I've been taken with the idea of hammock camping with a tarp, but I've never tried it before and I'm a little baffled by the options.
Which would you recommend to a first-timer?
I'm happy to spend a bit of money to get beyond the "try it once and need to upgrade" threshold.
The Ticket to the Moon hammocks look lovely (especially with the integrated mesh) but they are pricey.
DD Hammocks do some sensible looking tarps.
Obvs Alpkit does cheaper ones of both.
What would Singletrack get?
What additional bits do I need to get to make them actually stay up?
I've got a DD Frontline which is nice but probably heavier than some other options.
You'll also need an underquilt, even in summer as you lose a lot of heat through the underside, You can use a closed cell mat inside but in my experience it's way less comfortable.
I would say it's worth borrowing a hammock setup first (if you can) to see if you can actually get on with it. I always sleep better in a tent, but sometimes a hammock is an easier option in the forest.
Some people like my mate are the opposite and are way more comfortable off the ground.
It also takes a few goes to get the right setup, at first I had the hammock way too taught, you want the ends at about a 45deg down angle, so you can lay flat & diagonal.
I use mine a lot. As a scout troop we have pretty much given up on tents and moved to hammocks.
My kit:
DD Hammock
DD 3x3 tarp
Underblanket - Can't remember what make, but not DD
Cheap ebay "blue tarp" to put on the floor so you have somewhere dry to put your boots etc
Paracord for the top line
Couple of bungees if you need to get tension on the tarp
Cheapo carabiners to hang you bits and bobs from the top line
30l dry bag to stash it all in.
Will only use a tent if there is nowhere to sling a hammock. 
Another vote for DD hammocks. I got the superlight stuff in a sale a few years ago. You definitely need an underquilt or I use a thermarest in the hammock instead. Their mosquito net is also a good addition for relatively little cost.
DD 3x3 Tarp and a random XL hammock I got given as a present. I think the underblanket I have is Alpkit and it works well enough. Mossie net was from Amazon (I think).
It's not super-lightweight and integrated systems do exist that are lioghter and less hassle, but it works well enough and I have used it outside even in winter (in the UK). I do like it though, It's more comfortable (for me at least) than a mat on the ground.
Thanks for the responses so far.
Fair point on borrowing a hammock. I'll see if anyone has
The DD Tarps look a good balance of price and features.
@harry_the-spider what thickness paracord do you use? Is that a self-made or bought attachment for the hammock?
+1 for yes you need an underquilt. Even on hot ~20C nights hammocks are freezing cold. It's colder than lying on the ground without a mat. You can jerry rig a normal sleeping bag or quilt though for as test run.
+1 for try it first, I wanted to like it but it gives me motion sickness very quickly. I suspect because you're not actually a rigid pendulum like in a physics demonstration , the frequency your butt swings at is slightly different to your head and feet so it's not a very natural motion.
Paracord is nothing special. Got 20m of it off ebay for a couple of quid. Went for a bright colour to try and stop people tripping over or walking into it.
Like Harry, I prefer to hammock on weekend scout camps- lot less faff. Got an underquilt a couple of years ago, that was a big improvement. Last year I got the DD quilt, it's like a sleeping bag with drawcord opening at the rear and feet so you can put it on whilst out of the hammock.
DD all the way. Whoopie straps/slings make for a super easy setup. Underblanket is key as even a small breeze is noticeable on your back.
where are you based? Happy to loan a set up if local to Lewes/Brighton.
I have the DD hammock, whicher the one is that the most basic zip up job.
Its absolutely grand. Woken up at battle on the beach by an attractive lady* who was worried i might have died. The entire outside was covered in frost.
Just a foam mat under my arse works quite well.
* Not really a relevant detail but its was quite was a bit confusing.
A bsic one is quite a nice thing just to have. Even if you don't get on as a sleep system. Its nice to sling it up between trees and watch the world go by before retireing to the tent.
I have DD frontline, under blanket & Whoopie slings and love it. I much prefer it to a tent. Not needed to use a tarp yet so just had sky above so far.
where are you based? Happy to loan a set up if local to Lewes/Brighton.
I'm in Winchester, so the wrong end of the South Downs, but thank you for the offer.
Paracord is nothing special. Got 20m of it off ebay for a couple of quid. Went for a bright colour to try and stop people tripping over or walking into it.
