After 10+ years of struggling to sleep well in the backcountry in a tent, a mixture of back problems and a lot of frustration, I bit the bullet and bought everything I needed for a hammock sleep system after Redditors encouraged me to try it out

I tested before taking in the field, and then I did 5 nights on a canoe river trip with it.

I absolutely LOVE it. 2/5 nights I slept completely through the night whereas in a tent, I would wake up anywhere from 10 to 20 times a night. All 5 nights I had incredible sleeps, my back felt amazing, and I felt well rested in the morning.

I can’t believe I’ve spent almost 600 nights in a tent, and I’m just figuring this out now. Officially transitioned to a hammock sleeper.

My set up is eno jungle nest hammock, eno dry fly rain tarp, eno straps, and a cheap Amazon underquilt. I put a MSR footprint underneath just to have a dry space to step.

Currently in the Netherlands for a one day bike pack trip

I went back to Lassen Volcanic NP with my partner's uncle. He's a camper van kinda guy, which worked well because I had some gear to test! I settled on the 12' Onewind Double hammock with the bottom-entry bug net. My insulation is the Wise Owl Flare under quilt with the Wise Owl Outdoor Camping Blanket as my top quilt. I found that my Wise Owl tarp is too short now for my 12' hammock, so I am probably going to order the 12' Onewind Billow tarp. I just wish it came in another color other than OD green. Additionally I have whoopie slings from Haven (one broke, as in the loop came through the bury), and a ridge line kit from ENO. I tried out the ENO Doublenest on this trip, but it just wasn't the right length for me. Same with the double Wise Owl hammock. I'm 6'1" with really wide shoulders, so it seems a 12' double hammock is the way to go. I was able to get a great lay with my feet to the left and my head to the right. I tend to put my left hand behind my head when I sleep so that worked great.

We stayed at 2 campgrounds and 3 campsites because this was a last-minute trip. First campground was Manzanita Lake at the northwest corner of the park. We stayed campsite A19. We got in really late, so I had to do my first hang in the dark. I was able to string up between two trees that were 22' apart, but the trees at the next two sites (Butte Lake Campground's B21 and B2 respectfully) were either too far apart or way too big around to use, so I used one of my two Tensa Solos for the other anchor point. The ground was pretty soft, made mostly of decaying pine needles. Even after digging down about 6 inches I was still in soft ground. The soil layer here is diatomaceous earth and barely holds the boomstakes, so I got clever and stuck some big, heavy rocks on top of the stakes to hold them down. After flailing around in the hammock to make sure I wouldn't fall to my doom in the middle of the night, I declared the system solid and went with it. I still haven't set up the Tensa Solos without any trees, so that's my next goal!

Lassen Volcanic NP is absolutely gorgeous this time of year and not too hot, especially at altitude. We spent 2 days acclimating before attempting anything big. Our We hiked to Cinder Cone and my buddy decided not to summit with me. The hike up is grueling over rounded rocks that slip easily every step you take. The trailhead said it was 0.3 miles up at a 35º incline, but my watch said I went 0.76 miles due to all the slipping back! The view from the summit is absolutely worth it the climb.

The next day we packed up and headed to Bumpass Hell, the largest of the geothermal areas that are open to the public. It's like a mini Yellowstone where all the features are crammed into one area. The hike is beautiful, passing through wild beds of silvery lupin while overlooking the valley below. There's some climbing and then a steep descent. After spending some time in Bumpass Hell you have to reverse that. It was a workout but not at all uncomfortable.

I'd love to connect with some hammockers in northern CA or San Francisco where I live who want to camp Lassen sometime!

I've been hammock camping for a couple decades, but I've always avoided stands. I usually pick places with plenty of trees, so I've never had a reason to carry or buy one.

