Tent, Bivi or Hammock?

This is a question I’ve been asked a lot of times – which is better?

And the answer is – it’s up to you mate.

Each has its pros and cons.

Each can cost very little or be very expensive.

Each can take a lot of space or very little.

It’s all down to what you want and the conditions you’ll be using the item in. Here’s a brief summary of my thoughts on each.

Tents

Tents can be very light these days and can give you plenty of room to store kit. With single pitch, they are also quick and easy to set up. You can share a tent making carrying kit easier and it can help with keeping warm.

They do have their downsides though…

They can be difficult to pitch in windy weather, if you have trouble getting up off the floor they may not be best for you. You need a large, clear, stone free patch of ground that isn’t frozen or waterlogged, but you don’t need trees to tie them to.

Bivis

Small, lightweight and super-fast to set up. You don’t even need a tarp with some of them as they are waterproof. You just need a sleeping mat of some kind and a blanket or sleeping bag.

But, you can’t set them up on waterlogged ground, there is no space to store kit in many of them and if they are the open type, you can be at the mercy or the elements.

A tarp can be strung over the top to give more space and protection but you’ll need handy bushes or trees to tie this to.

Again, as with a tent, if you have trouble with getting up of the floor…

Hammocks

OK, first up you need a couple of handy trees or a couple of large boulders to hang your lines from, and they can be cold underneath… you can share a hammock if you buy the larger type, but you need to be very friendly with your fellow sleeper and both of you need to be very inactive in your sleeping habits.

But, they can be very fast to set up with practice and it doesn’t matter if the ground isn’t clear, dry or stone free.

And you can get awesome views of the sunset, sunrise, wildlife etc., without having to leave your bed. Lazy I know, but awesome all the same.

Some come with bug nets, some with places to insert a sleeping pad, some with a waterproof top built in. Some have side zipped entry, some have bottom entry. There are many different types and styles to suit your needs and budget.

There are a whole host of accessories including snake skins that slide over your hammock to ease set up. These can also be used over your tarp for packing. Some are even large enough to cover your hammock and tarp in one go to make set up even easier.

You can get under quilts to protect you from CBS – Cold Butt Syndrome, basically a blanket that hangs under the hammock to stop air currents wicking away heat from under you.

You can get over quilts that replace your sleeping bag.

There are shaped stuff sacks that fir behind your head.

In the winter they can take up a lot of room with the under and over quilts, but for car camping they are great.

Which you decide you want to buy and use is up to you.

However one definite accessory that you should buy – if it’s not included in your hammock, is a set of ‘Tree Huggers’. These are webbing straps that go around the tree to protect it – some people just wrap the cord that hangs the hammock around the tree but this can seriously damage the bark and hence the tree. There are several types in differing lengths from a few feet to 10 feet or so – some are just a length of strap with a loop at each end to pass your suspension cord through, some have a series of loops sewn in to make it easier to adjust the hang using a karabiner attached to the suspension cord.

Personally I prefer the second type, but don’t go for the narrow ¾” to 1” straps – they may be strong, they may be cheap, but they don’t spread the load as well as a decent set of 1 ½” to 2” straps.

You don’t have to get down on the ground to use them, making them ideal for people with this problem, and you can get a fantastic night’s sleep without sticks or rocks digging into your back.

So, there you have it. A few pointers on the good and bad sides of the three systems. Which is best - that’s up to you and your wallet!

I own all three systems and use them, but personally I prefer the hammock when I’m going somewhere I know I can use it.

Choosing a tent or shelter

There are a number of things to consider when looking at buying a tent.

o       How will you be travelling?

o       What type do you want?

o       How many people will be sleeping in it?

o       How much can you afford?

o       What environment it will be used in?

o       Materials used in construction.

 

Travelling

The mode of transport is a very important consideration. If you are travelling by car, it doesn’t really matter how much it weighs. Travelling by public transport, a lighter tent would be an advantage. Travelling by bicycle, it will need to be fairly compact, and reasonably light. If you’re intending to hike, it must be lightweight and compact.

