What is the Best Camping Hammock Tent for Hiking and Backpacking?

Although hammocks have been around forever, sleeping hammocks are a relatively new thing in the hiking world.

The advent of new technology and materials now means that these are very keenly priced, light and you do not need to find a nice even piece of ground, unlike tents.

So here are our picks in the various categories, the full reviews are below, along with some hints and tips.

Best Camping Hammock

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  Easthills Outdoors Jungle Explorer Hammock

  Everything you need - a good quality hammock, mosquito net, flysheet, and straps, all for a very good price makes this our Overall Winner

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• 

  Hennessy Deep Jungle Series Double Bottom XL Hammock

  Absolutely everything you need in a remarkably light package makes this our Best money no object pick

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• 

  Wise Owl Outfitters Single Hammock

  This good quality hammock, straps and carabiners package in countless color combos gets our Best value pick

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• Hummingbird Hammocks Ultralight Single Hammock

  A seemingly impossibly small and light, yet still very strong hammock. Our Best lightweight choice

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  Eagles Nest Outfitters ENO SkyLite Hammock

  If you are a side of front sleepr, then this is our Best lie-flat choice

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• Tentsile Una Tree Tent

  If you like the ability to hang, but also the convenience of a tent, this is our Best Camping Hammock Tent choice

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Should You Use a Camping Hammock?

While sleeping in a hammock looks and sounds cool, there are some things to consider.

Firstly, can you get comfortable enough to get a good night's sleep? Some people really struggle and it can give you a bad back, especially if you have been on the trail all day.

Secondly, where are you hiking - will there be any suitable places to hang your hammock? If you are going to be heading above the tree line or into desert, the answer is probably no...

What Should You Look For in a Camping Hammock?

A day hammock that you lounge in while watching the world go by can be pretty basic, but if you are going to be sleeping in it, then there are some things you are going to need.

Protection

The first thing is that if you are going to use your hammock as a shelter it must protect against rain, wind, cold, as well as bugs.

A camping hammock that cannot protect against the elements is down-right dangerous.

This leads us onto our second point...

Good Insulation

If you are going to spend the night in your hammock, insulation is critical.

Hammock sleeping can get cold very quickly, even on summer trips at altitude. Plus, good insulation will keep you cooler in hot climates.

There are many options for adding insulation to a backpacking hammock. The three most common methods are:

1. Sleep on top of your usual camping pad. This is a good option initially for anyone that already owns pads. The downside of this is that tent sleeping pads are usually the wrong shape for hammocks and you may find them moving out of position in the night. Using a mummy-shaped pad will help reduce pad sliding.
2. Use a double layer hammock. These have a separate compartment for your sleeping pad to hold them in place so you won't find yourself sleeping beside it, rather than on it! This is a solid option for pad users but will add weight.
3. Finally, use an under-quilt. These hang under your hammock and insulate your body from the cold air outside. These can be more costly but, for experienced hammock backpackers, this is the way to go.

Design

Sleeping in the traditional U shaped hammock is hell for your back and getting a good night's sleep. So for any hammock, you intend to overnight in, look for a "flat lay" design.

Many camping hammocks use an asymmetric design to allow you to sleep diagonally allowing you to sleep much flatter than you could in a traditional hammock. Most people find these asymmetric designs to be more comfortable than traditional hammocks for sleeping.

However, the best for laying flat are the box-shaped "flat-based" hammocks. These designs allow for the curve of the straps with the top of the box so the bottom, where you sleep, is flatter.

These can weigh a little more, but the extra half-a-pound or can definitely be made up for with some better sleep!

Hammock Straps

Many hammocks do not come with straps included. So, unless you already have a set of straps or know how to hang a hammock with rope - which is not the easiest task - you will need to get yourself something to hang it with.

If you want to know how to hang a hammock using just rope, I have included a video below. However, we'd recommend you go with hammock straps because they're faster, easier, and far less likely to collapse in the middle of the night!

Slings and Whoopie Straps - Which to Choose?

There are a couple of choices when it comes to suspending your hammock. We have already mentioned good 'ole rope, but the others are straps and whoopie slings.

