Sleeping bag/bedroll vs Hammock/Tarp

[MFB]

I got kicked down a USMC Thermarest a while back and haven't had chance to try it out yet. How are they? Are they good on wet ground or will they need a layer underneath it (Tarp/Cardboard) to keep it dry?

I have a therm-o-rest...not the USMC one though. They're nice. They're light, self inflating, and roll up real tight so you can fit them in your pack and don't have all kinds of shit hanging off. I'd definately suggest a layer underneath.

 

[Hylyx]

Therm-a-rests are dope, I used to have one but it fell off my pack in fucking Roseville. It would be great for insulation in a hammock, too. I've tried camping in a hammock and between the cold (had a down sleeping bag that compressed) and it being uncomfy as fuck (I'm 6'3) I said fuck it, never again.

In a perfect world I'd have a bivy sack.

 

[Xan]

I like the tarp p and hammock idea but it seems it could get tricky to load up in an emergency.

 

[iSTEVEi]

I'm planning on getting a new sleeping bag soon that I'll probably be using through the winter.
Found a decent one with a comfort rating of 0C and extreme of -10C. Say the temperature were to get around -10, would insulation and a couple layers be alright?

 

[kecleon]

Nah, those ratings are complete shit unless you've got bear blood running in your veins. The extreme rating is like what you'd survive in wearing all your clothes with a real good mat and no drafts or anytjing from your tent the comfort is usually at least 5 - 8 degrees off the actual comfort. If you're planning on -10 I'd get something with a lower rating personally. Being cold trying to sleep sucks.

 

[rugburn]

That is true I looked it up once those temp ratings are quote literally based on nothing

 

[AlwaysLost]

I'm probably going to end up getting a hammock with a mosquito net and a bivvy to go along with it. I have a nice camo tarp for when it rains. Would a bivvy be enough insulation with a hammock for when it's cold or would I still need more padding?

You can use this stuff called reflux and put it underneath u. Its basically bubble wrap covered in mylar. Its in the heating/duct part of home depot for cheap. You can also use mylar blankets in combination with a blanket or pad. It will help the conduction aka cold butt syndrome.

 

[Grubblin]

I've never been able to insulate the bottom of my hammock enough to keep it warm in colder weather and it sucks waking up at 3 in the morning bc of the cold. When it's cold I prefer an old tent and bag but I'd rather have the hammock in warm weather. My back only hurts in the hammock when I try to lay flat, as long as I string it in such a way that I'm sleeping on an incline I'm fine. I carry all three but since I have transportation, weight isn't a factor. Even if I was carrying everything on my back I think I'd have to have all three. It allows the flexibility to get the best sleep given whatever situation you happen to find yourself in and I never quite know what that situation will be.

The only thing I would change about the gear I have is probably to downsize the tent from a 2p to a bivy, especially backpacking. I have the two person bc I've had it for 15 years and while it's great for what it is I lose a lot of body heat to the volume of the interior - a volume that I don't need.

 

[Will Wood]

I have a hammock and a bivy. If I'm in and out fast, the bivy is the way to go. But if I've got some time, then the hammock is a lot better. Especially if things are wet..

 

[SammyG]

So i hate the idea of having to bring a sleeping bag and a bedroll, dont know why but i hate them with all my heart, ive looking into buying a tiny portable hammock, bringing a string to put above my when im in the hammock perpendicular(i think thats the word) over the top of the hammock and hang a tarp over it for rain protection, will fill smaller in your bag(i found a hammock that folds into 4 inches by 4 inches and yea, any opinions? ideas? anyone do this? thanks

Eno Hammock+Tarp=set for summer.

 

[DrewSTNY]

Have several hammocks and been using them for years. Latest experiment for winter camping is to have two hammocks strung up so that I can put a second sleeping bag under me. That way, it doesn't crush down loosing insulation factor and it acts like an under-quilt. Then I sleep under another bag like a top quilt and a good sleep is had. It's a heavy system at around 10#, but it's the only way I have found to be warm into the teens without having massive condensation build up. Before I did this, I used the Hennesy winter bottom cover and my second bag had ice in it the next morning. I wasn't cold in the night, but packing out the extra water was a bear.

Also experimenting with the DIY bivy mentioned elsewhere on StP. I like the idea of a bedroll as long as it is the only thing I carry, so I put all my gear in the sleeping bag and roll everything up then sling the whole thing over my shoulders and go. I picked up a couple of ALICE packs with frames and am thinking about using one as a pack board to carry the bed roll. Should be pretty sweet.

For cheap hammocks, I am trying Owl Outfitters. I got a double hammock for around $30 or so and it's super light. It's been pretty cold so I have not slept in it yet.

In the tropics, you can't beat hammocks since any air flow will cool you down even to the point where you might even get chilled and need a light blanket. Just be sure to have a bug net though.

 

[texastraveler]

I do both a bedroll and a hammock. I put a blanket in a larger tarp and tuck the sides in, fold it in half then roll it up and attach it to the outside of my pack. Tarp is good for if it's raining and I'm using the hammock, blanket if it's cold. If there's nothing I can hang the hammock up on I use it as a pillow and sleep on the tarp

edit i only sleep outside in the summer

 

[Maven Z Roze]

I’ve been sleeping in a hammock in a semi trailer for about a year. I survived last winter in Connecticut with just a sleeping bag. I plan on squatting somewhere in the outskirts of Venice with a hammock with lean too.seems like the most compac set up to me.

 

[Deleted member 14481]

Sleeping bag in a hammock with a bug net, for me!

 

[blankityblank]

I always wind up staying much more dry in a tarp/hammock set up than I do in tents or really anything else. Being off the ground makes a huge difference. They suck in a bunch of ways though and get really cold and can be hard to find spots to hang them ay