There's a rite of passage with hammock camping, and almost everyone goes through it once. You hang the hammock, climb in, drift off feeling cosy in your sleeping bag — and wake up a few hours later with a freezing cold backside, wondering what went wrong. Welcome to cold butt syndrome (yes, that's the actual name campers use, sometimes shortened to CBS). The good news: it's completely avoidable. Once you understand why a hammock gets cold underneath you, staying warm is straightforward and cheap. Here's how to do it. Why you get cold underneath in a hammock In a tent, you've got a sleeping mat between you and the ground, and the ground itself holds some heat. In a hammock,...

It's the first question almost everyone asks before they try it: is sleeping in a hammock actually comfortable, or is it a novelty you regret at 2am? Fair question. A hammock looks like it should fold you in half like a banana, so the worry about your back is completely understandable. Here's the honest answer: a hammock can be more comfortable than a tent on the ground — but only if you set it up and lie in it the right way. Most people who say "hammocks killed my back" were lying in one the wrong way, or strung it up like a tightrope. Get the basics right and a lot of campers never go back to a sleeping mat...

It's one of the oldest debates in camping: hammock or tent? Both will get you a night under the stars, but they camp very differently — and the right pick depends on where you go, what you carry and how you like to sleep. This is an honest run-through of the trade-offs, with Australian conditions in mind, so you can choose with your eyes open. No winner is being declared here — a hammock is brilliant for some trips and the wrong call for others. Here's how they stack up. The quick verdict Choose a hammock if you camp in forest or bush with trees around, want to travel light, and value an easy, off-the-ground sleep. Choose a tent if...

A hammock camp is one of the comfiest, lightest ways to spend a night outdoors — no rocky ground, no lumpy tent floor, just a flat, cradle-like lie strung between two trees. A full overnight setup really only has three parts: the hammock, a bug net to keep the mozzies out, and a rain tarp over the top for weather. This guide walks you through the build in order. Once you've done it once, it takes only a few minutes. If you'd rather grab everything in one go, the Ultimate Hammock Bundle pairs the Hammock, Hammock Bug Net and Camping Hammock Rain Fly — $200 (was $250). Before you start: pick a good site Your site does half the work....