Best Hammock for Backpacking and Camping in 2024

Viewing a backpacking hammock with untrained eyes, we could be forgiven for thinking there’s not much to them…just a few bits of string with some cloth in the middle, right? Wrong! There are many surprising complex and numerous ins and outs of backpacking hammocks and so much more to them than you could ever imagine.

Below, we’re going to take you through what goes into the making of a good hammock so you know what to look for when choosing the best backpacking hammock for your camping adventures. You’ll also find a summary of each of the best backpacking hammocks out there.

• FAQs when choosing the best hammock for backpacking and camping
• The best lightweight backpacking hammocks in 2024
• What to look for when choosing a backpacking hammock

Summary of the best hammocks for backpacking

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FAQs when choosing the best hammock for backpacking camping

The best lightweight backpacking hammocks in 2024

Yukon Outfitters SomniSmart Recycled Hammock

Approximately 9 recycled bottles are used to make one SomniSmart Recycled Hammock. The bottles are turned into eco-friendly and durable Repreve Fabric that is manufactured into a hammmock by Yukon Outfitters in the USA. This recreational hammock is moderately lightweight and packs down into a compact stuff sack, making it ideal for backpacking and lazy picnics alike. The SomniSmart is available in single or double version. The single is spacious and features a clever clinch-buckle suspension system which lets you hang and collapse the hammock in minutes. The clinch-buckle also allows for angle and tension adjustments without re-hanging the straps. It’s simple, easy to hang, lightweight AND eco-friendly!

Find the latest price at:
Yukon Outfitters

Warbonnet Blackbird

At only 624grams, measuring a generous 10ft x 5.25ft, and holding up to 250lbs, the Warbonnet Blackbird is a reasonably lightweight, spacious and sturdy hammock suitable for those measuring around six feet and under. Boasting a handy storage shelf, footbox, zippered bug net (hung from ridge-line), ribbon ties and a flat-lay feel, this is a solid, user-friendly, feature-rich workhorse and true contender for the most comfortable and easy-to-use backpacking hammock.

If you are looking for something even more robust, and better suited to year round hammock camping, then take a look at the double layered Warbonnet Blackbird 1.7. A little heavier but able to deal with loads of up to 400lbs. The double layer also enables you to insert a sleeping pad for extra insulation.

For more information on the Warbonnet Blackbird 1.7 Hammock read our:
Full Review

Ticket to the Moon Lightest Hammock

If you’re looking for a lightweight backpacking hammock but don’t want to sacrifice comfort and space to stretch out in, then the Ticket to the Moon Lightest Hammock is most certainly for you. Boasting 9.8 x 4.6 feet of space to wallow in, it competes fiercely with the heavier hammocks on our list. And yet, at only 228g / 0.5lbs, it’s one of the most lightweight hammocks, too.

It doesn’t pack down as small as the likes of the Sea to Summit Ultralight, but it comes with small carabiners to attach to the easy to set up Lightest Straps (90g / 3.4oz), which are sold separately. It’s a good value option for casual hammock campers, and the 10 year warranty is also highly appealing.

Ticket to the Moon takes its corporate social responsibility seriously, contributing a significant portion of its net earnings to the Ticket to the Moon Foundation.

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Ticket to the Moon

Grand Trunk Ultralight Hammock

At only 340g and measuring 9.5 x 4.5 feet, the Grand Trunk Ultralight is a single-person hammock low on features and frills but pleasingly inexpensive. Made of durable, mildew resistant and machine washable polyester taffeta, this is very much a middle-of-the-road, entry-level option best suited to smaller users (max. user weight is 200lbs). The Ultralight doesn’t quite keep up with its other single-person competitors such at the Hennessey Expedition or Warbonnet Blackbird, but it is an excellent option for those on a tight budget.

