staehpj1

Since I am not a hammock fan, I don't pay a lot of attention, but yes I have seen parks that forbid hammock use citing tree damage.

Tourist in MSN

Good thing we brought along the Jeep in addition to the bikes, we could use it for a pole too. Oh, ... wait, ... we brought tent poles.

sail

My ultralight gear. On shorter trips I don't take all of it.

Maelochs

I think it is hilarious that even here in the Touring forum people have to compete.

Ultralight touring is not unpopular. Fully loaded touring is not unpopular. Unpopular tends to mean "actively disliked." Outside of this tiny community people simply don't care enough for touring of any kind to be "unpopular." Bicycle touring is simply not popular--hardly anyone does it.

That is why it warms my heart so, to see the community fracture along weight lines. A trick we learned from the roadies?

Anyway, my tent has carbon fiber poles so it is faster than yours. And it is red, so it is even faster still.

Do I win?

bikemig 

I don't think that ultralight touring is unpopular but it is at one end of the bell curve. Ultralight touring is changing, I think, how many of us tour. You don't need to go full bore ultra light to realize that lightening your load has a pay-off. I don't tour ultra light but those ideas have influenced my equipment choices.

bmike

First thing that goes on the bike. Shovel, paper and wet wipes. (I take tent poles so I can't afford to carry a whole roll... )

saddlesores

too bulky!

just carry a Popsicle stick......(reusable!)

fietsbob

Wrong event, You may be thinking of RAAM..

Buffalo Buff

Who said anything about competing? I'd just like to talk UL setups with other people who pack that way, so I can get ideas for my next trip.

robow

I have run into several state parks now that have made a policy of "no hanging anything from campsite trees". I think it started when so many people were driving nails into trees to hang their gear but many now include "no hammocks" as part of that policy, even though if done correctly, most hammocks will not injure a tree. I think as more and more hammocks started showing up, it's become more of a concern.

Doug64

The most potential for damage to young or thin bark trees occurs in the spring and early summer. During this period the bark is easily peeled and damage to the cambium layer is a problem. The tree's cambium is composed of a layer of cells that transport nutrients and water to the tree. This layer is pretty fragile until later in the summer. While a hammock anchor, or other line around a tree, may not completely girdle the tree causing it to die; the wound does disrupt water and nutrient flow to part of the tree, and is an entry point for pathogens that cause disease and decay. This is mainly an issue with younger/smaller trees with thin bark, but can be a problem with some larger trees. Where I've really seen this to be a problem is in Wilderness Areas where horse people tether their horses to trees.

One mitigation is to use a wider webbing instead of a rope or line, which will distribute the load around the tree's circumference.

mdilthey

I only use webbing, and I wrap the webbing around the tree several times to distribute load evenly. I can't believe people do it any other way.

I don't think I've ever damaged the bark on a tree. The young Maples around here have very smooth bark. With the webbing, there's not so much as a scratch.

Rob_E

It's a personal preference. No fanaticism required. I have a Hennessy, too. It is the one piece of gear that made bike camping feasible for me. I was finding that in order to be comfortable in a traditional tent I required way too much gear to carry on a bike. The lighter, more compact systems that promised comfort were too expensive for me to gamble on. Then one day, on Bikeforums, someone mentioned hammock camping, and I knew I had found my solution. Doesn't mean it's everyone's solution. Doesn't mean that you'll ever find it useful or comfortable, but to say you have to be a fanatic to get them to work is simply untrue. My first night in my Hennessy, I remember climbing in, getting situated, and thinking, "Well, it is comfortable, but will I actually be able to fall--" My next memory is a foggy recollection of drifting out of sleep to the sound of snorting and pawing. It seems I had strung my hammock across a deer trail, but I didn't realize it at the time. I just rolled over and went back to sleep. The next thing I knew, it was morning, and a woodpecker was pounding on one of my trees and raining wood chips down on my tarp. It was not my most comfortable night's sleep in the hammock, but it was my first attempt, and it was successful enough that I kept at it, looked up the hammock forums, made some changes, and improved things greatly. So, yes, there's room for fanaticism. There's a whole rabbit hole information/suggestions/improvements that you could get sucked into if you so chose, but my first night, with my stock Hennessy and the supplied instructions was a success. It may not be your thing, and that's fine, but I wouldn't say you have to be a fanatic to get them to work. You just have to like sleeping in a hammock. As for tree strangling, that's covered below.

It sounds like you deliberately seek out places where hammocks wouldn't work. So, by definition, hammocks won't work. You are correct. They are not magic and cannot levitate unsupported. There are certainly places where they are trickier than others. There are also times where people have taken their hammocks to ground and used them like a bivy sack. I feel like there are also people who have gone coast to coast with their hammock and been quite happy. For my part, I have used my hammock a number of places that were tricky, and I've seen a few places where I can't imagine I'd be successful setting up a hammock, but so far, for me, I have always found a way. I've had to get creative at times, but I've made it work. If your definition of a perfect camp site includes concrete and no structures to tie a hammock to, then of course it's a bad choice for you. You don't need to drag someone along with you to prove that you can find places where hammocks won't work. I think we can all find places like that. It doesn't mean that hammocks are bad or useless or that your campsites are flawed. They are just incompatible.

Wider webbing is pretty standard on hammock tents. The Hennessy comes with wider straps to go around trees for specifically this reason, and most responsible hammock campers include tree straps as part of their gear to keep the trees safe. One of the recurring themes on the hammock forums and one of the oft-cited benefits of hammocks is the Leave No Trace philosophy. By sleeping up, off the ground, and by using wide straps to mitigate tree damage (and not selecting too young/soft-barked trees) you can strike camp and leave the place looking exactly as you found it. This isn't to say that a ground tent does serious damage, but I've seldom spent a night in ground tent without leaving a visible footprint of the tent after packing it up.

