 Finding two trees that appear to be the right distance apart is only the beginning of choosing a hammock campsite. Before unpacking your hammock, wrapping straps around the trees or adjusting your suspension, take a minute to inspect the entire area. A quick campsite check can help you identify obvious hazards, reduce your impact on the surrounding landscape and avoid relocating a complete setup later. The basic check is simple:
It takes about 60 seconds, but it can make a substantial difference in where and how you spend the night. Start With Living, Sturdy TreesYour hammock is only as dependable as the anchors supporting it. Look for two living trees that appear solid, stable and large enough to support your hammock without excessive movement. Walk around each tree and inspect the trunk from the ground upward rather than judging it from only one side. Warning signs can include:
You do not need to be a professional arborist to recognize when a tree gives you a reason to question it. When you are uncertain about either tree, keep looking for another site. Leave No Trace hammock-camping guidance recommends using living, sturdy trees and attaching your suspension around the substantial portion of the trunk rather than a small branch or fragile secondary trunk. Use Wide, Tree-Friendly Hammock StrapsThin rope and narrow cord concentrate pressure on a small area of bark. Wide webbing spreads that load across more of the tree and helps reduce damage. Leave No Trace recommends hammock straps made from webbing that is at least one inch wide. Some parks and campgrounds require wider straps or additional padding, so the local rule should always take priority. A good hammock suspension should:
Arrowhead Equipment’s one-inch Hammock Straps are made from durable polyester webbing for a reliable and tree-friendly connection. You can also compare our complete range of hammock suspension systems, straps, whoopie slings and hardware.  Look Up Before You Hang Once the trunks pass inspection, look above the proposed campsite. This is one of the easiest steps to skip, especially when you are tired, losing daylight or excited to get camp established. Scan the canopy directly above the hammock as well as the area surrounding both anchor trees. Look for:
A pair of sturdy trunks does not make the location a good campsite when a damaged branch is hanging above your sleeping area. Check the canopy from several angles. A dead limb can blend into the branches behind it when viewed from only one position. It is also worth checking again when conditions change. Strong wind, heavy rain or a passing storm can make a previously overlooked problem more concerning. No visual inspection can guarantee that a branch or tree will not fail. The goal is to recognize obvious hazards and avoid unnecessary risks. When something does not look right, move to another location.  Check the Ground Beneath Your Hammock A hammock gets your body off the ground, but the condition of the ground still matters. You will stand beside the hammock, arrange your insulation, enter and exit throughout the evening and move around the site after dark. A poorly chosen location can become muddy, slippery or heavily trampled even though you are not sleeping directly on the soil. Whenever possible, use an established campsite or place the hammock over a durable surface such as:
Avoid locations where entering and exiting the hammock will repeatedly damage:
Leave No Trace recommends using established campsites when available and positioning a hammock over a durable surface. Its backcountry guidance also recommends camping approximately 200 feet from water, trails and other campsites unless local rules or designated sites require something different. Read the Shape of the Ground Look at more than the plants directly under the hammock. A shallow depression may collect water after a storm. A narrow channel through leaves and debris may reveal where runoff travels. Loose rocks, exposed roots and holes can become tripping hazards when you get out of the hammock after dark. Consider where your tarp will drain as well. Water running from the edge of a tarp should not collect beneath the hammock or flow through the area where you enter, exit and store equipment. The ground does not need to be perfectly level for hammock camping. One of the benefits of a hammock is the ability to use sites that would be uncomfortable for a tent. You still need a stable area where you can safely stand and move around camp.  Check the Local Hammock Rules Hammock rules are not consistent from one park, forest or campground to another. One location may allow hammocks with one-inch straps. Another may require wider straps or protective padding. Some campgrounds restrict hammocks to designated sites, while others prohibit attaching equipment to trees altogether. For example:
