Why do so many people use a Tarp/Hammock setup instead of a normal Tent/Sleeping bag?

[Shewie]

I don't like quoting threads and then picking at them Rich but I'm going to with this one

(it's only because I don't want to type it all out again

anyone going to admit the reason is because Ray mears does it? - You could same about everything else on this forum

I have a love/hate relationship with them.
there are some serious fundamental problems with hammocks:
1. hammocks were originally designed for tropical use so insulation was never in the design. - No but it is now, lots to choose from too
2. there's the getting into it: do you get in the sleeping bag before or after you get in the hammock? - Either open the bag and sit "inside" it or lay or top and then slip your feet in and then the rest of your body
3. there aren't many camp sites where you can hang a hammock. - Depends where you camp surely ?
4. Insulation generally works better on the outside of a hammock (otherwise you crush it). - Yes and ? ...
5. (unless you have some cunning climbing gear) you need 2 trees! - technically yes but there are alternatives .. vehicles/rocks/walls
6. if you don't have 2 trees you're buggered for a good nights sleep. - see above

......you'll find me praising hammocks on other areas on this forum...as I said it's love hate relationship - Totally understand where you're coming from

 

[JonathanD]

I do alot of things Ray does. But only if they work very well. I've yet to see him use a hammock in the UK, I've only ever seen him use a tarp . The recent advances in hammock technology put them in a very high order against tent or tarp in this country. Comfort alone wins it for me.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hay Rap, yup for me the reason I tried sleeping in a hammock is down to Mr Mears(infact the watching him got me into the whole subject) I do like my hammock but I find it as good as kipping on the ground both have there merrits, both have the disadvantages. Its the same for tents depending on what I'm doing and the terrain of where I intend to stop for the night and the weather will dictate what shelter I take.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

yes i own a bell tent and yes i own a bivvi bag but hammocks are by far the best nights kip i have ever had so usw it the most

 

[SimonM]

For me the hammock is far comfier than the floor, I know as I have basha'd out for years.

I camp all year round, and with proper gear the hammock is warmer than ground dwelling too.

I use a tarp as it allows me to "connect" with the environment in which I camp, rather than shut myself away from it...

Simon

 

[MSkiba]

Im kinda loving the tent at the moment as i "stand out" from the crowd (of bushcrafters in hammocks)

 

[Andy T]

i dont think theres any need for two trees to set up a basha one of the best set ups i know only uses 4 pegs and my walking stick

 

[Tengu]

Hammocks turn your skin blue.

and they are not comfortable unless you like mummy bags and being permenently on your back

And they are complicated, need trees, and more fuss than a small tent.

And Ray mears uses them.

 

[Wayland]

anyone going to admit the reason is because Ray mears does it? <Snip

I started using a hammock almost 25 years ago. I'd never even heard of Mr Mears back then.

I had one of those nylon string hammocks and drew my old Buffalo bag up around the outside of it. I used an old poncho over the top. It was rather snug but effective.

I've certainly become more comfortable with the use of modern gear these days, but I'm still not using the kind of gear that Ray does.

It's worth remembering that many of us were wild camping long before the term "Bushcraft" caught on in this country and although some of us may have adapted in that time that is a perfectly natural development that doesn't just rely on television.

I take up good ideas wherever I find them.

 

[JonathanD]

and they are not comfortable unless you like mummy bags and being permenently on your back.

You don't have to use mummy bags or sleep on your back in a hammock. I sleep on my front or sides in mine, rarely on my back.

 

[dwardo]

You don't have to use mummy bags or sleep on your back in a hammock. I sleep on my front or sides in mine, rarely on my back.

I sleep on my side too, no problem. For me its purely comfort. When bivying or tenting, no matter how well i seem to prep the ground I always seem to find that big lump in my back at about 3 oclock in the morning

 

[R.Lewis]

Hammocks can be very stealthy. Remember you don't need flat ground or dry ground. Can pitch wear few would even walk. Like on steep slope in forest or across a ditch which is very stealthy! I must admit though I'm still experimenting to get best option though and will likely now carry kit to both Tarp on floor and Hammock and tarp. Easy done with out much crossover weight penalty.

 

[Glydr]

I own both hammock/basha and a 3 man dome tent. I prefer the tent in winter and hammock in summer, but there are pros and cons for both, chiefly weight and portability. I can set up my tent in about 5 minutes but my hammock and basha seems to take about half an hour to rig up.
The hammock is very comfortable and I have found is a much stealthier option, my main gripe with it is as soon as I wriggle myself into a comfy position I always have the urge too pee and have to get out and then repeat the rigmarole of getting in and getting comfy. (Note to self; take pee bottle to bed)

 

[Hoggy]

Never used a hammock or really thought of them before I went on woodsmoke course. For years as scout and onwards used to sleep in a tent and until the hammock on the woodsmoke course never seemed to have a good nights sleep outdoors. It was only after that course that took I notice of Mr Mears.

