My group is planning our first trip to the BW and some of our members have been thinking about using hammocks instead of tents. One guy swears by his. He claims the comfort is unbeatable. I just wanted to get some general thoughts on the pros and cons of hammock camping on a canoe trip

Welcome aboard Headcase. Your friend is right. Best nights sleep in the woods is in a hammock. Check out our hammock forum, you can join it or just read. Forum

I'd be willing to be that once you hammock you'll never go back to a tent. Very light to cary, easy to set up, don't need flat ground, always dry, and most important - sooo comfy! I have a terrible back and I honestly sleep better in a hammock then I do in my expensive bed at home.

Pros: Comfort, site selection is usually no problem, its fun to rig.
Cons: Can get chilly if not prepared (underquilt, sleeping pad, etc.), can't snuggle up with someone else.

I have the Blackbird by WarBonnet and totally love it. Tents have their place but I really love the footbox, mosquito netting, and shelf of my BB.

Pros: Comfort, site selection is usually no problem, its fun to rig.
Cons: Can get chilly if not prepared (underquilt, sleeping pad, etc.), can't snuggle up with someone else.

I have the Blackbird by WarBonnet and totally love it. Tents have their place but I really love the footbox, mosquito netting, and shelf of my BB.

Put me squarely in the hammock camp. I have bulging discs in my lower back and the hammock is easily the best night's sleep for me. The only time I sleep on the ground anymore is when my wife is along for the trip. You do need some sort of insulation under you in cooler weather, a bug net and a tarp, so it can be cost prohibitive to some if you are starting from nothing.

One other thing, I'm a side sleeper. In a hammock, I sleep like a baby on my back.

Thanks for the input guys. My friend is using the blackbird as well. And I'm a side sleeper so that helps put my mind at ease. Do you guys take a small tent for gear storage?
By the way I would like to say this is one of the best forums I've been on. There seems to be no BS, drama, or false reporting. This seems to be a very knowledgeable group that enjoys helping others out

I just bring a piece of Tyvek to put on the ground underneath me, tie my boots to my pack and keep it under the hammock.



You can't see the ground sheet and pack, but they're in there.

I love my Clark NX-250, it's at the high end of hammocks, but in my opinion, well worth it. For personal gear, it has storage pockets underneath. My boots end up underneath me on the ground. Sometimes I hang a bag on the tree near the head end of my hammock. Make sure you line all of your bags with a plastic liner or garbage bag if you don't have waterproof stuff sacks.

For camp gear, put up a separate tarp near your cooking area and set a pack or all of your packs underneath (with the exception of your food pack). It's more comfortable if it ends up raining most of your trip, you already have something set up to cook underneath and get out of the rain if necessary.

Warbonnet Blackbird with their Superfly. It's great. the ONLY con I see is not being able to be intimate with a loved one. My wife doesn't go anymore so the hammock is a no brainer for me now.

Gear storage for me is under my tarp in the same packs I brought. I have never had a thing get wet this way. Just make sure it's all tucked away in a pack at night.

I also use the Warbonnet Blackbird hammock. All of my gear is stored in a waterproof backpack made by TexSport, which I keep on the ground under my tarp.

I use diy hammocks and tarps and sleep like it's my job! I'm always high and dry, gear does just fine under the tarp with me. There are virtually no drawbacks to hammocks except the expense of the quilts etc. but you can get by on the cheap using pads etc that you already own and once you find out it's your thing you can upgrade to quilts later.

Blackbird XLC for me. Use a second tarp when not solo to cook, get out of weather, etc.

Also cut a square of thick painters plastic and tape the corners to make a sort of bathtub and put the gear on top the plastic under my foot area.

Best part of hammock other than An amazing sleep? Swinging out your legs and putting your shoes on while sitting. Second best? No kneeling to pack your gear. Awesome.

quote Savage Voyageur: "Welcome aboard Headcase. Your friend is right. Best nights sleep in the woods is in a hammock. Check out our hammock forum, you can join it or just read. Forum "

How do I join a private group forum

Click back to the main forum page. At the bottom below the standard categories there is a link for "view other public......." in there are all the special not entirely BWCA topics.

