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Amok Equipment Draumr 3.0 Hammock System Review

The Amok Draumr 3.0 Hammock is oriented at a 90 degree angle to its suspension system.

The Amok Draumr is an ingenious hammock shelter system that includes a hammock, tarp, and a complete suspension system, including tree straps, carabiners, reflective cordage, and tent stakes for staking out the tarp. Its signature feature is that its suspension is attached to the sides of the hammock and not at the ends like conventional gathered-end or Mayan style hammock. This makes it possible to set up the Draumr between trees that are closer together and gives the occupant a flatter surface to sleep on.

Amok recommends using the Draumr with a sleeping pad that has vertical tubes like this Exped SynMat Winterlite.
Amok recommends using the Draumr with a sleeping pad that has vertical tubes like this Exped SynMat Winterlite.

The Draumr is also unusual in that it requires an inflatable sleeping pad to be used. The pad fits into a sleeping pad sleeve in the hammock to provide back insulation and help stretch out the “cockpit” of the Draumr, which looks like a space fighter when its bug net is deployed. Amok recommends using a large inflatable pad, 25″ wide x 77″ long x 3.5″ thick, although smaller 20″ wide x 72″ long x 2.7″ thick pads are also compatible. However, the sleeping pad should have tubes that are oriented vertically, long ways, like the Exped Synmat Winterlite sleeping pad, shown above. Sleeping pads with horizontal baffles (Therm-a-Rest), dimples (Sea-to-Summit), or chevrons (Klymit) are not recommended.

Before we go further, it’s important to point out that the Draumr Hammock Shelter System weighs 76 ounces (4.75 lbs) which is on the heavy side for backpacking use and more appropriate for camping, where you don’t have to haul it very far. It includes all of the suspension system components, tent stakes, cordage, and stuff sacks, which are fully integrated with the hammock and tarp so you don’t have to scrounge them up yourself – a really nice quality, even if it is heavy.

However, when you factor in the need for a house-sized, high R-value sleeping pad and a top quilt, you’ll be lucky to keep the weight of a three-season shelter and sleep system below 7 pounds. That’s too heavy for me to carry in a backpack up mountains in New Hampshire, but it would be luxurious for car camping or my fly fishing trips where we spend more time in camp relaxing.

Packaging

When purchasing the Draumr 3.0 you have the option to buy the hammock and tarp together (Draumr 3.0 Complete), the hammock alone (Draumr 3.0 Hammock), or the tarp (Amok Tarp 3.0). If you already own a large hammock tarp, I’d recommend using it instead of buying the Tarp 3.0. The Tarp 3.0 is a nicely made hammock tarp, but it has some usage limitations which I describe below.

The Draumr 3.0 is exceptionally easy to pitch. Simple wrap the tree straps around two trees 10-20 feet apart.
The Draumr 3.0 is exceptionally easy to pitch. Simply wrap the tree straps around two trees 10-20 feet apart.

The Draumr hammock

Setup

The first thing you notice about the Draumr is how quick easy it is to set up. That’s because all of the components are provided and pre-attached (tree straps and carabiners) when you pull the hammock out of its stuff sack, which is also sewn onto the suspension so you can’t misplace it. All you have to do is to find two trees, 10-20 feet apart to hang the hammock from, with the straps angled at 30 degrees, and the bottom of the hammock no higher than 3 feet off the ground. While you can get an acceptable pitch by following these instructions, it’s better to aim for the narrower end of this range with a slightly steeper angle, placing the tree straps as high as you can reach.

The foot end has a foot box to protect your top quilt and keep you from sliding out of the hammock feet first.
The foot end has a foot box to protect your top quilt and keep you from sliding out of the hammock feet first. The mosquito netting has been unzipped.

The tree straps are held in place using carabiners and you adjust the strap length using a cinch buckle adjustment system which is drop-dead simple to use. There’s a ridgeline connecting the two side wings of the hammock, drip lines, a mosquito net that can be unzipped and stuffed into a pocket if not needed, an interior water bottle pocket, and side mesh pockets to hold smaller items. At the foot end, there’s also a foot box to cover the top of your quilt or sleeping pad and prevent you from sliding out the hammock feet first.

The next step is to inflate your sleeping pad and slide it into the pad pocket at the head end of the hammock. This is a little awkward for one person if you have a colossal pad, but there’s a hole at the other end of the pad sleeve where you can pull the pad through.