These are examples of why it is important to check the rules for the exact place you plan to visit. Before leaving home, review:
Regulations can change, and rules at an individual campground may be different from the broader rules for the surrounding forest or park. Checking before the trip is easier than discovering at dusk that your planned setup is not permitted. Make Sure the Site Fits the Complete Setup Once the area passes the tree, canopy, ground and regulation checks, make sure it works for all of your equipment. The space needs to accommodate more than the hammock body. Allow room for:
Do not force a hammock into a space that is too short by pulling the suspension excessively tight. Do not use a small branch or weak secondary trunk simply because the main trees are not positioned correctly. Every hammock and suspension system has a slightly different adjustment range. Practicing with your equipment before a trip makes it easier to recognize an appropriate site when you arrive. You can explore Arrowhead Equipment’s current selection of camping hammocks and hammock accessories, along with our hammock tarps and tarp accessories and synthetic hammock underquilts and top quilts. Think Beyond the Two Trees A good hammock campsite should function as a complete camp, not merely a place where the hammock fits. Before committing to the site, ask yourself:
Moving a short distance before unpacking is much easier than relocating a hammock, tarp, quilts and loose gear after dark. The 60-Second Hammock Campsite Checklist Before setting up, pause and make one final pass. Trees Are both trees living, sturdy and free from obvious major damage? Overhead Are there damaged branches, leaning trees or other visible hazards above or near the hammock? Ground Will your movement remain on an established or durable surface? Rules Are hammocks permitted, and does your suspension meet the local requirements? Complete Setup Is there enough space for the hammock, suspension, tarp, guylines and safe movement around camp? When all five answers are yes, you are in a much better position to begin setting up. A Better Campsite Starts Before the Hammock Comes Out. Hammock camping allows us to enjoy wooded places without needing a flat tent pad. That flexibility comes with a responsibility to choose our trees and campsites carefully. Look at the trees. Look above them. Look at the ground. Check the rules. Then hang. That simple habit helps protect you, your equipment, the trees and the places we all return to enjoy. Arrowhead Equipment has been building hammock camping gear in the USA since 2009. Whether you are putting together your first sleep system or refining an experienced setup, explore our hammocks, suspension, tarps, insulation and accessories. Have a trip coming up soon? Our Fast Ship Gear collection includes handmade equipment kept in stock or available with a short turnaround. Made for your adventure. Frequently Asked Questions: How do I choose trees for a hammock? Choose living, sturdy trees without obvious signs of severe decay, major cracks, damaged roots or a dead canopy. Inspect the trunk, base and overhead branches. When the condition of either tree is questionable, choose another location. How wide should hammock tree straps be? Leave No Trace recommends webbing straps that are at least one inch wide. Some campgrounds require wider straps or additional padding, so always check the rules for the specific place you plan to camp. Can I hang a hammock in any campground? No. Hammock rules vary among parks, forests and campgrounds. Some allow hammocks only in designated sites, some specify strap width or protective padding, and others prohibit attaching hammocks to trees. How high should a camping hammock be? Leave No Trace recommends keeping a hammock no more than approximately 18 inches above the ground. A lower setup can reduce the consequences of a fall and make entering and exiting easier. Should I hang my hammock over vegetation? Avoid locations where walking, standing and entering the hammock will damage living vegetation. Use an established campsite or durable surface whenever possible. How far should a hammock campsite be from water? Leave No Trace generally recommends camping approximately 200 feet from lakes, streams, trails and other campsites in backcountry areas. Local regulations and designated-site requirements always take priority. What equipment should fit within a hammock campsite? Allow room for the hammock, tree straps, adjustable suspension, tarp, ridgeline, guylines, insulation and safe movement around camp. Keep the sleeping setup away from fire rings, grills and cooking areas. 
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When you're packing for a hammock trip, the gear list can feel endless: straps, quilts, tarps, pillows, cordage, coffee kits... What do you really need to hang comfortably in the wild?
