Kammok Mantis UL Hammock: Set Up and Initial Thoughts (Review)
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2024
- Here's my first look at the Kammok Mantis UL hammock. Hope you enjoy!
Skip to review: 2:31
Link to blog post:
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Howdy doody Campertonia! The Kammok Mantis UL is an ultralight backpacking hammock. The Mantis product line launched on KickStarter on February 12, 2019. The UL version was available for $215, and now retails for $259. I received my shipment in mid-May.
This video takes a look at the "Four Seasons Camp Kit" tier from the KickStarter campaign, which included the following items: Mantis UL hammock, 10' ultralight straps, bugnet, winter barrier, rainfly, 6 stakes, Firebelly 30* down trail quilt, puffin pillow, and pillowcase. Cool stuff!
The Mantis UL is available in three colors; ember orange, moss green, and granite gray. The hammock itself measures 120" x 56", making it an innovative 10 foot hammock constructed from Levitas 20D nylon diamond ripstop. The integrated bugnet (and winter barrier) can be completely removed with a 4-zipper system lining the edges. On the bugnet itself are 4 shock cord guy-outs (1.5mm reflective cord) to open up the walls of the bugnet. A 115" SpiraLine (polyethylene) ridgeline extends beyond the gathered ends of the hammock and attaches to the Kanga Claw carabiners on the SpiraLine continuous loops. The rainfly is tapered down at the foot end, and measures 136" x 88" at the head end. It uses 6 guy-outs and a knotless suspension system with line locks that attach to the 6 included stakes, and is made from Patagium 15D nylon diamond ripstop (15,000 PU/Silicone/DWR) . Packed in the attached stuff sack, it is 2lb 3oz with a 300lb capacity. (The standard Mantis has a 500lb capacity and is 2lb 12oz).
Additionally, the Kammok Firebelly 30* down trail quilt is shown. Its modular design allows it to be used as a blanket, a top quilt, or an under quilt. A cinch system at the head and foot ends can be tightened to create a footbox (top quilt) or snug fit (under quilt), and uses snaps lining the side edges to attach to each other (top quilt) or the integrated hammock loops (underquilt). Included in the Firebelly stuff sack is an adjustable 'underquilt conversion kit' that extends from the cinch cords on the blanket to the Kanga Claw carabiners. There is also an option to transform the Firebelly into a sleeping bag, if paired with a sleeping pad.
The Puffin Pillow and pillowcase are a nice touch for the inside of the hammock. The inflatable pillow is inserted inside the case, and can be attached by an adjustable suspension to an integrated loop near the gathered ends of the hammock.
As an add-on, the ridgeline organizer and Joey gear sling are shown. The ridgeline organizer can remain installed and will fit in the stuff sack. It has an inner pocket perfect for a water bottle, and outside pockets with zippers on one side. The Joey gear sling attaches to the Kanga Claw carabiners and helps keep the rest of your gear elevated.
Ok, now that we covered all of the technical stuff, I'll get a little more into my initial thoughts on this fine piece of fabric.
Being 6' and 190lbs, my main concern was that this hammock would be too small for me to get a comfortable night's sleep. The 10' length doesn't seem to be an issue, and the width of the hammock is standard. Many people will prefer a 11' extra-wide setup, but I slept uninterrupted in the Mantis UL. Perhaps it helps that I'm a back-sleeper - but to each their own.
This is really the first all-in-one hammock system I've ever used, and I was very impressed. The materials seem to be high quality, on par with the rest of Kammoks product line. It has a lot of cool quality of life features, such as internal pockets on the bugnet, which is also two-toned. The gray sides are standard issue, but the top of the hammock is black no-seeum mesh, that really increases visibility in dark and is great for stargazing. Another impressive feature are the suspension guy-outs on the bugnet itself. They attach to the same stakes as the rain fly, and really make the hammock feel more spacious.
To setup, it takes about 10 minutes in normal conditions. Takedown is the same. The structural ridgeline really makes the daisy chain suspension feel sufficient - there's no need to worry about getting a good, flat lay. One thing I would recommend is to purchase a baggie or sack for the tree straps, because they tend to get sappy or dirty and I would want to avoid transferring anything into the hammock.
Overall, the Kammok Mantis UL is a great product. This isn't a sponsored or paid review. The purpose of this is to show a brief but detailed look at this new enticing hammock. Hopefully we've accomplished that, but if not, feel free to comment and ask any questions!
Happy camping!
Nice video!
I'm new to hammock camping. I've camped in my Mantis UL a couple of times and really like it! It's soooo much more comfortable than sleeping on an air mattress in a tent!
You can save a little space when packing it by keeping the pillow case on the pillow and packing them together.
Nice review dude. Thinking about picking up one of these today from REI. It would be my 1st hammock. I’ve just not been able to sleep comfortably in a backpacking ground setup yet; one where I’m on an inflated pad on the ground in my sleeping bag
Awesome review man!
Thanks! Glad you liked it
Best review I’ve seen for this hammock ... i just got mine and about to take it out for the first time in northern Arizona around Sedona. I got the hammockgear overquilt (no under yet) ... hoping i wont freeze if it gets down to 40F or so at night.