None of this is really necessarily an ultralight topic. Hammocks can be part of an ultra-lite set up, but so can tents. There are also hammocks and tents that are heavy enough to push you over whatever arbitrary limit you might set as being "ultralight." I carry mine because I find the comfort to be unparalleled by any ground set-up I have tried. The weight and relative cheapness factor in as well, but in the end it's comfort that has made hammocks my preferred tent. If I found I could switch to a ground set-up that had a quarter of the weight and no additional cost, I would not be interested.

350htrr

Why is ultralight touring so unpopular? Because most people want some comforts when camped... It really is that simple...

elcruxio

That's weird. The DD hammock I'm using is the first hammock I've ever used and it works perfectly. It was a really cheap investment when the whole package cost less than even a cheap tent.
And the DD is a really simple desing, basically a nylon rectangle with ropes at the ends. So I wouldn't call it a cult.
I have to point out that I'm a really picky sleeper as well. Needed to ditch a pad on one tour because I couldn't make it work. Couldn't sleep on it even after staying awake for 72 hours because of it. Got a better pad and things got a lot better. Also, I sleep exclusively on my side so using a hammock should be a no no, but it still works. Slept perfectly from first try.

I have had one occasion when I had a really bad nights sleep in a hammock, but I was sharing it with another person and that just doesn't work, believe me.

elcruxio

If we were to travel together we probably wouldn't do it for very long. I sleep in the woods or where two trees can be found. There are very few places on the planet where this cannot be achieved, and if I'm going to such a place I'll take a tent. The Scandinavian Lapland is one, but even there are copses from time to time.

spinnaker

EXACTLY! When I tour I want to be comfortable. I want clean, comfortable clothes to change into after the ride is over. I want a pair of comfortable, dry shoes to wear at night. I want clothes that I feel comfortable wearing to a restaurant. I want good rain gear to wear so I can stay dry during rides. I want a sweatshirt to stay warm on cool days and nights. I want a pair of shower sandals so I don't get athletes foot in a hostel shower. I want comfortable clothes for sleeping. I want may tablet PC to stay in touch during tours. I want a spare pair of eyeglasses as I am almost blind without my glasses. I want tools and spare parts should I break down on the road.

If I am camping I want my roomy two man tent and not be crammed into a bivi. I want may air mattress and pillow so I can sleep at night.

All of that adds up in weight but also having a very enjoyable tour for me. I just can't understand why anyone would want to go ultralight for the sake of saving a few pounds. For me it would be simply not enjoyable for more than a day or two.

spinnaker

On my very first credit card tour, my buddy and I were comparing notes of what to bring. I told him I was bringing a small amount of TP for "emergencies". His response was, "I don't need it, I go in the morning and that is it". I told him should he need some it will be 20 euros a sheet.

I also bring a space blanket on CC tours just in case I need to curl up on the side of the road because of a breakdown.

yooperbiker

I can understand the desire for ultralight when backpacking, where you are feeling the weight on your back and legs every step you take, but on a bike the weight is all off of your body and on the bike. Take advantage of that miracle invention, the wheel, to take the things with you to keep you in comfort.

chrisx

you missed one
Bike Campers: 12 Mini Mobile Homes for Nomadic Cyclists | Urbanist

chrisx

My tent weighs 1 pound 11 ounces.
My hammock weighs 1 pound 12 ounces
Tent is more comfortable.
Hammock opens up more places to camp, in the pacific northwest at least.
In the desert it is hard to hang a hammock.
In the jungle it is hard to find a flat spot.

whatever

This past summer, cycle tourists scratched their heads at my light weight setup.
Food on the handle bar, 48 liter backpack, frame bag, and a tool bag under the seat. I planed to hit some trails. With fires everywhere, I ended up on the pacific coast route a lot. I saw 1 other light weight set up. I saw 1,000? cycle tourists with full on bags, and mountains of gear.

On the road it is possible to carry more weight. On mountain trails, the more your gear weighs the more you push.

djb

instead of a space blanket, I would recommend a cd of soothing music, or the Coles Notes Pocket Psychiatric booklet, useful for breakdowns, and eliminates any curling up on the side of the road.

Buffalo Buff

In my under 15lb setup I had a change of clothes to sleep in or wear into a restaurant that were comfortable (bball shorts with pockets and drifit T). I had a long sleeve shirt, headband, skull cap cold weather gloves and cycling pants for if it got cold. I had rain gear (waterproof jacket, waterproof gloves, shoe covers, safety glasses). I had a smart phone that let me keep in touch with whoever I needed through voice, text or my blog. I had more tools and spare equipment with me than I ended up needing. I had a tent big enough for me and my gear with space leftover. I had an air mattress. I had a pillow (rolled up rain jacket, I prefer the firmness of it to a camp pillow).

You can have all those comforts and still have less than 40lbs of bike and gear put together. I ended up mailing home the cold weather gear because I didn't need it, along with some other things, and went from about 14.5lbs to about 11lbs of gear -food & water.

Buffalo Buff

This.

When I rode through a more densely wooded, mountainous route, I brought my hammock. When I toured a flatter route with more open land and less trees, I used a tent. They each have their place.

bmike

Even if I believed that the magic wheel solved my problems with carrying weight:

1: going lite or ultra lite doesn't mean discomfort or suffering.

2: some of us go where you have to lift and push the bike... So less weight is helpful as a mobility strategy...