Gear Review | Serac Hammock
Retail: $39
Company: Serac
Wilson Lin founded Serac Hammocks after a week long voyage into the canyons of Southern Utah. Following the trip, his mission in life became clear; to help make "a convenient, affordable, and tree friendly way of exploring the natural world" and to "spread our passion for the outdoors to seasoned travelers and tentative newcomers alike".
The company has become famous for their simple and more importantly, affordable, all inclusive hammock system.
The Review
In this review, we will be testing and reporting on the Classic Serac Camping Hammock and Suspension System. Currently, this is the only style of hammock available from Serac. The hammocks come in three color varieties; Yellow/Blue, Blue/Grey, Purple/Teal.
The Hammock
- Unfolded Dimensions: 9ft (long) x 4ft 5in (wide)
- Folded Dimensions: 7in (tall) x 6in (diameter)
- Weight: 14oz
- Material: Nylon
- Recommended Maximum Capacity: 350lbs
- Stuff sack: Attached
The straps
- Dimension: 6ft (long) x 1in (wide)
- Weight: 4oz
- Material: Polyester
- Anchor Points: 10
- Comes with two carbon steel carabiners
We tested this hammock both in the field and in the backyard. We did not spend a night in the hammock but will give the opinion that it wouldn't make the best overnight sleeping hammock for reasons listed in the "what we didn't like" section. Now, truth be told, neither Casi nor myself are hammock gurus but we do know the difference between a quality product and crap... and although the hammock is inexpensive it's definitely not crap. It withstood the beating we put it through and we were both really impressed with the quality of the hammock and the strength of the suspension system.
On our first outing to Flagstaff we decided to stop for a bit and have a picnic and hang the hammock. Setting up the hammock was a breeze. Once we found two trees at the right length (which was the only difficult part) all we had to do was slide the straps around and clip the biners in and 'bam' we had our hammock up. Really though, it was that easy. Casi laid in the hammock most of the day and was "testing" its' ability to put a person to sleep which apparently it's really good at! The hammock, although very comfortable to nap and lounge around in, is pretty narrow and was hard for both her and myself to find a position that would allow us to sleep through a night.
On another outing to the Salt River, Casi and I tested the hammocks' weight limit. We both attempted to lay in the hammock together which didn't last long. The hammock is built for one but has a 350 lb. weight limit and Casi is about 135 and I am 175. The hammock held up just fine but we were pretty uncomfortable. Although a two person hang is possible, I suggest buying two separate hammocks so you aren't rolled up like a bean and cheese burrito. Speaking of burritos, one awesome feature about this solo hammock is the ability to pull up the sides of the hammock and roll into your own little human burrito.
Overall, the hammock is awesome. It did everything we expected it to. It rocked my wife to sleep, held true to it's weight capacity, was super comfy and probably the easiest set up we've ever experienced. Check out the video below to see just how easy the Serac hammock is to set up.
What We Liked
- The price: Far and away the best value hammock for your money. The closest comparison may be the ENO hammocks but even those don't include any suspension system.
- The 5 year warranty: This is a great offer especially when you look at competitors warranties like Grand Trunk (2 years) and ENO (2 years). Also, these guys want you to be happy with your purchase and offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee!
- Overall construction: Although the material is a bit rough and not quite as soft as other hammock materials, it is made from 100% parachute nylon and has a weight limit of 350 lbs. which we tested and can approve of. In fact we pushed the limits of that a few times but don't recommend more than one person in the hammock at a time. The single hammock unfolds to 9 ft. in length and 4 ft. 5 in. in width. Lastly, the hammock is made from three pieces of material, all of which are triple stitched and were clean and hemmed nicely.
- Compact and all inclusive: Everything fits into the 7 in. by 6 in. stuff sack! That's right, the hammock, straps, and biners all fit nicely into a lightweight (under 20 oz.) ball of fun.
What We didn't like
- Stuff sack construction: After just one unstuffing and stuffing of the hammock into the attached stuff sack the side seam began to unravel (see picture). This was pretty disappointing.
- Strap length: We love the straps...just not the length. At 6ft. in length it makes for quite a search to find trees or other anchor points to fit within those parameters. However, we will give a thumbs up to the construction of the straps and the material choice. These strong, 1 inch polyester straps with 10 connection points makes it super easy to set up and hang with confidence.
Conclusion
If we could give a one sentence conclusion it would look something like this; "This is probably the best 'bang for your buck' hammock on the market and everyone should own at least one of these". At a price point of under $40 bucks for a lightweight, well constructed hammock complete with suspension system and biners it is hard to beat. Although we never pulled an overnighter in this hammock we feel like this is the perfect lounging, day hiking, car camping, sit and watch the sunset hammock. When testing the product and after several hours of laying in it we felt that the hammock was a bit narrow even for two slender people to sleep in but was perfect for a day at the lake or park.
With that being said, we wouldn't recommend any other hammock for recreational purposes than this one. You won't find a better built, easier to set up hammock than Serac. If you are sold on these guys feel free to check them out on their site here for more information or click on the amazon link below!