hamock/tarp instead of a tent

[Kozzie]

Hay all 6days ago i bought a cheap tent off BIG W online thinking it cant possibly take longer then a few days to get from the store down the road to me. Anyways finally ive had enough and australia post is saying they know nothing about it so i call em up and they say Oh, maybe itll be there by 7th 2nd . . . . I *&%$#! orderd it on the 24th! In what day and age does it take 2 weeks anyways so now im pretty angry reason why im buying *&%$#! cheap tents from big w is im waaaay overbudget overstaying my stay in tasmania and basicly wont be takeing it home with me and will be donateing it. So! No way i can afford to wait another *&%$#! week and abit so im thinking ill buy a cheap string.hammock from god knows where shouldnt be more then 10$ and a tarpolen and some rope.
Any recomendations i dont know the first thing about this i just figure ill be off the ground so relatively safe and ill have a tarp over me so no rain. I really need some help here from what size tarp proper technique of setting it up what knot to tie. I plan on useing this in tasmania. Thanks very much where to purchase these items around hobart be good to.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Allgoods?? IMO you'd have to be quite mad to stay in a hammock in Tassie, but you seem to fit the cap, so god speed my friend.

[corvus]

Kossie,
Go into any large hardware shop and I am sure you can pick up an OZ-Trail Promo tent for around $39.00 and you wont need to find suitable trees or learn to tie knots but just find out how to put the tent up
corvus

[photohiker]

Hammock Forums

It'll cost you more than $10 though

ILUV, Tas is fine for Hammocks. Plenty of trees about.

[ILUVSWTAS]

ILUV, Tas is fine for Hammocks. Plenty of trees about.

Below the 1000m line maybe, some of us camp higher than that though, besides it's not the lack of trees i worry about, it's the wind, snow and mozzies i'd be worried about. It's snowing on the peaks as i write.....

[corvus]

ILUV, Tas is fine for Hammocks. Plenty of trees about.

Below the 1000m line maybe, some of us camp higher than that though, besides it's not the lack of trees i worry about, it's the wind, snow and mozzies i'd be worried about. It's snowing on the peaks as i write.....

+1,
And the young man has obviously no idea as to set up and use of a hammock or tarp I think he is also in "the more to be pitied than scolded " category
corvus

[ILUVSWTAS]

ILUV, Tas is fine for Hammocks. Plenty of trees about.

Below the 1000m line maybe, some of us camp higher than that though, besides it's not the lack of trees i worry about, it's the wind, snow and mozzies i'd be worried about. It's snowing on the peaks as i write.....

+1,
And the young man has obviously no idea as to set up and use of a hammock or tarp I think he is also in "the more to be pitied than scolded " category
corvus

[ollster]

I think he is also in "the more to be pitied than scolded " category

You told me that once. I'm yet to see any pity.

[Macca81]

IMO you'd have to be quite mad to stay in a hammock in Tassie

It is working for me. There are means to get around all of the problems you have mentioned and do it in a manner of far greater comfort than in a tent!

[Macca81]

Kozzie, if you want cheap, your best bet is to go to spotlight and buy some ripstop nylon and make a gathered end hammock. grab a cheap tarp from an outdoor store.

[Kozzie]

Thanks all glad to see alot of help amd advice. I found a guy selling some tents for 25$ so im going to pick one of those up on my way. Looks like im.living in the rain for next few days and my goodness after doing several hours of hammock.research i think im going to take one to the philippines with me i cant believe how awesome they are and if i polish off my old spotlight membership card from 2000 (hay nothing wrong with makeing your own phatties) :,( haha ill be able to save a fair bita dosh. Who would of thought 2012 would be the year i owned a tea difuser AND made a hommock.

[ILUVSWTAS]

IMO you'd have to be quite mad to stay in a hammock in Tassie

It is working for me. There are means to get around all of the problems you have mentioned and do it in a manner of far greater comfort than in a tent!