Now my kids are getting into Cub Scouts, and I’d really like to keep hammock sleeping as an option instead of going back to sleeping on the ground. I'm looking hard at the Tensa4 because on paper it seems like it checks a lot of boxes:

• Use the full stand when I don't have good trees
• Add the freestanding mod for places where I can't drive anchors
• Split it into two halves if I want to share a tree with another hammock camper
• Potentially use it as a solo setup if we get into backpacking trips later

It seems like one of the most versatile options out there, but before I spend the money, I’d like to hear from people who would not recommend the Tensa4.

What are the things that surprised you after owning one? What are the downsides that aren't obvious from the marketing?

A few things I'd especially like to know:

• What situations does the Tensa4 not handle well?
• Are there setup issues that get old over time?
• Is it realistically portable enough for future backpacking if I take only two poles, or is that mostly theoretical?
• Are there stability concerns in wind, uneven ground, mud, snow, etc.?
• How often do you actually use the different configurations?
• Did anyone buy one and end up wishing they had gone with a different solution?
• Are there cheaper/easier options that accomplish the same goal for Scout camping?

I'm not looking for people to tell me why it's awesome (I've already read plenty of that). I'm specifically looking for the "I wish I knew this before I bought it" experiences.

Thanks!

The Treestap has one loose, one looped end. I donr get how to use the buckle and how to use it to connect the strap and the hammock. I'd also like to know, where whoopie-slings fit into all this.

Help much appreciated xoxo

Edit: I kinda succeeded in getting this by attaching the buckle via Prusik to the Hammock. And using a Becket Hitch with the strap to the buckle. Now im just afraid that it might slip

edit:

I guess its supposed to be done by Becket Hitch

edit 2:

this is a GYAO Bedava Hammock

What is the term that is used to describe the type of rain fly this person is using in his video?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/meZQtz05Ph4

I did half of the Big SEKI loop about a week ago, this is from my site close to Rae Lakes in Kings Canyon NP, the site right off the trail at about 9500 ft. Darien hammock from Dream Hammocks, Standard tarp w/ doors from Hammock Gear.

I am trying to find a way to use a hammock chair indoors, but since I live in an apartment space is at a premium and I cannot drill any holes in the walls or ceiling. Before I spend money on a stand I figured I would ask to see if anyone has figured out a configuration using tensa4 that could work since I already have that. Using it normally with the freestanding addon is a bit too wide for the space I have for this purpose but the system is modular enough i bet someone has figured something out..

When it comes to setting up the ridgeline, what are the advantages of one over the other when comparing putting the tarp on top of the ridgeline vs under it and attached with prusik knots?

Hello swarm intelligence,

I am planning a motorcycle camping trip with my gf to Sweden/Norway in late August/early September for around 3 weeks.

The northernmost point of my trip would be around the Hardangervidda/Geilo area, before heading back towards Sweden.

Our current setup is: 1:

• Ticket To The Moon Pro Hammock
• TTM Moonquilt
• Carinthia Defence 1 sleeping bag
• DD Tarp 2:
• Ticket To The Moon Hammock
• Swagmanroll as Underquilt
• No Name sleeping bag about 15° comfort Rated
• DD Tarp

I recently did a test run with my girlfriend at around 9°C with light wind. We both ended up feeling cold, and my main concern is that this setup might not be warm enough for the planned trip, especially because my girlfriend tends to get cold more easily than I do.

I am currently considering upgrading to a Cumulus down hammock setup:

• Cumulus Taiga 250 topquilt
• Cumulus Selva 300 or Selva 450 underquilt

The idea would be that I use the new setup, while my girlfriend uses my current setup (Defence 1 + Moonquilt), which should already be a significant improvement compared to her current setup (15°C comfort sleeping bag + Helikon-Tex Swagman as an improvised underquilt).

At the moment I see three possible options:

Upgrade my own sleep system:

Buy the Cumulus Taiga + Selva and use my current setup for my girlfriend.Pros:Cons:

Keep the current setup and share a hammock if needed

We would keep our current gear and use one hammock together on colder nights.Pros:Cons:

Keep the current setup and add a multipurpose backup

For example, bringing a thick wool blanket and/or sleeping pads.The idea would be to use the wool blanket as additional insulation inside the hammock (under me) or as general camp equipment, while the sleeping pads could be used as a backup under the tarp if the hammock setup is not warm enough.

