This is purely out of interest as I have no intention of getting one but was wondering what it's like to sleep in a hammock. Do you have to sleep on your back all night or can you lie on your side, also, does it make back problems worse?

I'm normally a side sleeper in a bed or thermarest as I get a stiff lower back come morning but when in a hammock I can wake after 7/8 hours sleep in the same position I went to sleep in, which will be on my back.
So for me, it supports the whole of your back and doesn't leave the little arch in your back unsupported.

If I had a choice, I'd not be a ground dweller every again.

Try one of these,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tenth-Wonder- ... 887wt_1048
£10 plus postage, cant go wrong.
I got one to see how they faired and was impressed, SteveMorg has it now and loves it.

From a comfort point of view a hammock's pretty hard to beat but IMO there are a few drawbacks. I'd estimate that I spend about 3 nights a year sleeping in one, I always enjoy it but it can be a steep (and cold) learning curve at first

Is there any significant weight saving to be had over opting for a conventional bivvy+tarp+mat? Can you do without a mat?

Is there any significant weight saving to be had over opting for a conventional bivvy+tarp+mat? Can you do without a mat?

In general I find a hammock set up to be heavier than ground dwelling kit. However, I don't own the lightest of hammock set ups. Flatfishy or Cheeky Monkey may have a different opinion.

Don't go without a mat or UQ if you're posh ... the amount of cold that comes up from underneath is very surprising. If its cold, sleeping on the floor is often warmer than hanging in the air, it's something which is very often overlooked but most folk only ever make the mistake once

First, a disclaimer, I like hammocking and have a bunch of gear but I think FF and others have much more experience.

Derek Hansen wrote a really good book (the Ultimate Hang) and has a site with some good articles, two of which, tho a little "american-orientated" are pertinent:

http://theultimatehang.com/2012/04/the- ... han-tents/

http://theultimatehang.com/2012/05/the- ... mfortable/

There's a whole world of info on www.hammockforuums.net

I reckon that for UK use then a hammock set up will usually be heavier. I think you could put together a good 3 season set up that might be comparable in weight but it would probably cost more or take a whole bunch of skill / time to MYOG to come close.

For example, what you loose in weight by leaving the bivi mat you probably make up because you need an UQ. I don't think a TQ is half the weight of an equivalent sleeping bag. This is all swings and roundabouts and depends on the individual. Some folks can sleep in their clothes so don't need all that stuff.

Hammocks can be very light but there are (apparently) issues of stretch in the material they use (supposedly impacting overnight comfort) and durability. You also (certainly all the time in the UK) need a tarp, plus rigging and guys / pegs and any hammock. You probably (again in the UK) have to have a bug net (and therefore zip) all putting a bit of weight back in.

There are umpteen permutations of set up, gear type, manufacturer and materials but like I say, gut feel is heavier, not massively but probably in the 0.25, maybe as much as o.5 kg area. Note, I can't be arsed weighing kit and I'd rather carry a choccy bar for the enjoyment than leave it behind and save the weight

The thing with hammocks is they do away with a bunch of factors you get on the ground; moisture issues, rocks, level grounds etc etc. A well set up one (and I still struggle at times which is a source of personal frustration :evil: ) is very comfy. If you can sleep on a board you won't care I imagine, but like a lot of gear, it's not always about the ultimate weight / perfiormance. Why else would some mentalist carry a full Xmas dinner into the hills when any fool knows the best source of calories is a block of lard

I pretty much concur with everything Cheeky said.

On trips of more than a single night I'll use a hammock if at all possible as i get a much better nights sleep than a night on the floor so I'm quite happy to carry an extra 250-500g for the extra comfort.