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Swapped my ultralight tent for a hammock setup on the Pacific Crest Trail last month | Backpacking Routes - Vivisector

Swapped my ultralight tent for a hammock setup on the Pacific Crest Trail last month

I've been a tent guy for years. Carried my Big Agnes on every trip. But after 3 days in the Sierra Nevada section near Yosemite, my buddy convinced me to try his hammock for one night. I thought they were just for lounging around camp. Honestly, the first night was rough. Kept waking up with a cold back because I had no underquilt. But day two I borrowed his insulated pad and some guyline tricks he learned from a hiker named Dave. That second night was the best sleep I've had on trail in forever. No rocks poking through, no condensation on the fly. Now I'm shopping for my own setup. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted it or stuck with it for good?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivermason2mo ago

Did you try the hammock without any bottom insulation at all your first night? Because that's basically a guarantee for a bad time. Once you get an underquilt dialed in, it's hard to go back to sleeping on the ground. I switched to a hammock full time about three years ago and haven't touched my tent since. The only downside I've found is finding good trees in treeline areas, but for the Sierras you're usually fine. Just budget for a good underquilt and maybe a bug net if you're going somewhere with mosquitoes.

alice_allen52mo ago

You nailed it about the underquilt thing. My first night without one was a total disaster, like sleeping in a freezer bag. Once I got a good underquilt dialed in though, it was game over for ground sleeping. I’ve been full time hammock for two years now, and the only time I miss my tent is in the alpine where the trees get scraggly and far apart. For the Sierras though, @olivermason is right-plenty of good trees and usually worth the setup fuss for that back-friendly sleep.

wilson.olivia2mo ago

Wait wait wait, you went into the Sierra Nevada without an underquilt your first night? That's like me trying to cook a gourmet meal with no pans. @olivermason is definitely right that those first hammock nights can be brutal without that bottom insulation. I've heard a lot of folks calling that the "cold butt syndrome" and yeah, that's exactly what you ran into. Glad you gave it a second try though, because once you get that setup right, it really is a game changer for your back. Did the guyline trick from Dave actually help with the sag or was it more about keeping your tarp tight?