Apart from having the best name for a hammock ever, the Amok is also a pleasingly off-beat product for off-the-grid living. As soon as we saw the hammock, and met the cool Norwegian guys behind it, it we knew we had to have it in the Outdoor 100. It was certainly one of the products that got the reviewing team most intrigued. Amok’s Draumr 3.0 (draumr is old Norse for dream) is a hammock like no other, and one that’s absolutely loaded with features.
The most notably different thing about this hammock is its configuration. It’s suspended between two trees (preferably overlooking a lake as the sun sets), but instead of the the head and feet extending towards the trees, the, erm, hammockee, is at right angles, meaning you’re swinging back and forth rather than side to side. It means you’ll be swinging less and it’s comfortable to lie on your side and front too.
“It’s when you jump in that you really begin to notice the details. There’s a beer can holder – it’s that kind of piece of kit.”
There are plenty of people now leaning towards using hammocks for backpacking, especially in the US and the bushcraft sector, and as long as you have a warm sleeping bag, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use one, even in the depths of winter.
To really state the blindingly obvious you’ll need trees (or at least two of them) for this to work, but it has its advantages. Many report sleeping much better in suspension than on a cold floor, and also uneven ground is of course no problem.