**Ask a monkey a physics question thread**

[OngBonga]

On what?

Local conditions, I would have thought. Like, season, weather, ground type, indoors or outdoors.

That hammock looks cool. I want one.

I reckon it will be warmer than a tent in wet conditions. Not much, but a little. It's not that the air is warmer than the ground (though it might be), it more that gas is much less dense than solid. Water at 5 degrees feels much colder than air at 5 degrees, that's because you're losing more heat thanks to your skin being in contact with a much higher concentration of colder matter. It'll be the same logic behind air and ground. The more air you're surrounded by, the less heat loss there will be.

Also, the fact water can drain off quickly, rather than collecting in pools, will help matters.

[MadMojoMonkey]

I reckon it will be warmer than a tent in wet conditions.

This shouldn't be an issue. If you have water touching your tent, you're probably doing it wrong.
Note: the tent has a rain fly, which is a fly, not the tent. The fly should cover the top and sides of the tent, with perhaps some exposed doorway bit.

Before you pitch the tent, picking the location is important.
You want a subtle / gentle slope, not underneath any trees which may attract lightning or shed limbs in windy conditions.

First, clear the tent area of any pebbles sticks, etc.
Next, you want to lay down a waterproof tarp. Fold any overlapping bits of tarp, which are wider than the tent base, to fit. You don't want the tarp outside the tent base, but as close to the edge as is reasonable.
Lay the unrolled tent on the tarp, with the door on the downhill edge. Fix / refold tarp if necessary, and stake the tent.
Next, you want to take a stick or the claw end of a hammer, etc. and dig a 1/4" to 1/2" deep channel in the dirt around the back and down the sides of your tarp. It doesn't need to be wide, just a line in the dirt that will redirect any rivulets around your tent. It's primarily meant to redirect rivulets which fall off the tent's fly, so it needs to be beneath that overhang. This is not a time consuming project, just drag the tool around and visually verify that your channel isn't bad. Quick and easy. Don't over-think it. You should be able to shuffle your feet over the channel to quickly remove it when you break camp. (LEAVE NO EVIDENCE!!!)

Finish pitching the tent.

[MadMojoMonkey]

That hammock looks cool.

I was expecting one of these (or something similar).

I want one.

Single-person hammock tent is equivalent in price range to single-person tent.

[BananaStand]

I was expecting one of these (or something similar).

Those things are crazy expensive, and I'm not really seeing the benefits.

Compared tents or hammocks, those suspended tents seem like they're the worst of both worlds

[MadMojoMonkey]

Those things are crazy expensive, and I'm not really seeing the benefits.

Compared tents or hammocks, those suspended tents seem like they're the worst of both worlds

I've never used one. I think they look pretty fun... but I say the same about regular hammocks, so...

[BananaStand]

I'm not gonna pretend like I'm some kind of super educated or experienced backpacker. But I know a thing or two about a thing or two.

So let me tell you a thing or two about these things.

Dude.

Dude. I'm not exaggerating. They would straight up murder your ass. The LNT people are pretty obsessive. They even try to tell people what colors are ok to wear and what aren't. Cliff Notes: They're not thrilled about orange. On the other hand, for us sensible people, orange is a great color to wear if one of your goals is to not get accidentally shot. Tradeoff: It's a terrible color to wear if someone is trying to shoot you on purpose.

Anyway, my point is, you don't want to be killed by the organization that specializes in covering tracks. Your body will never be found.

I only suggested a claw hammer, because the prior instruction was to drive tent stakes, and a claw hammer is a common tool for that task.

False. If you're backcountry camping, it's highly unlikely you would carry a hammer. The weight-to-utility ratio is extra fucking bad. If you're frontcountry camping, then you're almost always at an established campsite. And if you're in an established campsite where you're legitimately concerned about water running into your tent, you should go to the manager and ask for your money back.

Whatever the implement, it's a thin, shallow trench. If you're hacking away with the hammer, you're doing it wrong.
Just quickly drag the corner of the claw end along the dirt.

I'm not sure what you learned in boyscouts, but this definitely definitely definitely is a kick in the nuts to the principles of "leave no trace". The LNT organization would tell you that good campsites are found, not made.

On the other hand, I think the LNT organization is fucking psycho, and have flouted many of their rules in the past myself. Who the fuck wastes time digging a hole before taking a dump in a forest?

I've never used one. I think they look pretty fun... but I say the same about regular hammocks, so...

I've never used one either, but just from what I know about tents and hammocks, I see no upside other than, they look pretty fun.

They have advantages over regular tents in terms of your ability to find a campsite. You don't have to worry about level ground and all that. But that seems to be it as far as advantages go. Disadvantages I think are many. 1) I doubt those straps are very light 2) If you're sharing the tent with someone, there's really no way to get up to pee without disturbing the other person. 3) They're probably difficult places to change your clothes. 4) Sitting up seems iffy. 5) expensive