How to backpack better with a hammock

I started camping with a hammock a few years ago while on a week-long backpacking trip. I brought my hammock just to relax in, and ended up sleeping in it ever since. if you get the right materials you can also drop a few pounds off your pack weight. i now take it on all of my hikes, to date 3 50 mile hikes and countless shorter weekend hikes.

I have found that once you get used to it, sleeping on a hammock is much more comfortable than on the ground. Furthermore,  you will never have to worry about a ground tarp, uneven, rocky or wet ground, and can probably eliminate your tent as well as some other gear.

Please note this is a guide for beginners, and does not cover more of the technical aspects of hamocking. If this guide has gotten you interested and  you want more information on Hammocking I suggest you go to the Hammock Forums, where there is a ton of information on all things hammocks. I'm currently planning revisions for this instructable based on the methods that I learned from HF and now use myself, but for this guide should be adequate.

Step 1 Gather Materials

As I will describe you need the following materials:
One hammock
parachute cord (
2 carabiners
one foam sleeping pad (yes, those cheap, foam sleeping pads you swore never to use again after you got your inflatable pad)

I will be providing to you:
a basic knowledge of knots

A note on hammocks: buy a good, light hammock. No heavy braided cotton line. the one i use is an Amazonas Traveler, made from parachute nylon and weighs 11 ounces and holds over 300 lbs. at the time it was around $20 at the local sporting goods store, look around and you should find one similar. There are also many options for making your own hammock, and plenty of commercial options.

A note on Carabiners and rope: use only load bearing carabiners, designed for climbing. These carabiners end up supporting much more than your weight depending on how tight you string your hammock. for this same reason, the golden standard for rope in the hammocking community is Dyneema, or Spectra, which are incredibly strong, low stretch materials. I now use 7/16" Dyneema that can hold something around 5000 pounds and is very lightweight. Paracord works, but Dyneema would be preferable.

Comments

[Takelababy]

I don't own a bed, I 've been sleeping in a hammock for 3 yrs now and wouldn't trade it for anything. If I decide to do some outdoor snoozing it will be with a Hennessy for sure as the bugs get bad here.

[hatchetfish]

It's also worth pointing out that some areas actually have ban on ropes strung around trees, lest they damage the tree, but it's usually specifically round ropes or cords. You can buy (right...) or make a set of wider (1.5 -- 2 in) straps instead and most places have no problem with them. The concern is simply that the tree bark may actually recieve rope burns. I think it's maybe more an issue with tent/tarp guywires that flap in the wind and rub, but then it's hard to say what the weight of a person tensioning it and rolling around restlessly all night would do.

[kchristensen6]

rei used to have a scrap bin full of the ends from their rolls of 1" tubular webbing. usually real cheep. if that is unavailable brand new webbing is quite cheap.

[roystonlodge]

I inherited a small, dilapidated old cabin in the woods. Really, there's no room for a bed, so I tried hanging a hammock from the rafters. Works like a charm for sleeping, but I can't snuggle with the girlfriend!

[tabi]

Oh but you CERTAINLY can, ask any mayan or central american ;)
Hammocks (hamacas) are used from the Yucatan peninsula to Venezuela, some people don´t even have beds!
look up the hamacasutra and you´ll see LOL

[chadcad]

Check out Clark Jungle Hammocks (www.junglehammock.com). For a mere $600+ you can get yourself a two man hammock tent. ;-)

[siafulinux]

Crap, it's just two hammocks tied together at one end and tied wider on the other end!

Make two "sheet" hammocks, place a separator on one end where the "heads" go and voila... just use good, strong rope and it can probably be done for under $20, minus the rain cover, but even that's not expensive with a tarp.

I just made a simple sheet hammock this past week with cheap rope and had three individuals in it at one time (not sleeping, just testing). The rope was only rated at 120 lbs... but it held.

I like the two man version though from the site; nice idea!

