Best Backpacking and Camping Hammock
For me, there is nothing quite like lounging in a hammock beneath the shade of a tree as the mid-afternoon sun beats down on everything outside of my little escape.
A hammock is one of my favorite retreats from the heat of the summer sun. After a long morning of cooking, hiking, and swimming at whichever beach I’ve decided to set my tent beside, I can almost hear the hammock call my name.
Whether you are like me and enjoy bringing a hammock with you on car camping excursions as a nice place to relax in the afternoon, or you enjoy finding new and exciting places to string one up for a good night’s rest during backpacking trips, I have compiled a list of the best camp-friendly hammocks on today’s market to help you find the right one for you. Each of the hammocks on this list has received rave reviews from actual consumers and ranks high in terms of sales volume
Some of these hammocks are heavy and geared more toward those people who like to camp in one stationary position, whereas others are lightweight, compact, and made specifically for backpackers.
What is the Most Comfortable Backpacking Hammock to Sleep in?
Although all of the seven hammocks listed on this page are very popular and for good reason, the following three hammocks have managed to rise to the top of the pile among all the best-sellers to take three prestigious positions – Overall Best, Best for Backpacking, and Best with Stand.
If you are looking for absolute top quality, our Overall Best option is bound to impress you. If you need something lightweight and compact to slip inside your backpack for a hiking trip, you should be happy with our Best for Backpacking option.
The Best with Stand hammock has received top reviews among consumers who prefer standalone hammocks which can be placed anywhere during a stationary camping trip.
If none of these options seem to be the right fit for you, do not worry. Simply scroll a little further down this page and have a look at our four Runners Up. I have no doubt that you will find something which suits your needs.
1. Bear Butt Double Parachute Camping Hammock: Overall Best
With an incredible 500-900 lbs weight capacity I knew that this Bear Butt hammock was a clear contender for this top position the moment I saw it.
Despite being made by a fairly new company, it is among the top sellers on today’s market and has received the best consumer ratings of all the hammocks listed on this page. What is even more impressive is that it is very well priced when compared with all the other ones on this list.
I can tell you right now that I will not be able to adequately discuss all of its impressive qualities and features in this tiny blurb and have, therefore, created an entire page of this website devoted solely to this hammock.
Among those qualities and features are strong, lockable straps made to fit around almost anything from six-inch poles to fairly large tree trunks, carabiners which allow you to use other straps, ropes, or even pegs if you wish, very strong stitch work, and one of the best return policies I have ever seen.
Measuring six feet wide, the Bear Butt Double can easily accommodate two people for a comfortable night’s sleep, or even three people for a relaxing afternoon swing. Since this hammock features no spreader bar it will envelop an individual into a cozy cocoon to trap body heat on cool nights.
2. Eagles Nest Outfitters SingleNest: Best For Backpacking
Though the Bear Butt listed above is very comfortable, strong, and could possibly be used as a backpacking hammock, its nearly 1.5 pounds may prove too heavy as an addition to many people’s backpacks.
This Eagles Nest Outfitters SingleNest, on the other hand, is almost as strong, has received nearly as wonderful consumer reviews, and is about half the weight.
Of course, much of the reason that it weighs less is because it has been designed for one person. However, since many people prefer their own sleeping accommodations on backpacking trips and some people enjoy backpacking alone, a single nest hammock is often the better option for these excursions.
Made of a water-resistant, lightweight, breathable taffeta, this hammock is perfect for warm summer nights. Its water resistance means that you can easily strap this to the outside of your backpack as you hike through rainy conditions without much worry that it will be soaking wet when you set up camp for the night.
3. Vivere Double Hammock: Best with Stand
If you are planning to camp somewhere without trees or poles to tie onto but really want the comfort of a hammock, you may want to consider one which comes with a stand.
Alternatively, if you are looking for a hammock you can set up on a stand at home then detach from the stand to bring with you when you camp among trees, this may also be a good option for you. All you would need to do is remove the fabric from the stand and then tie rope or separately-purchased straps to the loops built into the ends of the hammock.
