Hey guys, is it comfortable for a side sleeper to camp in a hammock? I just cannot fall asleep while I’m on my back. Should I stick to my tent?
Whenever I’m just chilling in a hammock I felt that lying on my side took a lot of work and wasn’t very comfortable, but I’m guessing it depends on the hammock.
Surprised no one mentioned the Amok hammocks (https://amok-equipment.com/).
I'm a side sleeper and I find them great. Used them in winter camping as well. If you get the winterlite pad, it really does work without an underquilt.
If you don't want to shell out for an Amok. Hammock camping for side sleeping does work. You just don't sleep aligned in the hammock like the guideline, but rather skewed on a slight angle to create a more flat sleeping position. It takes some practice but is can work for side sleeping or even chest sleeping. You just need to find the right angle so you aren't bent.
Edit: Proofreading is not my strong suit.
I slept in my Hammock Gear Circadian Pro for the first time this past week. I'm a side sleeper as well, and I was very pleased to find that I could sleep comfortably on my side in this one. Before this I'd camped in a shorter, cheap/casual hammock from Bear Butt. The Circadian was a big upgrade.
Pics from a dry run last October when I practiced setting everything up: https://imgur.com/a/vvIdQZg
Pretty comfy! I just upgraded it with a "loft" (https://hammockgear.com/mesh-ridgeline-loft/) and organizer (https://hammockgear.com/ridgeline-organizer/) to hang on the ridgeline.
Before this I was using prusik knots, carabiners, and stuff sacks to hang stuff inside the hammock (e.g. phone, head lamp, knife, water, etc). These should simplify things a bit.
Haven't tested yet, but they don't seem to hang down very low into the hammock. Both can easily be slid along the ridgeline to whatever position you'd like. On my last couple trips, it was kind of annoying to try to find something in my stuff sack without removing it from the ridgeline. The "organizer" should alleviate this, as it's a mesh material. I can turn on my headlamp and immediately see what I'm looking for.
I might do a test hang in the yard this weekend to find the best positions for them. If I do, I'd be happy to reply back with photos and any thoughts I might have.
If you're a fully committed side sleeper, a tent with a nice sleeping pad is probably your best bet for a reliably comfortable night.
But, if you want to give hammocks a try, I agree with what others have said about laying diagonally. I definitely prefer sleeping on my side and the Blackbird Warbonnet hammock has become my go-to for overnights because it's designed for a diagonal/asymmetric hang and keeps you relatively flat when you get the hang right.
I will say, it took me a few tries to understand how to get the hang right on my Blackbird XLC, since you need the foot end to be like 16-18 inches higher than the head end, which was strange for me since I primarily used more basic gathered end hammocks before. But once you commit to that setup, I've found it to be really comfortable.
Other companies also make similar asymmetric hammocks, like Hennesy, but I don't have any experience with theirs yet (though they look really nice and get good reviews from what i remember).
Same deal for me but I can fall asleep in a hammock - it's more like a recliner than a bed. Could you sleep in a recliner?
As a hammock camper, I'm curious: what sort of areas would a hammock open to you where you couldn't use a tent?
I have the opposite problem. I'm considering buying a tent so that I could camp in a spot without trees. I prefer a hammock, because they're comfy, but in some areas it just isn't feasible (on a bald, for example).
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A place to discuss all things hammocks, including questions, gear, trips, reviews, and why sleeping in the sky is better than sleeping on the ground.
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it's viable, with most hammocks. an important detail is to leave enough slack in the hammock that your body rests horizontally, diagonally within the hammock.
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