Hi all,

I'm planning a tour for this August from Eugene to San Francisco. Extremely excited about the notion of not lugging around a cumbersome tent, I picked up a Hennessy Expedition A-Sym zip hammock to sleep in.

However, post purchase, I've read some places don't allow hammock camping. While the Hennessy comes with 'tree-hugger' straps that are very gentle on the tree and bark, I worry that I might not be allowed to use it in some places. Especially in the redwoods areas.

Does anyone have experience with hammocking in these areas?

I'm not a hammock camper, but I seem to remember regulations on hanging anything from trees in some CA state parks, even a clothes line. Hopefully someone else can chime in and confirm this.

Todd's hammock/Brompton tour on his company website https://clevercycles.com/ last summer.

I only remember one park along the West coast where someone told me I couldn't hang a hammock. I think it was Dana Point in Los Angeles. Most state parks are managed by retired people in RVs. They are not there to hassle you for no reason.

If you are on your own, you don't necessarily need a state park to camp in, just two trees somewhere off the road, and that is pretty easy to find in most parts of the West Coast.

I worked in a state park during my college summer breaks. People hanging things on trees will kill them or make them more susceptible to disease and pests. The living tissue of a tree lies just beneath the bark. Tie a tourniquet around one of your limbs for 8 hours and see how it feels. I agree that enforcement will be minimal at best, so you can decide for yourself how much or how little you care.

Parks in Oregon offer Hiker - Biker camp areas, very little ranger activity, they pretty much know it will be cared for. You shouldn't have a problem in Oregon.

Try standing still outside for a few years and you might realize that you're not a tree.

While abrasion and scouring of bark can certainly hurt a tree, "tourniquetting" a tree trunk larger than 6" diameter will cause absolutely no harm. Most hammocks hang from webbing which is at least a half inch thick which helps prevent them from rubbing off any bark. A tire swing rubbing back and forth for a few years might hurt a tree (and there are plenty of those that have been up for decades), a hammock for a night is not doing any harm.

Thanks. I'm traveling with a bud who's doing his first tour. And we're not going that far south. I imagined it to be that way, but I wanted to make sure before I couldn't return the hammock.

We might do some stealth to keep things interesting. But knowing that we can roll into an SP without issue is nice.

Wow. You made me feel like a republican there. Good troll.

This is absolutely not an answer to your question. However, since I live in Eugene and we have a great route to the coast that is rarely used and a so-so route that is quite popular, I thought I should chime in to recommend the great route. Don't go to Florence from Eugene. Instead, go directly to Reedsport. Do not pass Go, but do pass Crow. See https://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/31073976 Don't be put off by the 90 mile distance; all the hills are early and there are numerous places to call it a day along the Smith River. It's easier to follow than the map would indicate, just follow the pavement (chipseal, actually). The only potentially troublesome turn has a huge BLM map at the intersection. No services or cell reception between Eugene and around mile 80, so bring what you need. I have ridden loops out there and not seen a car for over 100 miles.

Actually, this looks like great advice. Are there any good places to set up camp on this route within 20 miles of the city? One of the problems I'm working on is camping the day I arrive in Eugene. But that's really hard to do without a ridiculous overnight day 1 rando mission, as I'll be arriving late afternoon at the earliest.

There's a great cheap hostel in Eugene, that could be one solution.

Most of my experience with tree damage is climbing related. I tend to agree it will damage trees in areas where everyone comes along and uses the same set of trees to hang a hammock. I wouldn't even give it a though in stealth situations, and I wouldn't worry if the park sees little hammock use. One thing to be very careful of is pulling the cord or webbing free of the tree. You can easily saw through stuff that way, and while a single use is harmless, it is the accumulated impact that will get you banned. Really there isn't any repetitive use thing that is harmless, if people are going to want to use hammocks, parks are going to have to make posts for them or something. Would have much less impact than tent platforms where those are called for.

Another thing I would worry about if I was a private operator is that hammocks are marginal and "dangerous". I doubt I would want to buy additional insurance. If you think of it as an owner, rather than a customer, you wouldn't want hammocks in your place either. Check out what the insurance tick is for a public toilet, let alone so people can hang themselves in trees. It has nothing to do with the actual non-danger of the thing. But as others have said there probably isn't going to be a lot of supervision.

Personally if I was using campsites the whole way I would take a tent, I don't sleep in a hammock at home. If you look at an evolved activity like big wall climbing, they moved away from hammocks years ago, and the portaledge is the standard. And they have to haul that crap up a cliff. Part of that is the rigging advantage of the ledge.

Have you tried hammock camping? It really is superior to tent camping in a lot of ways. Hanging from trees is much different than hanging from a cliff. An asymetrical hammock is much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. If you could comfortably get two people into one, I would probably replace my bed with a hammock.

A good friend of mine lives just off the route I gave you about five miles from the west end of the city. I'm sure you can stay on her property. There is a one mile stretch of gravel to reach her place, but I ride it on 700X25 tires (and I weigh 200#), so it's not too bad. Send me a PM when you get closer to the date and we'll make it happen. I'd be happy to ride out to her place with you. Heck, I might just ride part way to the coast the next morning with you. It's a wonderful ride that I do regularly. In fact, Cycle Oregon will be doing the stretch from the west end of Wolf Creek Rd. to Reedsport this year as part of their tour.

While you're making your route, don't forget to include the Lost Coast. Leave Hwy 101 in Humboldt County and head to Ferndale. The pavement ends at Usul Rd, so be prepared for 25 miles of dirt/gravel/dust/mud. It's quite hilly, but there is virtually no traffic (or amenities). If you're interested, I'll dig out a route.

Personal opinion here, and not related to the legality of using it, but I found a hammock tends to be more of a headache than a tent. I tried a friend's Hennesy Hammock for a few days backpacking in the western Sierra Nevada Mtns (plenty of trees, unlike the eastern side of the mtns) and it didn't work out. You'll need properly-sized trees spaced appropriately apart with enough clear space (on all axis's) to get it to work. I found they tend to be colder since I was off the ground, and one windy night it swayed so much I got 'seasick.' I went back to a tent, and now use a Henry Shire's Tarptent (google 'tarptent.com'). They're single walled tents with lots of room that work great in all but winter conditions, and only 2 to 2 1/2 lbs.

"Have you tried hammock camping? It really is superior to tent camping in a lot of ways."

I have a Hennesey, but I don't find it comfortable. I realize lots of people do and have even seen people sleep on hammocks that looked like a blet between two trees. For my it feels great at first, but eventually becomes uncomfortable, and the straight line between two trees wears into me. I like the fact it does not require a flat area. Stealth camping there are many places that are very useful but lack space for a tent.

" Hanging from trees is much different than hanging from a cliff."

Sure, but the comfort of a portaledge, a bed is the clear winner on that front. Of course there are other uses to which a ledge cna be put.

"An asymetrical hammock is much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground."

I find the ground very comfortable, certainly more comfortable than the Hennesey, but I live in an area with topsoil not desert rocks. I also sleep on a very hard futon all year round so the ground in a field is often a welcome break for softness. I think there is a reason that hammocks are often a lot more complicated than the camping versions, with spreader bars and such. People seem to find that kind comfy for sleeping in the yard. I do wonder if it is a fit thing in part. I am built a bit like a football player. Whether or not that maters my doctor has ruled them out for me because they are hard on the joints.