Hammock Camping: How to do it in style

The first time I ever camped in a hammock I was hooked. My best friend Pat and I were camping at the trailhead to Mt. Elbert in Colorado. Our plan was to get up before sunrise and start hiking so we could be above tree line by the time the sun came up. I had already set up the tent and was ready to hop in when Pat said we should set up the hammocks I had brought and sleep in those. We set them up, crawled in and woke up about 4 hours later than I had planned. Slept right through the alarms and woke up feeling refreshed.

Some of the best naps I’ve ever had have been in the desert hung up on some Junipers.

Sure, we woke up late, but at that time I wasn’t really taking photos so I just appreciated the good night's rest. After that, I was hooked. From hammock camping on the coasts of Kauai to Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, there’s nothing like a good night's rest swinging between the trees. That being said, there are some little tricks to make the most out of your temporary tree cocoon and not waking up with a sore back.

Before you get into your hammock you first have to hang it. There are a couple of options, pretty much every company sells slap straps that are extremely easy to set up and use. Definitely worth the extra money and shorter hanging time. If you’re someone who would rather use your own webbing or rope, that’s cool too, just make sure you know how to safely tie up your hammock. Here’s a good video to show you how you can tie off your hammock (source). The straps however are better for the health of the trees you’re using. Whenever you’re using a hammock, make sure to adhere to the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace.

The recommended height for safe hanging is 18” off the ground when you’re sitting/laying in the hammock. Any higher, and should something fail, you could really hurt yourself with an unprotected fall. Which is why it’s important to check your gear before every use. Check your straps for frays and sun damage, make sure you check that your carabiners are closed and attached before you hop in. If you’re tying knots, make sure you double check that they are tied correctly.

Hammock-Hanging Knots - This is a great way to hang a hammock if you don’t have webbing, because it makes it so easy to adjust your hanging height. WARNING: Make sure you tie the second Half Hitch or the knot may slip and come loose.

These are good knots to know in general as you can use them to hang up lines to dry clothes and many other situations in the backcountry. For webbing, learn how to tie a water knot and water knot on a bite. They are very basic, easy to tie and more importantly, easy to untie.

Next comes the hammock itself. There are a lot of options out there when it comes to hammocks, and I mean a lot! It seems like every week I hear about a new company that makes hammocks! While I have 8 different hammocks, not all hang the same. Different types of nylon will perform differently. A Gravitas or ripstop type nylon doesn’t give or flex as much as a High Tenacity type of nylon. Both have their pros and cons; I like the give of the High Tenacity myself to the rigidity of a ripstop.

Slap straps like these make it really easy to hang up a hammock quickly.

The most important thing is always spending for the double hammock. It’s so much easier to get cocooned in the extra space and not feel like you’re going to fall out if you shift around at night. You’ll shift less though if you use the right kind of sleeping pad. Yes, that’s right, put a sleeping pad in your hammock! It will help insulate you from underneath which helps to keep you nice and toasty on a cool night.

Using a pad with vertical pylons is essential to a good night's rest between the trees, with horizontal pylons the pad has a tendency to shift as it doesn’t roll up with the contours of the hammock. Klymit even makes a pad specifically designed for those hammock dwellers which offers even more coverage along the walls of the hammock: The Hammock V. It will make your hammock seem like a palace as it pushes the side walls out and gives you a really nice flat, spacious area to rest. I can’t recommend it enough for anyone who prefers to sleep in the air than on the ground.

The Hammock V sleeping pad is absolute gold for hammock camping. I couldn’t recommend enough.

When hanging your hammock, think about how you like to sleep, the tauter the hammock the firmer the hammock and less “U” shaped you’ll be laying. Make sure to check that your hammock is actually level, it does make a difference, adjust your straps accordingly so you don’t have all the blood rushing to one end of your body.

Once you’ve got the hammock there are some accessories that you should really consider investing in to make sure your time in the canopy is as pleasant as possible. If you’re like me and mosquitos look at you like you’re a Chick-Fil-A sandwich, a bug net is a must. Most of the hammock systems you need to hang the bug net first and then put the hammock inside. I say this as someone who the first time had to take it down and put it back up.

Making sure your hung evenly is key to avoiding an uncomfortable night sleep.

There are other “all in one” set ups as well, where the bug net is already attached to the hammock which is a good option if you know you’ll be using it where there are always bugs. I personally prefer to have them separate but that’s just my preference.

If you’re planning on hammock camping at alpine lakes, a bug net is an absolute must.

The next is, of course, a rain fly. Recently, on a backpacking trip my friend Pat and I were both hammock camping, I had a fly and he did not. Clear skies in the day turned into a thunder storm rolling through at about midnight. After Pat had crawled into my hammock for an hour during the rain, he then ended up on the ground underneath my hammock as all of his gear got soaked. I felt really bad for him as we had Louisiana Red Beans and Rice for dinner...

With any shelter and hammock system, make sure you check the instructions first, not every system is put up the same way and it can be frustrating if you don’t put it up correctly.

There are all sorts of other accessories that you can get to make your hammock a home away from home like gear lines, lights, insulators, etc. But before you go out an invest in all of that, make sure you like the sleeping and camping experience in a hammock first. It’s not for everyone, but I think once you put your pad (with vertical pylons) in that hammock and let the wind rock you to sleep, you’ll forget you even own a tent.

Avoid sleeping in the danger zone, get a rain fly.