Leave No Trace response to hammock camping

[simonm]

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics in the USA has made comment on the impact of hammock camping.

http://lnt.org/blog/hammock-camping

Hammock Camping
Now that the weather is getting a little warmer, Leave No Trace has received several inquiries about using hammocks while camping. People have asked us if hammocks are a better choice than tents and what impact hammocks might have on the environment. Our Education Director, Ben, had some informative responses to these questions that I wanted to share with our blogging community:

1) The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics does not have a recommendation either for or against tents and/or hammocks. We advocate for enjoying the outdoors responsibly.

2) Hammocks can eliminate much of the impact generally associated with tent camping. When tent camping, you are impacting a larger area just by the sheer nature of a tent’s size and the additional impact of sleeping pads, sleeping bags and the campers inside.

3) As long as ‘tree saver' straps (1-1.5” wide straps that go around the tree to minimize any girdling effects) are used, there is very little impact associated with hammock camping. Besides getting in and out of the hammock, the ground beneath is almost untouched.

4) A hammock allows for greater flexibility when choosing a campsite. When looking for a tent site, level ground is generally preferred. However, with a hammock, one can essentially camp wherever there are trees. This could be on a steep slope, over boulders, snow or other surface the might not be suitable for tent camping.

There is a great online Hammock Forum where you can find even more information and connect with other hammock users.

Have Fun!

[GPSGuided]

At the end of the day, it's all a question of user volume and available resources, right?

If there are only two trees, with a continuous stream of users, then those two trees will suffer. Two dead trees will more likely to be harder to regenerate than a patch of dead grass. So many varying scenarios and it's really a common sense issue and how the users effect their practices. Right?

[simonm]

how the users effect their practices. Right?

I fully agree with you about this. Sometimes though I feel there is a presumption that hammock campers somehow don't have the same awareness of tread lightly principles as ground campers. Clearly not true, well at least judging by the people I know who hammock camp.

[Davidf61]

I've only used a hammock twice, and both times it rained a lot. After a couple of days pottering around under the tarp I noticed I had actually flattened the whole area down a bit, comparable to the guys in tents next to me really, but only because I was under the tarp for a fair time. And I still had to cook and have catholes and so on, I'm not sure there is a huge difference in impact anyway.

Given up anyway, just cannot sleep in a hammock.

[vorpal]

Glad you found this post, Simon. I agree with your comments that there appears to exist the notion that hammock campers care less about the environment than ground campers. The issue would be quickly resolved if Park organisations simply installed dedicated hanging posts. Hammock campers aren't going anywhere.

[GPSGuided]

How do hammock users perceive treeless hammock setups? Free standing, done anywhere where there's a bit of relatively flat ground. No tree, no unnatural posts, no arguments.

[simonm]

Sorry what exactly is the problem with actually hanging from trees????

[GPSGuided]

Sorry what exactly is the problem with actually hanging from trees????

Guess it's a problem when there are no trees. So, has anyone tried treeless hammock setup? Are they stable enough? What's the weight penalty?

[simonm]

Have not tried that particular set up, but my current hammock sets up nicely on the ground like a bivy (with full netting on top though), which is why I purchased it - just in case.

[GPSGuided]

May I ask what's your current set up that permits treeless pitching?

[simonm]

Here it is set up quickly in the backyard for testing. The hammock can actually be pegged out more on the sides to give more width. There are a couple of things I need to do. Firstly, I am pretty sure there are no clothes lines out in the Tassie Wilderness and I currently don't use walking poles, so I either need to start using poles or take along a couple of lightweight tent poles. Secondly, I plan to make a tarp with doors that would give me a bit more coverage in poor weather.

Not as good as hanging in a hammock but it would do the trick if the hanging points were unsuitable. However, I have just acquired a Moment DW which I plan on taking into WOJ this weekend, so I have some options depending on where I am going.

