Five Reasons Why You Should Try Hammock Camping
Hammock campers sleep in hammocks instead of traditional tents, often with a rain fly to cover them in rainy weather. Recently, tent manufacturers have developed a series of hammock tents to make this type of camping easier and more accessible. If you've never considered this type of camping before, here are five reasons why you should give it a try.
It's remarkably lightweight. A hammock tent has no heavy poles, and it weighs much less than a traditional tent. This makes it popular with the ultralight camping crowd.
But you don't have to be committed to the ultralight philosophy to appreciate a lighter tent. The lightest hammock tents that also provide insect protection weigh less than a pound. Not even the lightest of traditional tents with bug protection can boast that.
It's good for the environment. You can usually find a frequently-used camping spot by the bare ground. Traditional tents do leave their mark.
Hammock tents, however, are suspended above the ground using webbed straps that attach to trees without damaging the bark. They don't leave any trace or mark of their presence, which is why hammock camping is popular among those who subscribe to the Leave No Trace school of camping.
It's surprisingly comfortable. Most people who try hammock camping say that hammock tents are the most comfortable they've ever tried. When you sleep in hammocks, you're suspended above roots and rocks on the ground, and the breezes gently rock you to sleep.
The hammock naturally positions your feet slightly above your head, which alleviates the painful swelling that sometimes comes after a hard day of hiking.
It gives you more campsite options. When you use a traditional tent, your possible campsites are limited to those with flat ground and relatively few rocks and roots.
In a hammock tent, you can camp anywhere: on a hillside, over a river, or even high on the side of a cliff. As long as there are two trees placed the right distance apart--or you have some other way of suspending your hammock--you have a place to sleep.
In addition, many state and national parks restrict camping to designated campsites. But with a hammock tent, you are often allowed to camp anywhere within 200 feet of a trail.
It keeps you above the ground. When you camp in a hammock tent, you're not just suspended above uncomfortable rocks and roots. You're also above the creepy-crawlies you'll find on the forest floor: beetles, centipedes, and other nuisances that can make their way into your tent if you leave a zipper slightly open.
In addition, you're above any flooding that might come your way during a rainstorm. If your hammock tent has adequate rain protection, you'll stay warm and dry while a river forms through your campsite.
Hammock camping has its roots in pre-Colombian history. The word comes from the root Taino word hamaca, which translates roughly to "thrown fishing net." According to tradition, Native American fishermen would sling fishing nets between trees to sleep during long fishing trips. This kept them safe from ground-loving bugs and centipedes.
Today, hammock camping is alive and well. Popular among ultralight and Leave No Trace campers, it's making inroads into traditional camping and backpacking crowds.
Many hikers are seeing the benefits of hammock camping, from the light load to the wider range of accessible camping spots. If you've never tried it before, you're missing out on a fun and flexible way to enjoy the outdoors.
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This article was written on behalf of Hammocks2Sleepingbags.com. Click here to see their selection of camping hammocks.