Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Complete Kit for Hammock Camping Review

Finally, a comfortable ultralight hammock setup that’s easy to set up!

We just returned from guiding for eight days in West Virginia and we got our best sleep scores ever* in this Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Ultralight Hammock Kit. We experienced cold, wet nights, but the hammock system proved stable, weatherproof, and incredibly easy to use with a knotless setup. This is the most comfortable ultralight hammock setup I’ve ever used—lighter and more comfortable than comparable ultralight tent setups. Hammock camping is a growing category in ultralight backpacking, and for good reason. Your options for setting up a hammock are nearly limitless on the right trails, and with the best gear, you’ll have some of your most wonderful sleep outside.

We tested this in nasty conditions where a good night’s sleep was not guaranteed. The ease of setup, lightweight, and extra length of the hammock all combine to make this an ultralight, user-friendly setup. A longer hammock means more ability to stretch out and lay on a diagonal in the hammock, as opposed to feeling crunched and waking up with a stiff back. We’ve extensively tested both hammock camping systems and tent camping systems, and we can confidently say that the Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Ultralight Kit hits high marks in all categories.

* We’ve been tracking our sleep scores for two years via FitBit — we were part of their beta testing in 2018.

Full Video Review of Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Complete Kit for Hammock Camping

If a picture is worth a 1,000 words what is a comprehensive video of the hammock review worth? There’s stuff in here that we can’t begin to cover in words.

Key Specs* | Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Complete Kit for Hammock Camping

Design: Ultralight, complete hammock camping setup, including bug net hammock, tarp, suspension, and stakes

Features: 11-foot Bug Net Hammock, DCF tarp, knotless tie-out system, titanium hook stakes, stuff sacks (2), and optional insulation kit

Weight: 33 ounces | 2.05 pounds
MSRP: $399.99
What’s included:

  • Zippered Bug Net Hammock
  • Hammock Suspension: Continuous loops, ridgeline, carabiners, daisy chain
  • 11f-oot Dyneema® Fiber Hex Tarp
  • Tarp has 12-foot reflective guyline at both ridgeline tie-outs, 6-foot reflective guyline at four perimeter tie-outs
  • Knotless tie-out package with LineLocs, and titanium clips
  • Titanium hook stakes (4)
  • Dyneema stake stuff sack
  • Larger stuff sack for storing everything together

The retail on this package would be: $468.96. Buying it all together is $399.99, which is a 15% discount.

hammock gear wanderluxe insulation option, premium burrow top quilt & premium incubator bottom quilt

Hammock Gear is the only cottage manufacturer that we know of to offer an insulation option at discount. The whole kit with the addition of the Premium Burrow Top Quil, and Premium Incubator Bottom Quilt comes at a steep discount!

Standard Insulation Option | add Top and Bottom Quilts

Adding standard insulation to this package:
MSRP: $799.99 (20% discount vs. separates at 1009)
Total weight: 74.5 ounces | 4.64 pounds

This kit comes with the option to add the Burrow and Incubator to the entire setup, getting you the hammock, tarp, suspension, and both quilts in one package. This option is 2.1 pounds heavier, and $400 more expensive than without the insulation package. This is a 20% discount (retail on the items comes to $1008.86 when bought separately) on this full system.

Here’s what you get added with this upgrade:

  • Premium Burrow 20-degree (Standard length/width)
  • Premium Incubator 20-degree (Standard length / width)
  • Both quilts ship with their own individual storage sacks and stuff sacks.

Tent System Weight and Price Comparison

Here is the comparison between the WanderLuxe Ultralight Kit (with insulation) and a comparable ultralight one-person tent and sleep system. The hammock system comes in weighing a bit less than the tent system and costing approximately $40 less.

Tent Comparison Example

Copper Spur HV UL1 : PACKED WEIGHT 38 oz $379.95
Regular Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad: 12 oz $184.95
REI Co-op Igneo 25 Sleeping Bag: 26o z $279.00
Total Weight:
4.75 pounds MSRP: $843.90

WanderLuxe Ultralight Kit with Insulation

Total Weight: 4.64 pounds  MSRP: $799.99

WanderLuxe Complete Kit for Hammock Camping setup

Includes a DCF Tarp ! One of the key advantages of the WanderLuxe vs. other hammock kits is the inclusion of Dyneema Composite Fiber tarp, the Ferrari of hammock tarps.