That’s where the S.H.I.T. system comes in. It stands for Suspension, Hammock, Insulation, and Tarp—the four core components of any solid hammock camping kit. It’s a clean (well, cleaner than it sounds) and straightforward way to organize your gear, simplify your loadout, and make sure you’re not forgetting something important—like, say, your tarp on a rainy night. Don’t ask us how we know. 🧵 Suspension: The Unsung HeroYour hammock doesn't hang itself. Suspension is how you connect to anchor points—usually trees, but sometimes truck racks, fence posts, or whatever you’ve got. This includes:
🛏 Hammock: Your Floating Fortress This is your backcountry bed, your nap nest, your portable treehouse. Comfort starts with size--11 feet is the sweet spot for most campers. Shorter hammocks can feel tight and make you wish you'd brought a chiropractor along. We build several hammock models here at Arrowhead Equipment, including the Mountain XL Hammock—longer, wider, and stronger for serious comfort wherever you hang. ❄️ Insulation: The Thing That Keeps You From Regretting Life at 3 A.M. Even in summer, don’t let warm air fool you. At 70°F and below, most people will get cold in a hammock without insulation—thanks to convective cooling. That constant airflow beneath your hammock pulls heat from your back all night long. You need two kinds of insulation:
⛺️ Tarp: Your Portable Roof Your tarp is your real shelter out there. It keeps the rain off your head, the wind off your face, and the pine cones out of your sleeping bag. Choose a tarp that:
🎒 Bonus Round: The What-NotsOnce your four essentials are squared away, you can start layering in the fun stuff—accessories that make your trip faster, cozier, or more custom. Add-ons can make your life in the trees:
These include:
The little things add up. A warmer foot, a faster setup, a cleaner hammock... it’s all part of dialing in your hang. 💡 Final Thoughts: System, Not Gimmick Breaking your setup into Suspension, Hammock, Insulation, and Tarp helps you think modularly. It also makes packing easier, planning faster, and upgrades more targeted. You don’t need everything at once—just a clear system to build from. Once you’ve nailed the essentials, everything else is icing. Or bug netting. Or an extra pair of dry socks. 🧭 Ready to Build Your Kit? We’ve helped more than 70,000 campers worldwide build gear that works. If you're looking for a straightforward place to start—or just need to upgrade one piece at a time—we're here to help.
🏕 What’s the Right UnderQuilt for Your Hammock? A Simple Guide
Let’s face it—nothing kills a peaceful hammock nap faster than a cold backside. If you’ve ever woken up in the woods wondering why your sleeping bag didn’t cut it, welcome to the wonderful world of underquilts. But with so many options, how do you know which one’s right for your setup? That’s what we’re here for. Whether you’re rocking a gathered-end or bridge hammock, a summer lounger or winter warrior, we’ll help you figure it out—no jargon, no fluff, just cozy nights under the stars. 🤔 First Things First: What Is an UnderQuilt?An underquilt is basically a sleeping bag for the bottom of your hammock. It hangs underneath to insulate you from the cold air below—because once your body weight compresses your sleeping bag, it can’t trap heat. Think of it like this: top quilt = blanket, underquilt = invisible butt heater. 🧵 Matching Your Hammock TypeDifferent hammocks = different fits. Let’s match you up: ➤ Gathered-End HammocksIf your hammock gathers at each end like a banana (Warbonnet Blackbird, ENO, Hennessey, etc.), you’re in the majority. These hammocks work best with full-length or torso-length underquilts that contour with the sag. Top Picks:
Top Pick:
🌡️ Think About Temps (Not Just Your Dreams of Summer)Buying a quilt in July and expecting it to keep you warm in October? We’ve all been there. Here’s the rule of thumb:
💦 Why We Love Synthetic (And Why You Might Too)We use Climashield™ APEX insulation in all our underquilts. Why? Because it still insulates when wet, it’s tougher than down, and it’s made in the USA—just like every quilt we stitch here at Arrowhead Equipment. Down has its place, sure. But when you're packing for the unpredictable, we prefer gear that’s tough, reliable, and doesn’t throw a tantrum if it gets a little damp. 🧭 TL;DR – Quick Recommendations
