Best Camping Hammock Review

If the name doesn’t say it all, we don’t know what does. This camping hammock is a massive 118”x78” swing bed with enough durability to last you quite a few camping trips.

Product Highlights

The hammock has a 660-lb. weight limit. This makes it a great choice for couples or families with one or two small children.

You can secure it with carabiners which are included in the package. The fabric is 210T nylon which gives you plenty of breathability when camping in warm seasons. There’s some good color variety too if you want something specific.

The straps are 6.6 ft. each and they’re really sturdy. The carabiners are made of steel and they’re also rust-resistant. Although the hammock doesn’t feature a rain tarp, you at least know heavy rain won’t damage it.

Whether you get it as a gift or for your own family, this camping hammock delivers. The extra space and weight limit make it useful for a variety of camping scenarios. The fact that it weighs about as much as a can of soup makes it all the more impressive.

Its only drawback is relatable to any double hammock. It has a bit of a learning curve when you’re the first person to lie inside it. It’s a bit more difficult because the sides are taller.

There are so many hammock variations out there that you would think they make them out of just about anything. Truth be told, there are only a few materials used in quality hammocks.

• Cotton
• Polyester
• Duracord
• Nylon
• Dry Core Mesh

So how do you differentiate one model from another? It all has to do with the type of hammocks. For example, you’ll rarely use a rope hammock on a camping trip, especially if you’re expecting bad weather.

Many quality-grade hammocks use cotton and polyester. The same can be said for a South American hammock which is mostly cotton.

If you want the best material combination for camping, most outdoorsmen will recommend a nylon hammock. Here are a few reasons why it’s a preferred material over others.

• The fact that nylon is usually lightweight makes carrying the hammock a breeze. If you’re hiking and camping you want to lessen the load on your back as much as possible, right?
• Nylon hammocks don’t let the air breeze through it like rope hammocks do. So, if a warm day is not in the forecast, you don’t have to worry about carrying extra sheets or covers for your hammock.

A quick-dry hammock might also have some use on a camping trip. Its combination of dry core mesh and water-resistant polyester means that it should dry within minutes after a rain. Some high-end hammocks can even provide adequate cover from rain.

If you really want to go the high-end route, Duracord is probably the best choice in fabrics. It makes the hammock just as soft as a cotton fabric yet it has unparalleled durability. The material is also quick-drying, making it a good choice for all-weather camping.

As an added bonus, Duracord hammocks come with UV inhibitors which keep the colors vibrant for a long time, even with intense usage.

Why does the hammock design matter? For a lot of reasons actually. The design of the hammock helps determine the size, angle of suspension, fabrics used, and appropriate uses for it.

Take a hammock tent design as an example. That’s hardly what you might call appropriate for backyard use. It’s even less appropriate to use one if you’re camping on a beach, right?

Tent hammocks are large, require very good support pillars, and they’re not made to ensure superior ventilation. This design is aimed towards protecting the people inside from cold temperature, wind, and insects. Using one on the beach is akin to entering an oven.

Open Gathered-End Hammock

The gathered-end design is the simplest to set up and usually the cheapest too. This design is well known for providing an ergonomic lay with a low center of gravity. Although it takes a bit to get used too, even first-timers should master it quickly. It might look a bit weird but it doesn’t tip or spin as much as others.

Bat-Style Hammock

While this one doesn’t exactly imply that you’ll be sleeping upside down, it’s clear where the name comes from once you lay eye on it. The bat-style hammock doesn’t have the traditional two-anchor point system. Instead, it makes use of a single anchor point above the hammock.

This can be tricky to install if you’re camping in a forest. It’s also a bit hard to get into it and stretch out your feet to find your comfortable position.

Bridge-Style Hammock

Another popular design, the bridge-style hammock uses two anchor points. It also has spreader bars which ensure a more comfortable fit and more room to breathe on the sides. A minor downside is that it wobbles quite a bit.

Although it’s easy to mistake it for a banana hammock if you’re not familiar with hammocks in general, the bridge-style hammocks look more like a sectioned barrel.

Tent Hammock

Tent hammocks are true hybrid designs. They take a bit from gathered-end hammocks, a bit from tents, and a bit from bridge-style hammocks. The design allows for better stability so that one or two people can stay in it seated with plenty of head room.

They also include a mosquito net and a rain tarp usually. They’re heavy and hard to set up but there’s no denying that for some people they’re the ultimate camping necessity.

Many people like nitpicking on every little detail so naturally color becomes an important feature that can make or break a hammock. Although for the most part the color you choose has little to no impact, here are some scenarios where the color might actually be helpful.

Having a black hammock or at least black on one side might help you draw in more heat; it might come in handy if you got your underquilt wet and you want to dry it faster.

An orange hammock might also have its uses. Say you’re lost or hurt. A bright hammock might make it easier for a search party to spot you. Orange is recommended as it’s been proven effective in hunting parties for decades.

Will the color of your hammock attract wildlife? Highly doubtful. Will the color of your hammock increase or decrease the price? Almost never. Any UV protective coating, on the other hand, will affect the price of the hammock.

A lot of people mistake a hammock’s durability for its weight limit. While too much strain will cause structural damage, that’s not the most important thing to worry about.

To get the most durability out of your camping hammock, you should consider the materials used and how well they fare in the places you want to visit. The materials will also determine how long your hammock will maintain itself when in storage.

Take soft-spun polyester, for instance. It dries quickly and it’s a lot more durable than cotton. It’s also resistant to mold so it should keep just fine in any kind of storage conditions. Is it the best you can get? Not really.