Hammock Straps

Hammock straps consist of two strong straps with several small loops. Simply wrap each strap around a tree and clip your hammock into one of the loops on each side.

Straps are not as light or adjustable as whoopie slings, but they are about as simple as hammock hanging gets and easily the quickest to set up.

We like these Foxelli straps as they will take up to 2000lbs, are as long as you will really ever need and great value for money.

Whoopie Slings

There are several designs, but in general whoopie slings use a simple loop and knot system to hold tension once it has weight on it, but it is easy to adjust when there is no load.

This makes them an adjustable, lightweight way to hang a hammock.

We like these ENO ones as they are only about 4 ounces, support 400lbs, work well, high quality and will not break the bank.

Camping Hammock Reviews

Below we go into a bit more detail on the hammocks we recommend.

Please note that if you click one of our links and buy something we may receive a small commission. This does not affect the products we recommend as we would get the same commission whichever products we recommended and it helps to keep this site running.

Easthills Outdoors Jungle Explorer - Our Top Pick

You get an awful lot for your money with this hammock.

The hammock itself is 118" x 79" (3m by 2m) and is large enough to sleep two at a push, although I prefer the extra size as it is much more comfortable for little additional weight.

If you are worried about weight, I am 6'2 so if you are shorter you could go for the smaller, single version and be perfectly comfortable and save a few Ozs in the process.

It is made from breathable 210T Taffeta parachute with triple-stitched edge seams, which means it can support up to 700 lb. Some hammocks are a bit awkward to get in and out of, but this has full-length double side zippers which makes this a breeze.

Internally you will find 4 hanging loops and 2 gear pockets so you do not lose your valuables and you have somewhere to hang lights etc too.

Bug Net

To keep the bugs our it comes with a No-See-Um bug mesh that contains 2500 holes per square inch. Even the smallest of bugs will not get through that. As well as insect protection the mesh provides great ventilation but, unlike many others, can be zipped off if you want to be open to the stars.

Rainfly

On the occasions when the weather is less good, it also comes with a waterproof rainfly, 4 guylines and aluminum stakes (if you choose the rainfly version as shown here!)

Tree Straps

Finally, you get a good set of wide straps (wide enough that they will not cut into any trees, which is good!) These are so easy to use, you just wrap the strap around the tree and clip the carabineers on the hammock into a suitable loop. You can get the basic hammock up in a few minutes with some practice.

The 2 tree straps are 10' long (which is enough but could do with being slightly longer for more flexibility in where to hang it) and each has 16 loops, so you should not have any problem finding one to attach the carabiner to. Each strap is rated to hold 750 lb. so you will not have any problem there either.

Size and Weight

The whole thing fits into a small bag and weighs under 40Oz, which is pretty darn good.

Summary

You can find lighter and smaller or with more features, but if you are looking to get into hammock camping, this has everything you need.

An excellent buy, especially when you consider the price.

Hennessy Deep Jungle Series Double Bottom XL Hammock - Our Money No Object Choice

If you are really serious about your outdoor activities, this has pretty much everything covered.

The hammock was really comfortable for me. There are a few asymmetric designs, but not all of them make much difference. However, I found Hennessey's (apparently patented) design really easy to get comfortable in.

I went with the XL as I am a little taller than average at 6'2 and there was plenty of space in the XL, but if you are shorter, the standard will do the trick nicely.

Hennessey has also really gone to town on the materials - 2 layers of 30d spectra reinforced ripstop bottom fabric. This means it is capable of holding up to 300lbs (136Kg) which should be enough. It also means it is lighter than lesser fabrics and more rip resistant...essentially, everything you want for a shelter you are going to carry with you over all sorts of terrain.

The Deep Jungle Series also uses a structural ridgeline, which does a great job of holding the hammock's shape. It also allows you to hang the included "gear loft" to put your valuables inside.

As a really nice touch, there is a spot to attach a carabiner to hang your day pack and other kit that is too weighty for the ridgeline.

You can get this hammock with either the "classic" or "zipper" entry.