Is that 3mm/425 you're using?
I also have dd frontline, tarp and underblanket.
have recently converted to whoopie slings, both lighter and easier/quicker to setup.
I’ve never managed to get any more than a catnap in a tent, so a hammock makes it possible for me to actually go camping.
i use a blanket on top, rather than a sleeping bag, far easier.
Not tried Whoopie Slings.
What advantage do they offer over the ties supplied with the hammock and how do they work?
Will only use a tent if there is nowhere to sling a hammock.
From your pic and description, it looks like it's more 'stuff' than a 2-berth backpacking tent (hammock, tarp, underquilt, tarp/sheet on floor) so doesn't pack down as small as that tent and it looks like it takes about the same amount of time to put up as that tent.
So, genuine Q - what's the advantage?
I sleep better in it.
It dries quicker.
Doesn't get muddy.
No arsing about folding it up. Just stuff it in the bag.
Bigger than a 2 man "coffin" tent, but smaller than my personal 3 man tent, and quicker to set up/take down.
Biggest advantage for me is that I don't have to sleep on the floor or crawl about on my hands and knees setting it up.
Underblanket is key as even a small breeze is noticeable on your back.
I see Alpkit are advertising their underblanket at 26% off:
https://alpkit.com/products/mora-hammock-underquilt
so £36.99 instead of £49.99.
I sleep better in it.
It dries quicker.
Doesn't get muddy.
No arsing about folding it up. Just stuff it in the bag.
Bigger than a 2 man "coffin" tent, but smaller than my personal 3 man tent, and quicker to set up/take down.
Biggest advantage for me is that I don't have to sleep on the floor or crawl about on my hands and knees setting it up.
Fair enough. Ta.
Bloody hell! The DD tarp I ordered yesterday arrived today. I hadn't realised it included guylines and pegs. It's better value than I thought. Less urgent need to get paracord.
Does it include enough for your top line?
Have a watch of This youtube video - some nice tips on how to set up a tarp, he's agot some other good ones too.
Touching on the advantages of a hammock, the biggest one for me is that once you have the tension setup correctly, it will always feel the same - no lying there with a rock or tree root sticking in your back, no sliding into one end of the tent because you're on a slight slope, no trying to bash pegs into stoney ground. As long as you have two suitably spaced trees or posts, job done!
Having a piss in the night takes a bit of practice, make sure you remember which side of the hammock your shoes and bags are! 😂
That’s what bottles are for!
which side of the hammock your shoes and bags are!
Doesn’t help if the wildlife decide to move them!
On one camp, one of the scouts (first time hammocking) phoned and in hushed tones asked what should she do as there was a badger rooting around under her hammock!
On one camp, one of the scouts (first time hammocking) phoned and in hushed tones asked what should she do as there was a badger rooting around under her hammock!
Linnet Clough?
That’s what bottles are for!
Big olive jar is my receptacle of choice.
<<DOUBLE POST>>
Linnet Clough?
Good old Linnet Clough. The Badger Incident is an indelible part of 1st Disley folklore..
whoopie slings are like a sort of sliding knot, that doesn’t move at all, unless you want it to, then it moves easily.
there’s a video on the DD website showing exactly how they work.
I went for this "ultralight" hammock with mossie net from Cocoon. Got the whoopie slings from Tamarck Outdoors in a sale a few weeks ago for £16 i think. A lot lighter than straps and take up less space. Using the Alpkit underquilt for now and happy with it so far
So you shorten the hammock straps?
At work, so I can't watch the video.
So you shorten the hammock straps?
The straps round the tree as normal one end of the sling is attached to the hammock. The other to the straps. Then you pull the sling to the tension you desire.
Its not a deal breaker but they are effective, tiny and very easy to adjust. But they don't do anything other options provide just a bit more convenient.
OK. Thanks.
My hammock kit is getting a bit "Gucci", so I may have to invest.
One of the main benefits is its not a knot so literally get out the hammock and pull the sling in the correctway and it detensions.
DD all the way for me. For a groundsheet I use a square of secondary/tertiary glazing film, weighs nothing and lasts a week.
Looking at the photo HTS posted, it's OK to tie the ridge line for the tarp round the tree, but you should really use webbing for the hammock. With your weight in the hammock and the force being amplified by the angle, rope is liable to cut through the bark and kill the tree.
