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hammock sleeping on bivy hunts?

Who has slept in a hammock on bivy hunts? has it been good/bad? I was thinking about doing this for elk this fall. I seems like it might be a great light weight way to go, you could leave behind the bivy sack, tent,sleeping pad,ground cloth. i was looking at ENO brand, they seem small and more affordable than some others, Hennesy hammocks are a little spendy for me.

I love hammocks and have thought a bit about this. Use the search function on the bowsite. Most folks find that the primary issue is being cold due to no insulation under you.

Just don't hang your game bags with meat in them in the same tree that you are hammocking in:)

I have a Jungle Hammock, primarily used when camping. You can sit side saddle under the rain fly to dress. Wouldn't hurt to have a small carpet sample for something soft to stand on bare footed or in socks. You can pack a fare amount of cloths in the pockets underneath the hammock, which also adds insulation. I'd look at the North American model or the ones with the carbon rods. I have the North American.

My brother now camps in a hammock instead of a tent, 1) because it is lighter, but 2) it is a much better nights sleep for him. He tried sleeping in a tent after using a hammock a few times and immediately went back to the hammock.

You do need to make sure it is tight so that it does not sag if you want a flat sleeping surface/platform though. He also always uses a sleeping pad (thermarest) to stretch out the hammock and to give himself some insulation.

I know many guys [hardcore hunting/backpacking type guys] who have tried the hammocks and have moved on to a backpacking tent for multiple reasons....that's enough for me.

My hunting partner a few ago had one. He now is back to sleeping on the ground. We had a thunderstorm move in on us and his rain fly dumped on him in the middle of the night. He moved in with me under my sil shelter. He hasn't used it since.

Yeah, it all really depends on what you want from a shelter. I personally prefer to have some room to move around in and to stow my gear so I use a SL-5. He just gets a better nights rest and his rain fly gives him enough shelter for his needs.

They work, I like them. Weight savings depends. You must use bottom insulation. I would not try to sleep in one without some sag in it. Google search hammock forums.

BP

warbonnet blackbird

I have a Clark NX-250 that I will be using this season. Keep you posted on how it preforms. I just today cut some of the thin foam ridge rest pads up so they fit in the pockets under the hammock for insulation. Should work well. If you have a center ridge line under the tarp you wont have the issues with the tarp caving in on ya.

Hey, different strokes and wasn't dissing the guys that like them by my comments- I should explain. The only hammock I have is the one in a shady spot in my backyard- very cool.

The comments I have heard is the functionality is lacking especially in bad weather- no vestibule to cook in, hard to change positions,getting dressed is a challenge, store gear, etc. They do seem to like it as a one night quick sleep system in good weather.

I weighed the decision on a hammock or tent before I bought my hammock. ANd I will be honest this year will be my first real test with th hammock. One major plus i have found with the hammock in the back country is when you get back to camp instead of having to set on the ground or a log/rock you can sit in that hammock like a recliner. It feels awesome, I have a large tarp that covers me and I can put a line under the tarp to hang any gear i need to. Also The NX-250 I have has enough room at the foot end that I could put my pack or any gear in there with me and it not bother me. The pockets under the hammock will hold all of my cooking gear, food, boots, and extra close. Time will tell and if it sucks I will come back here and let you guys know..

I have been using a Hennessy Hyper-lite hammock for the last couple of years. It has both it's advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages are; very light weight (less than 2 lbs.),very quick setup and take down. I can have mine setup in the time that it takes to boil water for dinner. You do not need a flat spot. I have set mine up on the side of a mountain so steep that it was hard to stand next to the hammock. They do provide good weather protection if the tarp is correctly set up. Some disadvantages are; they are no place that you would want to ride out a storm that lasts a couple of days, you have to have a plan for insulating the bottom of the hammock. For me I took an old sleeping bag and made a bottom quilt that gives me about 2.5 inches of insulating loft under me for insulation. The key with this system is to make sure the insulation doen't get compressed. I have found that I only need my bottom quilt when the temperature dips below 30 degrees. There are alot of good hammocks out there made by Hennessy, Speer, Jacks R Better and others. I have good luck with mine here in Montana and feel I get a better nights rest in a hammock than on the ground. In the picture there are 2 hammocks. The one in the front doesn't have the rain fly on.

I looked and thought pretty hard about getting one but I ended up going with a tent instead. I did run across some interesting videos on youtube about hammocks. If you go to Youtube and search Shug hammock. He has good information but I'm not sure he hasn't fallen out an landed on his head a time or two.

Slept in a very basic one, one night in Tennessee in late spring.

Weather was good and winds were calm.

Didn't need any tarp over me, but did string an another line above the hemmock to drape some mosquito netting over.

That worked pretty well on keeping the mosquitoes to a minimum. However, during the night the ants had opened a new ant interstate down the tree nearest my head and the traffic was fierce! They were all taking the detour at the rope, and down across my head.

I haven't tried it again since, but probably will sometime, in similar conditions. I'll find a good ant repellant first.

Oh yeah... the old Hennesey Freezer bag, been there, done that. In my opinion by the time you pack enough gear to keep you warm and have a dry place to get dressed or store your gear, any weight savings has been lost and the extra sleeping comfort is negated by the inconveniences.

I like my hammock for spring fishing trips to Canada, but not the mountains in September.

Just my opinion and more power to you if they work for you...

under quilt on the way. Should solve any of the cold problems and sleeping on the ground sucks. I don't care how big of a pad you pack. I will take the comfort of the hammock any day.

LOL! Different strokes for different folks!

No way could I sleep in a hammock for more than an hour or 2 max! I canNOT sleep on my back for more than 2 hrs..................... I sleep on my stomach. So this one's out for me! ;-)

I have a 5 man silnylon tipi shelter with a wood burner and the entire setup is in the 5 lb range, and I also have a 3.5 lb hammock/sil nylon tarp/bugnet setup, that I made. I love them both. For cold weather, I prefer the tipi/wood burner. For moderate to warm weather, no doubt, the hammock setup is the way to go. Comfort, rocks, bugs, rain, or snakes, can't ruin my sleeping in my hammock. Very comfy.

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