How do you cook when tentbound for days on end??

[photohiker]

IMO you'd have to be quite mad to stay in a hammock in Tassie

It is working for me. There are means to get around all of the problems you have mentioned and do it in a manner of far greater comfort than in a tent!

How do you cook when tentbound for days on end??

Depends why you're tentbound I guess, but worth considering what our US pals get up to. Parts they hang out in get much more snow than tassie.

Is it different to tenting? Sure. A lot of people who actually try it seem to land up preferring it to tenting.



And a bit of a Shug video. He has plenty more, and a search on Hammockforums will yield many more:

Skip to 1:52 for cooking from the hammock

[Nuts]

Something wrong there... iv'e got it.. where is the driving wind, ice, slush and rain? Scrappy heath scrub, alpine tussock or even stunted snow gum? What's the option for side sleepers? (walk with a chiropractor?)
And what a hassle in general..

Sorry, some things can be easily imagined without the doing... snakes and leeches aren't scarry enough (for me)

Maybe in the tropics (if it could be somehow kept flat)..maybe..

[ILUVSWTAS]

Something wrong there... iv'e got it.. where is the driving wind, ice, slush and rain? Scrappy heath scrub, alpine tussock or even stunted snow gum? What's the option for side sleepers? (walk with a chiropractor?)
And what a hassle in general..

Sorry, some things can be easily imagined without the doing... snakes and leeches aren't scarry enough (for me)

Maybe in the tropics (if it could be somehow kept flat)..maybe..

BINGO!!

[Liamy77]

Hey folks i am a 6'2" side sleeper who hates small constricting bags.... and a recent convert to hammocks too - I have slept in Tassie in a home rigged hammock and quilts REALLY comfortably. I can see that there is the possibility of having a hammock that can also double as a bivvy bag for the alpine bits but the possible pitch/hang sites would be reduced in alpine areas... They are still REALLY comfy and can be just as warm as a tent IMHO
there are hammocks that have built in mozzie netting (just as tents are) and you can sleep flat in a hammock too (check out some of the asymmetrical designs). There is as much room under a tarp as a tent and if you want you can carry a tyvek tub as a ground sheet.
There are also tarps that have ends so they can be pitched as an A Frame and be enclosed more from the elements.
It depends on your gear - you dont hike with arctic gear in summer and vice versa - the hammock needs to be insulated appropriately.
That said there are some places that unless i would be happy bivvy bagging it i would not take a Hammock in tassie - but mostly high alpine areas and you could get by but not necessarily a cheaper option (nor more expensive) than a tent.... Liam

[ollster]

It depends on your gear - you dont hike with arctic gear in summer and vice versa - the hammock needs to be insulated appropriately.

You obviously haven't done nearly enough walking around Tassie yet.

[Liamy77]

Kozzie : unless you get really REALLY lucky with the weather.... i believe that if you go camping in a remote are of Tassie in the "STRING" hammock for $10 as you say i think you will eventually end up either being a search and rescue story or an entry in the obituaries - sorry to burst your bubble. Liam

[Liamy77]

It depends on your gear - you dont hike with arctic gear in summer and vice versa - the hammock needs to be insulated appropriately.

You obviously haven't done nearly enough walking around Tassie yet.

I've done my share Ollster, read my posts again with the emphasis on BIVVY in the alpine areas
- I'm not supporting the idea that they are better ALL-Round tghan a tent but that they can be better in places if appropriately set up.

btw I'm guessing you have not tried a camping designed hammock and have not slept out in one?
-no critisism - i was suprised at the warmth and comfort and shelter of one (warbonnet blackbird with a tarp that can fold shut at each end (not my set up but borrowed).... Ollster they even make ones that can support really heavy loads

[ollster]

I've done my share Ollster, read my posts again with the emphasis on BIVVY in the alpine areas
- I'm not supporting the idea that they are better ALL-Round tghan a tent but that they can be better in places if appropriately set up.

btw I'm guessing you have not tried a camping designed hammock and have not slept out in one?
-no critisism - i was suprised at the warmth and comfort and shelter of one (warbonnet blackbird with a tarp that can fold shut at each end (not my set up but borrowed).... Ollster they even make ones that can support really heavy loads

Was more a comment on the "don't need arctic gear in summer".