 

[Barn Owl]

Comfy as a comfy thing the hammock.Got to be the main reason.

I can sleep easily on my side or stomach in mine.

I like that animals will come and investigate you too.

 

[steven andrews]

I prefer to sleep on the floor, with tarp and bivi bag.

 

[shaggystu]

so, in summary:
hammocks are more comfortable - unless you find them uncomfortable
hammocks and tarps are lighter - unless your tent is lighter
hammocks and aren't as versatile - unless you're really creative in how you set them up
people use hammocks because ray mears does - unless you were using them for years before you ever heard of ray mears (and apparently ray mears never uses a hammock in the uk)
tarps let you get closer to nature - tarps get you up off the ground (i'm fairly sure that sleeping on the ground is pretty natural)
tarps don't allow you to be stealthy - unless of course tarps are a really stealthy option
tarps and hammocks let you tie some clever knots - tarps and hammocks can be tricky to set up
i'm sure i could continue but basically what i'm getting at is that you're not going to get a definative answer to this one.
the people who use tarps and hammocks do so because they like them
the people who use other set-ups do so because they like them

cheers

stuart

 

[treadlightly]

I have a hammock and sleep well in it but it hardly ever gets used. Why? Whenever I go out I have my dog with me. I tried it once with him in the hammock. Surprisingly he got in without a problem and then went promptly to sleep right on top of me. Couldn't get comfortable.

 

[Fin]

For me it's all about not shutting yourself off from your surroundings - the nature, the fire etc. I've never liked enclosed tents - waking up to stale air and condensation. I can understand the likes of mountaineers wanting to shelter/ sleep in a tent in adverse weather - especially when being out at night is a neccesary evil to achieving the main goal (eg climbing the mountain). But if you want to camp out for it's own sake then why shut it all out in a tent? To me that's like creating a less comfortable bedroom away from your house.

So it's a tarp for me with a hammock in summer and ground dwelling in a bivi bag when it's cold (I don't have an underblanket - my pack's full enough as it is in winter). A tarp can be pitched in any number of ways - to favour a fire, keep out the wind etc and I agree with previous posts that 3mx3m will cover most pitching options for one or a cosy two person set up. A hammock is light, takes very little room in your pack, it's a chair as well as a bed and I can guarantee a good night's sleep (on my side or back). My sleeping bag has a central zipper so getting in and out isn't a problem either.

As for Mr Mears...I've learned a lot of good stuff from him but the first time I slept out in a hammock was on a jungle survival course in Belize over 20 years ago. Like others have said here - I take top tips wherever I find them - be it acknowledged experts like Ray Mears or a newbie poster on this forum.

 

[John Fenna]

so, in summary:
hammocks are more comfortable - unless you find them uncomfortable
hammocks and tarps are lighter - unless your tent is lighter
hammocks and aren't as versatile - unless you're really creative in how you set them up
people use hammocks because ray mears does - unless you were using them for years before you ever heard of ray mears (and apparently ray mears never uses a hammock in the uk)
tarps let you get closer to nature - tarps get you up off the ground (i'm fairly sure that sleeping on the ground is pretty natural)
tarps don't allow you to be stealthy - unless of course tarps are a really stealthy option
tarps and hammocks let you tie some clever knots - tarps and hammocks can be tricky to set up
i'm sure i could continue but basically what i'm getting at is that you're not going to get a definative answer to this one.
the people who use tarps and hammocks do so because they like them
the people who use other set-ups do so because they like them

cheers

stuart

Aye that just about sums it up
I use a tarp with either a hammock or a bivvi bag year round as I find small tents are cramped and claustrophobic and cut you off from your surroundings (including driving rain/snow/sleet and flying insects, crawling insects, crawling children and crawling drunks) while tarps allow you closer contact with all the above plus morning views, close encounters with wildlife (ever seen wild boar charge under a hammock? - I have!)
Hammocks to me are a heavyweight option but very comfy except in very cold weather (though I have slept well in them when ice formed on the outside of my sleeping bag) while my smallest 2 skin tent weighs only 1 kg inc pegs and pole - less than one of my bivvi bags!
It is all down to personal preference in the end - but for me a good tarp is the most versatile option!