Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I am glad to see some open-minded-ness on a topic where the proponents seem to be pretty much not open to alternatives. I agree that you should pick the solution that fits your situation.
I think that with just a bit of care in equipment selection the various classes of shelter choices can all be quite adequately comfortable. Hammocks, tents, tarps, and bivies all have their advantages and it makes sense to choose the one that makes the most sense for where and how you are travelling. For me I find various ground based shelters fit most of my needs better.
If I did more backpacking in the places with lots of trees and extremely swampy or rocky ground I'd probably buy a hammock. While backpacking in Pennsylvania, I have camped in places where a hammock clearly would have been a better answer. Similarly in Washington state I have had the same experience.
That said... for my style of bike touring I don't think I will ever use one though.
There are a few times that being a little more open minded is important. This is one of those cases. When things start getting weird and impractical you have to be reasonable. If you are going to be in a place that a hammock wouldn't really work you have to adapt. You don't want a complicated hammocking system after a day of riding most smaller tents and bivouacs are easy to set up and a pad just requires blowing or a pump if non-self inflating or not foam.
The best solution though is to not camp in crappy places without trees. Trees are awesome for a ton of reasons but mainly they make getting to sleep quick and easy ; )