Do you even camp bro?? Tent Edition.

MikeTodd

My family and I have discovered the fun and adventure of tent camping. We are going on our last camping trip this weekend. We currently have 2, 4-person tents and have added a canopy to our campsite. We are thinking that we are ready to upgrade to a larger, cabin style tent.
Any advice from you veteran tent campers?

Wylaff

Pads

dirtdude

pads hell, i am thinking airbeds

Rockethead26

REI Kingdom 8. Easy to set up and very roomy and sturdy. At 60, I gave up sleeping on the ground and now use a padded cot. Sleep like a baby and I can stand up to put my pants on in the morning.

Bob_Luken

I saw one of these at a returned goods liquidation store. I really wasn't sure of the value and wasn't sure how hard it would be to set up but, after doing some research (googling) I decided I should have bought it when I had the chance. They're called Sibley tents. I kinda like 'em.  

MikeTodd

Wylaff said:

Pads

Yeah. The kids each use a camp pad and the wifey and I have airbeds. We have two twins and a queen so we have a pretty versitile set up.

webmost

Bob_Luken said:

I saw one of these at a returned goods liquidation store. I really wasn't sure of the value and wasn't sure how hard it would be to set up but, after doing some research (googling) I decided I should have bought it when I had the chance. They're called Sibley tents. I kinda like 'em.  

Looks like bwana on safari.


I like to take a wee little hammock well up trail, away from that glorified parking lot where you listen to RV generators all night. If you ain't shittin in the woods, then you ain't camping. If you don't wake up to the sound of bear grunting then you didn't sleep right. 

Martel

I used a hammock for camping on my summer hike on the AT that lasted all of one night when I blew out my knee.  It was fun, but I'm not sure how I'd like it in inclement weather.

I'd keep the smaller tents.  I really wish we went to two rather than a larger cabin tent.  Give me and the wife some privacy, y'know?

MikeTodd

Martel said:

I used a hammock for camping on my summer hike on the AT that lasted all of one night when I blew out my knee.  It was fun, but I'm not sure how I'd like it in inclement weather.

I'd keep the smaller tents.  I really wish we went to two rather than a larger cabin tent.  Give me and the wife some privacy, y'know?

We have discussed that but the kids are 7, 5 and 3 so it makes the wife more comfortable having them in the same area. We will be keeping both 4 man tents so once they get older, out the door they go.

MikeTodd

webmost said:

Bob_Luken said:

I saw one of these at a returned goods liquidation store. I really wasn't sure of the value and wasn't sure how hard it would be to set up but, after doing some research (googling) I decided I should have bought it when I had the chance. They're called Sibley tents. I kinda like 'em.  

Looks like bwana on safari.


I like to take a wee little hammock well up trail, away from that glorified parking lot where you listen to RV generators all night. If you ain't shittin in the woods, then you ain't camping. If you don't wake up to the sound of bear grunting then you didn't sleep right. 

I LOVE to hammock camp but with the wee kids, we are sticking to camp grounds. The places we have been going have primitive sites away from the big RVs. In the above picture, we were camping with 10 families from church so we had to be among the big rigs.

webmost

Martel said:

I used a hammock for camping on my summer hike on the AT....  It was fun, but I'm not sure how I'd like it in inclement weather.

Actually, a hammock stays way drier in weather. I had to laugh at the other three fellers I went canoe camping with last year in the Boundary Wilderness. Rain? It was one frog strangling downpour after another. Those guys were schlepping giant wet tents from site to site. Water seeped up from the ground, and things never had a chance to dry out. My hammock? Well up out of the wet. Long as you know how to stretch the rain fly, you are impervious. We no sooner got back from that trip my one buddy had to go buy one. It's not what leaks down; it's what leaks up that gets to you.

Also keeps you up away from six legged critters to an extent. Chiggers, for instance, they can't jump that high. 



Ah me. I need to go camping again before snow hits.

rsherman24

TNBigfoot68

I have been thinking about a hammock for my hiking trips. Great info @webmost
@MikeTodd - three children tells me you need a big cabin tent. I would go larger than you think because I never have enough for my gear when it's raining and I'm stuck inside. I have seen a few tents that have an attached screened porches. Those are nice.  I just upgraded and I already wished it was bigger. 

Wylaff

http://www.tentsile.com/collections/frontpage/products/stingray-tree-tent

webmost

Wylaff said:

http://www.tentsile.com/collections/frontpage/products/stingray-tree-tent

Those look cool. I dunno how useful they'd be; but they look interesting enough to try one just for kix.

jlmarta

Seems to me like it'd be like living on a trampoline with a very low roof. Or maybe it was built for a dwarf...  

i dunno, man. It's just too wierd to contemplate....  

Besides, if creepy-crawlies and wigglers bother you, you should take up surfing or hang gliding or something. You've got no business being out in the woods....  

Wylaff

Watch their video, the whole thing of being able to set-up over a waterfall is awesome. I know a guy who used one. He said there is no bounce and very little give. It's more of a platform and less of a trampoline.

Martel

webmost said:

Martel said:

I used a hammock for camping on my summer hike on the AT....  It was fun, but I'm not sure how I'd like it in inclement weather.

