Hammock or tent ?

[Banjosmith]

How many of you guys out there are using the Hennessy Hammock? I just got mine in the mail and havnt had time to set it up yet. I'm looking forward to using it for spike camping. How many of you prefer tent over Hammock and why ?? Thanks for the info

 

[Montana_BackCountry]

I used to do the hammock gig.  I found that I had to step up the temp rating of my sleeping bag substantially in order to keep warm (the wind wicks away your heat).  The additional weight of the bigger sleeping bag plus the tarp and steaks put my weight at or around a good lightweight sleeping bag and tent.  Also I got secondary conduction from a lightning bolt which stuck the tree I had set up on last year during a hellatious thunder storm which snuck up in the night.  That storm also whipped my tarp around so bad i couldn't sleep.  After the electricity passed through me I said screw it and hopped in my buddy's tent.  I'll never go without a tent again.  I say a lightweight hammock is an awesome addition to a day pack for napping, but not a suitable shelter during significant weather.

 

[Montana_BackCountry]

That night the odds were pretty good...lol.  I saw bolts hit several trees around camp before getting mine.  It was a crazy night.

 

[usmcvet]

Wow, that must of been some night. Last year I was at 10,200 for camp. This year I'm going into the back country & will be at 10,600. When the thunderstorm rolled in last year the thunder sounded like it was inside our tent. They say lightning is the leading cause of nature related deaths in Colorado. Hope lightning stays away from me. Were you ok?

 

[Montana_BackCountry]

Man I felt like I didn't know where my body was.  I wasn't hurt or burned or anything but I was charged for sure!

 

[Septemberluvr]

Lightning strikes aside (scary!!), I really like having a tent to keep the next days clothes in, to have a place to hunker down in the event the weather gets really nasty etc.  The Sierra designs one man tent I use clocks in at 1.8 lbs so I don't see a significant enough weight advantage for me to consider the hammock/tarp option.  But like most gear related topics, this a matter of personal preference. Best way to find out what you like is to try short trips with different configurations in the off season so when it's GO TIME you know what works well foryou personally.