What to Consider When Buying A Backpacking Hammock

Hammock camping is becoming more and more popular nowadays. Many people choose to go hammock camping instead of tent camping for various reasons such as they think hammock camping helps them get closer to the nature without losing comfort.

If you are one of the people who want to experience this new style of camping, you may consider buying for yourself a new backpacking hammock. However, because you are new to this type of camping, you may not know what you need for hammock camping. I will help you by listing all the factors you need to consider in a hammock.

Backpacking hammock varies a great deal in prices. They range from around 30 dollars to hundreds of dollars. You should base on the frequency of using a hammock to decide. If you want to go hammock camping a lot, you can invest a great amount of money on a high quality hammock. If you only use the hammock for one off event then you don’t need to pay for fortune but a hammock. There are many hammocks with reasonable prices and great qualities in the market.

Having a light and compact hammock is very critical for this activity as you have to carry your hammock on your back for a long time. You can choose from ultra-light to moderate hammocks based on your ability as well. Also remember that for  a lighter hammock, you need to sacrifice length and width.

The width and length of a hammock are very important for you to feel comfortable while sleeping in it. A width of 6 to 7 feet will be enough for a couple while a solo camper can sleep in a 4 to 5 feet wide hammock. A recommend length is around 8 feet depending on your height. In case of length, the longer the hammock is, the more comfortable your feet will feel.

If you intend to go hammock camping only in the mornings and afternoons then you should not worry much about the size of the hammock.

Hammocks are also varied in weight capacity. They can offer the weight limits from 150 to 500 pounds. You need to take into account not only your weight but also your belonging’s weight as well.

Hammocks can come with many types of materials such as cotton and nylon. Make sure you can choose the material which is not only durable but also lightweight. It needs to get dry quickly when it gets wet. Materials like cotton should be avoided as they are heavy and take a long time to dry themselves.

You could choose materials based on the seasons you go camping the most. If you go in the summer, lightweight fabrics will help you cool but then they cannot keep you warm in the winter.

Consider what you often use your hammock for before making any purchase. Different hammocks for different uses will have different requirements. For example, hammock for day time use will be lighter, shorter and does not provide tarps.

A good design will ensure you have a good sleep. In ideal design of a hammock should give out a flat lay design. Try to lie down on some hammocks to see if your head and feet lie lower to your back or not.

• Straps: these devices are used to hang hammock to the trees. They need to be stable and sturdy to hold the hammock well. They also need to be wide enough to make as less impact on the trees as possible.

• Tarps: when you sleep in a hammock, you are less worried about the ground, especially when it rains. However, you also need something to protect you from above. Check if a hammock comes with waterproof tarps to protect you from anything from the outside like rains or snows.

• Insulation: it is very important when you want to use your hammock as a shelter overnight. For example, when the weather outside is cold, a hammock with bad insulation will make your upper body feels warm and the lower body feel cold. You can sleep on top of a foam, use a double layer hammock or use under quilt.

A double layer hammock will increase the overall weight while the under quilt is very expensive.

Also the material of the hammock will also help with the insulation. Materials like nylon can help you get cool why cotton will make you warmer.

You also need to beware about cotton hammocks as they are normally heavier than other types and dry slowly once they get wet.

Here are all the factors that you need to consider when you want to purchase a backpacking hammock such as prices, sizes, weights as well as their use. I hope that after you read all the information above, you will know what characteristics that you are looking for in a hammock and be able to make the most informed choice.  Remember to always test the hammock before you buy and buy only from stores and online shops which offer after sales services and have a return policy.

I hope that with the new hammock, you can experience many fun and memorable activities in hammock camping.