I am not so sure I agree with the conventional wisdom that a hammock has a steep learning curve. I was a backpacker and canoeist for many years and used a tent exclusively. When i first tried a hammock, I tossed it up, used my tent rainfly above it and my sleeping pad and bag inside and I was fine. Of course this was the summer. As i moved into the colder months with my hammock setup, I tested it just as i would have with any other gear, like a new tent or sleeping bag. I did not find that going from summer to winter in a hammock was anything magical or spectacular. I did the same thing as i did while being in a tent. I increased the temp rating of my bag and carried additional sleeping pads for underneath me. The same season I started using a hammock I became friends with another guy who was new to backpacking. The amount of time and effort (and mistakes) he made while learning how to find a tent site, proper alignment, avoidance of runoff, prevailing wind, widow-makers etc... was much steeper. I guess my point is that depending on ones experience and the types of conditions the "steep learning curve" can vary. Once people change gear or move to more extreme conditions whether it is the environment or the weather, there will be a learning curve for the individual regardless of what gear one uses. Thus I am not convinced that the hammock has any steeper of a learning curve than say a tent user. I would say it has less of a learning curve than a minimalst tarp user whose margin for error is much smaller.