Once you’ve got the hammock hung and the sleeping pad inserted, you can fine-tune the lay (where you sleep), to be flat, angled up behind your head, or with a bump below your knees, much like a dentist’s chair. This is all accomplished by pulling on angled straps inside the two wings and best done when you’re lying in the hammock.

There's a sleeping pad pocket at the head end of the hammock where you slide in your pad.
There’s a sleeping pad pocket at the head end of the hammock where you slide in your pad.

Entry and exit

Once the hammock has been set up, the hardest part of using it is getting inside. While a diving leap is an option, the hammock has a tendency to swing side to side sickeningly, so you’re better off moving slowly when you climb in. I’ve found the best entry technique is to sit down on the pad at an angle just behind the foot box and lean back while pulling myself in using the ridgeline. Getting out is much simpler: I slide down toward the footbox and stick my feet out to one side, reversing my entry method. I can even get my feet into my shoes before standing up, something I usually can’t manage with my gathered end hammock.

The Draumr 3.0 provides a very flat lay for back, side, or stomach sleepers with a lot more interior room to spread out than most gathered-end or bridge hammocks
The Draumr 3.0 provides a very flat lay for back, side, or stomach sleepers with a lot more interior room to spread out than most gathered-end or bridge hammocks.

Sleeping

What’s it like to sleep in the Draumr 3.0 hammock? Quite a lot like sleeping on the ground in a tent, actually. There are plenty of pockets and space to store gear that you wouldn’t try sleeping with in a gathered-end hammock. You can get a fairly flat lay if you want (using the side adjustment straps) and the interior of the hammock feels a lot less claustrophobic than a jungle hammock since you’re sleeping on a flat sleeping pad. You can spread out, sleep on your side, or even your stomach if that’s your preference, and there’s no need to fuss with an underquilt.

If you can’t sleep in a gathered-end hammock and want a hammock that’s even more comfortable than the bridge hammocks available today, like the Warbonnet Ridgerunner or the JRB Bear Mountain Bridge hammock, I’d recommend trying the Draumr.  It’s definitely a step up from those two products in terms of living space and comfort.

The Tarp 3.0 is a catenary cut tarp designed for use with the Draumr 3.0 hammock.
The Tarp 3.0 is a catenary cut tarp designed for use with the Draumr 3.0 hammock.

The Amok Tarp 3.0

The Tarp 3.0 (MSRP $139) is included in the Draumr 3.0 complete hammock system, but can also be purchased separately. It’s a 25 ounces hammock tarp with taped seams, pre-attached reflective cordage, line loc tensioners, cord-keepers, stuff-sack, tent stakes, mini-biners, and a non-continuous suspension system that uses webbing straps. If you want to modify the tarp to have a continuous suspension, there are grommets along the ridgeline that provide the ability to replace the webbing straps with lightweight cordage and hardware.

Tarp 3.0 dimesnions - photo courtesy AmokEquipment.com
Tarp 3.0 dimensions – photo courtesy AmokEquipment.com

Made with 30d silnylon, the Tarp 3.0 has the dimensions, shown above, where 270 cm = 8.9 ft and 132 cm = 4.3 ft. This is a bit on the small side for this hammock and doesn’t really provide side adequate side protection from blowing rain. It also requires that you hang the tarp ridgeline quite a bit higher than the hammock’s tree straps so that the head and foot end of the hammock don’t bump into the sides of the tarp. This can be challenging if you’ve already placed the hammock tree straps as high up on the trees as possible. Either way, I’d recommend pitching the side of the tarp covering the foot end of the Draumr 3.0 in porch mode using trekking poles in order to slope the foot side of the tarp up and away from the footbox.

In all fairness, Amok does not recommend using the Draumr 3.0 system in stormy weather, but I know I’d want the expanded coverage of a larger tarp like a Warbonnet Superfly.

Recommendation

The Draumr Complete Hammock System combines the comfort of sleeping on a cushy sleeping pad with the convenience of a hammock that can be set up above muddy campsites or uneven ground. Unlike most gathered-end or bridge-style jungle hammocks, the Draumr hangs at a 90 degree to its ridgeline and requires a thick inflatable sleeping pad to provide its occupant with back insulation and a flat surface to sleep on. This is ideal for people who find conventional hammocks claustrophobic and want more interior space. However, while the Draumr 3.0 is quite comfortable to sleep it, it is also relatively heavy, tipping the scale at 76 ounces, not including a sleeping pad and a top quilt/sleeping bag. This makes the Draumr 3.0 less attractive as a lightweight backpacking shelter and sleep system option and more suitable for car camping when it doesn’t have to be carried in a backpack.

