Hammock Camping 101 | 5 Tips for a better night sleep in a hammock

Hammock camping is awesome and I love it. But there is a bit of a learning curve in order to have a good experience with hammock camping. It also takes a bit more work at camp to get your shelter setup than a tent. However, I feel like the sleep I get out of a hammock is worth the extra time I spend on setting up my hammock. Plus, I'm one of those guys who likes to fiddle around with my hammock once I'm at camp. I'm always looking for ways to improve my camping experience. If this sounds like you then hammock camping may be right for you.

This video describes five tips that I use to achieve a better night sleep in my hammock. I have the hanging a hammock is part science and part art. And finding the balance in between those two is where you will find that sweet spot for your hammock experience. I don't always get a great night sleep in a hammock but these are five things that help me sleep better in my hammock...

1. Elevate your feet: this helps minimize the swelling in your feet and relieves some of the pressure that has built up in your feet from hiking all day.

2. Hang a drip line: The drip line prevents water from dripping into your hammock and down your back during a heavy rainstorm. This has never happened to me but I have seen Youtube videos where this has occurred. I will admit I think it takes a heavy long down pour of rain for this to occur but the weight you are adding is negligible and I think it's just good practice.

3. Go to bed fresh and clean: I achieve this by bringing camp clothes for sleeping. I love getting into a fresh set of clothes before I go to bed. But before I do that I use large wet wipes to knock all the dirt off my skin. This puts me in a mind set of feeling refreshed and helps me sleep better.

4. I bring support for my legs (i.e. under my knees): I use my clothes bag stuffed with my hiking clothes from that day into a clothes bag which I then put under my knees when I sleep to give me a little bit more support and relieves some of the pressure on my legs.

5. Don't go to be cold: If you go to bed cold then it is harder to warm up during the night. And you might at first as you are warming up in your hammock but once you lie still and start sleeping, I tend to find I get colder through out the night. So I do my best to not go to bed cold as well as keep extra layers of clothing at hand if I do get cold during the night.

I hope you find this video helpful. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Thanks for watching!

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