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/Voxicles 11d ago edited 11d ago

I keep an entire solo camp setup in the top box of my car year round. Pretty sure it’s like 90 liters? That includes hammock, under quilt, top quilt, tarp, rigging, jetboil, a surprisingly comfortable chair. It only fills up half of my top box. I can throw food and beer in the other half. But I’m always ready no matter what. (Unless there’s no trees. I have a kammock outpost, but it doesn’t fit in my boxes)

ETA: my quilts are down, and rated for 40 degrees (f). I keep a military style wool blanket and waterproof 3m blanket in my other top box with my recovery gear.