The hammock has a really good range, it's like 8 feet to 22 feet or something. I have NEVER been unable to find trees, and neither have my friends. All 3 of us are using hammocks.

A good analogy is to think about how hard it is to find level ground, with no rocks, and no water drainage when pitching a tent. The difficulty is about the same. When touring, I think the odds of being unable to find trees are astronomically low. If I find myself in a desert with no trees, I can pitch my rain fly between my bike handlebars and my front wheel with no problems.

Take a tree with a 6 inch diameter and try to push it over- it's damn-near impossible. I trust anything thicker than my leg.

Yes, I do use a sleeping pad. I use a Thermarest NeoAir, and it's sized to reach my head to my ankles. It keeps me toasty.

The hammock has a 1-3 night learning curve where you learn how to put it up, then it's the best way to travel. You're never wet, you never see any bugs, your legs are elevated so the soreness fades out, and every time you see someone bragging about tent weight, you're either beating them in grams or they've sacrificed comfort/money far beyond you. Abandoning poles and 30 square feet of rain tarp to cover 3-4 walls is VERY significant.