Likes

  • Complete shelter system, except for the sleeping pad, with everything you need
  • Exceptionally easy to set up
  • Comfortable flat lay for back, side, and stomach sleepers

Dislikes

  • Not compatible with most sleeping pads
  • Heavy compared to gathered end backpacking hammocks and insulation

Disclosure: This review was sponsored by the Outdoor Blogger Network which provided me with a manufacturer sample for this review.

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10 comments

  1. Given the already excessive weight, limited weather use, and Amok’s commitment to specialized engineering, I suggest they try to lick the as-yet unsolved sleep-with-your-romantic-partner hammock. Their website states “The hammock is intended for 1 person and normal use.” Normal, huh? Hmm…

    At 330 pounds capacity, and 25″ in width, they’re already pretty close. I’m only 165 pounds. So, two of me would just need maybe another 12 inches of wiggle room, as well as (hopefully) some more pounds of wiggle loading capacity.

    I have a luxurious 5-and-a-half-pound tent left over from my initial backpacking learning curve. This tent now gets use only when I have a romantic hiking partner. It slows me down, but so does hiking with a partner. Balance!

    I love my Warbonnet Ridgerunner (which merits review here, especially considering you can strip it down to around two pounds including the tarp and such, if you sub in your trekking poles for the spreader bars), but it tops out at 250 pounds. You bet I’d lug some extra tonnage, given the extra motivation. Maybe Amok should go ahead and include a specially engineered pad.

    They’re already at 7-pounds, $400, and only usable in light rain. Connect the dots, people!

    (Yes, I’m being funny, but that’s partly because I’m also being 100% serious.)

  2. I can’t decide if that looks like an alliance star fighter or an empire star fighter. What an odd looking hammock.

  3. I use the 3.0 tarp when I know the wind isn’t going to be kicking up bad. The set up is fast and simple and works well in wet weather if the wind is mild. In heavy winds I just switch to a large hexagon cuban fiber tarp. The pad can be used in a tent, bivy and the hammock allowing me to chose the best sleeping method depending on the terrain. Weight is always a consideration but I Bike-Pack and can afford a little more weight and all three sleeping methods.

  4. How much money without a tarp? Do you have one in Rusty Red ?

  5. Thank you for the very good review about the cons and pros. It was very detailed and i found great help in learning about the specifications and dimesnions about the amok draumr 3.0.
    I bought the amok draumr 3.0 in green but its available in other colors red, yellow and blue ( Blue out of stock at the moment). I did not buy the tarp that was included at a higher cost of $298 something. Saved me $100 as just the amok druamr without the tarp cost me just $199 with free shipping. I use a kelty tarp 12 x 12 that i bought for $43 on groupon. It works fine and for less than $250 i got the whole setup. But i forgot to mention i do have an exped downmat 78 x 25 that i got for $70 and would be using it. So in total the whole setuo cost me around $325 except for the exped sleeping pad both the amok and kelty noah tarp are new. hope that helps.

  6. I am new to hammock camping, I bought a couple standard camping hammocks last year for my son and I and went out for a weekend fishing trip. My problem was I prefer to sleep on my side or stomach, I’m 49 years old and 6’4″ tall, I typically toss and turn normally so I found it difficult to get comfortable and got little sleep. I would really like to find the right hammock for me (if there is one) rather then going back to a tent.
    What do you recommend for my situation?

    Thanks
    Karl

    • No sure what you mean by a “standard” hammock. Given that you’re tall, I’d recommend that you get a long and wide hammock that will let you sleep on a diagonal. Get something at least 11 feet long. I’d recommend the Warbonnet Blackbird XLC. See also this guide, which I published last year.
      https://sectionhiker.com/camping-hammock-length-and-comfort-how-to-choose/
      Another option for side sleepers are bridge hammocks, that provide a flatter lay. Try the warbonnet Ridgerunner.
      If you’re a stomach sleeper, you’re going to have a hard time in a hammock. The Draumr 3.0 is an option, but is quite a beast.

  7. Anyone have any luck actually finding one of these? Says they are sold out till April.

    • They are in the process of pre-order, building and shipping of the Draumr XL so that has been their focus and some of the other items are out of stock. I just got my XL yesterday and everyone was supposed to get their pre-order by April 1 so I expect the stock on the others will become available.

  8. anyone having trouble with the balancing act? i’m comfortable till i fall asleep and shift my legs or something …then i lose center just enough to wake up and have to shift around

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