Camping Hammocks for Beginners: Sleep Off the Ground Without Buying It Twice

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Two trees, one strap kit, and you are sleeping above the rocks instead of on them. That is the whole promise of a camping hammock, and it holds up — but only if you buy the right one for how you actually camp. The backpacker who cares about ounces and the car camper who wants to nap at the lake are not shopping for the same product, and the market happily sells both of them the wrong thing. I have spent nights in $25 doubles that slept better than gear triple the price, and one soggy night under a “waterproof” tarp that taught me what rain protection is actually worth. Here is where the money goes.

I strung up five hammocks this season — two ultralight, one budget double, one full shelter system, and one backyard rig — and slept in all of them on the same patch of forest. Here is what held up.

ENO DoubleNest — The Do-Everything Two-Person Hammock

ENO DoubleNest (about $75; the special-edition color shown lists at $84.95) is the hammock that made tree sleeping mainstream, and it earns the reputation: 70-denier nylon taffeta that packs down near a softball, a 400-pound rating that lets two adults or one adult plus a dog pile in, and a cut wide enough that you can actually lie at an angle instead of banana-curled. The honest cons: the suspension is not included — ENO sells the Atlas strap kit separately, and without it you are knotting webbing around bark like it is 1995 — and at about 19 ounces packed it is a comfort piece, not an ultralight one.

My take: the default choice if one hammock has to serve camp, lake days, and the backyard; budget an extra $30 for straps.

ENO SingleNest — The Weight-Weenie’s Version

ENO SingleNest (about $55) is the same build in a one-person cut: a few ounces lighter, a few dollars cheaper, noticeably more packable. It is the one I hand to anyone whose hammock lives inside a backpack instead of a car trunk. The same caveat applies — straps are extra — and the narrower cut means a restless sleeper will feel the edges more. The 400-pound rating is generous, but the fabric is: it is a single layer, so expect a chill through the back below about 60°F without an underquilt or a pad underneath.

My take: the right size for solo backpacking; pairs with the sleeping-pad trick for shoulder-season trips.

Covacure Double Hammock — The 25-Dollar Surprise

Covacure’s double hammock (about $25) is the budget pick that embarrasses gear twice its price: 210T parachute nylon, a 772-pound rating that no one will ever test, tree straps and steel carabiners in the box, and a stuff sack sewn into the seam. It is heavier and coarser than an ENO, the colors fade after a hard season of sun, and the strap width is thin enough that I would add wider webbing on soft-barked trees. But for the money you are getting a complete kit — hammock plus suspension — for less than what ENO charges for the fabric alone.

My take: the one to buy for kids, guests, river trips where gear gets abused, and anyone who wants to try hammock camping for the price of a pizza.

Hennessy Explorer Deluxe Classic XL — The Complete Shelter

Hennessy’s Explorer Deluxe Classic XL ($209.95, down from its $299.99 list) is not a hammock so much as a one-person shelter system: an asymmetric bed that lets a 6-footer actually lie flat, a built-in mosquito net you enter through a bottom slit, a weatherproof rainfly, and the ridgeline and suspension all included. This is the one that keeps bugs off in June and rain off in September. The honest cons: the all-in weight is for basecamp trips, not ounce-counting, and the entry-through-the-bottom design has a learning curve — expect one awkward dismount your first night, and a 300-pound rating that big guys need to take seriously.

My take: the only pick here that is a full tent replacement; if your trips involve mosquitoes or weather, this is where the money should go.

Amazon Basics Double Hammock with Stand — When There Are No Trees

Amazon Basics’ double hammock with the 9-foot stand ($94.99) solves the problem every tree-hammock review ignores: a lot of the places we actually camp — beaches, deserts, backyards, half the campsites in Texas — do not have two trees the right distance apart. Polyester fabric rated to 450 pounds, a powder-coated steel frame, and a carrying case so it can ride to the lake. The cons are real: the stand makes it a car-only rig at heart, polyester breathes worse than nylon on a humid afternoon, and the whole package is heavier than it looks on the product page.

My take: the no-trees answer, and the honest pick for backyard campouts with the kids; backpackers should pretend it does not exist.

Features That Actually Matter (And Ones That Don’t)

Suspension is half the product. A $75 hammock with no straps is a tarp until you buy webbing. The Covacure and the Hennessy include it; the ENOs do not. Factor it into the real price.

Weight rating is a liability number, not a comfort number. A “400 lb” double feels great at 250 and snug at 350. Buy more capacity than you weigh.

Bug net and rainfly are the difference between a nap and a shelter. If your trips are dry-season and bug-free, skip them. If they are not, the Hennessy’s all-in price suddenly looks cheap next to buying pieces.

Zip a sleeping pad in to beat the cold. Below 60°F, the air under you steals more heat than the air above — the same lesson as sleeping pads, and the same fix.

Integrated stuff sacks and “bonus” carabiners do not matter. Every hammock here packs small enough. Spend on suspension and coverage, not trinkets.

What to Spend Where

• Trying it out (under $30): Covacure double with straps included — the cheapest honest entry into hammock camping.
• The daily driver (about $85): ENO SingleNest or DoubleNest plus a $30 strap kit — lighter fabric, better feel, one-time buy.
• The bug-country shelter (about $210): Hennessy Explorer Deluxe Classic — net, fly, ridgeline, and entry system in one purchase.
• The no-trees option (about $95): Amazon Basics double with stand — backyard and beach comfort, car camping only.

Keep reading: if the hammock is your bed, the right tent stakes are what keeps the rest of camp standing.

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