Is there anything that says summertime chill better than a hammock? Over the last two weeks, we’ve been testing out the ENO SingleNest for our upcoming festival adventures. This lightweight one-person hammock is ideally suited for travel and backpacking.
What’s in the Box?
The ENO SingleNest ($49.95-$59.95) is a travel hammock made of durable parachute nylon that rolls up into an attached stuff sack. Two sturdy carabiners are included. In order to hang the hammock, you will need to purchase an additional set of straps. For our review, we used the Atlas Chroma System ($34.95), a pair of high quality webbing straps with a combined thirty adjustment points. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, let me just say that this hammock system is tree-friendly and requires zero knots.
SingleNest Stats
Capacity: 400lbs / 181kgs
Material: 70-denier High Tenacity Nylon Taffeta
Packed Dimensions: 3.5″ x 5.5″ / 8.9cm x 14cm
Dimensions: 9’4” x 4’7” / 2.8m x 1.4m
Weight: 16oz / 454g
I’m seriously impressed with the the size and weight of this setup. The hammock fits in my hand, yet was spacious and strong enough to comfortably hold my weight. Here’s a shot of the hammock in its packaged state.
Let’s check out the straps. They come with their own mesh bag.
Atlas Chroma Stats
Capacity: 400lbs / 181kg
Material: High Tenacity Polyfilament Webbing
Packed Dimensions: 3.5″ x 5.5″ / 8.9cm x 12.7cm
Dimensions: 9′ x 1″ / 2.74m x 2.54cm
Weight: 11oz / 340g
As you can see, the second bag adds a bit extra to both the size and weight of the hammock system, but overall, it’s still very packable. Here’s a comparison shot with my water bottle:
Setting it Up
The SingleNest is beyond easy to set up. Attach the two straps to two trees. Attach the hammock with a carabiner. Relax. The only confusion I had was during the initial setup and the correct way to connect the strap to the tree. If you find you’re stuck or not sure if your setup is correct, here’s a quick video tutorial.
How Comfortable is It?
For such a small footprint, the SingleNest is a spacious spot to spend an afternoon. There’s enough fabric that I could fully cocoon up to hide from the sun or bugs, which I did when I road tested another version of the SingleNest on a Philadelphia rooftop for five nights. As a single person travel hammock, it can be a bit narrow than its bulkier counterparts.
Festival Considerations
The main issue for festies is where to hang your hammock, so whether to pack one or not will depend on the particular festival venue. Keep in mind that even if your campground is in a treeless field, the festival grounds may have some shady spots where you can catch a quick afternoon chill session, and this bag is definitely small and light enough enough to carry around in your daypack.
For sleeping at night, you may want to consider a bug net or rain tarp. Both of these options will add to your weight and bulk (and cost). This may not be a problem if you’re car camping and have no limits on gear, but if you’re festival flashpacking, the additional products will add up in your pack.
Packing it Back Up
This may be one of the few items that packed up smaller than the purchased version. I stuffed the hammock back into the built-in bag in under a few seconds, then cinched it all down with the attached compression straps. The Atlas Chroma straps were a bit more difficult – I just wrapped them around my hand and they also easily fit back into their mesh pouch.
Bonus Features
The attached bag doubles as a hanging pouch when the hammock is pitched – the perfect spot for your keys, phone, and assorted snacks while you’re lounging about.
Final Notes
I’m digging the SingleNest so much that I’m trying to rework my backpack to bring it along on 100 Nights of Summer. As someone who typically goes to bed when the sun is coming up, my tent is a horrible place to relax during the day and a hammock would be an ideal way to snag some afternoon naps.
Where to Buy
You can see current prices for the ENO SingleNest at Amazon.
For more info along with the most current styles head over to Eagles Nest Outfitters.