Hammocks

[Gary Knowels]

If you can swing the extra cost and wanted one-stop shopping, I would buy from Dutch. And if you aren’t sure about hammock camping and just want to try it, I would buy this package on sale from Dutch. For $96 all-in, you can’t go wrong.

Thru-Hiker Hammock Complete Package | DutchWare

Thru-hiker Hammock package comes with just about everything you need to start your hammock camping adventure! Made from quality materials including ripstop nylon hammock fabric, polyester sil tarp fabric, quality netting, and more!

dutchwaregear.com

I love my dutchware 11' double. I'm 6'0, 300lb though. I bought just the hammock and suspension at first, then sourced the rest of the components (bug net, tarp, top quilt, ridgeline organizer, etc) a couple years later from hammockgear.com, which I've been super happy with

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

If you can swing the extra cost and wanted one-stop shopping, I would buy from Dutch. And if you aren’t sure about hammock camping and just want to try it, I would buy this package on sale from Dutch. For $96 all-in, you can’t go wrong.

Thru-Hiker Hammock Complete Package | DutchWare

Thru-hiker Hammock package comes with just about everything you need to start your hammock camping adventure! Made from quality materials including ripstop nylon hammock fabric, polyester sil tarp fabric, quality netting, and more!

dutchwaregear.com

That's what I did with my set up. I went with a double because of weight capacity. I don't like pushing the limits right off the get go with most singles. Lol.

Great info on double hammocks. I wonder if mine is truly a double. Mine has length and not a lot of extra material. Like I mentioned above I would hate to fit 2 in it. But had a super heavy capacity. I know my son, though he hated the hammock, had plenty of room being 6'6".

 

[Freestone]

That's what I did with my set up. I went with a double because of weight capacity. I don't like pushing the limits right off the get go with most singles. Lol.

Great info on double hammocks. I wonder if mine is truly a double. Mine has length and not a lot of extra material. Like I mentioned above I would hate to fit 2 in it. But had a super heavy capacity. I know my son, though he hated the hammock, had plenty of room being 6'6".

Jerry, people use the term double” to describe two different things: Double width or Double layer/two layer fabric which increases the weight limit, helps prevent mosquitoes from biting you in the butt and allows you to put a pad between the layers.

Is yours a double wide hammock or double layer?

 

[Jerry Daschofsky]

Jerry, people use the term double” to describe two different things: Double width or Double layer/two layer fabric which increases the weight limit, helps prevent mosquitoes from biting you in the butt and allows you to put a pad between the layers.

Is yours a double wide hammock or double layer?

You know the add just said "double hammock" even on the paperwork. I was shooting for the higher capacity. Like boats I don't want one that's right at it's capacity at load out. Work a 700# capacity, and can sleep sideways (asymmetrical? ) I was sold. Especially at the $60 price tag with tarp. Bugnet, straps, etc.

 

[Seaalki]

If you can swing the extra cost and wanted one-stop shopping, I would buy from Dutch. And if you aren’t sure about hammock camping and just want to try it, I would buy this package on sale from Dutch. For $96 all-in, you can’t go wrong.

Thru-Hiker Hammock Complete Package | DutchWare

Thru-hiker Hammock package comes with just about everything you need to start your hammock camping adventure! Made from quality materials including ripstop nylon hammock fabric, polyester sil tarp fabric, quality netting, and more!

dutchwaregear.com

Freestone, thank you again, snagged this set-up for my son, was a single parent for many years, our, us against the world chapter, many great adventures, this will appeal to his one robe, one bowl, Zen Spirit, up off the Skagit, Mt. Baker, off grid retreat, this is his front yard and the tree’s where it will “ hang “ and some of his neighbors, should make for a great image, lot of trust there.

 

[Banned user]

I used a hammock while camping once. I had two issues:

1) I am a side sleeper, and you just cannot do that in a hammock - my body only hinges forward. Same with sleeping on your stomach.
2) even though I camped in the summer, my ass was cold. I note that newer camping hammocks have this issue covered by insulating pads on the hammock itself.

Nowadays, I just camp on an air mattress in a small tent. My old Walrus backpacking tent fits a queen-sized air mattress perfectly, as it turns out, with a small space at the front for my shoes.

 

[Freestone]

@Seaalki What a lovely spot! I hope that he enjoys it!

Please let him know that he should not leave it set up when he is not using it, however. Modern synthetic fabrics degrade in the sun so they should never be left outside when not being used. In the case of a hammock and straps, doing so could lead to a catastrophic failure.

 

[Brian Miller]

I used a hammock while camping once. I had two issues:
1) I am a side sleeper, and you just cannot do that in a hammock - my body only hinges forward. Same with sleeping on your stomach.

I am also a side and occasional stomach sleeper and have found I do both comfortably in my Clark. Was roll axis stability causing the "hinges forward" issue? Some gathered end hammocks benefit from side tieouts for roll stability but the Clark is extremely roll stable and doesn't need tieouts.

Hammocks need to be pitched right to be comfortable. Every hang site is different. Diameters and distance between trees, height of both the head and foot ends' tree straps for that tree distance that affect tension of the suspension, hang angle (hangle), hammock "seated height"... Different hammocks will have slightly to greatly different setups, and every person's height, weight, and sleeping preference is also different.
IMHO, that means hammocks require more experience and practice to recognize and visualize a good hang, to offset an excessive amount of time required to actually achieve a good hang. The experience and practice kinda requires a commitment to hanging that reinforces itself.
Many (perhaps most gathered end) hammocks benefit greatly from a continuous ridgeline (CR) that can simplify setup by reducing variability in tenson that can cause shoulder squeeze, calf ridges and otherwise impede getting a comfortable "flat lay".

