-- Last Updated: Nov-08-12 7:50 AM EST --
Remove from your mind the image of a sagging U-shaped backyard hammock that has the only option of laying on your back in a curve.
In a modern camping style hammock, due to the design and the way it is shaped, your back is not curved. You don't even have to lay on your back. Properly hung, you lay nearly flat on a diagonal to the hang, and every part of your body is gently supported with equal pressure. You don't get that on the ground. You will hear over and over again that the best outdoor sleep folks have ever had is in a hammock. Most become converts and do not return to tents and uncomfortable ground sleeping. You don't have to sleep on your back at all, side sleepers like me would much rather be in a hammock than on the ground.