Key Features | Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Ultralight Hammock Kit

Extra-long bug net hammock: The 11-foot long Zippered Bug Net Hammock is available in a variety of colors, and is up to 24 inches longer than comparable ultralight hammocks. This is a fully-featured hammock, complete with a bug net and everything you need to set it up. The 11-foot length can be flatter and more comfortable to sleep in, compared to the 9 or 10-foot hammocks we often see.

Knotless Dyneema Hammock Shelter: The Dyneema Fiber Hex Tarp is a deluxe, super ultralight DCF Tarp. It’s super light, low water absorption, and no stretch. There is ample coverage of yourself in the hammock as well as any gear you stash underneath.

Durable Materials: This system is built with a super-strong, durable 1.6-ounce fabric, as opposed to the 1.0 and 1.1-ounce fabric of some competitors. This makes for a stronger system without much of a weight penalty.

Easy-to-use Hardware: We love the full-sized, knotless hardware, and color-coded lines. It’s a fast set up and easy to adjust with cold or wet fingers, and even in the dark.

About Hammock Gear

“Established in 2009, Hammock Gear is a small manufacturing company based just outside of Columbus Ohio. We pride ourselves on using the highest quality materials available on the market, to produce our line of ultralight backpacking products. Many of our craftspeople have been active in their respective fields for decades.

Drawing on the expertise of our team members, as well as the experience of our customers, we are constantly striving to improve our line of products preferred by hammock and ground campers alike. This combination of expertise and high expectation is the foundation of our mission as a manufacturer of outdoor recreational gear.”

Overview of the Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Ultralight Kit

This is the lightest, easiest to use, most complete ultralight hammock tent kit on the market. For us, it’s been more comfortable and lighter than a comparable ultralight tent setup, and it’s also fast and easy to set up with the LineLoc guy outs. This gives you a knotless setup, which means less fumbling in the dark, and less potential for unmanageable tangles. The tarp allows full coverage for maximum protection and stays taut with a few easy line adjustments.

Buying this complete package saves the headache and hassle of trying to configure your own custom hammock build. By buying the set, you know the hammock and tarp will work seamlessly together, and there’s no guesswork with sizing or components. Hammock Gear based this system off of their popular WanderLust, with similar inclusions, but upgraded in weight and materials.

Best For: Ultralight hammock campers who will be hiking primarily on trails with good tree access for hammock camping
Not as Good For: Backpackers looking at treeless trails (desert, open plains) where the options for hammocking are limited.

Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Complete Kit for Hammock Camping Review

Advantages of Hammock Tent Camping vs. Traditional Tent Camping

Across much of the US, and some of the most populated trails (looking at you, Appalachian Trail), there are far more hammock campsite options for hammocks than tents. And even when we guide in Rocky Mountain National Park we choose to hammock camp. So don’t forget that most of the Western Mountains below tree-line are also great for hammock camping!

Many people consider hammock camping to be more comfortable and get them a better night’s sleep. As long as you can find frees, you’ll have the same setup every single night, as opposed to the potential for a tight or slanted campsite, or a campsite with lumpy rocks and roots. On top of everything else, this setup isn’t any heavier or more expensive than a traditional UL tent system.

Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Hammock kit

Easy to Pitch | Color coded lines and hardware as well as a fully knotless setup make the Hammock Gear WanderLuxe the easiest to pitch hammock we’ve used. Something both beginners and experts will appreciate.

What’s Great About This Hammock System

Package value:

You’re getting an incredible value with this package, though the price might look steep. All told, you save 15-20% by buying the complete package. And Hammock Gear is the only manufacturer we know of to offer discounted insulation (top & bottom quit) as an option for a hammock kit (offered for both WanderLuxe and WanderLust kits).

Knotless setup:

The LineLoc tie-outs on all points of the Dyneema tarp make setup infinitely easier than standard hammock tarp tie-outs. The lines are 12 feet long at the tarp ridgeline tie-outs and have six-foot guylines at the perimeter tie-outs.

Fully featured, extra-long Bug Net Hammock:

This hammock comes with an integrated bug net, which unzips and opens anywhere on both sides, making it easy to get in and out of. The 11-foot length of the hammock also makes it easier to lie flat for sleeping, which contributed to the excellent sleep we experienced on our last trip.

All-in-one convenience:

Aside from the cost efficiency, the convenience of an all-in-one package can’t be beaten. The package eliminates much confusion and high cost out of trying to select and integrate disparate components: including the tarp, hammock, suspension, and netting.

Varying options for weight and price in package:

While this comes as a full kit, there are options for customizing. Like we mentioned above, you can get the insulation options for premium top and bottom quilts, or you can still get the insulation but opt for the with Econ Insulation kit —3/4 of a pound heavier, and $300 less expensive. Whatever your budget or pack weight desires, there’s a combo for you with this system. You can find the review of the Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Quilt here.