Actually, a hammock stays way drier in weather. I had to laugh at the other three fellers I went canoe camping with last year in the Boundary Wilderness. Rain? It was one frog strangling downpour after another. Those guys were schlepping giant wet tents from site to site. Water seeped up from the ground, and things never had a chance to dry out. My hammock? Well up out of the wet. Long as you know how to stretch the rain fly, you are impervious. We no sooner got back from that trip my one buddy had to go buy one. It's not what leaks down; it's what leaks up that gets to you.

Also keeps you up away from six legged critters to an extent. Chiggers, for instance, they can't jump that high. 



Ah me. I need to go camping again before snow hits.

I was thinking more along the lines of high wind and cold temperatures.  But I agree that wet from below stinks, and I've had my share of tents in the wind to know they're not perfect, either.

MikeTodd

Martel said:

webmost said:

Martel said:

I used a hammock for camping on my summer hike on the AT....  It was fun, but I'm not sure how I'd like it in inclement weather.

Actually, a hammock stays way drier in weather. I had to laugh at the other three fellers I went canoe camping with last year in the Boundary Wilderness. Rain? It was one frog strangling downpour after another. Those guys were schlepping giant wet tents from site to site. Water seeped up from the ground, and things never had a chance to dry out. My hammock? Well up out of the wet. Long as you know how to stretch the rain fly, you are impervious. We no sooner got back from that trip my one buddy had to go buy one. It's not what leaks down; it's what leaks up that gets to you.

Also keeps you up away from six legged critters to an extent. Chiggers, for instance, they can't jump that high. 



Ah me. I need to go camping again before snow hits.

I was thinking more along the lines of high wind and cold temperatures.  But I agree that wet from below stinks, and I've had my share of tents in the wind to know they're not perfect, either.

Depending on the rigging you have and where you are located the winds are not a big deal. I use Enos Slap Straps. The thing about a hammock is that you don't need the open space a tent uses so you hcan be in an area with more of a din break. As for the cold, most campers that hammock in the colder weather use a camp pad or some type of insulation between them and the hammock just like you would a tent.
I take mine with us when we go camping and usuall set it up and sleep in it at least a night depending on weather.

Martel

MikeTodd said:

Martel said:

webmost said:

Martel said:

I used a hammock for camping on my summer hike on the AT....  It was fun, but I'm not sure how I'd like it in inclement weather.

Actually, a hammock stays way drier in weather. I had to laugh at the other three fellers I went canoe camping with last year in the Boundary Wilderness. Rain? It was one frog strangling downpour after another. Those guys were schlepping giant wet tents from site to site. Water seeped up from the ground, and things never had a chance to dry out. My hammock? Well up out of the wet. Long as you know how to stretch the rain fly, you are impervious. We no sooner got back from that trip my one buddy had to go buy one. It's not what leaks down; it's what leaks up that gets to you.

Also keeps you up away from six legged critters to an extent. Chiggers, for instance, they can't jump that high. 



Ah me. I need to go camping again before snow hits.

I was thinking more along the lines of high wind and cold temperatures.  But I agree that wet from below stinks, and I've had my share of tents in the wind to know they're not perfect, either.

Depending on the rigging you have and where you are located the winds are not a big deal. I use Enos Slap Straps. The thing about a hammock is that you don't need the open space a tent uses so you hcan be in an area with more of a din break. As for the cold, most campers that hammock in the colder weather use a camp pad or some type of insulation between them and the hammock just like you would a tent.
I take mine with us when we go camping and usuall set it up and sleep in it at least a night depending on weather.

Yeah, if it weren't for my next trip being with the family, I might rig up my hammock as a try out for cooler nights.  I'd still say convection plays a bigger role in the hammock over conduction, and I don't think the ridgerest would be as efficient with wind as it is at keeping conduction low.  Second weekend in October.  I want to sleep in the hammock.  My wife wants a tent heater.  We need therapy.

webmost

You know what works great, surprisingly enough? A mylar sheet. One of those survival blankies. I've seen some hammocks have velcros underneath to attach one. I use a stadium blanket. Got it free at a minor league game. Have also used the leather motorcycle jacket with great success.

I gotta get out under God's sky here soon. Aching for some wilderness.

Jay6

This was in very northern Maine. Almost two hours from the nearest paved road or cell coverage. The key for the fam (mom and sister) is plenty of coverage for rain, a queen sized air mattress, and portable toilet. My son and I go much lighter, tarps and hammocks 

MikeTodd

Camping with 2 other families. 9 kids that are 7 years old and under.

jlmarta

So, Whadja do in your spare time??  <yuk, yuk>  
 

Captain_Call

Bumping this up. I'm going on my annual cold camp trip. I'll be in my warbonnet blackbird hammock under a warbonnet superfly tarp. It's the highlight of my year as far as solo activities go. 3 day boy scout camp for grown men. We throw tomahawks and do cast iron cook off. Weekend forecast looks promising

Wylaff

I googled Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock, and this is what came up:



I approve of your choice in hammock.

IndustMech

She could braid your beard

Hawkeye

I'll take 2!

webmost

Man's gotta keep warm.

jlmarta

I’d comment but my tongue got stiff and...... thbbfff..

Captain_Call

Mine must be defective