Type of shelter

There are a number of types of shelter that you can use:

o       A bivi bag;

o       A bivi and Hootchie;

o       A hammock and fly;

o       An A-frame tent;

o       A dome tent;

o       A tunnel tent;

o       A ‘family’ tent;

o       Tepee;

o       Fly first;

o       Inner first.

Each has its pro’s and con’s.

o       A bivi bag is ideal for solo camping in reasonable weather. It is lightweight and compact.

o       A bivi and hootchie or tarp, is ideal for solo or small group camping where the weather may not always be good.

o       A hammock and fly is lightweight and compact and is great if you will be camping in woodland. It keeps you off the cold and possibly wet ground. It also gets you away from ground dwelling insects and snakes.

o       A-frame tents are generally fairly small but can be heavy unless modern materials are used for the poles.

o       Dome tents are fairly lightweight and compact and are quite robust in windy conditions.

o       Tunnel tents are generally used by larger groups as they are usually fairly large and heavy. They offer good protection but must be set up with their long axis along the path of the wind for stability. They can generally be spread around the group to distribute the weight if hiking.

o       Family tents are generally large, heavy and cumbersome. They often have several chambers and can be tall enough to stand up in. they are ideal for static family camping.

o       Tepees are similar in design to the American Indian tents. They can either be lightweight for trekking, or heavier for static camping. They can be quite restrictive as they generally do not have much floor space due to their shape.

o       Fly first tents are ideal if the weather is likely to be somewhat inclement as the inner tent is clipped onto the frame after the waterproof fly has been put up, thus keeping it dry. Most modern tents are of this type.

o       Inner first are ideal for dry conditions, but during inclement weather, the inner can easily get soaked before the fly is thrown over leading to an unpleasant, damp night.

Some modern tents even come with hanging pockets for storing small, lightweight items such as underwear, first aid kits, wallets, torches etc.

Many also come with a central hook within the chamber to suspend a lightweight light source, but these must ONLY be used with electric lamps, NOT paraffin or other light sources that would obviously present a fire hazard.

Size of the tent

Obviously, if several people want to share the same tent, it will have to be big enough to take all the people and their gear. But the bigger the tent, the more cumbersome and heavy it will be.

Whilst a 3 man tent may give you a lot more room if you are solo camping, it won’t be as light as a bivi, hammock or 1 man tent.

However, most tent designs are generally labelled as 1 size bigger that they can practically house. A 3 man tent may well sleep three people, in very close proximity, but they rarely take 3 people AND the kit for 3 people…

Cost

It goes without saying that the better quality and lighter weight the tent, the bigger the price tag is likely to be.

With many manufacturers competing for the same market, prices have come down quite markedly over the past 10-15 years, and companies that used to make very low quality cheap tents, are now able to make better quality tents for a more reasonable price due to the advances in materials technology.

However, a very lightweight tent is still likely to be more expensive than a standard quality family tent, size for size.

You should always factor into your decision how much use the tent will get. For one weekend a year in the summer, a reasonable tent will do. For several weeks trekking every year in varying seasons, a more expensive tent that will stand up to the elements and be a home-from-home, will be a better investment.

Environment

If you are likely to be using your tent in very wet weather a better hydrostatic head rating will be needed. This is a measurement of how waterproof the tent is.

If you’re expecting to be camping in very windy areas, strong, but lightweight ‘space age’ materials need to be used for the poles.

There are a number of other considerations to be taken into account which would be best discussed with your intended supplier.

Materials

Many materials are used in the construction of tents and shelters. Some are traditional such as cotton, canvas and steel through to modern materials such as Kevlar, aluminium and such like. The more modern the material, in general the more expensive, robust, waterproof, lightweight and long lasting the tent will be.

One of the most important material factors to consider is the fly sheet or outer covering. A PU coated nylon tent is heavier and less breathable than for example Gore-Tex™. It is also less durable as the coating will degrade and peel off over time requiring the material to be re-proofed regularly to maintain its weather proofing. Also many modern tents now include sun protection as more and more families are turning to camping for a cheaper alternative to other types of holiday.