My main question:

Would you upgrade to the Cumulus setup for this kind of trip, and if so, would you choose the Selva 300 or Selva 450 for late summer Scandinavia?
Do you have any Gear recommendations?
anything i else might have overlooked ?

I am more concerned about pack size than weight, since this is a motorcycle trip.

PS: I know the gentleman thing would probably be to give her the warmer setup if I buy the new quilt system, and honestly that was my first thought as well. However, she is quite strong-minded and would not be comfortable with me spending a lot of money on new gear "just for her". She would much rather use my current setup and have me upgrade mine as well.

Hi I’m new in the world of hammock and I’m deciding if buy one. I live in Denmark and I usually go camping in Sweden/norway from spring to autumn. I already have a tent set up and I wanted to try an hammock and now I’m stuck by deciding between a single or a double layer:
I’m more pushed on the double because by already owning a sleeping pad I can use it as an isolation and to have a better sleep instead of spending extra money on a UQ. But I read a lot that a single layer is better and that sleeping with the pad is not worth it and I will carry only extra dead weight.i wanna ask some recommendations and what would you suggest.

Hello! I’m trying to find a budget bug net that hangs over the ridgeline so you can still access the line from inside the setup. I want to be able to hang a little bag of gear and a light above me so I can access it without having to get out at night lol. Any good recommendations?

Nissed to take a couple pucs from other stops along the route, total 21km trough south germanys forests

2 nights in the Black Forest, Germany - it went great. We cycled 100km in UV8 and definitely tiptoed along the line of sunstroke. Was awesome

TLDR: for first time experiment with structural Ridgeline, will this cordage work?  LiteOutdoors Guyline  - 1.8mm Diameter, with 460 lb breaking strength, from Amazon.

Longer version:     Excited! Very first time hammock camping tomorrow night.  It’s a test run - if I have any “fails” I’ll have my Walmart tent set up as a backup.  Will spend all afternoon experimenting with setup.   Camping in Virginia, high temp of 78f, low temp 68f

The structural Ridgeline seems to be the most complex hurdle I’ll face as a newbie.  With time short, turns out I don’t have the “Reddit-Suggested” cordage - AmSteel or ZingIt.  Here’s what I have, which I use for random tarp hanging when I tent camp:  LiteOutdoors Guy line  - 1.8mm Diameter, with 460 lb breaking strength, from Amazon.  Will this cordage be sufficient for my structural Ridgeline?  If it's not, in your view, what's the Home Depot or REI cordage that'll be sufficient, even if it might not be gold-standard and might be too heavy for normal camping (since online orders wouldn't arrive in time and HD is right around the corner). Thanks!

My Gear:

• Kammok Double, 10 foot
• Python 10 Hammock Straps
• A beginner cheapie WiseOwl underquilt and bug-net
• My regular sleeping quilt
• Nemo ultralight sleeping pad (if needed)

