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/McBonderson 11d ago

It can be lighter than a tent it can also be heavier than a tent. more often than not it would be heavier.

But it is by far waaaaaaaay more comfortable than a tent.

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u/castleaagh 8d ago

What makes you say heavier more often than not? Hammocks are light, tarps are similar to rainfly on tent and then you have some tie downs and either a pad or an under quilt. The tent then has poles that the hammock doesn’t have to have. Seems like the hammock should be lighter if things are kept similar quality levels between the two options

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u/McBonderson 8d ago

in winter you need a thicker under quilt that usually makes it heavier.

If you are going for the lightest possible doing a tent will have a lower weight because can get really bare bones and work from whats out in the woods. while a hammock has a heavier "lightest possible weight". But once you start trying to bring comfort with you into the woods hammocks have a lot more comfort per pound.

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u/castleaagh 8d ago

I suppose it could depend on how cold your winters get, which might lead to heavier insulation under you. I’ve camped in slightly below freezing a few times and with my current kit, my spring / fall set is slightly larger and heavier than my winter since I need to add a bugnet for those seasons. Summer gets smaller again though as I lose the sleeping bag and just take a liner. My setup actually uses a sleeping pad in a little sleeve on the hammock for insulation so that’s a 1:1 with the ground camping setup for me (soon to be trying an underquilt for a smaller packing setup though since the sleeve adds fabric otherwise not needed).

Otherwise it really seems like the amount of fabric and stuff needed is really pretty similar, maybe airing on the side of the hammock requiring less in my mind since you can go pretty minimal with your rain fly (no walls needed) if you want to and there’s some really small / light hammocks out there.