[redsuit09]

i use thie thin lightweight paracord to hold my hammock up aswell but people argue with me saying that i need to buy one og those wide straps the are easier then cord as it doesnt hurt the tree.... so far no tree i know has died from me but do you thhink i should leave the paracord?

[wonderdog01]

i have some tree huggers and when i go camping with the boy scouts and on the appalachin trail hikes they work great!

[HAL 9000]

Trees are, believe it or not, very tough. especially the kinds of trees you tie hammocks to. I have yet to see any real damage to a tree that i used paracord on. when i tie my hammock up i usually tie it to large conifers: Pines, redwoods, etc. these have very thick, tough bark that is pretty impenetrable to a humble bit of rope. If you choose to tie your hammock to a piece of rope tied to webbing tied around a tree thats fine, but thats just more knots and rope that can/will fail. and like i said, trees are tough.

[michaelhoover]

To go along with the webbing strap debate, I made my own with a sewing machine but you could also do it by hand. Sport Chalet has webbing in different widths and also the cord (i think I used Spectra cord) sold by the foot. They also have a wire end melter that they use to cut the straps which makes it so you dont have to later. I folded the last six inches of each end of 2 straps and sewed three straight lines width wise to make loops at the end. Put it around a tree and pull the one loop through another and you're in buisness. To make the length coming off of the tree shorter just wrap the loose end around the tree till you have the right length.

[nd34794]

i like how you put the pad inside the sleeping bag!!

[roliop]

By lying at an angle the hammock will form a flatter bed. Some people find this better for their backs than the usual slumped posture.

[brickman93]

if you dont understand, go here

[brickman93]

i would use steel carabiners. whine they may ad extra weight you dont have to worry about micro cracks forming like they do in aluminum. even if they weigh more you only have to bring 2 insted of 4. (the conversion rule i was taught is that 2 steels = 4 aluminums. go figure.

[Jouda Mann]

Don't tie ropes around the tree.. use three or four long bungee cords, that go around the trunk, slip into the carabiner easily, cause friction, so as not to slide down, and is easy to disassemble in the morning. Plus, bungee cords are good for so many other things.

[CaseyCase]

Bungee cords? You are joking, right?

[eulaliaaaa!]

Our Scout Troop uses bungee cords. They work great!

[CaseyCase]

Boy scouting has changed! In my day, we learned how to use rope and tie knots.

[eulaliaaaa!]

Well, yes. We do that the most. I was just saying that sometimes we used bungee cords when it was raining and such, when we didn't want to set up in the rain.

[newscrash]

I've used them with my hammock several times, no problem, easy to get around the trees and take apart, holds good, and I haven't noticed any wear or tear on the rubber.

[espdp2]

I hope he is. However, they are the hot ticket for rigging the rain fly.

[SJMoquin]

Great job on this Instructable, HAL. I've thought about the insulation problem. This is my work-around: string-up the hammock, sit in it, then zip the sleeping bag around you and the hammock. It's basically a DIY Hennessy Hammock made of rope, cloth, and a sleeping bag. I'm thinking of making an instructable of my own to explain this set-up, referencing another <http://www.instructables.com/id/Instant-Hammock/> Instructable. Again, thanks for the great instructable and the inspiration.

[frogmeetcog]

Wouldn't there need to be a hole in both ends of the sleeping bag for? I don't think you can anchor a hammock to only one tree....

[HAL 9000]

we thought about that, but the problem is that the hammock is both too wide and too long for the sleeping bag, unless you get a custom sleeping bag designed for that. but then it would be much larger and therefore heavier than necessary. putting a thin and light sleeping pad inside the sleeping bag underneath you really works well. i have stayed warm and dry every time i have used that method, and i've never experienced the condensation problem that some others have mentioned. somebody please try it an tell us what you think.

[lane29]

the last time i went camping with a hamick i had one with a insect screen and i rolled on it, broke it and fell to the ground.

