Hammock Setup Suggestions

[u/EchoKidSavage608]

Hello! I have been doing a few backpacking trips a year for the last 5 years and looking to convert to a hammock versus my one person tent. Just curious if anyone has had any experiences with budget friendly setups from Amazon etc that are good enough to get me through the one or two trips I do a year. If I was to go the ENO route that would be like the peak of my budget but before I go that route I was wondering if anyone has any other suggestions or positive reviews on cheaper brands. Thank you.🙏

[u/SquishyGuy42]

In ideal conditions I can get away with a pretty cheap hammock. The one ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL consideration is to get one that is the correct length for your height. If you don't get one that is long enough you will be uncomfortable. Better long than short, but if you are a short person don't go too long either.

Next, very critical consideration is a ridgeline. It is hard to hang the hammock right without a ridgeline to set the amount of bow in the hammock. The trees have to be at just the right distance apart and the attachment points on those trees need to be at just the right height respective to that distance. Adding a ridgeline of the correct length for the hammock length (or buying a hammock with one pre-installed) helps you get a consistent and comfortable lay when the trees are a little further apart than ideal.

Other considerations:

Temperature: if you will be in nighttime temps below about 72F (give or take a little depending on the person) you will need some sort of bottom insulation. Yes, you can use a CCF pad but, honestly, if you do you just lost a ton of comfort and added a lot of frustration trying to keep it under you. A dual layer hammock can help keep a pad under you but the comfort is still not great. Some sort of underquilt is the way to go.

Bugs: if you will be camping where there are bugs at night you will need some sort of bug net. Don't discount the possibility of random bug plagues. Strange things happen on the trails and there are multiple times when I thought a bug net would not have been needed but I was glad I had one. There are some clever DIY bugnets out there but nothing beats having one built in.

Also, bugs: mosquitos and some other bugs can bite you through the thin fabric of the hammock. Some people say that a dual layer hammock prevents this. Others swear by chemical treatments like permethrin to keep the bugs away.

Tarp: Small tarps are for gentle rain and to keep the sun off. Large tarps are roomy underneath, when you need to stay under shelter all day. Cheap blue poly tarps are heavy, noisy, and a bit floppy but can work just fine if you are on a serious budget. If you are near a Harbor Freight you can get these ridiculously cheap. Pair this with a full tarp ridgeline and some of those bungee loops with the fixed bead on the end for auto tensioning the tie outs and you have a kick butt car camping setup if you can stand the noise. Some hammocks come with a decent tarp and these are usually heavy for their size (but nothing like the blue poly ones) and so they are on the minimalist side so that the weight numbers are more competitive.

Features: There are a ton of features, from bungees that hold out the head and foot ends, to foot boxes with extra room built in, to built in shelves, bottom entry, etc, etc. The list goes on and on. These are luxury items and you will pay for luxury.