Alton Goods make great tarps. And lots of other very decent gear.
I've got an old desert cam british army tarp which is very useful for providing wind break or for a little drizzle shelter while you're sat poking the fire.
I wouldn't use Paracord for tarp lines though. Bankline is better as it doesn't stretch when it's wet.
I’m find DD hammocks way too short to get a comfortable lie (I’m 192 cm) but their tarps are great, really good value. I went for a Dutch Hardware hammock, a bit of a wait as they’re only available in the US but great design, and crazy lightweight (I think it’s about 200 grams including the fixings).
Linnet Clough?
no- down south in the Kent/Sussex Weald
I wouldn't use Paracord for tarp lines though. Bankline is better as it doesn't stretch when it's wet.
Why would proper 550 Paracord stretch in the wet? It’s all synthetic, surely it shouldn’t be stretching at all, that’s the point of it! I’ve completely restrung a tent with 550 Paracord, I went for some which was dayglo orange with a reflective thread woven in, means when/if wandering around in the dark, even a small torch shows where the lines are.
I wouldn't use Paracord for tarp lines though. Bankline is better as it doesn't stretch when it's wet.
Why would proper 550 Paracord stretch in the wet? It’s all synthetic, surely it shouldn’t be stretching at all, that’s the point of it! I’ve completely restrung a tent with 550 Paracord, I went for some which was dayglo orange with a reflective thread woven in, means when/if wandering around in the dark, even a small torch shows where the lines are.
No idea about wet. Bit it absolutely does stretch, its specifically designed to stretch so the poor sod on the end of the parachute doesn't get snapped in two or plummet to the ground with a mangled parachute.
It also absorbs plenty water. Its an odd choice for a tent when there are far better and cheaper options which include reflective bits.
Never noticed the paracord stretching sufficiently for it to become an issue.
@greybeard it isn't rope. It is the flat "tape" that comes with the hammock. About an inch wide.
@greybeard it isn't rope. It is the flat "tape" that comes with the hammock. About an inch wide.
Apologies - no criticism intended - it looks like rope so it was for clarification for newbies to hammocks
Why would proper 550 Paracord stretch in the wet? It’s all synthetic, surely it shouldn’t be stretching at all, that’s the point of it! I’ve completely restrung a tent with 550 Paracord, I went for some which was dayglo orange with a reflective thread woven in, means when/if wandering around in the dark, even a small torch shows where the lines are.
You'd have to ask it, not me.
It has some give to it when dry. It will sag/droop when wet. It definitely stretches and not the best choice for a tarp. Zero issues with bankline as a ridgeline. Bankline does not stretch.
Re "stringing" a tent? What do you mean by that, replacing the guide ropes with para? That's probably fine, as you wouldn't want zero give on guide ropes, they'd just rip off the tent if it gets a bit blowy. But we're talking about tarps and hammocks though, not tents.
Why would proper 550 Paracord stretch in the wet? It’s all synthetic
It's Nylon, this fibre is hygroscopic in nature and has amorphous regions in the polymer that alter in size/length dependent on the moisture content. Nylon is used in paracord because of its high elongation and therefore shock absorption benefits when used as parachute shroud lines. It's really not that good for guy lines, etc. If you've ever tensioned up a tarp with paracord, only to have it go saggy when the temperature drops and dew forms, then you've seen the effect of water on the cord.
Small polyester cords are much better, half the stretch and unaffected by water. For guys I'd suggest arborist throw line (cheap polyester not dyneema/HMPE) as it comes on a convenient minispool, is decent quality cord and is cheaper than yachting stuff. For a ridge line somethnig a little bigger/stronger is probably warranted.
I’m find DD hammocks way too short to get a comfortable lie (I’m 192 cm) but their tarps are great, really good value. I went for a Dutch Hardware hammock, a bit of a wait as they’re only available in the US but great design, and crazy lightweight (I think it’s about 200 grams including the fixings).
Which one did you go for?
I've just been to their website and been mesmerised by all the bits of metal they make to replace knots. It's a fascinating look at another perspective on all this.
And there was me thinking I just needed some 550 paracord for my tarp ridge. How wrong I was.
What would those opposed to paracord use as a ridge line in its place?