No, I don't think hammocks would be my thing, I have done a lot of bivvying before I got a one man tent - Southern Ranges, Western Arthurs and Snowy Range, Pelion Circuit are a few longer trips that come to mind - bivvy is a *&%$#! big risk though, I got lucky with weather more than good planning. I like having the solid option of a tent for those days when the weather just goes bat *&%$#! crazy and tries to wipe me off the face of the planet. Also as ILUV said, they're a bit useless for high camping. And it doesn't matter if the hammock can support heavy loads if the trees can't.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Don't knock hammock camping unless you've tried it. Since purchasing my hammock from overseas 7 months ago, I've only used my Hilleberg Tent once and that's because I was told there was no trees in a camp site, there was plenty of tree's about I could have used.

I've not Had the chance to test out my Hammock and Sleeping system in anything under 8 Degrees Celcius thus far. I'll be putting my gear to the test this coming winter. At 8C I was toasty and warm in my Hammock surrounded by top quality Goose Down. The Americans have adapted there hammock camping to very cold conditions. It can be done.

Yes, there are area's that's not appropriate for Hammock Camping. Up here in QLD those area's are rare, at least for me they are. I tend to hike in area's with thick vegetation and rocky uneven grounds. The hammock is perfect for me and I get a much better sleep in my hammock than I do in my Hilleberg Tent with a Exped Downmat Dlx 9. I use a 4-season Tarp with doors on the sides. I've found up here in QLD the larger tarp with the doors is a necessity. Some will say otherwise, but I don't think I could stay dry with anything less. My tarp only weighs 500grams. Hammock 600grams, including straps.

[Nuts]

This is funny, started with Iluv advising a newby against a string hammock (more or less lol)... then the sensitive hammocky types come out
I'm normally in a bivy under a tarp, not the most fun in bad weather but can stay warm and dry. Never unsafe just not as comfortable as a (especially roomy) tent. If I did more high level camping i'd be a tent of some sort or a bivy and a tent-like tarp.

iirc kossie is heading for a short walk at Freycinet??? ha ha (still wouldn't bother with a string hammock there (personally) but then he's onto a cheap tent no??)

[photohiker]

I've got way more experience tenting than hammocking, but I have at least done both in Tasmania.

Extreme weather up high? Sure, I'll take the tent thanks. Forest? Hammock.

Wind creates an issue for Tarps/Hammocks and staying warm at low temperatures. More or less the same as sleeping under a tarp. No trapped air. A tarp with end doors and underquilt protector helps some, as do underquilt and topquilt, but it is difficult to get to the same protection level as a tent. Site selection and orientation of the tarp become even more important. The tarp is generally larger than a tent, so sail characteristics also come into play. At least condensation becomes a non-issue.

I've selected hammock kit that can be pitched on the ground as tarp and bivy to get around the odd time lack of trees are an issue here in SA. For tassie, I'll take what is appropriate, maybe both.

And if you haven't tried, I'd suggest you borrow one and have a go. They're not such a faff and they are quite a different experience to being closed up in a small claustrophobic tent.

[ULWalkingPhil]

This is funny, started with Iluv advising a newby against a string hammock... then all the sensitive hammocky types come out
I'm normally in a bivy under a tarp, not the most fun in bad weather but can stay warm and dry. Never unsafe just not as comfortable as a (especially roomy) tent. If I did more high level camping i'd be a tent of some sort.

iirc kossie is heading for a short walk at Freycinet??? ha ha (still wouldn't bother with a string hammock there (personally) but then he's onto a cheap tent no??)

