Crimson Fart

This summer I am doing the Pacific Coast trial (Vancouver-Tijuana) and was wondering if it is possible to bring a hammock or will i have trouble finding places to hang it. I am planning on "stealth camping" the whole way because im super poor. thanks -Ben

staehpj1

Different strokes, but on that route I would use a tent and stay in hiker/biker sites. I am not sure how poor you are but we are talking $6 a night in Oregon and $4 a night in California last time I checked. The ability to take a shower and hang out with the other cyclists ought to be worth that minimal price.

kayakdiver

You say your super poor.... Just pick up a tarp and some twine and make do. I've camped with less.

Enthusiast

+1, I love my tarp. I prefer mason line to twine though. (It's cheaper )

Cyclebum

That's one of the many problems with a hammock. Finding something to hang it between. As you get further south, becomes increasingly problematic. With a free standing tent, that is never a problem. With a staked tent, seldom a problem.

I would not want a comfortable night's sleep be dependent on my being able to find a couple of trees. Would put too much of a limit on where I was able to camp.

SweetLou

You can always go to ground with your hammock if needed. Just use your tarp as a tarp tent.

Cyril 

if you're really concerned, bring a tarp and a hammock.

that way, no worries.

Cyril

Cyril 

LOL......Sweetlou!

GMTA!

Cyril

Crimson Fart

wow, $4-6 bucks?, I was under the impression that it was ~20

staehpj1

Just my take on this, obviously yours may vary, but...

The thing about going to ground with a hammock is that it requires a sleeping pad, at least for me. If I carry a hammock it would be for one of two reasons. The first would be to save weight and carrying a sleeping pad cuts into that weight advantage a good bit.

The other reason is because the ground where I would be is extremely rocky. Maybe I have been lucky so far, but I have yet to lose a nights sleep due to the ground being too rocky while touring. OTOH... There have been times on a backpacking trips where I would have killed for a hammock due to the rocky ground. On tour I am likely to be in campgrounds, schoolyards, church yards, city parks, or someones yard where the surface is likely to be pretty good, so I never wished I had a hammock when on tour.

staehpj1

Yeah the hiker/biker thing is great. I have not used them in California, but the sites are nice in Oregon. I assume California is the same.

I'd rather not stealth camp unless other reasonably priced or free options are not available. I guess some people just like it. More power to them.

I know that on my spring tour (Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico) I found free sites in town parks and church yards with no need for stealth. I didn't pay for a single site on that tour. I did get a cheap room a few times, because rooms in that part of KS and OK are really cheap. On the TA we found free or cheap sites most of the time. I am pretty sure we averaged less that $5 a night per person including renting a tepee once, a motel room once, a cabin once, and an expensive site a very few times when all else failed.

BTW, in private campgrounds or motels don't be bashful about asking for a bicyclist discount. On the Trans America more often than not we negotiated a discount in private campgrounds.

kayakdiver

I've done this quite often with success. Don't be afraid to ask and don't be afraid to move on to another one.

SweetLou

I'm sorry, what's so funny? And what is "GMTA"?

Actually, hammock camping will most likely be a little bit heavier if you are into ultralightweight camping. The biggest advantage to hammock camping is the comfort and more places to camp. First is the actual laying in the hammock is more comfortable and second, I don't hurt in the mornings as I do if laying on the ground.

If you use a tent, you'd need a pad of some sort anyway, so just bring one along for the rare occasions that you'd need to go to ground. If you don't like one of those foam pads, there are blow up type. I have seen a homemade version of the big agnes for a very reasonable cost.

Check out Hammock Forums for some ideas on cheap, light weight options.

rumrunn6

tents don't need trees

SweetLou

Neither do hammocks. You can use many different items. You also have the advantage of more places to camp, like the side of a steep hill, hanging from rocks, inside camping shelters, etc. And if needed, going to ground isn't anymore difficult than a non-free standing tent.

I am actually planning my next hammock design with the idea of going to ground as a necessity. It will have a bug net and pull tabs that will make it more like a tent when on the ground. It will have a bathtub bottom when on the ground for waterproofness. It will attach to the poles that hold up the tarp, essentially making it a double wall tent that.

All of this is possible with my other hammocks, but it will be a little better suited when going to ground.

You might not like hammocks, but please stop saying that you will be SOL if no place to hang. It is just not true. A hammock is much more versatile than any tent can be.

CNY James

need? Nah. I have never used a pad for camping, I sleep on the ground. And I sleep well. It is a luxury some prefer but most can live without.

Cyclebum

Now that's a brillant idea. A hammock that can double as a tent when necessary. Maybe a couple of poles, few stake points. Ought to be a winner.

SweetLou

Well, I guess need was a bit too much. But that would depend on where and when you camp. I would agree that a pad is not needed on warm summer nights, but some ground insulation is desirable and necessary at times. But if a pad is not needed in a tent, then it is not needed for a hammock that goes to ground. Someone mentioned needing a pad if going to ground as a disadvantage. I say it isn't because you will need the exact same thing if using a tent.

Crimson Fart

Some dude was saying that a sheet of bubble wrap was a good way to go for a lightweight pad. Do you have an opinion on any of those super cheap (30$) bivy tents? One I was looking at was ~3lbs.

prathmann

Yes, the hiker/biker sites in California are generally excellent and currently the cost varies with most between $3 and $5/person-night. Most campgrounds have showers, but there's frequently an extra charge - you put in quarters for a few minutes of hot water (I usually find one or two quarters to be sufficient). Using the hiker/biker sites also gives you the option of meeting other bike campers and sharing information on conditions and experiences you've had on your trips - but you can also stay to yourself if you don't want that type of interaction.

The hiker/biker and other campsites are setup for tent use rather than explicitly designed for hammocks. But, of course, a hammock designed to also serve as an on-the-ground shelter would work fine.