🔗 Still Unsure?No worries—email us anytime. We’ve helped thousands of hammock campers dial in their setups. We’d be happy to help you pick the right quilt for your trip, hammock, or upcoming nap. 👉 Check out our full UnderQuilt Collection →  How do you put into words something epic? More than 2 years ago I watched a video of a paddleboarding trip into the backcountry of Yellowstone and knew that I had to do that trip. At that time I had only been on a paddle board once but I had to go. Late last year the planning began, and there is a lot of planning to do. First I invited my Sons to join, then a few friends and soon we had the group. Next, there is a lot of work to organize a backcountry trip in the park. In the early spring, we applied for the backcountry camping lottery to get a chance to obtain a permit. Once we got drawn in the lottery we had to select our campsites. Picking from about a dozen sites and fitting together dates with available sites to do a full circumnavigation of the lake and picking sites that would accommodate a group of seven, 4 hammocks and 2 tents took major planning with very few resources on the camps themselves. Months of work came to a head Friday, August 2nd when we headed out from the Lewis Lake Boat launch on a 5-day, 4 night, and close to 38 mile (according to my Garmin in-reach GPS). Step one, cross about 3 miles south to north on Lewis Lake. Early in the morning groups were stacking up as the sun rose all working to organize gear and strap down camping supplies for the trip on the boat launch. Most were in canoes, a few kayaks, and 5 crazies in our group on Gili Paddleboards. With near-glassy conditions in the first stretch, we moved along at a good pace and took a short break on the north shore before entering the river channel. Much like the Meanders in McCall, the lake flows back up into the river making it deep and slow water for a couple miles. Then it transitions to shallower water before a rocky free-flowing section for about a mile and a half below Shoshone Lake. Through the rocky section, we hooked up straps, removed our fins, and pulled our boards slowly upstream in the ankle to thigh-deep water. Eventually reaching the outlet of Shoshone Lake, which was a sheet of glass, the only ripples on the water from us finishing the wade into deep enough water to get back on our boards. Our first camp for the night was just a few hundred yards up the east shore. We worked for a bit to set up camp, picking spots for hammocks and tents, hanging our food bags high in the trees, and enjoying a vivid sunset. Again rising early we broke down camp and reloaded our paddle boards with gear and food bags. Setting out before 8 am the lake was again a glassy smooth mirror only disturbed by our paddles and wake behind as we cruised up the eastern shore…often battered by waves crossing the 6-plus mile wide lake, this shore does not get a lot of visitors by way of water. In two hours we made it to the north shore and the Delacy Creek trail that comes down from the park highway. A short break and on to the west shore and camp mid-way down. This long black sand beach stretches out for 500 yards and drops off into the depths of the lake just a few feet out. But with thick underbrush and few visitors the bugs, (gnats, mosquitos, and biting flies) quickly found us and swarmed. A light breeze kept them at bay much of the afternoon, but we retreated to bed soon after the sun dropped over the hill. Again rising with the sun we packed for our 3rd day on the water. Boards loaded we set out for our longest day, 10 miles of paddling and hiking, at 7 am. We rounded the point of our camp and turned south and west along the shore. We paddled past a few camps, waving and saying hello to other campers as we floated by. About 2 miles in the wind decided to pick up and started blowing. For over 3.5 miles, we pushed forward, with small waves and a breeze working hard to keep us from moving forward without far more effort. But shortly before noon, we made it to the Shoshone Lake geyser basin hike. The largest major geyser basin in the park that has no developments…no boardwalk, no signs to name everything you see, and no crowds. We hiked about a mile in and out to check out Yellowstone in its most natural state. Back on the boards the wind again shifted to right in our faces as we turned south then east along the southern shore towards camp for the night. Perched on a hill above the water we squeezed to fit all of us into the area full of downed trees. Waking on the morning of the fourth day, a fog bank came in off the north shore of the lake swallowing everything we could see. Standing around on the shore of the lake with boards loaded we hoped to wait it out. Paddling with very limited visibility seemed like a challenge the lake was throwing at us after the up-wind paddling all day previous. After an hour and only limited improvement, we set out. Fog in the woods is always eerie and at the same time a strange bit of magic. On the water it was incredible. After a few miles with our visibility limited to only a hundred yards at most, we