Or just click on this linky thingy.

Your looking for BWCA hanging.

quote headCase: "

quote Savage Voyageur: "Welcome aboard Headcase. Your friend is right. Best nights sleep in the woods is in a hammock. Check out our hammock forum, you can join it or just read. Forum "

How do I join a private group forum "

Go back out to the main page that lists all the forums. Then go to the bottom where it lists all the other forums you can join. Open them and find the hanging forum and click add me to this forum. Then you can ask questions to all the people that have hammocks. Same thing with the other forums.

Thanks dammfast and savage

I have a Clark NX-150.
Not only on camping trips - but I sleep in mine often at home.
So comfortable it's difficult to say without risking non-belief.
All you need is two trees.

quote George5000: "I love my Clark NX-250, it's at the high end of hammocks, but in my opinion, well worth it.

"

+1 on the Clark NX-250. Nice set-up particularly if you like to trip during spring and fall.

I'm a hammock guy and will never go back to a tent!

quote Exo: "Best part of hammock other than An amazing sleep? Swinging out your legs and putting your shoes on while sitting. Second best? No kneeling to pack your gear. Awesome."

Absolutely. There is a difference when you wake up the next morning after a long travel day and not have to drag yourself off the ground. The best seat you can have is sitting sideways in a hammock while gently swinging.

My joints thank me every time I use a hammock instead of a tent.

I have slept in a hammock a few times and if going solo or with a group of guys, would probably recommend it. I love the lightweight compact nature of it and even if tent camping I bring a hammock and tarp. I now go with wife and three young kids and there is not a hammock on earth I know of that can work for all of us together. It is fun when it rains to see water run underneath you and you just do not have to worry about it. There are hammock systems with their own tarp that can work or you can take a basic hammock, bring a separate tarp of whatever size you want and string it up above you. If larger it can be useful for more gear storage or possibly cooking under depending upon setup. Too small of a tarp and hard driving wind and rain could make you a bit miserable. A cheap foam pad in the bottom and a regular sleeping bag can work just fine from my limited experience hammock sleeping.

It rained about 4 inches the night I stayed here. Dry and comfortable all night. I will never stay in a tent again when I have this as an option.

Would a guy need an underquilt if he had a 15 degree sleeping bag on nights where it gets down to 40ish? I'm thinking about getting a hammock and plan on going labor day weekend.

quote walleyevision: "Would a guy need an underquilt if he had a 15 degree sleeping bag on nights where it gets down to 40ish? I'm thinking about getting a hammock and plan on going labor day weekend."

An underquilt or a pad will be needed. You're laying on the bag, compressing it. No loft means no insulation and it will be too cold. A cheap closed cell foam pad would be enough, assuming it's wide enough at your shoulders.

If you are in temps that don't go below 65 deg you would be fine IMO, but anything less you will get the "Cold Butt Syndrome".

I use a 20 deg under quilt for my May - October camping. In warmer temps I open up the shock cords on my Burrow and let a little more air circulate.

quote hooky: "

quote walleyevision: "Would a guy need an underquilt if he had a 15 degree sleeping bag on nights where it gets down to 40ish? I'm thinking about getting a hammock and plan on going labor day weekend."

An underquilt or a pad will be needed. You're laying on the bag, compressing it. No loft means no insulation and it will be too cold. A cheap closed cell foam pad would be enough, assuming it's wide enough at your shoulders."

use 1 full length pad under your body...then cut another pad to 36-45" and place it under your shoulders to wrap around. Problem solved.

BUT, once you decide to go hammock all the way, research the various underquilts. Take some time, save a few bucks, and then get one. They are much more comfortable than pads.

