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Bear Butts Double Hammock Review

Andrew N

31/08/2026

Bear Butts Double Hammock Review

I have used the Bear Butts Double Hammock for camping and relaxing outdoors, and the thing that stands out most is how much hammock you get for the money. It is huge, comfortable, very easy to set up, and tough enough that I have never felt nervous about actually using it properly rather than treating it like fragile ultralight gear.

I also tested it alongside the Bear Butts Rain Fly and Kodiak Straps, which make a much better camping setup than relying on the basic ropes alone.

The Double Hammock is still sold today, which is quite impressive considering how long this model has been around.

Bear Butt currently lists it as a 10-foot-long, 6-foot-wide hammock made from 75D nylon taffeta with a 500 lb rated load and says it has been tested up to 900 lb.

Bear Butts Double Hammock Specifications

• HAMMOCK LENGTH: 10 ft
• HAMMOCK WIDTH: 6 ft
• MATERIAL: 75D nylon taffeta
• THREAD COUNT: 210
• RATED CAPACITY: 500 lb
• TESTED CAPACITY: Up to 900 lb
• WEIGHT: Approximately 1.6 lb including the supplied ropes
• PACKED SIZE: Approximately 7 x 4 x 4 in
• STITCHING: Reinforced triple stitching
• END STRAPS: Polyester end webbing
• STUFF SACK: Attached

One useful correction to my original review is the weight.

I previously quoted around 453 g / 1 lb.

Bear Butt’s current specification is around 1.6 lb with the included ropes, so that is the figure I would use now.

It is still compact and easy to carry, but I would no longer describe it as an ultralight hammock.

Comfort

Comfort is probably the biggest reason to buy the Double Hammock.

The 10 x 6 ft dimensions give you much more fabric than a typical narrow single hammock.

That means I can lie diagonally instead of being forced into a deep banana shape.

That diagonal position makes a massive difference if you are actually trying to sleep rather than just lounge around for half an hour.

The 75D nylon taffeta also feels soft against the skin.

It isn’t a stiff or plasticky fabric.

I have always found it comfortable enough for long periods, especially in warm weather.

If you are using it overnight in cooler conditions, the comfort problem is normally not the hammock itself.

It is heat loss underneath you.

Your sleeping bag gets compressed beneath your body, so you need insulation underneath as temperatures drop.

I would pair it with an underquilt such as the Outdoor Vitals underquilt rather than relying entirely on a sleeping bag.

Is It Really a Two-Person Hammock?

Yes, physically.

Two adults can fit in it.

Whether two adults actually want to sleep overnight together in one hammock is a different question.

For sitting, lounging or relaxing at a campsite, the double size is brilliant.

Two people can get in comfortably.

For sleeping, I prefer the extra space for one person.

A large hammock allows a much flatter diagonal lay and gives you room to move without constantly fighting the fabric.

So I think of “double hammock” more as:

Lots of room for one person, or enough room for two people to relax together.

That is more useful than pretending it behaves like a double bed suspended between two trees.

Setting It Up

The Bear Butts hammock is extremely simple to pitch.

Find two suitable trees, attach the suspension, clip the hammock in and adjust the height.

That simplicity is one of the reasons I enjoy hammock camping.

There are no poles to assemble and no need to find a completely flat patch of ground.

I often find it easier to find two suitable anchor points than a perfectly flat tent pitch, particularly in woodland.

Before hanging any hammock, I check above me for dead branches.

A perfectly positioned hammock underneath a large dead limb is not a good campsite.

How Far Apart Should the Trees Be?

Around 12-15 ft works well for this hammock in many situations.

You don’t need to make the hammock guitar-string tight.

A hammock should hang with a noticeable curve.

A useful general starting point is to aim for suspension lines somewhere around a 30-degree angle.

That usually gives a much more comfortable lay than pulling everything horizontally tight.

The exact tree spacing and strap height will depend on:

• The distance between the trees
• Your suspension system
• Your body weight
• How much sag you prefer

I normally make a quick adjustment once I sit in it rather than obsessing over exact measurements.

The Included Ropes vs Kodiak Straps

The hammock originally came with simple ropes.

They work.

But if I were setting this up regularly, I would use proper tree straps.

Bear Butt still sells its Kodiak Straps separately.

A wide webbing strap is easier to adjust and spreads the load across more of the tree bark than narrow cord.

It also makes changing the hammock height much quicker.

So while the basic hammock can be used without upgrading the suspension, I think straps make the overall system considerably better.

Weight and Pack Size

The hammock itself packs into the attached stuff sack.

Bear Butt currently gives a packed size of approximately:

7 x 4 x 4 inches.

That is still impressively small considering how much fabric comes out of it.

The current listed weight is about 1.6 lb with the ropes.

That puts it in a different category from modern ultralight hammocks weighing only a few hundred grams.

But I don’t think that is really the point of the Bear Butt.

It prioritises:

• Space
• Strength
• Durability
• Low price

over shaving every possible gram.

For general camping, travelling or keeping a hammock in the car, I am perfectly happy with that trade-off.

Attached Stuff Sack

I really like hammocks with an attached stuff sack.

You can’t lose it.

When the hammock is pitched, the bag also hangs from the side and becomes a useful little storage pocket.

I use it for things like:

• Phone
• Headlamp
• Snacks
• Small items I don’t want disappearing underneath me

There is also enough room in the bag that packing the hammock away isn’t a wrestling match.

