Wise Owl Outfitters camping hammock review: the inexpensive way to try a hammock
The way to find out whether you can sleep in a hammock is to spend a night in one, and there is little sense in buying a tarp, a bug net and an underquilt first. The Wise Owl Outfitters camping hammock is the simple, inexpensive hammock for that first night: a sheet of nylon, two tree straps and two carabiners, all in a small attached bag.
Quick take
A basic gathered-end nylon hammock with tree straps and carabiners included, at about 16 ounces (450 g) for the Single. It is easy to hang, comfortable for an afternoon, and good enough for a warm, dry night with your own pad and sleeping bag. It has no bug net, no tarp and no ridgeline, and the Single is short for sleeping. Choose the Double if you plan to spend a night in it.
What it does
This is a gathered-end hammock, the familiar shape: a rectangle of quick-drying parachute nylon bunched together at each end, with triple-stitched seams. Each end clips with a carabiner to a tree strap 9 feet (2.7 m) long that has five loops along it, so you wrap the strap around the trunk, pick a loop, and clip in. There are no knots to learn, and most people have it hanging within a few minutes of opening the bag.
It comes in two sizes. The Single is 9 x 4.5 feet (2.7 x 1.4 m), rated to 400 pounds (181 kg), and weighs about 16 ounces (450 g). The Double is 10 x 6.5 feet (3 x 2 m) and rated to 500 pounds (227 kg). The name is misleading for sleeping: two adults in one hammock roll together in the middle, and the real benefit of the Double is that it gives one person the length and width to lie on the diagonal, which is how you get flat in a hammock. Our guide to hammocks and tents explains the diagonal lay.
What verified buyers say
Across verified-purchase reviews, the same points come up:
- Quick to set up. By a wide margin the most common comment. Buyers describe hanging it in about two minutes with the loops and clips, and compare that with friends tying and retying rope.
- Comfortable. Owners use it for hours at a time at camp, at the lake and in the yard.
- Packs very small. The attached stuff sack and low weight mean it goes on trips where a hammock would otherwise stay home.
- Good quality for the money. Several compare it directly with better-known brands and find little difference at a lower price.
- Lighter materials than premium hammocks. A few note that the fabric and straps feel thinner than on more expensive models, without reporting failures.
Worth knowing
A hammock is cold underneath on any night below about 70°F (21°C) unless you put a sleeping pad inside it or an underquilt beneath it. Hang it only from live, solid trees at least 6 inches (15 cm) thick, never from posts, pillars or dead trees, and check overhead for dead branches first. This hammock has no bug net and no rain cover, so plan the first night for dry weather with few insects, or add a net and a tarp. Mosquitoes can also bite through a single layer of hammock fabric where you press against it.
Who it is for
It is for the camper who wants to try hammock sleeping without spending much, for families who want a hammock at the campsite for the afternoon, and for hikers who want a light seat and a place to nap at camp. With a pad such as the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol inside it and your sleeping bag over you, the Double will get you through a mild night.
If you already know you like hammocks and want to sleep in one regularly, start with a longer hammock that has a bug net and a ridgeline, such as the onewind 11 ft, or a complete system like the Hennessy Expedition Zip.
Specs at a glance
- Typegathered-end hammock
- SizesSingle 9 x 4.5 ft (2.7 x 1.4 m); Double 10 x 6.5 ft (3 x 2 m)
- Capacity400 lb (181 kg) Single; 500 lb (227 kg) Double
- Listed weight1 lb (454 g) · Single
- Includestwo 9 ft (2.7 m) tree straps, two carabiners, attached stuff sack
- Bug netnone
- Rain covernone
- Best fora first hammock, and lounging at camp
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The Verdict
The Wise Owl Outfitters hammock does a simple job well: it lets anyone hang a comfortable hammock in a couple of minutes, at a low price and a low weight. As a place to rest at camp it is all most people need. As a bed it is a starting point, best in the Double size, in mild dry weather, with a pad underneath you. If that first night goes well, the onewind 11 ft is the natural next step, and an AquaQuest Safari tarp keeps the rain off either one.
