I haven't seen any discussion about this before, but if it is I apologize for repetition. My dad has really gotten into hammocks lately. He preaches the wonders of sleeping suspended. Some of the points are good. Not sleeping on the cold ground. They reduce the animal threat. And some of them are really fancy and rated to really cold temps. They are lighter and can be put up faster. But, after being in the Army and camping in Colemans, it is kinda hard to get away from the tent mentality.
I prefer the tent, it feels more secure than anything. Not to mention being in a tent in a rainstorm beats not being in one. I have even used portable hunting blinds as protection from a big storm. I would not mind having a hammock with a tent around it, best of both worlds.
My back won't take a hammock under the best of circumstances. That said, they can be had with canopies and mosquito screens, probably with rain flys, too.
This topic has been discussed previously, but not in direct fashion with its own thread. I find it very important, and I have had a few suggestions over the years... Hennesey Hammocks: http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5201&highlight=hammock Tips and tricks: http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5747&highlight=hammock Backpack Survival: http://www.survivalmonkey.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2750&highlight=hammock I love sleeping off the ground. In severe weather, such as snow and extreme cold, I would build a more permanent shelter and long fire, and utilize my reflective tarp as a back drop to maximize heat within the immediate area. To me, tents are a waste of weight and do not offer anything I cannot make in the outdoors. Of course, I am also not in the desert or arctic, which are two areas a tent would in fact come in very handy.
I slept in a hammock in the Maldives once (ship put in there for a shore visit). Nice thing is, it kept me off the ground, where the land crabs roam. These days, my back would not like it. I'd need one rated for 'two men and a boy' weight-wise.
I can only imagine that the crabs would irk a person to no end, lol. It reminds me of an episode of Survivorman, where Les was simulating being stranded on a beach (I think in S America) and had to deal with the enormous crab population at night. I hate to say it, but it is comical to watch him suffer a little.
I use a spear type hammock and I love it. I have a bad back and when you lay on the diagonal you sleep almost flat. Check out this site for eveything ya need to know on hanging. I'm HangingDawg on the site. http://www.hammockforums.net/
I think the way we automatically hop into a hammock is Gilligan and Skipper style and that kills your back and neck. If you lay diagonal from left 'head' to right 'foot', your body and back has a flat groove to lay in. Try it out. I think they call that Brazil style or something but it is the way people that used to actually sleep in hammocks used them.
Having used both.... I do not like tents. Like Broker said..... for the weight, the tent doesn't provide you anything that you can't make. As for hammocks.... great for summer. Not for winter in the majority of places I have lived- NW, SW, SE, and MW. While the ground does suck heat from you, a 20 degree wind underneath me seems to be worse. I recommend a USGI poncho, good lightweight sleeping bag, and ingenuity. You can use debris/ boughs to get yourself insulated from the ground. The poncho will surefire waterproof your shelter or make a lightweight quick shelter. Can't emphasis the long fire and reflectors for winter.