Tent or Hammock?

[NW Yeti]

On the last day of our 6 day hiking vacation in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the Wenatchee Wilderness of central Washington, the zipper on my 3 man tent (7'x7'x54'') took a tumble for the worse. But it wasn't the most expensive tent I ever owned. But it was relatively small and light, and packed well in my backpack. Being a regular subscriber to TheOutdoorGearReview and sintax77 on YouTube, I noticed hammocks are becoming quite popular among backpackers.
Do any of you have any knowledge and personal experience with hammocks?

I'm a big guy, 6'4'' tall and 240 lbs. Is a tent more suitable or will a hammock work? Is one better than the other? And most of all, during my childhood, I used to watch Gilligan's Island after school (back in the 70's) and would LOL to Gilligan always falling out of his hammock. Are hammocks tippy? Or are they like my 12' kayak where if you keep all your weight centered, you're fine? And which ones seem to work the best?

Thanks for your info!

[renegadepilgrim]

I've been hanging for the past three years and I love it.

I've got my kit down to about the weight of my ground set up, but it does take work and if you want top of the line stuff, your initial investment is going to be quite a bit.

I would check out hammockforums.net for the best info.

[NW Yeti]

Thanks Heather! You have a nice website too!

[theslowestpersonever]

Try and hang, super comfy. I tried it out but ended up going back to the ground. I like to walk until it gets dark so for me its easier just to sleep under the stars or set up my tarp really fast. Just depends what works for you.

[5th]

I've been using hammocks in place of a tent for about 12 years. You should try it, but not everyone likes them. Personally, I hope never to sleep on the ground again. As mentioned, Hammock forums is a good place to start. Just make sure you try one that is 11' long or longer. A standard 10 footer would be too small to lay right for someone your size.

And no, you don't need to worry about falling out in a gathered end hammock. Gilligan used a silly spreader bar at each end, which made it unstable and uncomfortable. Modern backpacking hammocks are different.

[akehoe1800]

We are actually preparing for our first Oregon hammock backpacking trip. I’ll put together a trip report once we return in August. I worked for a shop that specialized in hammocks and was able to work off a couple of Kammoks for my boyfriend and I. He’s 6’2, around 220lbs, and still has room to spare. The Kammoks are great for taller individuals as they are slightly longer than some of the other hammock options out there. We’ve camped with them in the Florida Keys and found it to be more comfortable than tent camping. Collecting gear has been a process (Yes, it is slightly expensive) especially trying to prepare for alpine temps. With REI’s recent sales, we were able to pick up a couple of light weight 0 degree sleeping bags and a reasonable Kelty tarp for double stacking hammocks under. Also, an underquilt from ENO to combat CBS (Cold Butt Syndrome) . I haven’t checked the weight difference between all of my hammock gear vs. our typical tent set up, but the hammock gear seems to fit nicer in my pack. We usually take our REI Half Dome 2 Plus tent. Overall, I’m looking forward to branching out from the typical tent camping.

[rainrunner]

Ann and I backpack all year long, so I am not sure how a hammock would be like in the middle of the winter when it is very cold and you might have the chance of rain/snow. It seems to me that you might want to get one of each and use the hammock on dry trips and a tent if there is a chance of moisture.

[5th]

Ann and I backpack all year long, so I am not sure how a hammock would be like in the middle of the winter when it is very cold and you might have the chance of rain/snow. It seems to me that you might want to get one of each and use the hammock on dry trips and a tent if there is a chance of moisture.

As long as you have a good under quilt or other insulator a hammockthe is fine in the snow.

[theslowestpersonever]

Jacks R Better makes great quilts, when I got rid of my hammock equipment I kept my top quilt I bought from them. Warbonnet makes nice hammocks and tarps, I was never worried about getting wet in the rain.

[drm]

Just a question for you hammockers if you don't mind. Do you switch back and forth with tents or some kind of ground system? I like camping in the alpine in season and there ain't no trees up there.