Of all the hammocks I reviewed for this website, this one had one of the highest sales volumes and received some of the most positive consumer reviews. In fact, more consumers felt the need to voice their satisfaction with the Vivere Double than managed to post feedback for any of the others on this list.
Although I inspect details and specifications very closely when writing these reviews, it is consumer reports which give me the best information about how a product performs in the real world. When it comes to something as important as a sleep surface, this information is incredibly important.
As with the other two top choices on this page, this one contains far too many exciting features and qualities for me to cover in a small blurb such as this one. I will require more space on a separate page to really tell you about this hammock in detail.
Among those wonderful qualities and features are a large 94-inch by 64-inch lay space, a 130-inch collapsible steel stand with optional wheel kit, a carrying case, and three different types of fabric options.
Read the Review
Runners Up Camping Hammocks for Your Next Adventure
Not everyone can be a clear winner, but let me assure that each and every hammock listed below is a winner in its own way. Despite not making it into our Top Three Choices, these hammocks are all reliable, remarkable, and have all received excellent consumer feedback.
Only top-selling hammocks have been featured on this website and their quality speaks volumes as to why consumers have continually purchased these hammocks and posted positive ratings and feedback about them.
4. Portable Camping Hammock by Rallt
This one person hammock by Rallt is 9 feet long by 4 feet, 7 inches wide. Of course, since it features no spreader bar, this Mayan-style hammock will fold up at either end, lending closer to 6.5 or 7 feet of lay space – plenty of room for most people.
Made of nylon, this hammock’s parachute is lightweight and easy to carry. Though not fully water-resistant, it will dry quickly and is very breathable to keep you cool on warm summer nights.
It is also very tear resistant, unlike some of the taffeta options currently selling on today’s market, which means that you can carry it in your backpack without much worry of having to protect it from the other items in your pack.
With a very high 400 pound weight limit, most people should have no problems using it for a safe and comfortable night of sleep. Depending upon personal weights, two people and up to about four children could easily use this hammock as a nice place to sit to escape the sun on a summer afternoon.
Straps have not been included with this cot, which means that you will have to purchase straps or ropes separately to actually be able to attach it to a tree or another slim, sturdy object. Although this may frustrate some people, I actually see it as positive.
It has happened on more than one occasion that I or a friend has purchased a very high-quality hammock only to find that the straps it came with were not high quality. What good is a high-quality hammock if the straps are not high quality as well? In these situations, we found ourselves having to purchase our straps separately anyway, but only after finding out the hard way that ours were no good.
5. Lightweight Double Parachute Hammock: Legit Camping
Receiving very positive reviews from consumers, this lightweight double hammock will make an excellent addition to your next two-person backpacking trip.
Naturally, it will also be very beneficial for a stationary camping experience or even when used in your backyard.
Weighing in at 1.87 pounds, I would only recommend bringing the Legit Double on a backpacking trip if you are planning to use it for two people, and to disperse other weight between your packs to offset this high weight. In comparison, most backpacking-friendly one person hammocks weigh less than one pound.
If you are planning to use this for two people, you should be aware that it has been tested for its weight capacity and has been found to be capable of handling up to 400 pounds. So long as the combined weight of you and your companion does not exceed 400 pounds, you should be able to manage a very comfortable night of sleep in this Mayan-style hammock.
Though the rope/strap system included with this hammock does not feature the same type of locking mechanism included with our Overall Best choice, you should be happy to hear that it does feature a slightly more basic type of locking system which depends upon force and physics to hold it in place.
In contrast, most of the other top selling hammocks on this list feature no locking system and many of them do not even come with straps at all. Special fabric sheaths have been fitted around these rope straps to protect them from wear and tear as they grind against tree bark; this also helps to protect the tree from the straps.
6. Eagles Nest Outfitters DoubleNest
Yet another Mayan-style hammock is gracing our list of most popular, top-selling hammocks. This should tell you something. Clearly, a Mayan style hammock is preferred by campers and backpackers.
