I hope it's good because I also plan to use it for family camps when the four of us can't fit into our small three-person adventure tent! Otherwise I'll have to buy another tent.

I've one that I use occasionally.
various points to note...

• insulation below is required outside of warm summer weather - either a mat that can be relied upon not to move aside as you wriggle, or a down quilt suspended reasonably close below the hammock
• two hang points at the same level 4-5 metres apart (ideally), and no undergrowth between the hang points
• in some areas, suitably accessible trees are uncommon
• best for wild camping - it's pretty unusual to find a hang site in a commercial campsite
• what with a tarp to keep rain off, and possibly a midge net, you are unlikely to save much weight compared with a reasonably light tent
• if you sleep at an angle to the line between the hang points, you can often lie flat
• consider where you'll do your cooking in damp or windy weather

pwa wrote: ↑21 Apr 2022, 6:12pm I tried a regular hammock once and couldn't get comfortable. That arc shape isn't one that your legs want to conform to.

Lie diagonally (not in line with attachments but at an angle to the line of the hammock).

Ian

As @andrew_s has already said, I use a Hammock almost exclusively, but only ever wild camp / Bivvy, arriving late and away again at first light (or before the general population are up and about), where in my opinion it's the best option.

All you need is need 2 trees about the right distance apart and away you go, no need for space to pitch a tent, no need for flat ground to lay on, and almost invisible once pitched. 90% of the time I don't bother with a tarp and when I do need one, I use a lightweight one that just covers my Hammock and not much else.

I'd fully agree that weight wise there's not much saving over a lightweight tent and you will need some sort of thermal barrier between you and the Hammock (or very close too) to keep you warm, but this can be much lighter and thinner than a proper roll mat as your not relying on it to keep you off the ground. Likewise you're unlikely to find a campsite that will accept you in a hammock and tarp set up.

As with most things, it's a case of choosing the right tool for the job. If your spending a week on a campsite then it's going to be tent all the way, but if your travelling light, sleeping rough / wild camping, then a Hammocks worth a try. I've pitched on inclines so steep I could barely stand up, over patches of brambles and nettles, in bits of scrub by the road side and a hundred other places, where you couldn't have stayed in a tent, and personally I find it's always a great nights sleep as you sway gently in the breeze with nothing between you and the stars.

But if your going to Scotland in Midge season you'd best take a tent or a good insect net to go with your Hammock!

Yes, I use and enjoy one, even did a week below freezing in December in one.

The problem is generally that in many of the remoter parts of the UK there are precious few trees OR just very dense pine plantations which don't work well either.
There are precious few camp sites that have enough trees.

I my other life as a canoeist, hammocks are very much the rule, not the exception. Seems to awaken the backwoodsman spirit.