A different kind of shelter
A while back, I posted about trying to find a lightweight one-person backpacking tent that suited my admittedly picky requirements.
I didn't really come up with anything I liked better than the old solo tent I already had (which is in pretty bad shape, and probably not stormworthy at this point).
Poking around on the lightweight backpacking sites, though, led me in a slightly different direction -- to hammocks!
I never really gave hammocks much attention in the past, because they seemed more like a backyard luxury item than a durable backpacking shelter. But so many lightweight backpackers now swear by them that I decided it was time to give 'em a closer look.
My Hennessy Hammock arrived earlier this week, and I set it up over in a nearby park to give it a test (I think there were some envious homeless people!). It seems like a pretty sweet shelter (replete with rainfly and mosquito netting). Even better, the model I have weighs just under 3 pounds. That's roughly a five pound savings over the traditional tent shelter setup (factoring in the tent, poles, ground cloth, and sleeping pad). Dropping five pounds is significant.
I'm looking forward to giving the thing a true test in the woods later this weekend and into next week.
UPDATE (11-11-2006) I think I'm postponing my hiking until next weekend, weather permitting. The Veterans' Day festivities ran a little longer than I thought they would, and were a little more important than tromping around in the woods.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/10/06 14:25 | Outdoors | Technorati
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Comments
Do you have to depend on finding two good-sized trees? Or does it have its own support system in case there aren't any trees??
Sounds like a <b>huge</b> improvement over any tent you could name. I quit camping in tents at age 32 -- mattresses always went flat, the ground/tent floor was cold and hard, etc. (You recognize all the whining from someone who didn't want to go camping in the first place??!!)
Posted by Marilynn @ 07:38 on 11/11/06
It does require two trees, although they can actually be pretty small.
For the places I go (heavily wooded, never above tree line), I think it will open up many more spots for potential camping. One problem with a traditional tent is that you need fairly level ground, and you want fairly high ground. With the hammock, you just need a couple of properly spaced trees. The rope is long enough that the spacing shouldn't be any kind of problem. So it should work out nicely!
Posted by Kevin @ 08:18 on 11/11/06
I just went with Kev to the park to set this thing up...and I climbed inside it. It was surprisingly comfortable and sturdy. What cold or uncomfortable ground? :)
Posted by callie @ 14:53 on 11/11/06
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