TTTG Light Hiker Hammock

Light hiker hammock 002.JPG (114.82 KiB) Viewed 14455 times

TTTG Light Hiker Hammock

Light hiker hammock 004.JPG (176.02 KiB) Viewed 14455 times

[GPSGuided]

Thanks Simon! That's a pretty big tarp you have there.

[Picaro]

This is mine....goes up with a pair of walking poles

sargassohornet1-1.jpg (86.98 KiB) Viewed 14450 times

Its a Tenth Wonder Hornet...

3layer1copy.jpg (192.31 KiB) Viewed 14450 times

[simonm]

Yeah it's a good size for hammocking. It's one of Evan's from Terra Rosa Gear - the Adventuring Tarp.

[simonm]

Nice set up Picaro.

[simonm]

That spreader bar works great. My hammock comes in a similar design (Switchback) but I went with the lighter weight style without the spreader bar.

[Picaro]

I think there should be more promotion of the benefits of hammocks, both environmental and personal. Rangers I talk to are happy about them as well, inasmuch that they can assess them.

Simon, those Switchbacks have a reputation for comfort. Is it possible to rig the suspension at the gathered ends in a way that allows you to "ungather " it for bivy use?

[simonm]

Picaro - yes there is. I have just run a continuous loop through the end so this could easily be removed if needed.

[Picaro]

Perfect. Then you just larkshead the whoopie to one end of the continuous loop, so that when you "ingather" you have a cord right through the channel to simply pull for re-gather.

[GPSGuided]

Come to think of it, I was an earlier poncho-tarp users back in my school cadet days. Pretty proud that during a downpour at our annual camp, I was the only dry guy the next morning. But only if I had these hammocks with mosquito netting back then, I wouldn't have come out of the camp with a completely swollen face from all the mozzie bites. Memories!

You guys are in 5* luxury!

[simonm]

Picaro - Yep but I am running Dutch cinch buckles and straps on this one at the moment . I do love my whoopie slings though .

[simonm]

GPS - 5 stars for sure.

[vorpal]

I haven't actually seen a portable system that will allow a treeless set up, whilst supporting your weight off the ground. Most hammock campers do prepare for a scenario where they may indeed need to go to the ground and thats the benefit. We can go to the ground, but hard for a tent camper to suspend their shelter system.

[GPSGuided]

We can go to the ground, but hard for a tent camper to suspend their shelter system.

Really?

[icefest]

I hope you have anti-motion sickness tablets in a tent like that.

[andrewa]

Leave no trace except multiple bolt holes....?

Simon, if going "down", or alternatively "to ground", why not just use 2 broken sticks to hold the ends up, or two stubby bushes......

A

[GPSGuided]

Leave no trace except multiple bolt holes....?

I understand those rock climbers use nuts and cams for anchor. They clean them out after. No hammer drills there.

[simonm]

Leave no trace except multiple bolt holes....?

Simon, if going "down", or alternatively "to ground", why not just use 2 broken sticks to hold the ends up, or two stubby bushes......

A

Andrew I guess my thoughts are having poles opens up more alternatives for where I camp, but you are right, could easily make do. It's highly unlikely I will go to ground in the hammock as I will make sure where I go has somewhere to hang. There are certain places I know that taking a tent will be preferable anyway, I can live with that - for now .

[simonm]

We can go to the ground, but hard for a tent camper to suspend their shelter system.

Really?

No thanks. Only hang as far as you are willing to fall is the golden rule.

[andrewa]

Um, can you see any crack there? Need some surface defect to be able to jam nuts /cams etc in.

But at least no trees were ring barked!

Having done hammocks and tents in NZ West coast rivers, I actually think tent is less likely to leave a trace, although it depends on where you are camping. Even thpugh we used webbing tree protectors on the hammock trip we did, it removed the moss from the tree trunks, leaving an obvious mark. Tent camping left no mark. Hammock camping allowed more options for camping in uneven ground where no one would consider camping, and where maybe such tree marks might not be noticed....though different trees and situation, possibly different outcome.

A