[leadin]Packed up, most modern hammocks are small, like grapefruit-size small. So we never really saw a need to make them more portable. But one company forged ahead to engineer an all-in-one backpack/hammock product anyway.[/leadin]
That’s right, a backpack that folds out into a hammock, or a hammock that zips up to become a backpack. Either way you look at it, this is one funky product.
The W1 Camping Backpack comes with torso and hip straps and an internal bag that keeps all your other gear together. And, of course, it’s not carrying a hammock — because it is one.
When you reach your destination, you pull out the gear bag, unzip the sides of the backpack, slip on a few pieces of hardware, and voila! You have yourself a hammock.
A downside: The hammock looks tiny. Measuring just over 6 feet long, and about 2 feet wide, an average size person may have a hard time using it. While we haven’t tested it, this likely makes it’s a no-go for any sort of camping or long hours of lounging.
The pack itself has a capacity of 44 liters, making it a big daypack or a tight pack for a weekend of backpacking. The $200 price tag makes it a hefty investment when you can score a good backpack for $100 or less.
But if you’re interested in slimming down your kit, and really love “transforming” gear, you can swing over to the company’s Kickstarter page and pick one up for yourself. Or you can buy a really good backpack, hammock and straps for the same price.
Novelty or functionality — we know what we’d choose.