glided out into brilliant blue skies and bright warm sunshine. Making a few stops to check out other campsites as we wend along the south shore we soon made it into the Moose Creek outlet Bay. The Bay nearly a mile-long shoreline, has 2 campsites, ours in the middle and another on the east end. Most of the group missed the small camp marker of our site and headed to the far side. But we soon regrouped and set up camp in a small stand of trees that lined up like a hallway, 2 parallel rows of trees along a 10-foot wide path down the middle. A great spot but again with lots of brush lining the sides of the hall the bugs were no joke. Late in the night getting up, I made the mistake of turning on my headlamp only to be swarmed by millions of gnats and mosquitos. Jumping as quickly back into my hammock they pummeled themselves against my tarp so intensely that it sounded like rain. 5 AM woke up by a family of geese announcing that the sun would rise in an hour and a half. Getting more and more organized (and less food weight to load) we were set to start the day on the water at 7. A light breeze, again bowing straight at us was just the laughable condition of the day as we approached the outlet of Shoshone Lake. We clicked fins out and stowed them. The upper section of the river would have us working hard to stay floating straight downstream, around rocks and downed trees hanging out into the water for close to 45 minutes…far less than the couple of hours we had spent a few days before pulling our way upstream. Twisting and turning down with the current was less work but we often had to quickly jump off the boards for shallow spots, trying to avoid grinding vinyl against the volcanic watermelon-sized rocks hiding in the ripples…many of which bear vivid colorful streaks of paint and plastic from previous canoes and kayaks. But the fast-flowing rocky section soon gave way to a slow meandering meadow-lined stream, and then back to deep dark lake backup. A few miles and we wound our way back to the mouth of Lewis Lake. From that Norther shore, we looked out on a lake that was beginning to get stirred up by a wind blowing over the surface. Again, Strait at us. We drank our energy drinks, ate a quick snack, and set out, aiming at the small boat launch that felt so far off against another headwind. Feeling like you're not moving makes it hard physically to continue to push yourself forward but little by little we crossed the 2.8 miles in 50 minutes. Finally reaching the far off shore my final message over the GPS to my MapShare and wife was “DONE!!!!” at 11:30. All in all this trip was a massive undertaking to plan, organize, get all the passes, permits, gear, and then to undertake. I know that the memories are all worth it though and something that will be with me and my boys for the rest of our lives. The group of friends that came together to spend a few days in the woods can’t be beat. We had laughs, shared time sitting around eating and playing games, paddling side by side, and completing something that very few have done…a full circumnavigation of Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park on Paddleboards.   Photo by Mateusz Bajdak Are you an avid hammock camper looking to reduce pack weight without sacrificing strength? The new SkyLINE Ultralight UHMWPE Tree Straps are the perfect addition to your kit. Crafted from ultra-durable UHMWPE webbing, these straps offer superior strength—supporting over 1,000 lbs—while weighing 36% less than standard straps. Why Choose SkyLINE UHMWPE Tree Straps?
Whether you're thru-hiking or heading out for a weekend adventure, these tree straps are a game-changer. Available in multiple lengths, they provide versatility and ease of use in any environment. Ready to upgrade your hammock setup? Check out the SkyLINE UHMWPE Tree Straps here. The Ultralight RevolutionHammock camping has become increasingly popular for its simplicity and comfort. But as any seasoned camper knows, cutting down on weight is essential for longer trips. Traditional polyester straps can add bulk and unnecessary weight, but SkyLINE's UHMWPE straps solve this problem, offering strength and packability without compromise. Whether you're setting up near towering pines or on rugged terrain, you can trust these ultralight straps to get the job done. Explore the full potential of your camping setup with SkyLINE UHMWPE Tree Straps. Your gear deserves an upgrade!  |
AHE CrewWhats up at AHE, What's Happening is our mini Blog about the day to day things that we are working on. Check back Frequently for updates, In Stock items, Specials, Trip Plans (yes that you can join us on) and what ever else pops up. 
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