Reviews You Can Rely On

Trek Light Single Review

This single hammock from Trek Light is simple to use and easy to set up for an enjoyable afternoon in the backyard
gearlab tested logo
trek light single hammock review
Credit: Trek Light
Price:  $60 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Trek Lite
By Maggie Nichols ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  May 10, 2018
58
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 40% 6.0
  • Weight - 20% 7.0
  • Durability and Protection - 20% 3.0
  • Ease of Set Up - 10% 9.0
  • Versatility - 10% 5.0

Our Verdict

This sizeable single hammock from Trek Light is actually about the same size as most of the double hammocks we tested and is lighter weight. That said, we weren't blown away by this hammock's rough fabric, cheap S hooks, or shoddy construction. With a price tag like this one, we expected more, and think you'd be happier investing in another hammock.
REASONS TO BUY
Simple and easy
Large for a single hammock
Lightweight
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive compared to similar models
S hooks instead of carabiners

Our Analysis and Test Results

We were sadly disappointed by this hammock from Trek Light. Their website is full of quippy comments and sayings, but they steer you away from the single and toward the double model. After trying their single hammock, we think you'd be happier with another brand of hammock altogether.

Performance Comparison


trek light single hammock review - hard not to enjoy life with coffee, a dog and a view from a hammock!
Hard not to enjoy life with coffee, a dog and a view from a hammock!
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg

Comfort


The Trek Light Single is a huge single hammock — at 10 feet long and 5 feet wide, it's nearly as large as many of the double hammocks we tested.

Unfortunately, we found the fabric to be rougher than the other hammocks we tested. We also felt the hammock wasn't well balanced, with a tighter middle and looser sides, that didn't make us feel overly secure. Overall, we weren't blown away by the feel of the Trek Light Single.

trek light single hammock review - even our 5'4" testers found this model to be a bit small to...
Even our 5'4" testers found this model to be a bit small to comfortably lay diagonally in.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg

Weight


Considering its size, the Trek Light Single is pretty light. Weighing in at 14.4 ounces, it's lighter than all the other large end-gathered hammocks we tested, even considering those hefty little S hooks!

Additionally, the Trek Light Single doesn't come with a suspension system, so whenever you get that, you'll have to add it to your overall weight calculation. At the end of the day though, we would prefer to use this hammock in our backyard than attempt to spend a night in the backcountry in it. In which case, weight is less of an issue.

trek light single hammock review - the trek light single packs down smaller than some of the hammocks...
The Trek Light Single packs down smaller than some of the hammocks with integrated bug nets, but is certainly much larger than the Grand Trunk Ultralight Starter, without being much larger.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg

Ease of Set Up


Much like many of the other open design hammocks we tested, the Trek Light Single is a snap to set up! Simply hook the S hooks into whatever suspension system you decide to use, and you're ready to go! The stuff sack is also attached, making it easy to track. The total ease of set up will depend on the suspension system you use — and on the strength of the stitching keeping that storage bag attached to the hammock!

trek light single hammock review - the trek light single comes with small, heavy s hooks and no...
The Trek Light Single comes with small, heavy S hooks and no suspension system.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg

Durability and Protection


We were not at all impressed with the durability or protection of the Trek Light Single. Though we don't expect too much from an open model in the way of protection, we were especially unimpressed with the durability of this hammock. The 70D parachute nylon fabric is common in the hammocking world, but the quality of the seams was less than we hoped for. While Trek Light boasts of triple lock stitching "on all seams," the side seams had just one seam running their length. What really shot down our confidence was when the stuff sack started ripping off after just one use.

trek light single hammock review - it didn't take much use to start ripping the seam that holds the...
It didn't take much use to start ripping the seam that holds the stuff sack to this hammock from Trek Light.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg

Versatility


Though many open model hammocks can be quite versatile through design, chosen usage and added features, we didn't find this hammock to be all that versatile. Because of its lack of comparative comfort and smaller size, we don't think this would be a good hammock to sleep in. The open S hooks also gave us pause, and though we never actually had them unhook during use, it was certainly something we worried might happen if we vacated the hammock on a windy day.

trek light single hammock review - sleeping in a single width hammock on a 4" sleeping pad is a...
Sleeping in a single width hammock on a 4" sleeping pad is a balancing act - even with this petite length pad!
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg

Value


Considering how poorly this hammock performed in our tests, we don't think the price tag is worth what you get. We hope that Trek Light ups their game in the future to compete with the other hammocks.

Conclusion


The Trek Light Single is a large single hammock that's nearly as large as many of the double hammocks we tested but weighs less. And that's about the end of the list of things we loved about this hammock. After all the testing we did, we feel that you can find better options for a single, lightweight hammock, more versatile options for a double hammock, and more durable options in general.

trek light single hammock review - sitting in a single is a breeze!
Sitting in a single is a breeze!
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg

Maggie Nichols