To Tent or not To Tent

While the traditional tent offers a good deal of benefits it can sometimes be a burden as well. Another option I have tried more recently is a hammock with a bug netting attached. The whole rig is pretty durable as it is made of the same stuff people jump out of airplanes with. I have only really slept in it a few times but it seems much cooler than the old tent, and I heard what I believe to be a raccoon pass under me in the middle of the night. Now you may think this a drawback but I have had the experience of some other warm fuzzy critters trying to get through my tent floor in the middle of the night which I believe were moles or some other burrowing creature, needless to say it made for a sleepless period of beating on the tent floor to keep them at bay. I figured whatever they were, if they could dig through hard ground and eat roots and such they could make short work of my nylon. So in contrast it was kind of nice to have a clear through-way for animals to pass instead of come on through the space I was currently occupying. I also kind of like the idea of being up off the ground for the sake of all the living things that seek warm and inviting places to sleep themselves, snakes, bugs, and whatever else. A hammock also has a smaller or no "footprint" as long as you pay attention to how you tie it to the tree or pad the rope.
The tent was well suited to my outdoor sessions in the P.N.W. but I have recently relocated to Florida and it is a bit warmer here at times making the coolness of the hammock much more desirable, and on occasion its hard to find a dry or clear spot to put a tent. There are drawbacks to the hammock as well though.

First thing I noticed was the lack of a place to keep my pack, I had a rain fly for it so keeping it dry wasn't a big deal but I felt a little insecure leaving it outside of my nylon quarters.

Second was the weird feeling of being suspended in mid air. I had bounced around in it to test it out a little so I was fairly confident it would hold, but that was little comfort when it came to trying to "relax" in it.

Third if you have ever spent any time in a hammock then you have noticed the tendency to slide to the lowest point, now this can be a constant struggle till you figure out that you have to lay on the diagonal to have anything resembling a flattish surface.

I still think that a hammock has a place in the camping supply list, even if it takes a little getting used to.