Find the latest price on:
Amazon | Backcountry

Hummingbird Ultralite Single Hammock

Weighing in at an incredibly feathery 147g and supporting up to 300lbs, the Hummingbird Ultralight Single might well be the best lightweight backpacking hammock on the market. Built to FAA parachute rigging standards and boasting rip-stop lock stitching, this hammock doesn’t scrimp on security and safety in favour of reduced weight. Not the roomiest or most comfortable hammock on the market, but ideal for those particularly keen to cut down on poundage and pack size. At a few grams lighter, an inch or so longer and a good few bucks cheaper, the Hummingbird Single just pips the Sea to Summit Ultralight to the post for the title of ‘Best Ultralight Hammock’!

Find the latest price on:
Amazon

ENO Doublenest

Weighing in at a mere 600g, measuring 9ft x 6.2ft and supporting up to 400lbs, the ENO Doublenest could be classified as a very roomy one-person hammock or a suitable hammock for two relatively small people. Short on features but also low on weight, the Doublenest offers a decent lightweight alternative to the DD XL Frontline, Kammock Roo and Sequoia XL but ultimately falls short as a true two-person tent owing to its lack of length and low recommended user weight.

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Amazon | REI | Backcountry

DD XL Frontline Hammock

While the DD XL Frontline is the heaviest and bulkiest of our items under review, it makes up for its pack size and 1250g weight (1700g with poles and webbing) with several desirable features and a general roominess that potential buyers may consider worth the hassle of carrying an extra few hundred grams. Boasting a zip either side of the mosquito net for easy access, a curved pole design to keep the net well away from the user, and a super-comfy, insulating double-layered bottom, this is very much the deluxe option for solo backpackers who place comfort above carry weight.

Find the latest price on:
Amazon

Sea to Summit Ultralight Hammock

At a mere 155g (5.4oz), the Sea to Summit Ultralight is the second lightest option in our review. Holding up to 300lbs and with similar dimensions (8.5ft x 4.5 ft), this highly minimalistic option is a fraction heavier than the Hummingbird, around half the weight of the Grand Trunk Ultralight and 45g lighter than the Nano 7. Along with the Hummingbird, and given its weight, strength and pack down size, this is a superb option for fast and light backpackers, or indeed for just throwing in your pack for a cheeky rest on a big day hike.

For more information on the Sea to Summmit Ultralight Hammock read our full review.

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Sea to Summit | REI | Backcountry

Kammok Roo

Holding up to a whopping 500lbs, measuring 10ft long by 5ft 7inches wide and weighing in at just 800g, the Kammok Roo is a spacious, tough, well-made product posing serious competition to the Serac Sequioa XL and DD XL Frontline for best two-person or ‘oversize’ backpacking hammock. Very high on comfort and second only to the ENO Doublenest (600g) in terms of weight for a two-person hammock, the Kammok Roo also bests the Sequoia and challenges the DD XL in terms of comfort, making it a great option for those looking to strike a balance between comfort and weight.

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Kammok | Amazon | REI | Backcountry

Hennessy Hammock Expedition Series

Boasting a generously-sized rainfly, an asymmetrical side zipper, inner mesh storage pocket and a roomy feel, the Hennessy Expedition is perhaps the most complete of all hammocks under review. Although weighing in at a fairly hefty 1160g, this weight includes (unlike other models on review) straps and rainfly/tarp. Designed, as the name suggests, for expedition use, this is the ideal hammock for anyone wishing to take things up a notch and spend a lot of time ‘hanging out’. As a potential tent-replacement hammock, the extra weight compared to other one-person models could actually turn out to be a saving if you opt to leave the tent at home. Ousts the Warbonnet Blackbird as competition for the best one-person expedition hammock on account of its lower price and weight (with separate tarp included) and overall functionality.

