Gear Best Camouflage Canvas Hammock
Product Description
The Gear Best Camouflage Canvas Hammock is a mass-market canvas hammock with a traditional woven clew, similar to the Royal and US Navy design. The clew is attached to the hammock by linking the nettles together through loops sewn on the end of the fabric. It’s an interesting design that allows the clews to be woven independent of the fabric bed. The clews are easily removable and can be upgraded or re-woven if necessary.
The camouflage pattern is only printed on one side of the fabric.
Overall Impressions and Updates
My interest in this hammock was for the clews. I’m a bit of a sucker when it comes to traditional weaving methods and I wanted to see how Gear Best had put theirs together. I’m intrigued by the weaving method they used and I plan on deconstructing the shoulder sword mat and see if I can reverse-engineer the design. The clew attachment is something I’ve experimented with on lighter fabrics and I’ve concluded that the method Gear Best is using is best used with thicker canvas fabric and clews, otherwise it cinches the end of the hammock fabric too much and reduces the effective length and width. The canvas hammock from Gear Beest seems to work pretty well with this clew design.
The hammock had a moderate chemical smell when I received it so I decided to wash it first before spending too many nights in it (for all my hammock tests, I expect to spend several nights “testing” the lay). I was disappointed to see that the print faded slightly after one wash. I suppose this is to be expected with canvas material. The hammock is still very serviceable and has actually softened a lot more and is more comfortable than before.
Gear Best advertises the hammock as “dual person” made from “parachute canvas.” First, I wouldn’t consider this hammock big enough for more than one person. The fabric bed measures 78 × 57 in (198 × 145 cm) without the clews. The way the hammock is designed, with the clews looped through each other, really cinches up the hammock so it feels smaller than it is. By modifying the clew attachment, the hammock can actually be made to feel larger. Second, I don’t know what they mean by “parachute canvas” because I doubt any parachute would work with this heavy cotton material. I sometimes wonder if “parachute” is becoming the “Kleenex” for hammocks: a word so commonly used in reference to the object it has lost its meaning.
Recommendations and Review
| Criteria | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension and Anchor System | ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ | The clews are tied with a unique Shoulder Sword Mat weave that I can’t wait to reverse engineer. This is probably the coolest part of this hammock. |
| Construction and Craftsmanship | ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ | The construction is good, but the fabric faded a little after one washing. This is probably expected for the fabric. |
| Modularity | ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ | The clew design is easily upgradeable, and the basic hammock design is the foundation of a modular design. |
| Aesthetics | ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ | I’m disappointed that the fabric only has the camo print on one side. The faded colors are also unfortunate. |
| Price and Value | ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ | Gear Best sells at rock-bottom prices, so the hammock makes a good entry-level option or starting point for DIY projects. |
- Manufacturer: Gear Best, made in China
- MSRP: US$25
Available Features/Specifications
Features
- Durable canvas fabric with camouflage print on one side
- Wear-resistant, anti-tearing, soft and comfortable
- Machine washable
Specifications
- 122 × 57 in (310 × 145 cm) total dimensions
- Stainless steel O-rings on the clews
- 441 lbs (200 kg) rated weight capacity
Weight
- 31.5 oz (893 g)
Similar Products
Disclosure of material connection: The author (Derek Hansen) was provided with a free sample from the manufacturer for testing and evaluation purposes. The comments in this post (written & spoken) are of my own opinion, which I formed after personally handling the gear.
Leave a Reply