Hammock + Tarp vs Tent?
 

I am preparing for my South American trip later this summer and I have been wondering over the camping setup that I would bring.
I have been camping for quiet a few years, but pretty much only in eastern European temperate climate. We can get up to 42+C/107F in the summer (in contrast to -25C/-13F in the winter :confused1:) and the tents tend to get unbearably hot just in 9AM. There is also the problem of finding level ground, removing branches, rocks, etc. and tents are bulky.
Last summer I went camping in Portugal and friend of mine had a very simple setup of hammock and a tarp, which seemed to work pretty amazing. Way more comfortable than tent on the ground, smaller when packed, lighter, simple setup, there is a slight breeze going under the tarp. Amazing!
So I got a tent and a tarp from DD and went on a hitchhiking trip along the east coast of Australia (hitchhiking is neither dead, nor illegal in Australia, regardles of what you hear, it's amazing and Ivan millat has been in prison for over 15 years), where I used it for about 10 days. It worked out wonderful:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...35754971_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...89385512_n.jpg

The hammock is pretty big, it has a mosquitto net, it's dual layer breathing poliester, not waterproof (dual, so that you can put thermal mat inside to keep your back warm) and worked very well for the conditions I faced there - calm and very hot weather. It keeps you above ground, so it's excellent for te biggest Australian concern - killer fauna (There was a picture floating around of completely white background and the text "This is a picture of all the animal life in Australia, that won't kill you". I know now that this is not true, but it's still funny as hell).
Choosing comfortable ground is no longer a problem, which is especially nice for festival campings, as you often may think you have chosen the best spot, but soon you find there are gazillion new tents all over the place squashing your tidy camp... No longer an issue, hang the thing over the ugliest rocks (and don't fall over them!) and there you have your privacy
Also sleeping in it is millions times better than anything you may sleep on in a tent!

Now I am considering taking it for my trip, where I intend to camp as much as possible, but I am concerned about how it works in the longer term and with variable weather conditions, like tropical storms?
Water soaking it through the lines is not a concern, as I have a webbing that I put around the three and connect it to the hammock lines with carabiners.
Wind may be a problem, for which i consider just putting the hammock and tarp as close to the grounds as possible.

The only downside I can imagine is not having a completely dry and sealed place to put your stuff.

Has anyone tried travelling for longer with tarp & hammock setup? Opinions?

I love hammock camping, and whenever the situation permits I will choose a hammock for my trip every time.

But it just doesn't have the flexibility of a tent. I considered taking it for South America but thankfully did not. In the lowland regions it could be done very easily most places. Once you're in the Andes and you've been above the tree-line for two weeks, or you're in the Atacama desert and there hasn't been any vegetation for 500 miles, you'll be glad you went with the tent. In my experience, the places where you will have the ability to camp the most (desolate regions in South America) are also the places where tree growth is most sparse.

There is nothing I like more than hammock camping and I've spent many nights in one. But for RTW travel it just isn't practical. There are too many places where there is nowhere to hang a hammock. I used a Hennesy hammock for years in the Colorado mountains and it can be setup on the ground with the bike on one side and a pole or luggage or something on the other side but it really isn't comfortable and is horrible in the rain or wind. A tent is heavier and bulkier and less comfortable but so much more flexible I wouldn't consider using anything else.

Hennessy Hammock
 

There have been a few discussions about the options you have in mind - you can find the earlier discussions via the search box at the top of the page; just put in "hammock" for instance.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/search

Anyway, these are quite an interesting type of hammock (which have also been discussed in the HUBB, apart from this thread of nearly 10 years ago):-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-hammock-10683

I agree with the above comments. Hammocks are great but have their limits. You're exposed to all kinds of threats, environmental and cultural. I say take both tent and hammock setups and use each one when appropriate and safe. :Beach: If you can't take both for space/weight limits, take the one which gives the most flexibility in its use..:rain:..the tent. Leave the hammock for picnics and benign conditions. Just my humble opinion.

tent or hammock
 

Second that. Having travelled extensively in SA, the best places are mostly void of trees, and don't forget that much of best of SA is Alti Plano (3500m+) Scorching hot during the day and freezing cold in the night. You need protection against the cold winds! Take both if you can but if you have to choose, i'd go for a tent.

Good luck,
Noel