Duracord is a far better option if you can afford it. It has the highest durability rating and it’s designed for intense outdoor use.

What about fabric? – Again, Duracord is the winner here. However, nylon tends to be the more popular choice because it’s cheaper, lighter, and overall very good for camping. Sometimes you may want to sacrifice durability, especially if you just go camping once or twice a year.

The stand is also important. A steel stand is not as pretty as a wooden stand but it’s much more durable. If you want to further analyze the durability of a camping hammock, why stop here? The spreader bars are just as important.

You’ll want a hardwood spreader bar if you’re looking for a long-term investment. Hardwood is treated for water resistance while other varieties like White Oak or Cumaru are not. The latter does come with prettier details, so there’s that.

Whether you should pay more for durability depends on how often you plan on using your camping hammock. If you want to use it every other week then you’ll probably get more out of a premium model with high-end materials that can withstand the weekly abuse.

Almost all hammocks are portable, at least those sold for camping purposes anyway. However, it doesn’t mean that some models aren’t better than others.

We have established that nylon hammocks are the most popular. Because they’re lightweight, you can carry them with your backpack without much trouble. Even some Duracord hammocks are easy enough to bring on hikes.

You’ll start having trouble if you want a double hammock or a hammock tent. Double hammocks are not only heavy but they’re not too compact either when rolled.

All the extra accessories you bring along will also affect how portable your setup is. In comparison, sleeping in a tent doesn’t require you to bring along mosquito nets, rain tarps, and everything else that adds weight.

If you think that a hammock tent is always the go-to choice for camping, think again. Remember how we said they are large? They’re also heavy. A camping hammock shouldn’t always be a burden unless absolutely necessary.

Lightweight hammocks can be a better choice if you’re hiking. Save the tent hammock for when you’re traveling by car to the camping site.

So what do most people use? – Open hammock designs for one or two people. If you want to camp as safely as possible, sleeping in a tent is still your best bet. It’s arguably not as comfortable as sleeping in a hammock but at least you can’t fall off it.

Another thing to consider would be accessories. The two main hammock designs are open and closed. Obviously, in a camping scenario, open hammocks don’t offer much protection as they’re mostly considered a luxury item.

Here is a list of items you might want to take with you if you choose an open hammock design for camping:

• Bug net
• Rain tarp
• Underquilt
• Suspension system(optional)

But are camping hammocks really that versatile? They are in terms of where and when you can use them. They’re a lot more durable than your garden variety soft hammocks so they should withstand constant use.

Can you use them for anything other than taking a nap? – Sure.

A camping hammock can serve as an above-ground storage space. It could also protect you from rain, provided you have a waterproof or water-resistant hammock. It can even be a good place to leave your infant to take a nap. Just make sure there’s some shade above the hammock.

If you have a standard two-point anchoring hammock, these are the steps to follow. First, measure the hammock from ring to ring and add two feet. That should be the optimal distance between posts or trees.

In case you’re not that lucky, make sure you have more rope or chain with you to extend the hammock. Usually, it’s enough to just drill a pilot hole in each tree, insert a bolt, and hook your hammock to it.

If you have a bat-style hammock, try to find a sturdy and straight branch that’s low enough to secure it to.

Setting up a camping hammock starts by finding the right location. Whether it’s finding enough shade, the appropriate distance between two or more trees, this should be the first task to complete.

Once you’ve found your location, choose your trees and drill some holes. Now, it will take a few camping trips until you know exactly how high to drill. First, you have to test out your hammock before you can get it right.

The suspension shouldn’t be much higher than a 30° angle. The hammock should also be around waist high if you want to have an easy time getting in and out. Also, if you do spin and fall, it’s not that big a drop.

If you have a rain tarp or a mosquito net, you should put those on after you’re done with your hammock.

There’s no exact science of getting in a hammock. There is however a trick that makes things easier on most first-timers. Here’s how you should do it.

First, you sit in the center or middle of the hammock. Then, slowly shift your feet towards the end of the hammock. Once your feet are set, turn your upper body the opposite way towards the front edge of the hammock.

Aim to position your body at an angle from the centerline. Anywhere between 10° and 30° will give you better stability when you’re trying to lay flat in a camping hammock.

Breaking down the lying down motion into two parts will eliminate the risk of falling off or getting tangled in the hammock. Of course, to ensure this goes smooth you should first make sure your hammock is set up properly.

Hammock camping is just like camping but without a tent. Instead, you get to truly sleep in the outdoors and embrace nature from well above ground.

If you’re going camping and you bring both a tent and a camping hammock, it’s not really hammock camping anymore unless you don’t use your tent.

The actual position of your body is not something you’ll learn from reading articles online. In camping scenarios, setting up the hammock is not always perfect. Because of this, you might have to adjust your positioning more than once to find the right balance.

What you should do in every instance is bring a pillow and an underquilt. Don’t think you won’t need the underquilt if it’s summer. Non-cotton hammocks are not as comfortable without the underquilt.

You might experience back pain in the morning if you don’t use one. A hard pillow should also keep your neck straight through the night. Last but not least, if you’re sleeping overnight, make sure to put up a mosquito net.

Buying the best camping hammock doesn’t always come to the same conclusion. Where you’re going, how long you’re staying, what weather you’ll have, and how you’re getting there are deciding factors.

Unless you’re a hardcore camper who wants to sleep suspended outside in all weather conditions, the MalloMe Camping Hammock is perhaps your best bet. It’s ultralight and fits two grownups.

It comes in a wide variety of colors and has superior strap strength to most hammocks in and slightly above its price range.