Thanks, I'm glad it was useful! I typically pair this setup with a Hammock Gear underquilt (20*F) and the Kammok Firebelly (40*F) as my top quilt. I am comfortable to the rated temperatures! In my experience, the underquilt is essential to stay warm, even below 60*F or so, unless you use a sleeping pad. Don't get cold butt syndrome! Happy hangs, let us know how it goes!
Here's a video of my setup, featuring the quilts I mentioned in a previous reply! Cheers!
ruclips.net/video/BXNA4_b10kk/видео.html
Love my Mantis UL. Just finished a week on the AT in GA. The tarp is solid waterproof. You just have to be sure to keep the bottom of the hammock high and tight. I was a little low when some sideways hard rain came in and it wasn’t pretty. It passed quickly and I was able to correct my hang. Best tent ever, so comfortable. I have the gear loft and love it as well. Great video I learned some things for sure!
Thanks for making the video
I'm so grateful that I watched your video even though I already own this, because I wouldn't have known about the Joey Gear Sling, that thing is pretty sweet and wish I had that a couple weeks ago when camping...I hate ants...anyways, thanks!
Great review! I started with DD hammock at first, but since my knees took a lot of stress due to hanging like a banana, I went to using Hennessery Azym and thats my go to ever sense... for about
7-8 years or so. The one thing I am missing in the review is the stress on ya knees, Can you lay diagonal in it to prevent the stress on your knees?
Great review
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed!
I'm currently looking forward getting my first sleeping hammock, and there's an offer for the regular Mantis ($180 vs 260$ for the UL) which even comes with the ridgeline organizer for free! Would you say I should have a go with it?
Do you still have the mantis ul? I’m trying to figure out how to attach the under quilt because the snaps don’t seem to line up with the gear loops on the mantis… I have the arctos 20
late reply but did u figure it out? I think u need to use the elastic cords that come with the underquilt
@@MtVQ I did figure it out eventually, the clips only line up in one direction and it wasn’t immediately obvious!
So grateful not to have many bugs here in Sonoma County CA! What do you think of the price of their stuff for the value/compared to other products?
Lucky you! Only option in the northeast is to go higher or go colder if you want to avoid bugs.
I think that Kammok is a great company that makes high quality gear at a premium price. I do like their true lifetime guarantee, so you only need to purchase a product once. That being said, I think the main thing to consider with the price/value compared to other options depends on your needs. If you are a beginner looking for your first hammock, or just looking for a quick all-in-one solution to use as a backup or guest setup, then by all means go Kammok. You will pay a premium, but you will have good stuff that gets the job done. If you are a seasoned hammock camper, the smaller cottage shops like Warbonnet, Dutchware, Hammock Gear, etc, may be a better fit for you. You will be able to customize your setup by going that route, and will probably find a better price point than you would with Kammok.
I think it is important to recognize that Kammok is geared towards retail sales, similar to the Eno approach. You'll find them at REI and Dick's, and their modular product line explains for itself that they are a big-box type of hammock producer - and that's not a dig at them by any means! Kammok is not afraid to innovate and try new things, and I respect them for that! The Sunda is a neat design of a hammock-tent hybrid. The Swiftlet is a "portable" hammock stand. They tested out a water-collecting tarp, too. But, they don't make any 11' hammocks. To many of us, this is the industry standard. Kammok products will seamlessly work together out of the box, but you lack the bling and options that are out on the cottage vendor market. And those smaller companies are geared towards the experienced campers who know exactly what they want and probably have multiple equipment setups.
All of this is just my two cents, definitely try for yourself.
@@campertonia5258 Thanks for the thorough reply!
I'm new to hammocks and currently have a full big net that I have my gear sling inside. With a gear sling outside the bug net do you need to worry much about spiders and stuff getting into items stored in it?
Short answer - it depends.
If you keep the gear sling exposed, anything could happen. I guess it depends where you are. The whole idea is to get the gear off the ground or out of your clips if you use them on continuous loops. Personally, I'd never put the gear sling inside a bug net. I have never had a problem with bugs in my gear using the sling, but I'm sure there's still a chance. The elevation means only bugs with wings or bugs that climb a tree and down the suspension should be able to get in (or maybe a really crafty army of ants).
If you have a fronkey or bottom entry style bug net, there's a chance for critters to get inside even if the gear sling is too. A zipper should eliminate that.
I'm 5'11 and 215/220....you think the UL is on for my ass or would I be better in the reg mantis? Pulling trigger tomorrow.
I have a similar build, 6' 200lb - ish. The Mantis UL is rated up to 300 lbs. I've had about 330lbs in my Mantis UL and it was fine - but this is not recommended. For yourself, you'll be more than fine. The non-UL version supports 500lbs, so get that if you plan on sharing it with anyone else.
Any problems with mosquitos attacking the underside of the hammock?
That will happen in most any single layer hammock. It depends on the conditions, but an easy way to defend your underside is to throw on an underquilt. It'll be attached beneath you and prevent mosquitoes from biting through.
@@campertonia5258 can treat with permeferin too
Nice video! Is it possible to sleep on the side in this or will you sleep like a banana?
Nice review, except I couldn't watch it till the end, got a headache from constant camera movements... :)
Don’t go camping
Don't backpack in jeans. Good video!
Hydralated