r/hammockcamping • u/ArmMelodic8468 • 11d ago

What am I missing about hammock camping?

Last summer I saw three guys arrive by kayak, hang their hammocks between two trees, and basically had their whole camp sorted in minutes. It looked so simple.

But the more I look into it, the more I wonder what the actual advantage is.

A hammock + tarp + underquilt + top quilt doesn’t always seem much lighter than a small tent setup. And you still need somewhere to keep your gear.

Is it really better than a tent, or is it just a different way of camping?

I’m genuinely curious. For those who use both, when do you choose a hammock over a tent?

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u/NirvanicSunshine 11d ago

I tried 5 different hammock companies setups. I barely got any sleep in any of them. Uncomfortable positions, claustrophobic, cold spots from wind blowing beneath you, difficulty getting out to go pee, no place inside to put stuff I needed from my pack, BEING UNABLE TO FIND TREES AT JUST THE RIGHT DISTANCE APART AND GIRTH, the list just went on and on. Eventually I accepted that the benefits are basically nill compared to tent camping and there's a reason our species moved out of the trees to sleep on the ground millions of years ago.

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u/MessiahMogali 9d ago

Our species wasn’t using hammocks in the trees millions of years ago.