[pct-l] Hammocks

[John Abela]

> I doubt I will ever mount an all out attack on the PCT but have begun nibbling away at it.  I have also recently converted from sleeping on the ground to swinging in the trees at night.  I assume that the SoCal desert  does not lend itself to hammocking.  But what about the rest of the trail.  Are there any places where a hammock would just not work?

Hello Ed,

Yes, there are a number of places where hammocks would just not work,
and there are some really important things to consider before you
starting planning to use a hammock on the PCT.

Last year there were three or four people who did (or tried to) the
PCT with a hammock.

I know of two this year who are attempting it. At least two others I
know of gave up for the same exact reasons that I will present below.
They and I spent a lot (dozens of hours) talking about making it
happen, but they, like me, realized it was just not the ideal setup.


You will/would face three primary problems/issues with a hammock on the PCT:

(1) Not finding two trees when you are dead tired.

(2) There not being any trees for miles in a few areas.

(3) Excessive weight in cold regions.


To expand on each of those:

1) You have been hiking for 28 miles, you are dead tired, and it is
getting dark. There are no usable trees around you, so, you either
sleep on the ground (defeating the purpose of having a hammock -
giggle) or you keep hiking another mile or more in search of two
usable trees. Is that really want you want to do under these
circumstances? Yes, it is something which ever hiker faces eventually,
whether they have a hammock or a tent, but it is greatly amplified as
a hammock hiker. Read any book or trail journal of folks on the PCT
and you are going to find story after story of hikers facing hard
times trying to find a place to setup, after hours and hours of hiking
hard. And than you want to complicate the matter even worse by using a
hammock on a trail that was designed for tents. Chances are, you'll be
sleeping on the ground on your hammock. (been there, done that, a lot,
it sucks)

2) There are more than a few sections of the PCT where there are not
two trees spaced between 9 and 16 feet apart. What about the Mojave?
You going to try to tie off to two Joshua Trees? What about Tehachapi?
Going to hope that two cows stand still all night? What about the
Marble Mountains? Yes, a few trees there, but very very few perfect
for hammocks. What about your first night on the trail, 10-15 miles
North of Mexico? Going to hope two people who just crossed the boarder
are willing to hold your hammock up all night? The list could go on.
And, if you think you are wanting to use a hammock for the 'comfort',
what about all of those nights when you have to sleep on the ground.
Are you going to bring an extra sleeping pad just for those nights,
which will add 10+ ounces of total dead weight - that sucks too.

3) In the cold regions (which seem to be more, rather than less) you
have to have not one quilt, but two. An underquilt and and overquilt.
Do not think for one moment that you can get away without an
underquilt - only using a pad - in SoCal and the Sierras. You'll
suffer CBS so badly that you will not be able to sleep. So, you will
be forced to carry two quilts. Each of those weight nearly the same as
a standard sleeping bag. So that means you are carrying twice as much
as you would if you had a tent. Than you have to figure that you will
need an additional ground cloth for when you are forced to sleep on
the ground. This will add even more weight to your setup. Even if you
buy the best of the best of the hammock gear out there - warmth verses
weight - you will be looking at between 3-5 pounds of additional
weight, in using a hammock setup rather than a tent setup.


Obviously only you can answer if these are 'worth it' for you. Give
them some serious consideration. There are four or five other issues
that I resolved while I was considering it, that I have not listed
here, but the above three issues really are the main ones you should
give some serious considering too.

Even going with a custom made 6oz Cuben Fiber hammock and cuben fiber
top/under quilts I was still unable to get close to the weight of a
standard tent setup. I spent a lot of money and a lot of time screwing
around with different configurations, and in the end I gave up on it.
I suppose it will just come down to you and your hiking style.
Personally, I want as light as pack as possible. I did not want a 10+
pound BPW setup, and it would be hard to pull off having a sub-10lb
setup when using a hammock. Doable, but it would not be easy. I
suppose if you do not mind being in the 15-20 pound range, for sure
you can make the PCT hammock with a hammock - baring issues #1 and #2.

Happy to share any further thoughts on the matter if you have any. I
have owned most of the top end hammocks that are out there, as well as
a bridge hammock and custom made cuben fiber hammocks. Personally, I
love hammocks, but I do not think the PCT is the ideal trail for
hammock usage. Not saying you cannot, and that others have not, just
saying it is not the ideal trail for hammock usage.

John B. Abela
RedwoodOutdoors.Com