Kammok  Mantis Ultralight All-in-One Hammock Tent

Failed on the second night I had high expectations of the mantis UL but sadly it failed me on the second night of use. The hammock tore in half at the head end after crawling back into my hammock in the middle of the night in a rain storm. I took a quick bathroom break and crawled back into my sleeping bag in the hammock and just as I was getting settled I came crashing down head first. I was stunned and first thought that a tree strap or main hammock line but discovered the actual hammock material sheared across the top of the hammock about 4” down from the top carabiner. Totally bizarre and was certainly a defect in the material. There were no sharp objects in the hammock ever. I was in light cotton shorts and a t-shirt inside my goose down sleeping bag. I’d give the hammock two stars for the brilliant craftsmanship but sadly the durability of the materials is seriously questionable. On a side note, the cordage of the hammock and tarp are insanely overkill and HEAVY!! Kammok warranty graciously replaced my Mamtis UL with the WRONG COLOR (insert angry face palm) and I will be immediately replacing all the guy-out lines with lighter, reflective Z-line dyneema cord at around half the weight. I highly recommend Kammok do the same. It’s high strength reflective/visible and cuts 8-10oz of weight from the hammock making a truly UL system!! I’m hopeful the bright orange replacement will be more durable and last more than a night. Fingers crossed. Kammok refuses to post my review.

I was looking for an ultralight hammock system that wouldn’t break the bank for an AT section hike this fall. I liked all the positive reviews on this system and decided to give it a shot. For reference, I am 6 feet, 200 pounds. Even with my sleep pad and top quilt the weight is well under the claimed 300 pound capacity of this hammock. Set the hammock up on the first night of a four day backpacking trip. Woke up several times in the night because the hammock had stretched so badly that my butt was touching the ground. I had to make adjustments at least four times to get the hammock off the ground. Second night I set it up, went to sleep and woke up again to my backside kissing the dirt. I made adjustments to my hang and went back to sleep. About 1a.m. I woke up feeling like I was falling. The hammock split width wise and left me on the wet ground in the middle of a torrential downpour. I had no shelter system for the next two nights on trail. So my search for a good UL hammock system continues with a wet, dirty bum, a wounded ego and the trail name“trapdoor” because my hammock opened up like a trapdoor and dumped me on the ground. Sorry for the terrible pics. It was 5:30 a.m. in a downpour when I took them.

I got this all in one hammock since it's a great setup and super light at around 2 pounds. I was elated to bring in to Glacier. It split in the middle on my dad (under the 300 lbs limit). I had to cart the broken one back to Indianapolis in order to get a replacement. Fortunately, I tested the second one at a nearby campsite. It dumped me in the early morning as I was drifting off to sleep. I am about 185 pounds, so well under the weight limit. I am very glad I didn't bring this on a multi-day backpacking trip. The setup of the system is easy, the rain fly works, and the mosquito netting is great, but the hammock part needs a lot of work.

I purchased this hammock system when it was a Kickstarter, and I'm very glad I did. It's easier to set up than my previous hammock & accessories, and it's lighter weight as well. The hammock split perpendicular to the hanging axis after about a half-dozen uses. It's a consequence of the lightweight material; you'll read complaints about this with every lightweight hammocks. (It's one reason the user should hang the hammock so they're relatively close to the ground & not over rocks or obstacles if at all possible. Those pictures of hammocks strung over streams look cool, but I'd never risk it with any hammock.) Kammok sent me a new Mantis UL ASAP & I was able to use it hiking Section J of the PCT. That hike was very rainy, including a few windy & rainy nights. The rainfly went up first & came down last. It goes up very quickly. With creative pitching, I was able to eat & pack under the tarp and stay dry. I never got wet -- that's critical because I use down quilts. During the brief dry spells, the tarp dried very quickly. I don't believe Kammok adequately explains why one should stake out the wings, and I wasn't doing it. Several nights into Section J, I did. BINGO! That step made it much easier to lie on an angle. I'm a side sleeper, and being able to lie on an angle meant I could lie flat. I slept so much better after that. As with any equipment, practice setting it up at home. I also recomment setting it up as a bivy in case there are no trees. It works well -- I have not slept in the backcountry using it as a bivy, though -- but it takes some effort to figure it out how to make it work. I added the gear loft to my Kickstarter. I wish I'd added the joey, too.

I used the Mantis UL on a thru-hike of the Long Trail in Vermont, spending about half the nights in the Mantis (and half in shelters). I liked the ease of buying an integrated set-up other than a slight weight penalty, the Mantis UL was perfect. It packs small, the setup is easy (once you get the hang of it) and the rainfly adjusts easily from full coverage on wet nights to more open to let in the breeze. I accessorized with Kammok's gear sling, which I highly recommend for keeping shoes/gear off of the ground and protected under the fly. I contemplated leaving the bug net off for weight but I liked the extra room the guylines create. If you are new to hammock camping, this is great product.

I was so excited for this hammock, unfortunately it ripped within 5 minutes of me being in it. I am a bit bigger, but I am still 50-60 pounds under the weight limit. So I highly suggest if you are considering this hammock, just don't go with the UL one. It's not a big difference in weight anyways. I am still hoping to switch to hammock camping and will exchange it for the 500 lb one. I should have tried it out at home, but I waited until I was at the camp site which is a 55 mile boat ride away from the nearest town. Luckily my friend just happened to bring her two person tent.

This is my first hammock camping experience. I found the kammock very comfortable! The mosquito netting was a godsend. Set up and tear down is fantastically easy. Love the fact that all the guy lines have little storage pockets so you don’t get a tangled mess when stowing the hammock. The tie down system is very well engineered. Very light weight. My only two complaints, 1) the stakes are a bit delicate, I bent two on my first night out. 2) The fly is too short. In a blowing rain storm one end or the other is bound to get wet, and not enough cover if you’re storing gear or clothes on the ridge line above or below the ends of the hammock.

Extremely comfortable, lightweight, packs down small, includes pretty much everything you need - this thing is awesome. The guy lines that hold the sides of the hammock out are a nice touch and give you more space inside. If you haven't tried hammock camping, this will probably be the most comfortable sleep you've had out on the trail. But the best feature of this product has to be the lifetime warranty - I've had mine for over 2 years and after many overnights and a handful week-long trips it developed a tear in the fabric. Sent Kammok a picture and warranty request and they shipped me a new one, no questions asked. This is a company that builds a great product and stands by it

I cannot overstate how pleased I was with the sleep that I got using this hammock. My first time setting it up took a little longer than I would like but I was just figuring things out and I'm sure that next time it will be faster. I didn't feel constricted, and the rain fly and bug netting did their job perfectly. This is everything that you need for a restful night on the trail and the compact nature of the hammock and weight of 2.3 lb really helps out as well. I would recommend getting the joey gear sling and the ridgeline organizer to complete the setup but even without, it is well worth the money. I can't recommend this product highly enough.

I really loved this set-up…until it split in half and I fell to the ground on my thru-hike. I had to hitch-hike into town to buy a new hammock which was majorly stressful. I promptly returned it to REI when I got home, thankful for REI’s return policy. I think the regular Mantis has more durable fabric, I might try that in the future. I only weigh 160lbs., this should not have happened.