When I hiked in my twenties. I to slept under a tarp, most of the time. I wouldn't even put the tarp up. often wrapping myself up in the tarp. But we do get fairly mild winters compared to you guy's down south. many years ago, camped out on the Bunya Mountains near Kingaroy in QLD in the middle of winter using nothing more than a tarp and air mattress. Got so cold, How cold I don't know, I had to let the air out of my air mattress, felt like I was laying on a block of ice. Lit 3 small fires and slept in the middle, was toasty and warm. I'm going to head back up there with my hammock in the middle of this coming winter to test out my hammock gear. I want to see how cold I can get down with the gear I have now. I've recently purchased a Hammock Gear 20F Burrow Top Quilt, Coldest temps I've been able to test it at since I purchased it a few months ago was apx 13C. I melted inside it. Had to take it off through the night. I've also got a Goose Down under quilt that hangs under my hammock it's rated at 25F. That i've tested down to 8C and I was very warm.

My hilleberg tent certainly is warmer inside than outside. Coldest I've been down to in my tent is 4C. I had my Downmat and a -5 down bag at the time and just about boiled inside that tent. Great tent, but just to heavy to hike with.

[stepbystep]

This is funny, started with Iluv advising a newby against a string hammock... then the sensitive hammocky types come out

haha yep We all like to justify our purchases...

Subject line does invite a response though

Regardless of preferences, do we want hammocks strung up from King Billies and Pencil Pines, surely they do some damage to the trees???In this case they would be useless on walks like Western Arthurs/Southern Ranges/Denisons etc etc
I just don't get how you'd operate in one given any exposure, you'd need a tarp that comes well under the hang-space and they just look awkward, how do you get changed/cook/play cards etc when the wind is blowing and it's raining for hours on end....how much lighter are they? 2-500 hundred grams.... go figure, but then I like some comfort and room to move

[Macca81]

Allgoods?? IMO you'd have to be quite mad to stay in a hammock in Tassie, but you seem to fit the cap, so god speed my friend.

ILUVSWTAS said nothing about string hammocks

Seriously though, don't knock it until you have tried it! I have had a few people laugh at me in my hammock since I started using one last year, but once I have had them try it, i now have orders to make some. I'm onto 7 converts out of 10 that I have convinced to at least have a lay in it!
Side sleeping is totally possible, even front sleeping from what I am told. At home I probably sleep 90% on my side, 8% on my front and 2% on my back (only on my back when I am so drunk i pass out...) in the hammock I sleep on my back because it is more comfortable than any other positions, either in a bed or a hammock. Cooking is even easier in a hammock than a hiking tent, the tarp gives more room AND i can have a seat rather than just sitting on the ground!

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[-Danuszia-]

I've only just joined this forum and I seem to be learning so much so quickly - thanks guys... I'm off to Tasmania for the first time ever (8th February) and although I won't be trying the hammock on this trip, I will consider it for in the future. Cheers

[photohiker]

then the sensitive hammocky types come out

That's why we have you Nuts, so you can tell us when the sensitive Hammock/Tarptent/Walking Pole/UL/Tyvek/etc types come out

(Just Joking)

Really, it's a discussion forum. Threads wander where threads wander. Such are the benefits of a wide userbase.

[photohiker]

Regardless of preferences, do we want hammocks strung up from King Billies and Pencil Pines, surely they do some damage to the trees???

Well, if you can find a King Billy small enough... Tree Straps. Basically they are 20-25mm nylon straps that spread the load on the tree. Haven't been able to tell where I hung the hammock yet, I reckon a possum would do more damage climbing the tree than someone hanging a hammock from it. Maybe if everyone hung from the same tree for a while there would eventually be some breakdown of the bark...

[Liamy77]

less impact than building huts.... and suspended above the ground?... "no impact camping?"

.... but not my first choice for say the Mt Anne Circut either... although youd probably be less likely to be blown away in a bivvy??