Best All-in-One Backpacking Hammock Kits for Beginnners

The best way to try a hammock for backpacking is to get an all-in-one backpacking hammock kit that’s lightweight so you can “learn the ropes”. Here are some great kits from Kammock, Hammock Gear, Dutchwear, Hennessey Hammocks, and ENO that will get you “off the ground” in no time. The biggest advantage of buying a complete backpacking hammock system is that all of its components fit together. That’s particularly useful if this is your first hammock setup. While you can also purchase each component separately, that can be an expensive trial-and-error process. Of course, if you buy one of the hammock kits listed below that are sold by REI and you don’t like it, you can return it and get your money back.

All-in-one hammock kits include four key components:

1. hammock
2. mosquito netting
3. tarp for rain protection
4. tree suspension system

In addition, you’ll want to add a top quilt or sleeping bag you can open to cover yourself with at night, and a foam pad to lie on. Chances are, you already have those components if you’re a backpacker, and they’re more than enough to get started.

Here are the best complete All-in-One Hammock Kits we recommend:

1. Hammock Gear Wanderlust Complete Kit for Hammock Camping

2. Dutchware Complete Netted Hammock Package

3. Kammok Mantis Ultralight All-in-One Hammock Tent

4. Hennessy Hammock Ultralite Backpacker Asym Zip Hammock

5. Hennessy Hammock Expedition Deluxe Asym Zip

6. ENO JungleLink Hammock Camping System

Key Considerations for Backpacking Hammock Kits

Buying a complete hammock system is a quick way to try hammock camping and backpacking to see if it’s right for you. The nice thing about all the kits listed here is that they include everything you need to sleep in a hammock, from soup to nuts, without having to acquire any additional components. That can be a tricky process when you’re new to hammocking, and you can end up buying some incompatible gear.

Backpacking vs Camping Hammock Tent Systems

Hammock systems designed for backpacking are usually lighter-weight than those designed for base camping or car camping. The features and functions are largely the same, but lighter-weight fabrics are used for backpacking hammock systems, and they tend to be somewhat more expensive.

Single or Double Layer Hammocks

Most people need back insulation when sleeping in a hammock if it’s less than 70 degrees outside. If you have a single-layer hammock, you can sleep on top of a foam pad or suspend an underquilt underneath the hammock body. Inflatable pads don’t work that well because they’re hard to hold in place underneath you when you’re hanging in the air.

Webbing, Daisy Chain, or Whoopie Sling Suspension Systems for Hammocks

There are three common types of suspension systems for hanging a hammock. Some hammocks come with polyester webbing straps that you wrap around a tree and then hook your hammock to directly with a carabiner or a metal hook. Some add daisy chains to the webbing that you can clip your hammock to, and some use a knotless tensioning system called a Whoopie sling (which works like a Chinese finger trap) to attach a hammock to the webbing straps. All three work fine, and the only real difference between them is usually gear weight, with the Whoopie sling being the lightest weight system.

Tarp Suspension Systems

Most tarps require a suspension system that is separate from the one that suspends the hammock between two trees. Most of the hammock tarps listed above have a knotless setup, with cord tensioners at the ends of the ridgeline and on the side guy lines for setup. This really expedites set-up times.

Gathered End Hammocks

Hammocks that have bunched ends and a banana shape are called gathered-end hammocks and are commonly used on hammocks intended for backpacking. Long (length) gathered-end hammocks are better than shorter ones if you prefer sleeping flat, as you would on a bed, rather than with a back curved like a banana.  An 11′ foot long hammock is considered long, while a 9′ hammock would be considered moderately short.

Mosquito Netting

Many hammocks have sewn-in mosquito netting, while others have zippered-in or removable netting.  If you get a hammock without mosquito netting, you can get a standalone net that slides on over one end of the hammock that you pull over the head end or one that zippers closed on top. They’re all just as effective and what you get is usually a matter of personal choice and how much insect protection you need.

Internal Gear Storage

It’s really nice to have a pocket or two for internal gear storage in a hammock, even if it’s just for your keys and a smartphone. Most of your gear will have to be stored outside the hammock, usually on the ground, unless you get a gear sling to suspend it underneath your hammock.