However my Clark with the hoops at the ends doesn't allow use of a CR so experience and practice becomes even more critical. The hoops and built in top cover do provide visual cues for a good lay as it is being rigged and tensioned. A "Whoopie Sling" or buckled strap end suspensions really speed up the tensioning process

All that said, IMHO there is less variability with a tent setup, but tents aren't as comfortable for me.

 

[Freestone]

@Driftless Dan

Ditto everything that @Brian Miller said. I am only a side sleeper and I sleep on my side with no problem in my gathered end hammock, as well as in my Hennessy Hammock. It is about having a long enough hammock (which you will probably not find in any store, but only online from a cottage industry supplier). Then, you have to play with pitching it to suit your preferences. I use a continuous ridgeline once I have figured out a particular hammock. This makes the set-up repeatable without so much fussing.

Another good option for side sleepers is a type of hammock called a “bridge hammock”. It creates a nearly flat platform. I have slept in ones borrowed from @Mumbles but I find I sleep better on my side in my gathered end hammocks. The reason is that the sides of a bridge hammock are stiffened (with something) and are under tension. The way I sleep, my knees hit the edge and the stiff edge under my knee is uncomfortable. I could look into buying or making a wider one but I like my other hammocks just fine so I haven’t.

 

[Zak]

Any advice for hammock camping with a dog? My dog shares my tent with me. Maybe a dog bed under the hammock so its covered by the tarp and hope the mosquitos aren't too bad?

 

[RCF]

Any advice for hammock camping with a dog? My dog shares my tent with me. Maybe a dog bed under the hammock so its covered by the tarp and hope the mosquitos aren't too bad?

Child's tent depending on size of dog.

There are also pop up dog carriers.

 

[Brian Miller]

Any advice for hammock camping with a dog? My dog shares my tent with me. Maybe a dog bed under the hammock so its covered by the tarp and hope the mosquitos aren't too bad?

You didn't say how large your dog is but my 50lb 22" at the shoulder Lab-Kelpie mix would not be a good partner in or directly under my 1 person Clark hammock. Reasons including figuring out the hangle with the extra independent weight, the hang height because it's common to get some sag overnight, AND having to thoroughly wash my down top and bottom quilts after every trip. For underneath you'd have to make sure that you can get your tree straps high enough so you, and your bottom quilt if you use one, don't sag down onto the dog. That makes the distance between trees much more critical. Also that could cause you to have to hang the hammock so high off the ground that it would be uncomfortable or even impossible to sit sideways in the hammock with your feet on the ground to cook, eat, relax in camp.

For weather protection my tarps are pretty big; one even has doors, so there would be room along side of the hammock underneath the lee side of the tarp for a dog camping bed that doesn't soak up water and can be rolled up for transport. I always have a (Tyvek) tarp that's almost the length and ~2x the width of my hammock as a ground cloth to put the bed on.

Inflatable Dog Bed for Outdoor Travel – Waterproof Portable Pet Mat with Removable Cover & Anti-Slip Bottom – Summer Cooling Pad for Dogs – Army Green, 41x28 Inches - Walmart.com

Buy Inflatable Dog Bed for Outdoor Travel – Waterproof Portable Pet Mat with Removable Cover & Anti-Slip Bottom – Summer Cooling Pad for Dogs – Army Green, 41x28 Inches at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

For mosquitos there are flea and tick medicines specifically designed to include mosquito protection, such as K9 Advantix II and Frontline Shield that state on the packaging they are repellants, Also simple herbal repellants (apple cider vinegar, or herbal tinctures containing cider vinegar) are safe for dogs and can help for the mosquitos.
Treating the dog bed with permethrin (used commercially to treat kennels) could also help (dangerous for cats though). Treating my clothing and hammock with it has made it so I didn't have to hunker down inside my hammock netting near a boggy alpine meadow just after meltoff when others campers were being driven away in various states of distress.

Child tent depending on size of dog.

^^^ I've seen videos where that has seemed to work very well. A crate trained dog might actually like it. If critters come by (at night) it might keep them contained. Try it out @ home first.

 

[Brian Miller]

From the other Hammock Sleeping pad thread

Post in thread 'Seeking recommendation for hammock sleeping pad'

Nov 25, 2025

My last post for tonight... I don't quite get the bottom entry design, but they have remained very popular by fans that have figured them out. Hope it works for you!

Happy memories got the best of me and I cruised the hammock forum site and ran across this thread about a small company, 2QZQ that did-does do custom work on hammocks and other gear. I saw this about a zipper mod for a Hennessy

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php/44309-Side-entry-vs-bottom-entry?p=619288&viewfull=1#post619288

Dutch bought 2QZQ and in 2022 the original owner provides labor for...

• Brian Miller

• 

The Clark Vertex hammock is a double (2-person) hammock that is actually 2 hammocks with a single suspension that works best with 3 trees. Clark's can be a little heavier than other gathered end hammocks because the weathershield isn't removable for warmer weather so the Vertex double is heavier than my NX270. I hadn't really found the weight to be a problem because I don't have to worry about what I did with the weathershield last time I used it. It's expensive but the Vertex might be an answer for sleeping with your dog in a hammock.

Clark Double Camping Hammock - Clark Vertex | Dutchware

The Vertex Ultra is a real double camping hammock with two beds inside one tent hammock. Each occupant in the 2-person hammock is independently supported. Learn more!

dutchwaregear.com