[chentong]

Do anyone has the experience of using a hammock as a backpack? The question is how to wrap a EVA pad into a hammock and how could I load it on my back. Thanks!

[icecoldcelt]

I suppose that you could use the same method for using a tarp for a pack. All there is to it is to lay out the tarp (or hammock) flat and lay blankets or sleeping bag flat inside it. Then toss on anything you want to pack, roll it all up like a burrito, fold it over like a horseshoe and tie it off with some rope (like your hammock or tarp ropes). It isn't so much a backpack as a shoulder pack. Hope that is what you were looking for!

[redsuit09]

now you guys know how to camp... this seems like great fun...

[DixieGeek]

Camping is great fun!

[DixieGeek]

The figure eight on bight is a good knot for this, but you could also use a 'bowline on bight'to attach to the carabiner as well.

For the end attached to the tree, use a 'taught line hitch'. Wrap the rope around the tree at least twice and then tie a taught line about midway down your rope. Then you can adjust the rope and "lay" of your hammock without having to retie the knot.

[HAL 9000]

figure eight is more secure. i was taught that a bowline is not a real "climbing" knot because the fig 8 is superior. but for a hammock im sure it would work, and you can just tie a regular bowline, because it makes a loop anyway. also, in my experience, depending on what kind of rope you are using and how good your knot tying skills are a taught line hitch may slip as you sleep. its kind of lame to have to get up in the middle of the night to retie your knot because you woke up on the ground.

[Zilduli]

The reason a bowline is not used for climbing is because the knot becomes very hard to untie after supporting any substantial weight/force. Taught-line hitches do work well if conditions are right. Other times, you might be just as well-off without tying a knot in the first place.

[HAL 9000]

also, tying taughtline hitches in paracord, then sleeping on them for a night really tightens them up and makes for a hard time untying it. not a good way to start the morning, even if you did get a good nights sleep in the hammock! like i said, i just have permanent loops tied in the ends of the ropes, and put the carabiner through the loops after i wrap the ropes around the tree a few times. easy set up, easy take down, no slipping or fiddling with knots.

[snoozer]

I use webbing straps around the tree with loops stitched in both ends. Not only does this grip very well, but also does not cut into or debark the tree. I purchased two different lengths from Hennessy.

[redsuit09]

if you buy the webbing straps do you need any thing extra? because the trees around me are pretty wide.

[pineapplenewton]

you should really use webbing or tree huggers to protect the tree

[Eromanga]

Hi, another Hennessy Hammock guy here. Thanks for the instructable - good to see someone promoting the most comfortable way to sleep out in the bush. My solution to the insulation problem was to make my own "under cover" from some nylon material with space blanket material glued to that and then as a seperator (space blanket works best with a bit of space) some polar fleece. I used elastic to keep it close to the hammock and to allow for give. Works very well and can put up with temperatures down to around 12 C (the coldest I've been game to test it with). Got me through a terrible storm a few weeks ago. Please excuse the photo - the only one I have on hand. It's a red/blue anaglyph (for those red/blue 3D glasses).

[Eromanga]

Had to add a better photo. This one's with another under cover I made that is a bit more solid (and heavier).

[n.gully]

I think you hit the nail on the head with hammocks over sleeping on the ground. and like you said with the addition of a tarp you can eliminate the need for a tent... but better still, try to find a G.I. rain poncho. they serve double duty. Rain gear, and one of the most compressible tarps i have ever seen. they have gromets in the middle of all 4 sides and at all 4 corners. if you set up your hammock with carabiners you can just slip the gromets at the corners of the poncho through them. it should fit nice and tight making a peak when you lay in the hammock. no extra rope needed... also, as far as knots, i use about 5 ft. of rope at each end, and fasten the ends together in a fisherman's knot so the length of the loop can be adjusted from about 1.5 ft. to 2.5 ft. . then in the middle i tie a figure 8 Knot leaving a 2-3 inch loop at the end for my carabiner...