I can feed the fabric back into it rather than having to fold everything perfectly.

Durability

The 75D fabric is one of the reasons the hammock feels reassuring.

There are lighter hammock fabrics available, but they require more care.

The Bear Butt feels like something I can actually use.

Bear Butt currently states that the hammock has reinforced triple stitching and a 500 lb rated capacity, while saying it has been tested up to 900 lb.

I would still treat 500 lb as the working capacity rather than interpreting a test figure as an invitation to load 900 lb into it.

That is an important distinction.

The fabric is tough, but it isn’t indestructible.

Sharp objects are still the enemy.

I would keep:

• Knives
• Axes
• Keys
• Sharp belt hardware
• Dog claws

away from the loaded fabric.

A tiny cut in nylon becomes much more significant once hundreds of pounds of tension are placed on it.

How Strong Is the Bear Butts Double Hammock?

Bear Butt rates the hammock for 500 lb.

The company says it has tested the hammock itself up to 900 lb.

Those two numbers used to be mixed together in a lot of descriptions, including my original article.

I would now describe it as:

500 lb rated capacity, tested by Bear Butt to 900 lb.

That is both clearer and more useful.

The polyester end straps are also a substantial part of the design.

Bear Butt says those end straps have a 1,000 lb load-bearing capacity.

Sleeping Position

When I first tested it, I tried sleeping both straight and diagonally.

Diagonal is the way I would use it now.

Lying diagonally allows your body to flatten the hammock more effectively.

If you lie perfectly in line with the hammock, your shoulders and feet get pulled upwards and you end up with a much deeper curve.

There is no need for your feet to hang completely outside.

Just shift your head to one side and your feet towards the opposite side.

Once you find the right angle, a large hammock like this becomes surprisingly flat.

Rain Protection

The hammock itself is not a shelter.

If there is any chance of rain, you need a tarp.

I tested it with the Bear Butts Rain Fly, which is the obvious matching option.

Bear Butt still sells the Rain Fly today.

You can also use almost any appropriately sized hammock tarp.

I would rather have a tarp that extends beyond both ends of the hammock than something cut too small simply to save a few grams.

Wind-driven rain can travel surprisingly far underneath a tarp.

Cold Weather

Hammocks can feel much colder than tents once the temperature drops.

Air moves beneath you and removes heat from the underside of the hammock.

Because your sleeping bag is compressed underneath your body, it doesn’t insulate very effectively there.

The two normal solutions are:

• A sleeping pad inside the hammock
• An underquilt suspended underneath it

I prefer an underquilt because it conforms to the shape of the hammock and doesn’t slide around underneath me.

For occasional trips, a sleeping pad is perfectly workable.

Best Uses

I think the Bear Butts Double works particularly well for:

• General camping
• Weekend hammock trips
• Garden use
• Parks
• Beaches where suitable anchors are available
• Car camping
• Travel
• Larger or taller users wanting extra room

I would be less likely to choose it for:

• Serious ultralight backpacking
• Trips where trees are scarce
• Locations where hammocks are prohibited

It is compact enough for backpacking.

It just isn’t especially light by current ultralight standards once you add straps, tarp and insulation.

Bear Butt Double Hammock vs a Tent

I wouldn’t say a hammock setup is automatically lighter, cheaper and better than a tent anymore.

That depends entirely on the setup.

For overnight hammock camping you may need:

• Hammock
• Tree straps
• Rain fly
• Bug net
• Underquilt or sleeping pad

Once you add everything together, a modern lightweight tent can easily compete on weight.

The advantage of the hammock is different.

You get:

• No need for flat ground
• A very comfortable sleeping position once set up correctly
• Excellent airflow
• A comfortable seat around camp
• Modular shelter components

Whether that beats a tent comes down to where and how you camp.

Is Bear Butt Still in Business?

Yes.

This is worth clarifying because this review originally dates back years.

Bear Butt still operates and currently sells:

• Double Hammocks
• Kodiak Straps
• Rain Flies
• Bug Nets

The company currently says it has sold more than 120,000 Double Hammocks since 2015.

That means this isn’t just an old discontinued hammock surviving through leftover Amazon listings.

The basic product is still part of the current range.

Is the Bear Butts Double Hammock Worth It?

Yes.

The main reason is value.

You get a very large, strong and comfortable hammock without paying premium-hammock money.

It isn’t the lightest option.

It doesn’t include every piece needed for a four-season hammock shelter.

But the underlying hammock is very good.

For somebody buying their first hammock, I think that simplicity is a strength.

You can start with:

Hammock + straps.

Then add:

Rain fly + insulation + bug protection

if you decide you actually want to sleep outdoors in it.

Final Verdict

The Bear Butts Double Hammock remains a very easy hammock to recommend.

It is huge.

It is comfortable.

It packs surprisingly small.

The 75D fabric gives me far more confidence than some extremely delicate ultralight hammocks, and the 500 lb rated capacity gives plenty of margin for larger users or two people relaxing together.

The biggest thing I would change from my original review is how I describe it.

I wouldn’t call it an ultralight hammock anymore, and I wouldn’t describe the 900 lb test figure as its normal maximum capacity.

Instead, I would describe it as a strong, roomy and inexpensive general-purpose hammock that is still compact enough to take camping.

That is what it does well.

And considering Bear Butt is still selling essentially the same Double Hammock years later, the basic design has clearly held up.

Bear Butts Double Hammock Review