Pros

• Straps and tarp included
• Very robust, secure feel
• Could easily substitute a tent
• Very well-made

Cons

• Pricey
• Not as easy to set up as other models

Find the latest price on:
Amazon | REI

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Grand Trunk Nano 7

The Nano 7 is an (absolutely) no frills, inexpensive, bare bones hammock that is as cheap as it is light. The world of backpacking hammocks, however, is no different from that of any other outdoor gear item and, as such, you get what you pay for. The Nano is a decent, throw-it-in-the-sack option for those unlikely to be spending too much time in their hammock but not comfortable enough for naps or sustained use. Compared to the Sea to Summit Ultralight Hammock and the Hummingbird (below), this hammock lacks in comfort, features and robustness while weighing around 50% more. A decent, compromise option for those on a serious budget or just wanting to give hammocking a try.

Pros

• Only 200g
• Cheap
• Carabiners included

Cons

• Tarp not included
• Less comfortable than other single-person and ultralight models
• Low weight rating
• No bug mesh
• Small (9ft x 4ft)

Find the latest price on:
Amazon | Backcountry

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Serac Sequoia XL Double Hammock

Measuring 10ft x 5ft 7inches and weighing only 500g, the Serac Sequoia XL is lighter and roomier than most two-person hammocks currently on the market. While let down slightly by its unconvincing carabiners and lack of bug mesh, these failings are partially made up for by the 6 gear loops (that can double as anchor points for guylines or hanging accessories), its ease-of-use, and the whopping 10 anchor points which allow the user to adjust the height and slack to their own requirements. Despite the lack of bug mesh, the Sequioa is a competitor to the DD XL Frontline and Kammok Roo for best two-person hammock and is considerably lighter than both.

Pros

• Only 500g
• 5 year unlimited warranty
• Super spacious
• Easy to set up and adjust
• 10 anchor points
• Diamondweave ripstop nylon fabric
• Straps and carabiners included

Cons

• No tarp/rain fly or bug mesh
• Weak carabiners

Find the latest price on:
Amazon

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What to look for when choosing a backpacking hammock

 

01Weight

When backpacking, weight is one of our foremost considerations. If you’re ditching your lightweight tent in favour of an even lighter, suspended setup then your pack needs to feel noticeably less heavy. Don’t forget that you’ll probably also need a tarp and/or a bug net, depending on where and when you are camping. And the combined weight of these shouldn’t end up being heavier than your tent.

Having said that, some backpacking hammocks, like the Sea to Summit Ultralight, are so inconceivably light that you can afford to stick one in your pack as well as your tent – the best of both worlds!

 

02Use

Certain hammocks excel in specific circumstances and environments. Some are workhorse, trail-ready, bug-proof, hovering homes – leave your tent behind and you’ll certainly not miss it. While others, bless them, are more suited to a day at the seaside, in the garden or very light, occasional use on the trail. What’s best for you will depend on where you’re headed and what you plan to use your hammock for.

 

03Standout Features

Many hammocks come with special add-ons, features or hammocking ‘bling’ that makes them stand out from the rest and may just sway your decision when buying. Among these features are rip-stop fabrics, superior maximum load, foot boxes, extra support or balancing lines, solid construction, insulation, double-zips on the bug mesh, storage pockets and extra length or width.

 

04Comfort

The raison d’etre for any hammock is the ability to increase the user’s comfort. Comfort-value is added or subtracted by a number of factors: fabric, length and width, breathability, layering, sleeping position (diagonal or straight, flat or raised-foot/curved) and the general feel of the hammock once you are in and airborne.

 

05Dimensions

Because you’d ideally like your feet to be in there too, the dimensions of your hammock are a key contributor to its overall comfort. For taller users, some models just don’t measure up and other products, particularly the ultralight variety, can skimp on width in order to minimise weight.

 

06Strength

While all hammocks come with a recommended user weight, it’s best to go for a material that you know to be durable, strong and able to withstand the elements, providing a few pounds of buffer for clothing or storage. While sleeping or lounging in a hammock is about as cool as you can get while out on the trail, all coolness would go out the window should your hammock decide to collapse while your trekking partners watch on.

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