I was wondering, why wouldn't it be possible to use the hammock on the ground? Is the material too weak to be on the ground? A tent footprint might take care of that problem. This would add some versatility and get rid of some of the concerns of the hammock. Other people in this forum have mentioned sleeping under tarps. This may affect the degree in which the hammock tapr is waterproof. Also, water proofness in areas with no trees wouldn't be a major concern (still a slight concern) because if there aren't many trees, it is likely that the amount of rain received is not very high either (some of these areas get big storms though but are usually quick and intense rather than dragged out. It could also be possibly staked up using hiking poles or such if you are a tourer that also does a lot of hiking when on tour. Just some thoughts of mine.
I am considering purchasing either a tent or a hammock and it seems as thought the hammock is more versatile and can be used on the ground if needed or put up into the trees if that is more suited to the area. Maybe it might be possible to alter one of these hammocks to be able to make a makeshift tent for non-tree areas or times when it is cold and are concerned about losing too much heat or just times when you just want a break from sleeping off the ground.