The classic is a bottom entry system that is very clever, but sometimes it did not fasten properly as I kept getting bedding stuff in it. It must be said I only tried this one in the shop a couple of times before coming out with the zippered version, so with practice this will probably not be an issue.

In fact, you may well prefer the classic to the fiddliness of the zips, especially when it is colder as cold hands and/or gloves do not make zips easy to deal with!

The double skin of this hammock is designed so you can slot an insulation layer in. Between the 2 layers are "o" rings that you can attach the insulating pad to so that it stays in the right position. Of course, you can just put your insulation layer in the bottom of a normal hammock, but it is very easy for it to become dislodged, which means you get a cold butt!

Bug Net

This incredibly tightly woven ripstop material is also much harder for mosquitoes and other pests to get through. Allied to this is a no-see-um mesh across the top to keep any unwelcome guests out.

One of the few drawbacks of this hammock is that you cannot zip the mesh out, but it can be pegged back very easily if you do not need it.

Rainfly

The rainfly included with this is a really good size and shaped to complement the asymmetric design of the hammock. It is almost 13ft (2m) and secured with some ludicrously overrated ropes, so it is not going anywhere and shelters everything really well.

Tree Straps

Finally, you get a good set of wide straps (wide enough that they will not cut into any trees, which is good!) These are so easy to use, long enough and way stronger than they need to be and light and compact.

Size and Weight

The whole system weighs in at 3 lb 2 oz (1.5 Kg) and compresses down into a bag 5" x 8" x 12" (13 cm x 20 cm x 30 cm)

Summary

I have not found a better combination of weight, comfort and quality

Not the cheapest, but well worth the money for a serious hammock camper.

Wise Owl SingleQwl Hammock - Our Value Pick

If you want a cheap, yet good quality hammock, this is our pick.

The hammock itself is 9' x 4.5' (although the larger DoubleOwl is not much more expensive and measures 10; by 6.5' if you want more space)

As with the more expensive hammocks we have listed, it is made from breathable 210T parachute nylon with triple-stitched edge seams. This gives it a load-carrying capacity of 500lbs.

The hammock itself is a nice shape and the material is comfortable to lie on.

This is a basic hammock, so it does not come with a fly cover, mesh or such like, but it does come with straps. It really is a no frills intro to hammocks, but a cheap and good quality entry

Tree Straps

Finally, you get a good set of wide straps (wide enough that they will not cut into any trees, which is good!) These are so easy to use, you just wrap the strap around the tree and clip the carabineers on the hammock into a suitable loop. You can get the basic hammock up in a few minutes with some practice.

The 2 tree straps are 9' long (which is enough but could do with being slightly longer for more flexibility in where to hang it) and are rated above the 500lbs of the hammock, so more than up to the job

Size and Weight

The whole thing fits into a small bag about 5 inches diameter and 5" tall and weighs a mere 16Oz, so you can just chuck it in a bag and go.

Summary

You will struggle to find anything at this price of similar quality. So if you are looking for a basic hammock to rest in on a hike or take to the park, this will do the job very nicely indeed.

Hummingbird Hammocks Ultralight Single Hammock - Our Lightweight Choice

If every ounce matters to you, this is our pick.

This hammock weighs a microscopic 5.2oz, and packs down into a 4" x 4" by 2" bag (10cm x 10cm x 5cm) Yet it can still support 300lbs (136Kg) and measures 104" by 47" (264cm x 119cm) which is a decent size.

Rather than using carabiners as the others in the list do, it shelves the weighty aluminum for button links. These are essentially rope loops with a button you push through to secure them.

While this might feel a bit low tech it is very secure and the ropes themselves are rated 1500 lbs yet able to compress down far more than a normal hammock

Once up, the hammock itself is a nice shape and the material is comfortable to lie on, so no issues in use either.

This is a basic hammock, so it does not come with a fly cover, mesh or such like and in this case does not come with tree straps either.

Tree Straps

There are no straps included with this, so you will need to add some budget, but to go with this, which we would recommend if weight is your issue (which it muct be to look at this hammock?!)

