Best Travel Hammocks
The Rocking J's reference is the right way in: a few nights in a hammock in the tropics converts people, and a packable hammock is one of the better small luxuries in a bag.
Sort out which of two things you want, because they are different purchases:
- A lounging hammock. A light nylon parachute-fabric hammock, 300 to 600g, packs to the size of a grapefruit, for afternoons and beaches. Cheap and worth carrying.
- A sleeping hammock. Longer and wider, with integrated bug netting, plus a tarp and insulation. A genuine shelter system that replaces a tent, and a much bigger commitment.
The two mistakes everyone makes once, if they try to sleep in one:
- Cold from underneath. A hammock compresses your sleeping bag exactly where you need loft, so below about 20C you need an underquilt or a pad inside.
- No tarp. Netting stops insects and nothing stops rain.
Hang it right: wide tree-friendly webbing straps rather than rope or cord, about 30 degrees from horizontal rather than pulled tight, and lie diagonally, which is the trick that makes it flat rather than banana-shaped.
The change in practice since this was written: straps are now expected rather than optional. Thin cord cuts bark, and many parks require wide webbing or ban hammocks entirely. Check the rules where you are going, and always know where you would sleep if the answer is no.
Part of the guide to tents and shelter.