5 Reasons to Switch Out the Tent and Use a Hammock While Camping

You’ve had your share of tent camping, but it’s time to get off the dirt. Give hammocking while camping a shot!

1. Hammocks Are Easy to Set Up

Hanging up a hammock takes a couple minutes to set up by yourself. Once you’ve gotten used to setting it up, it takes even less. To set up, you have two hammock straps and the hammock itself and that’s it! Then all you need to find is two trees, poles, posts, etc. to hang it on and you’re set! If you’re traveling with two vehicles, you can even hang your hammocks in-between the vehicles on the car racks.
Being quick to set up, this is an advantage for if you are hiking and want to take a break. You are able to set up your hammock and take a break before moving on without straining yourself.

2. Compact for Easy Portability/Packing

A hammock is lighter than a tent and only weighs less than three pounds. It also is much smaller than a tent and can compress and collapse into small carry-on bags. It takes up less space than a tent and makes it easier to transport to different campsites. This makes it convenient if you are hiking to a campground or just don’t want to bring along heavy and bulky equipment. This also means that you could leave out your pillow and just bring a sleeping bag or blanket to sleep with.

3. Comfortability

No uneven ground, sticks, or rocks to watch out for when you are suspended in the air. Carrying tents can be a hassle and sometimes uncomfortable when you have the hard ground underneath you. Hammocking keeps you off the ground and allows you to have a great night’s sleep all while being relaxed.
If bugs are something you choose to avoid, you can purchase a bug net to cover the hammock. There are also hammocks that you can purchase with built-in mosquito nets for convenience. There are even rain tarps that you can set up over the top of your hammock to make it rain resistant for pending weather conditions.

4. You can “Hammock Hive” with a Group

Hammocks are easy to stack and are great for groups of people to gather and set up camp in one spot. Unlike tents, hammocks take up less space and can be stacked on top of each other with a tall tree. Or, if you’re in an area with an abundance of trees, it is easy to just set up camp next to one another without worrying about flat ground.

5. Versatile For All Seasons:

It is easy to make hammocking be available for all seasons. There are different insulation blankets that you can purchase to line your hammock and keep cold weather and wind out.
The breathable fabric does make this a great use for warmer seasons, especially during the summer, when you want a breeze to cool you off in the night. Also adding a rain tarp can help protect from weather like stated above.

Tips for Hammocking:

When securing your hammock, avoid trees with widow makers (dead trees and branches that can break and fall) and choose ones that are closer to a foot in diameter and secure.

When hanging your hammock, you want to give a little slack so its not too stiff to sleep and lounge on. You also make sure not to give it too much slack to where you will feel uncomfortable while hammocking.

Hammocking: A Different Approach to Camping