I would suspect that it is because it holds your body in a more natural and comfortable way and acts as a blanket as it cocoons you inside its folds during the night. Also, I suspect that carrying a hammock with spreader bars would be rather difficult if you find yourself on a backpacking journey.
Enough about Mayan-style hammocks in general – let’s discuss this Eagles Nest Outfitters Double. Much like the single hammock which made its way into our Top Three Choices, this taffeta hammock is very breathable and extremely water and mildew resistant.
Unlike the single hammock listed in our Top Choices, however, this one measures over 6 feet wide and is capable of holding up to 400 pounds, making it perfect for two people. It is still relatively lightweight and folds into a compact 4 inch by 5 inch cube which can easily be slid inside a backpack.
A convenient stuff sack has been included with this Eagles Nest, making it even easier to store in winter months or carry in your backpack. To add further to its convenience, this sack is attached to the hammock so that you will not lose it and so that you may use it as hanging storage compartment when it is set up.
7. Hammock Sky Brazilian 2 Person Hammock
Although this hammock has been named a “Brazilian” hammock, make no mistake – it is very similar to Mayan-style in its shape. The only difference between this one and a traditional Mayan-style hammock is that it is made of a much heavier material.
Whereas many Mayan-style hammocks are made of breathable, lightweight materials such as nylon, this Hammock Sky has been made with cotton. Cotton is not the ideal choice for backpackers due to its weight, but can still provide a very comfortable sleeping space for those who enjoy car camping or lounging in their backyards. Like most Mayan-style hammocks, this one does not feature a spreader bar and will gently cradle your body as you rest.
Measuring a total of 59 inches, or just under 5 feet, in width, it can easily accommodate two people for a rather spacious night of sleep. If you plan to camp in rather cool weather conditions, I would recommend using this hammock as an individual. If you use it without a second person it will cocoon you inside its thick cotton fabric, offering a very warm atmosphere and an escape from cool night air.
Anyone who is familiar with cotton knows that it gradually stretches over time. Unlike nylon and taffeta hammocks, this one will become larger the more you use it. Everything has its limitations, though, and so does the size of this hammock. Do not worry that it will stretch so far as to become unusable over time. Consumers have reported that, after months of use, it only stretches a few inches in either direction and never becomes so large that it touches the ground.
8. Quilted Double Hammock with Spreader Bar
The only hammock on this list to feature a spreader bar, the Best Choice Products Quilted Double Hammock is made from a very strong, reinforced quilted cotton fabric designed to stop warm body heat from escaping from beneath you and to provide more support where you need it most.
Though it will not be as warm as the hammocks which cocoon your body, this flat hammock will provide more support for your back.
While most other people enjoy the feeling of curling up inside a Mayan-style hammock, people with bad backs require flatter surfaces. Many people with back problems report difficulties sleeping in hammocks because they do not feature adequate support. If you want the experience of sleeping in a hammock without adding to your back pain, this may be the right option for you.
Looking at the number of Mayan-style hammocks on this list, I was actually surprised to find a flat hammock with a spreader bar which ranked among them in terms of sales volume and consumer satisfaction.
Due to the heavy weight, its high weight capacity and its spreader bars, heavy duty chains have been included with it instead of ropes or straps. In case you were wondering about its weight capacity, it can hold an astonishing 450 pounds, making it one of the most durable double hammocks on this list.
Conclusion
Deciding which hammock is right for you will require you to consider a few things. Are you planning to carry it with you on backpacking trips? Will you be camping in warm or cool weather? Will you need to share your hammock? Will you be camping somewhere with adequate trees or similarly sturdy objects to which you can tie the hammock? Do you have any special weight, length, or back support requirements?
If you aren’t even sure that it is a hammock you need, take some time to look over our Camp Sleep Guide. You may also be interested in taking a few moments to browse our reviews of today’s most popular, top selling air mattresses, mattress pads and cots.
