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Best tent option for the Rubicon trail?

LJTim

LJTim

Active Member
Location
Herriman, UT
We are going in July. I was thinking we'd take hammocks and a tent just in case. My worry about hammocks is bears. Granted, my tent isn't going to keep a bear back, but there's just something sketchy about sleeping in the open with the bears. Any thoughts? I'm a first-timer on the con.
 
pkrfctr

pkrfctr

Registered User
Location
Spanish Fork, UT
DAA said:
TJ Rubicons have 4.10 factory gears.

A lot of people are happy with the 4.10s with 35's. I regeared my LJ on 35's to 4.88's and have never regretted it. I believe your '04 has the 3550 5 speed. My '06 has the 6 speed, which has both a lower 1st gear and a lower OD. So, mine is geared even lower than yours would be with 4.88's. FWIW.

- DAA
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LJTim said:
We are going in July. I was thinking we'd take hammocks and a tent just in case. My worry about hammocks is bears. Granted, my tent isn't going to keep a bear back, but there's just something sketchy about sleeping in the open with the bears. Any thoughts? I'm a first-timer on the con.
Click to expand...
Bears need to eat too......;) dont really see any difference between a hammock vs tent as far as bears are concerned, now mesquitoes.....
 
mesha

mesha

By endurance we conquer
Location
A.F.
The hammock guys are on the right track, but I would strongly recommend you sleep in a hammock at home BEFORE you plan on it to sleep in for several days on a trip. I would STRONGLY recommend you have your wife and all your kids sleep in a hammock BEFORE you trip. Many people have beautiful nights sleep in a Hammock. Many people don't. When I worked at recreation outlet we sold a bunch of hammocks to people that liked the idea of a hammock. A large percentage of them would come back angry because they took it on their week long scout trip to the Uintahs and they couldn't sleep the whole time. The are things you can do to make hammock sleeping more comfortable, but it just doesn't work for some people. I LOVE hanging out in hammocks and dozing off for a 15 minute nap. I cannot sleep in a hammock.

Try one out at home. If it works then awesome if not it is better to know when you can get a decent nights sleep in your own bed the next night. ;-) Or take a hammock on a trip where you have a tent pitched and try the hammock out. Then you can bail in the middle of the night if needed and get some sleep in the tent. Or you might have the best camping sleep of your life in the hammock and never want to use a tent again.

Also, I am not sure how a hammock set up will work for your entire family. You have lots of young kids and having that work for you seems like a tough ask.
 
moab_cj5

moab_cj5

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Location
The Village of Kay
I echo @mesha 's comment about trying a hammock at home. I love sleeping in my hammock, but I use a Klymit Hammock air pad in mine. It keeps it warm on cool nights, and provides more comfort for me. I also have a bug net and tarp for my hammock so I don't get eaten alive, and I don't get soaked. My setup takes longer to put up and take down than a tent, but I can't sleep on the ground, I have to have a cot if I am tent camping.

When we hiked King's Peak last year, my son and I did hammocks and loved it, but it certainly isn't for everyone.
 
Corban_White

Corban_White

Well-Known Member
Location
Payson, AZ
Totally agree with @mesha. I have experimented quite a bit with hammocks to find the system that works well for me. I use this hammock when there might be bugs:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WP5F9PM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03__o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And this one when I don't expect bugs (the big one for me, the small one for the kids):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LTEQ4B4/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These straps (the one hammock came with some like these but the one with the bug net did not):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KUIMH2A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This tarp if it looks like rain (most of the time-if not in the Uintas-I just chance it and sleep under the stars):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GQFW5RS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And these to tension the tarp:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071NHRDPF/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
If I'm backpacking with cool nights I use a Klymit V underneath for insulation, if it's warm at night I don't use it. If I'm not backpacking I prefer a small moving blanket under my sleeping bag for insulation and padding.

I have a 7 year old daughter and a 9 year old son. My son has been sleeping in a hammock on overnighters when we don't take the trailer since he was 7 and my daughter just started this year. They both love it and sleep extremely well. We have even set them up bunk style on the same 2 trees. I love the daisy chain type straps because it is so quick and easy to try out different lay angles. It isn't uncommon that I wake up to pee and raise my feet one loop at the secont time (more so early on, i'm finally starting to figure out where I like it. Lots of people like to sleep diagonally to get a flat lay but I prefer to lay straight with a slight bow. It's all about personal preference. Some of my friends have tried it for 10 min and couldn't handle the motion, I personally love it. See http://theultimatehang.com/ for additional opinions.
 
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