Recommendations for Improvement

The WanderLust is a lot less expensive

Our only thought on this is that the WanderLust Hammock Kit is definitely the better value vs. the WanderLuxe. The WanderLust hits the perfect blend of cost, weight, and function, and also handily beats out the Kammock Mantis and Dutchware Chameleon Kits for those criteria. But if you need the lightest UL hammock setup the WanderLuxe is what you want and it’s a pretty good deal for top-tier gear.

Compared to the Competition

Hammock Kits

As we said earlier we think the main competition to The Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Ultralight Kit is the Hammock Gear WanderLust Hammock Kit but here are all of them:

Hammock Gear WanderLust Hammock Kit

Hammock Gear WanderLust Hammock Kit

MSRP: $229.99
From the same company, the WanderLust Hammock Kit is 8 ounces heavier and $170 less expensive. This is probably the closest competition to the WanderLuxe.

Dutchware Chameleon Hammock Package

Dutchware Chameleon Hammock Package

The Dutchware Chameleon Hammock Package (1.6 oz fabric) is heavier than the WanderLuxe, but also slightly less expensive since it uses a less expensive tarp vs. the premium DCF tarp on the WanderLuxe. The Chameleon Kit also doesn’t offer the insulation bundle at a discount, but it does have several material weight options for weight limits and added durability that the WanderLuxe does not offer.

One advantage the Chameleon has is swappable top covers. This allows you to quickly switch from a bugnet to a solid fabric top cover which is more appropriate for cold weather/winter camping. Thus the name “Chameleon.”

Kammok Mantis UL Hammock Tent

Kammok Mantis All-In-One Hammock Tent

This system is a similar weight, but everything is thinner and smaller. The Mantis uses 1.1-ounce fabric, which is less durable than the WanderLuxe. The Mantis shorter, at only 10 feet, making it less comfortable. It also has a Narrower tarp with considerably less coverage over the hammock — and of course it’s not a premium DCF tarp. Also, Kammok doesn’t offer the insulation at discount like the Hammock Gear Insulation option at 20% off. BUT Advantage Kammok Mantis on a significantly lower cost.

Overall Thoughts on the Hammock Gear WanderLuxe Ultralight Kit

There are less expensive options out there for a full hammock kit, but if you want the very lightest and best hammock kit on the market—including a high-tech tarp and premium insulation with the top and bottom quilts—the WanderLuxe is the only game in town. The easy-to-use knotless lines, the durable, high-coverage Dyneema tarp, and the full zip of the integrated bug net make this system not only one of the lightest out there, but the most convenient and protected. We’ve rarely slept better outside and felt more snug and protected from the elements, and the convenience of the all-in-one hammock kit saves money and the headache of putting your own system together.

Hammock Gear Hammock Review

Disclaimer

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on the these links, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you. I do not receive compensation from the companies whose products are listed. For product reviews: unless otherwise noted, products are purchased with my own funds. I am never under an obligation to write a review about any product. Finally, this post expresses my own independent opinion.

4 replies
  1. Jerald Jones
    Jerald Jones says:

    Hi Alan,
    Great review, looks like just what I’m looking for. I’m planning a mid April 2022 Flip/Flop A/T thru hike starting at Rockfish Gap northbound. For TQ/UQ, I’m thinking of going with 30 degree, and a 3/4 UQ. Also think I’ll take a small Z lite sol for shelter use and under legs if it gets really cold…..thoughts?
    Regards, Trapper

    Reply
  2. Rocky
    Rocky says:

    Never tried hammock camping. Buying a Kammock from REI means easy returns for one year. If I don’t like it, it goes back. Contrast with the Hammock Gear policy of 30-days and “Products must be in the same condition it left the shop, and include original packaging, labeling.” Even if the HG product is better, I’m tempted to start with the Kammock.

    How often do people try hammocks and regret the decision?

    Reply
    • Alan Dixon
      Alan Dixon says:

      Hi Rocky, just from the sounds of it you are likely better off getting the Kammock from REI. That being said, most folks do just fine with a hammock when they try them. But then, I have been guiding them so they are getting some solid instruction and mentorship the first few nights they are out. The key to staying warm is getting the bottom quilt adjusted — in the right position and no gaps to let cold air in. If you do end up getting the WanderLUXE from HG, I would suggest you look at my video on it https://youtu.be/Xl2YFeL9C9c which around 4:00 something had a good guide on how to pitch the hammock. Best, -alan

      Reply

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