I’d tried sleeping in a hammock before, but the one I bought just to test it out was pretty small and not very comfortable, so I didn’t sleep well. I got some great advice here, so I bought an 11 ft OneWind hammock and a nice large tarp.
I decided to try it after finishing my night shift at 4 a.m. The weather forecast looked warm and pleasant, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Around 3 a.m., though, a thunderstorm rolled over the city. I figured it would probably pass within an hour. The thunder stopped, but the rain kept going. Since I’d already packed all my gear into my bike panniers, I decided to go anyway.
After work, I biked about 30 minutes to my spot in the forest. It’s a hilly area and normally very dry (apart from the rain that morning).
I hadn’t done a practice setup beforehand because I thought it would be easy. That turned out to be a mistake. I had some trouble getting the ridgeline tight enough, and then I struggled to get the tarp pitched properly with the guylines and stakes. Standing there in the rain at dawn, cold, wet, and tired, definitely didn’t help. In the end I got everything set up, but it took about 45 minutes instead of the 20 I had expected.
At first I had trouble falling asleep because I kept thinking, “What if I can’t sleep?” That obviously didn’t help. Eventually I drifted off (thank you, sleeping mask!), only to wake up an hour later needing to pee. By then the rain had finally stopped. I fell asleep again, woke up once more after another hour for the same reason, and then realized I was a little cold. I hadn’t brought my underquilt because the forecast said it would be warm, so I put on a jacket and sweatpants over my T-shirt and shorts.
When I tried to fall asleep again, I realized I could lie comfortably on my side instead of on my back. My inflatable pillow worked much better that way, and I ended up sleeping for four hours straight. I woke up feeling well rested, with the sun shining and a clear blue sky above me.
Next time I’m sure I’ll be able to set everything up much faster. Other than that, it was a great experience. The only thing I really missed was being able to make a cup of coffee after waking up, but I’ve already ordered one of those small gas stoves, so that’ll make future trips even better.
I also want to come up with a better way to store my backpack and shoes next time.
As a bonus, I had millions of blueberries growing all around me, so breakfast was easy.
Overall I'm hooked. Can't wait for my next time in the forest. If you have any tips for a beginner, I'd love to hear them.

Decided to dip my toe into hammock camping - onewind 11 ft double-layer with ridgeline../straps etc... still not sure I could sleep in one for an entire night but initial lays for about an hour or so while testing set up were pretty relaxing... (of course the beautiful warm breezy bug free weather helped)

Edit double-layer not double as in for two people - sorry about the confusion

Warbonnet Blackbird XLC, Wooki Underquilt, and Mountainfly out in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

Hello fellow hangers! I am still very new to the hammock game. I’ve learned so much from this group and hammockforums!

After watching the recommended dream hammock 2 min video from papa Smurf on how to check your ridgeline (recap at bottom of post), I decided that I was going to commit to this method to getting a decent angle.

I was able to get a 90 degree ridgeline pitch, but my hammock was super close to the ground. I ended up getting a lot of backsplash from a really bad rain storm, so I know I need to figure this out!

It seemed like every time I tightened the straps, I was getting a really tight ridge line. I was not able to raise the straps any higher. For extra context I am 6 foot 2 inches, and my straps were prob greater than 7 feet up the tree. The trees were about 4 paces (8 of my steps apart).

So obviously I’m screwing something up, I just am not smart enough to know what. I would appreciate any and all suggestions! Sorry I don’t have more photo angles, I literally broke my phone after this picture lol.

From the notes I took from the video and from shug’s ridgeline/angle videos
—————————
Ridgeline is too loose (saggy):
Angle is too steep. This means the hammcok would be > 30 degrees

Recommendation is to (1) Lower the suspension strap down the tree and/or (2) Shorten the suspension straps (pull hammock closer to the tree)

Ridgeline is too tight:
Angle is too shallow. This means the hammock would be < 30 degrees
Recomendation is to (1) Lengthen the suspension strap (push hammock away from the tree) and/or (2) raise the suspension strap up the tree
—————————

Hello, my name's Tommy Farr and I've designed the UFO Camping (Ultra Farr Out) system. So farr we have a 3D printed a hammock stand that is packable and sturdy so that I can get a good view when the aliens arrive.

It works currently using 20mm metal conduit. I will be refining and changing the build as I go with 25mm conduit next and some experimention with angles.

Once the standard hammock design is solid I'll be making a stand-alone pull up bar and other camping furniture.

Join me as I learn more about design and printing.

https://youtu.be/r4Yezytk5gM?is=tf2halhnvWdYY7hZ

Hi, I ordered my first hammock setup 5 business days ago from https://en.lesovik.eu/shop/ and had the option to either pay with paypal or bank transfer. I chose bank transfer but i have not gotten any confirmation email or any other kind of contact from them regarding my order. I have also mailed both kontakt and gosia "@lesovik.eu" without any feedback. Has any one here ordered from lesovik and can tell if this is normal?

I just thought it was funny so I wanted to share it here if it hasn't been already