Hammock Camping for Beginners
Learn the basics of hammock camping: what to expect, what gear you need, and how to avoid common beginner mistakes.
Hammock camping replaces your tent floor with suspended fabric strung between trees. You sleep in a cocoon of netting, sheltered by a separate rain fly. People do it because it's lighter than tent camping, keeps you off damp ground, and feels genuinely peaceful. It's for anyone willing to learn a slightly different setup—not for backyard comfort, but for backcountry efficiency.
What to Expect
First night in a hammock, you'll probably sleep worse than in a bed. The angle matters—lay at 30 degrees, not parallel to the ground, or your hips sag and your back gets cranky. Setup takes longer than you'd think. You'll arrive at camp, string your lines, tension the straps, deploy the fly, and wonder why everything took 15 minutes.
By your third trip, setup takes 3 minutes. You'll have the angle dialed, the rain fly positioned to shed water without pooling, and the underquilt (if you're using one) tensioned correctly. The sleep quality jumps dramatically once you understand the mechanics.
The learning curve is real but not steep. Most people nail the basics in two nights. The challenge isn't complexity—it's unlearning tent-camping habits and understanding why small adjustments matter.
Basic Gear to Start
You need five core pieces. This isn't a full kit, just what you need for your first attempt.
- Hammock: A quality camping hammock (not a backyard one) like the ENO SingleNest or Warbonnet. Budget $100-200. Lighter models exist but aren't beginner-friendly.
- Tree straps: Ratchet or webbing straps that attach to trees. Don't use rope—it damages bark and won't tension evenly. Plan on $30-50.
- Sleeping system: Either a camping quilt (under you) plus regular blanket (over you), or a hammock-specific setup. A basic underquilt runs $150-300. This is non-negotiable—hammocks expose your underside to air.
- Rain fly: Essential. Keeps rain off you and stabilizes the hammock. $60-150 depending on quality.
- Bug net: Optional in winter, mandatory in summer. Usually integrated into the hammock or sold separately for $30-80.
First trip, borrow or rent if possible. Hammock camping isn't expensive long-term, but the entry cost is real.
Your First Night
Scout your campsite for two trees 12-15 feet apart. Closer trees mean steeper angle (bad). Farther trees mean shallow angle (also bad, plus you'll sag). The sweet spot is roughly shoulder-width stance distance.
String your straps 5-6 feet up the trunk. Loop the hammock to the straps and climb in. Lie on your back at a diagonal (30-degree angle, feet higher than head). You should hang roughly level—not sagging, not tilted. This takes adjustment. Don't trust your first instinct.
Deploy the rain fly next. Most flies attach with lines that run from the fly corners to the straps. Tension them so the fly sits about 12 inches above you, sloping slightly downhill to shed water. Slack fly means water pools and drips on you. Tight fly means you lose ventilation.
Then settle in. You'll notice how quiet it is—no ground-level ambient noise, no condensation pool under your tent, just fabric and wind. The isolation is part of the appeal.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Stringing too tight: Beginners over-tension the straps. This pulls the hammock into a narrow sling that's uncomfortable and reduces weight distribution. Tension should be snug but not maxed out. The hammock should hang with a gentle curve, not a V-shape.
Wrong sleeping angle: Parallel to the ground feels natural but destroys sleep quality. Your hips sink and your back gets angry. Aim for 30 degrees. It feels weird for one night, then feels right forever.
Underestimating cold from below: Sleeping pads don't work in hammocks—they compress under body weight and lose insulation. An underquilt or air mattress rated to your conditions is essential. In 40-degree nights, sleeping without one will keep you cold all night despite a good topside blanket.
Rain fly positioned wrong: Slack flys don't shed water and pool it on your face. Tight flys that touch the hammock will transfer rain onto it. Leave 12 inches of clearance and slope it downhill. Test it by pouring water from above before you sleep.
Next Steps
After one successful night, upgrade your sleep system first. An underquilt tailored to your climate (20-degree rated for three-season camping) will transform comfort and let you sleep past dawn.
Learn tree ethics next. Protect bark with wide straps (minimum 1 inch webbing). Avoid dead trees—they break silently. Rotate between different trees when possible. Most public land allows hammock camping; some national parks restrict it to established campsites.
Invest in a backup shelter option—a lightweight tarp—once you're comfortable. Hammocks excel in moderate weather, but brutal storms or lack of trees mean you need alternatives.
Join local hammock camping communities online. They'll answer specific questions about your gear, your local forests, and your mistakes without judgment. Learning from other people's setup lessons saves months of trial and error.