The Adventure Hammock from Tribe Provisions is a no-frills hammock made for anyone looking to have a place to hang on the cheap. We tested it out this week.
Some hammocks cost hundreds of dollars, so at just $35 this one is a bargain. That said, it’s a simple design that lacks the niceties and functionality of more standard models.
The Adventure Hammock, like many on the market, is made of a rip-stop nylon. It includes two 10-foot pieces of paracord. It weighs 1 lbs 2 oz without the cord, and it packs to the size of a grapefruit in an included stuff sack.
At about 12 feet from end to end, the hammock is comfortable and fits my 6’1’‘ frame well. I have had difficulty in the past fitting comfortably in shorter hammocks.
We ran into problems when it came time to hang it up. The paracord provided with the hammock was frayed right out of the packaging and difficult to use. Not good.
In order to hang it properly, some basic knot skills are needed. No instructions were provided for hanging technique.
We wrapped the straps around two trees about one foot in diameter each. It was difficult adjusting the length of the ropes, which made it hard to hang the hammock between anything but two perfectly placed trees.
It’s a bit unsettling that the hammock comes with no tree straps and just paracord (and also no instructions to protect tree bark from the cord). The steel screw-gate carabiners included are hard to open and close.
The hardware can be upgraded, and Tribe does sell aftermarket straps and carabiners ($24) that should make hanging easier (and less damaging to trees).
The recommended weight limit on the hammock is 400 pounds, however, we wanted to put it to the test and decided to see how many GearJunkie editors it would hold.
We put three adults in it totaling more than 600 pounds. Although there were some sketchy noises, the hammock held fast and didn’t show any damage.
For $35, the Adventure Hammock is affordable and pretty functional if you can manage setup with bare cordage.
But between the frayed paracord, the lack of instructions, and the cheap carabiners, there’s room for quality improvements here. Look to other brands if you want a serious backpacking setup ready to go out of the box.
