Although I don’t get to do as much as I want to, I love doing more adventure-based travel. I like being outdoors hiking and camping. What I don’t love is sleeping outdoors. The setting up tents, hauling up pads to sleep on so you don’t have a rock digging into your hip, and waking up at the crack of dawn after not being able to get to sleep. When I was in high school, my dad got me a hiking hammock and I fell in love.
A camping hammock works much like a regular hammock except it is made out of very light parachute-like material and folds up into a small pouch. It typically has a carabiner on each side so it can be attached, and is a bit more cocoon-like than a normal hammock.
Why you should get a Camping Hammock
More comfortable sleep. It is a pretty universal feeling that sleeping is the worst part of camping. I usually come home from a camping trip happy, but exhausted, and ready for a long nap before I can get back to normal life. That can all change by getting a comfortable sleep in a hammock.
While most people don’t think you can sleep in a hammock due to the curve, you can eliminate that with two steps that make the hammock very comfortable and allow you sleep in more flat position, or even on your side, how I like to sleep. First, hang the hammock loose rather than tight like most people do to try and flatten the hammock out. Second, sleep at a diagonal with your feet and head angled to opposite sides of the hammock.
Lighter and easier to pack. Think of what you have to pack just to sleep for normal camping. A tent, a sleeping pad,a sleeping bag and a pillow. That is a ton of gear, especially if you are backpacking. With a camping hammock, you can replace the pad and the tent with a much smaller, and lighter, package.
The hammock obviously replaces your sleeping pad in a package a third the size of the smallest pads. But you can also replace your tent as well. In a small package, you can add a hammock tarp or rain cover, a mosquito net and other accessories for storage space or cold weather.
It’s fun. Even when I am camping in an RV, I still bring a couple hammocks on every camping trip. They are great to just have out around the campsite for some outdoor relaxing, taking a nap, reading a book, or letting the kids play. There is nothing cuter than a bundle of kids lying together in a hammock.
My Favorite Hammock is the Kammock Roo
I have used a
handful of camping hammocks over the past fifteen years and my favorite is this hammock from Kammock, along with the python straps.
The Kammock Roo is quite big so there is plenty of room to comfortably sleep. The Roo is 120 x 67 inches and can hold 500 pounds. The only real downside to this hammock is the weight is 24 ounces, which sounds like nothing, but it is a bit heavier than many camping hammocks. I don’t mind the extra few ounces for the extra comfort and size this bag gives. It also comes with a lifetime warranty.
I think the Kammock Roo is the best combination of size, toughness and comfort available for camping hammocks. Camping hammocks are seriously everywhere and the only difference in most is the different tag that is sewn on. While the Kammock may look similar to those hammocks at first glance, it definitely sets itself apart with all the little touches of quality, from the fabric and stitching to the stuff sack.
Since my kids love climbing in the hammock with me, I love the extra size in this hammock. It is one of the few “two-person” hammocks that can actually fit two people comfortably.
Something else I like about Kammock is the great accessories they offer. In addition to the Python Straps, which are so much better than other hanging straps I have used, Kammock offers everything you need to turn your hammock into a full-on camping haven. They have a whole line of great sleeping bags, insulated blankets and quilts to keep you warm in hammock even in the cold weather. They also have a whole line of shelters that will protect from bugs or weather or whatever you need. They even have a hammock with the tent built into it.
If you are looking to get into the camping hammock game, or just want to improve on the ho hum starter one you initially purchased, I can’t recommend the Kammock enough!