A few years ago we took our 2 kids up there. I took along a hammock for napping, etc. My then 15 year old son (BlueSkiesWI) decided to use the hammock to sleep under the stars - and not share a tent with his sister. All was well... Until the mosquitoes came out. Luckily I had netting along, and he kept the netting off his face by wearing a baseball cap. He made it through the night. But the buzz only a few inches from his face was just too much, and the next night he retreated to the tent, and his sister.

quote 4keys: "A few years ago we took our 2 kids up there. I took along a hammock for napping, etc. My then 15 year old son (BlueSkiesWI) decided to use the hammock to sleep under the stars - and not share a tent with his sister. All was well... Until the mosquitoes came out. Luckily I had netting along, and he kept the netting off his face by wearing a baseball cap. He made it through the night. But the buzz only a few inches from his face was just too much, and the next night he retreated to the tent, and his sister."

I can relate to this. In 1992 I took my 16 year old brother and we had along 2 rope hammocks for napping. One day we decided not to set up our tent and just use head nets and our down bags and sleep under the stars.

This was mid June and it was warm. The buzzing around our faces didn't let us sleep and we sweated inside our bags and prayed for dawn. Definitely in my top 5 worst nights sleeping ever.

quote TomT:
This was mid June and it was warm. The buzzing around our faces didn't let us sleep and we sweated inside our bags and prayed for dawn. Definitely in my top 5 worst nights sleeping ever."

I see that you currently use a blackbird. Are there issues with bug buzzing with your current setup? I'm looking at a double layer in 1.1 silnylon. I imagine the integrated bug netting keeps them far enough away that they're not buzzing directly in your ear. I guess I'm not sure if this is something I should be concerned about at all since most summers when I camp, if the bugs are bad, they get stuck between the tent and the fly and buzz all night anyway.

I'd probably do a permethrin coating on the underside of my hammock, maybe spray the netting and also apply a treatment to the fly just to keep them down. Mosquitoes gravitate to me for some reason (will bother the heck out of me and leave other people alone...).

Also curious how long setup takes you including tarp, just to compare to tent camping?

Thanks

I have two Hennessy Hammocks that have the built in netting and the Hex rain flys. I use Python straps. I can set the hammock up completely including tarp in less then 1 minute.

+1 on the underquilt. We have had guys that have tried sleeping pads but complained of cold shoulders. Go for the full length underquilt (down) and don't look back.

One of the (many) benefits of using a Hammock is not having to find the "perfect" spot to sleep, a tent really limits you I feel.

The only downside is adding a bit of bulk having a Top quilt and Underquilt, but all the pros outweigh the cons by far, I feel.

Edit- I used a pad my first year, last year I got an underquilt.

I have a WBBB 1.7, double to keep the mosquitoes off my back, but that was not an issue as I first used a pad in a BA bag, then switched to a 20 deg UQ. Bugs will occasionally buzz the netting, but that has not been much of an issue, as long as I keep everything zipped up.

Best sleep you will get after a hard day of portaging and paddling.

I also use a WBBB 1.7 double. If you are worried about skeets, treat your hammock with permethrin. I treat the hammock just like I do when I'm one of them "ground dwellers". If one of them little fellows gets in with you while zipping up.......they just dissolve. POOF and they be gone.

quote TallMatt: "

quote TomT:
This was mid June and it was warm. The buzzing around our faces didn't let us sleep and we sweated inside our bags and prayed for dawn. Definitely in my top 5 worst nights sleeping ever."

I see that you currently use a blackbird. Are there issues with bug buzzing with your current setup? I'm looking at a double layer in 1.1 silnylon. I imagine the integrated bug netting keeps them far enough away that they're not buzzing directly in your ear. I guess I'm not sure if this is something I should be concerned about at all since most summers when I camp, if the bugs are bad, they get stuck between the tent and the fly and buzz all night anyway.

I'd probably do a permethrin coating on the underside of my hammock, maybe spray the netting and also apply a treatment to the fly just to keep them down. Mosquitoes gravitate to me for some reason (will bother the heck out of me and leave other people alone...).

Also curious how long setup takes you including tarp, just to compare to tent camping?

Thanks"

The setup is probably about the same when I get done with the tarp rig. However, it's much easier than a tent setup because there's no real bending over or crawling around. It's all done standing up.

Since I've only camped in september with my blackbird I really haven't had experience with skeeters buzzing the net. The net of the blackbird is way off your face so I doubt it would be much of an issue in June.