The Thermarest Slacker Single Hammock and Slacker Suspenders Hanging Kit have been around for a while. The hammock related gear now includes the Slacker Rain Fly, Bug Shelter, and Hammock Warmer. With these accessories and your choice of insulation, Thermarest has just about covered all of your 3 season hammock camping needs. We will be taking a look at everything in a series of articles but for now we’ll focus on the hammock and suspension kit.
The Thermarest Slacker Hammocks are gathered-end style hammocks made from a 100 percent ripstop polyester fabric. My test hammock is the Slacker Single which measures 63 inches wide by 116 inches long. Many single sized hammocks are too small for a person of my size. I am about 6 feet 1 inches tall and weigh around 225. Normally I got right for the “double” sized options but the Slacker Single Hammock works great for me. Its polyester fabric has a nice soft and maybe cotton like feel. Sleeping so well that raccoons made off with food and shiny gear was my only problem.
The Slacker Single Hammock has a weight limit of 400 pounds, and offered plenty of support with just a bit of stretch. Another standout feature of the Slacker Hammocks is that they are made from a single piece of fabric. There are no seams in the hammock body to create uncomfortable spots and the one piece design should be more durable.
Thermarest used sewn webbing loops at the end of the hammock to gather the ends and provide a place to attach the hammock suspension. The webbing is strong and works perfectly. The only drawback is for the few people who like to tinker with or modify their hammock. The straps will have to be cut to remove them. Lightweight aluminum carabiners are provided for easy attachment to the hammock suspension.
My test hammock with carabiners weighs in at 16.6 ounces or 471 grams which is lighter than advertised. The hammock stuffs into an attached pillowcase style pouch that measures about 7 X 10 inches. Thermarest says the integrated pocket is sized to hold tablets and e-readers. Having a place to store a few items while in the hammock is really handy. It’s available in nine colors with a nice accent pattern.
The Thermarest Slacker Suspenders Hanging Kit is there to hang your hammock quickly. The Slacker suspenders use 1 inch low-stretch webbing and an auto locking buckle. Loop one end of the Slacker suspenders around a tree and pass it through the sewn in loop at the end of the webbing. The maximum recommended tree circumference is 68 inches so most trees should work fine. A second section of webbing passes through the cinch style buckle and gets attached to the carabiners on the hammock. Just pull the loose end to get the tension just right on the hammock.
I found this style of buckle to be really easy to use and had no trouble at all getting the setup just right. The Slacker Suspenders have a maximum recommended weight limit of 400 pounds as well. The Suspenders and mesh style stuff sack weigh in at about 9.6 ounces or 272 grams.
Both the Thermarest Slacker Single Hammock and Slacker Suspenders Hanging Kit score well in the areas that matter. They are not too heavy, easy to use, and the hammock offers plenty of room and comfort. The Slacker Single Hammock has an MSRP of $69.95 and the Slacker Suspenders Hanging Kit is priced at $29.95. Head over to the Thermarest website by clicking here to check out all of the Slacker Hammocks and accessories. Be sure and watch for reviews of the Slacker Hammock Warmer, Rain Fly and Bug Shelter in the coming weeks.
– Mark
I’d like to thank Thermarest for providing the Slacker hammock and accessories for testing and review. We at Industry Outsider have limited budgets just like everyone else. Being able to take a look at gear and pass along information hopefully benefits everyone.
Thank you for all the helpful info. I’ve purchased a Thermarest Slacker Hammocks with a standard space saver stand for my bedroom.
Thanks for the information