Size and Weight

As we have mentioned before, the whole point of this hammock is size and weight and this is where it truly excels.

Summary

If size and space are the main drivers for you, this is the smallest and lightest hammock to take on your treks.

Eagles Nest Outfitters ENO SkyLite Hammock - Our Lie-flat Choice

If you struggle to sleep on your back, or find the wrapped up burrito, style of most hammocks does not suit you, then this could be the one for you.

This hammock incorporates a pair of spreaders that hold the shape and allows a nearly flat base to sleep on. This is ideal for people that struggle with the restrictions of a normal hammock or simply cannot sleep in their back or side.

It also allows you to remove the spreaders if you want a more traditional hammock experience (although why spend the extra for this!)

This hammock also comes with a full bug mesh to keep out those unwanted visitors with a stowable J-shaped door if you would rather be exposed to the elements.

Accessories

There are no straps included with this, so you will need to add some budget for these, but they are compatible with any.

Also there is no fly, so again, allow some for this too.

Size and Weight

This hammock is really comfortable to lie in, which is its primary goal, but it can only support 250lbs (although that should be enough) and weighs 2lbs (almost 1Kg) which is a little heavier than most.

When packed down, it measures 15" x 4.5" x 4.5" (38cm x 11cm x 11cm) mainly due to the spreaders, which is still not bad.

Summary

If being able to lie flat is your goal, then this is excellent. It is a seriously comfortable hammock.

Tentsile Una Tree Tent - Our Camping Hammock Tent Pick

If you like the convenience of a tent, but are looking to camp where level ground is an issue, this Una tree tent could be just the ticket.

The Una uses a 3 point hanging system, which makes it more stable than a hammock. I have to say I was impressed at how comfortable it was and that little bit of rigidity.

There is rarely an issue with finding three trees that are in a position that you can use, so it is no harder to hang than a normal hammock.

Naturally, there is an extra arm to attach and you need to worry about getting it level, which is less of a problem with a hammock, but you can still get it all set-up inside 15 minutes.

All the materials are high quality and it is rated for a max load of 330lbs (150Kgs) which is plenty for a one-person tent.

There was plenty of space inside for me and I found it really comfortable. Under the tent is a net where you can put your and lighter bits of kit to keep them off the floor. Because of the flatter nature of the design, this is easier to access than hammocks, which is very nice.

One thing that you need to keep in mind with all of these is that the underside is exposed to the air and hence colder than a tent, which is exposed to the ground. This means you do need a good sleeping bag and/or a quilt or insulating pad under you (this is Tentsile's one)

I have listed the one-person version here, but Tentsile has a range that goes right up to the Trillium XL which will sleep 6 people...yes 6 people hanging in the air!

Also, if you find some flat ground, it is compatible with Tentsile's ground tent conversion kit

Bug Net

This comes with a full mesh covering, although the entrance is huge, so there is a good chance that a bug or two may escort you in. This means you might need to spend the first few minutes after shutting up getting rid of them.

Rainfly

The rainfly included with this is a really well designed and fits over the top as a normal tent. This means you are much less likely to get went, even when windy compared to a free-standing flysheet. There is even a loop on the top which you can tie up to hold the fly off of the inner.

Tree Straps

To suspend this is a little more involved than for most hammocks and comes with straps and rachets. It is not as daunting as it first looks and, once you have the knack, it is really quick and easy to put up.

Size and Weight

This is where things are not so good (that and the price - it is the most expensive on this list!) It weighs in at 5lbs (2.27kg) and is pretty bulky too.

Summary

After trying this I was much more impressed than I thought. If I was going somewhere I knew there were trees, I would probably take one of these over a standard tent. Not sure the extra bulk would see me taking one on a big hike though

Summary

When you make your choices for the best overnight hammock you can purchase, it is important that you always opt for an option that is easy to set up. If you find it hard to set it up by on your own, in practicality your hammock can be deemed useless. Do not wait until you need to use it try and set it up on your own. Make sure you give it a few tries before, ensuring that you indeed can do it.