[quote=j
I know that different trips call for different gear, but it seems that hammock lovers stick with their systems all the time. Is the sleep so much better that the increase in weight is a non-issue? That seems to be my main question.
Please give me any other perspectives that I may be missing. [/quote]

You are obviously not old enough to have to take 6 Advils (and some Jack Daniels) after a 15 miler in order to sleep well at night!
Hammocks are infinitely more comfortable if hung and insulated properly. No worries about site selection or flat sleeping pads. They allow you to camp in areas you could normally not (sloping hills, over streams, A.T. shelter beams, in your garage, hell...i've even set mine up to a tree and a cliff face using a carabiner With a hammock, you could "stealth camp" in your local park and chances are you will not even be seen if done right. A good hammock will provide you with a comfortable, dry, warm and bug-free sleeping area. During the day, hammocks double as a chair for comfortable reclining while you read or cook. Hammock (good ones like a Warbonnet Blackbird and Super Fly tarp) are not anymore expensive than a tent. You can even get a TWO person hammock from Clark Jungle Hammocks this year, called the Vertex. If you use Snake Skins or a Black Bishop bag, they are crazy simple to put up and take down. And the main reason hammocks are so cool? They are just plain FUN !!

All that said, there is a learning curve to be had there. Hammocks are slightly heavier, sometimes fussier (more lines, tree-huggers, guy lines, etc.), cold if not insulated properly, need two supports and a big leap of faith the first time you get in one(did i tie the knot right???). You WILL fall...everyone does. Don't worry, i builds character and is a great way to learn There are times when a tent or tarp is more desirable. Above tree line, in a desert (although you can set up an enclosed hammock with trekking poles on the ground like a one person tent), etc. Some people say that hammockers' are stuck up, we're not...we're just above it all

In the end, it's really a personal choice you need to make. You need to camp how you feel appropriate. Do not listen to anyone else and make up your own mind on what's best for you. As you get older you will start thinking about how to be comfortable and make sacrifices to make it happen. With hammocks, you ditch some things (sleeping pads), but have to carry other, new things (under-quilt insulation). It ends up being a wash in the end.

Check out the Warbonnet Blackbird (the BEST hammock, EVER!), here:
http://www.warbonnetoutdoors.net/blackbird_h.htm


Now you're on your way and "it's the start of something" :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pFbioyUsOs

Good luck!

BF