Kammok Mantis UL Hammock Review

Bottom Line

For the best all-in-one hammock kit, the Kammok Mantis UL ran away with our hearts, offering a comfortable and high-quality experience at (nearly) every opportunity. It combines a comfortable, 10 foot hammock with tons of thoughtful features and a full coverage hex tarp that is a dream to set up.

During testing in Minnesota, we found the Mantis UL to be the one hammock kit we reached for most. Throughout all parts of our testing process it delivered on the fundamentals while offering a premium experience that made hammocking simply enjoyable.

The feature selection is robust and well thought-out, with side pulls, LineLocs, interior pockets, and more small touches that made it clear it was designed by people who loved hammocking. We appreciated that stakes were included but found they were of low quality and probably will be the first thing that needs replacing. That didn’t detract too much from the overall value, which we believe remains high, due to the quality of components delivered, even though this is the most expensive kit in our lineup of camping hammocks.

Comfort

The first thing you notice about the Mantis UL is just how nice it feels, and that feeling carried through the entire experience. Everything is packaged in a remarkably small, silnylon (siliconized nylon) drybag with a clever stake storage pocket on the outside that keeps your stakes from getting the rest of the components dirty. Opening up the drybag, there are sections to keep the hammock body and tarp separate, which is another thoughtful touch.

Testers of different heights disagreed on the comfort of the Mantis UL. Our 5’11” tester found it quite comfortable, while our 5’9” and 5’5” testers found it to be only average. Comfort is highly subjective, but we’re confident enough in the Mantis UL to say most users should find a good night’s sleep achievable regardless of their height. One standout feature was the softness of the fabric; it was luxuriously smooth and provided the best hand-feel of any hammock in the lineup.

Features

If you’re looking for a fully featured hammock kit, the Mantis UL provides generously. The interior pockets are some of the best we’ve seen; with one on each side, it’s easy to stash a phone, headlamp, or gloves. The bug net is fully removable but also has toggles for tying either side back, so lounging from either direction is easier. 

The feature that adds most to livability is the inclusion of side pulls to help keep the bug netting away from the face; the Mantis UL does a great job with these. There are four side pulls that attach with hooks to loops on the sides, but also include a length of shock cord attached to LineLoc adjustments for easy tensioning. This is easily our favorite implementation of side-pulls in the entire lineup. A tradeoff with this design is that because the head side pulls attach to the bug net, getting in and out of the hammock requires ducking under the still tensioned netting. 

On a more disappointing note, the zipper ends in the middle of the hammock body on both sides. This enables a fully removable bug net, but we wish the ends were at the head or foot of the hammock body like other designs we’ve seen. The benefit of zippers terminating at the head or foot ends means they won’t abruptly stop in the middle of the hammock when trying to zip the bug netting.

The tarp is also full of features. There are six attached cords that each have their own pocket on the end of the tarp to keep things from getting tangled.  In practice we found we rarely wanted to take the time to actually coil up each cord and stuff it in the pocket, so these went largely unappreciated. However, the inclusion of LineLocs on each corner and center meant that tensioning the tarp was easy and painless. 

The inclusion of a center cord is definitely helpful for stability in wind, but we also found this was a feature we didn’t need since a properly tensioned hex tarp with just four corners is stable enough for most weather. The tarp attaches to trees independently of the hammock and without any knots. A small hook like the one used for the side-pulls and LineLocs make this an easy process and are clear favorites of the kits we tested. We thought that the shape and size of the tarp was perfect, and we wouldn’t have any issue riding out a storm in this kit.

A negative point is the included stakes. At first glance they look like DAC aluminum V stakes, but they’re lighter and, to our surprise, bent in soft soil on the first test run! Although we were able to bend them back into shape easily enough, the fact that we were able to fix the bend with two hands simply illuminated the problem more: these stakes are not strong. With careful use they could last a long time, but they’re probably the only part of the entire kit that does not inspire confidence.

The included stake pocket on the bag is a wonderful touch that we wish more products had, and it should be large enough to accommodate any third-party stakes you might replace the included stakes with.

Weight

For an all-in-one kit, the Mantis UL is surprisingly lightweight for the features it offers. At 39 ounces, which is not much heavier than some of our single hammocks, it manages to add a comfortable hammock body, excellent tarp with good coverage, side-pulls, tons of guylines, good suspension, and even six stakes. The fact that it packs so well into the included bag and manages to deliver quality features at that weight is really remarkable. 

Other hammock kits are able to get lighter, but they’re not as well balanced or as comfortable. You can get lower weights by assembling all the components yourself, but that will cost more and require navigating the dizzying amount of options out there. For serious hammockers, that won’t be an issue, but for people starting off who just want a good weight at a fair price, the Mantis UL offers pretty good value in a lightweight package.

Ease of Use

With so many features, the Mantis UL can get complicated, but it does a great job making every step of the way easy. Setting up the tarp is simple with wonderful hooks and LineLoc adjustments, and the side pulls work the same way. The tarp’s included LineLocs also make setup a snap.

We’re only docking points for two reasons. First, the zipper stops halfway through the hammock body, and second, the bug net stays tensioned by the side pulls when unzipped. The zipper stopping halfway through the hammock body is annoying when trying to fully zip up the hammock in one long motion like many other models allow you to do.

The side pulls connecting to the bug net means that getting in and out of the hammock will necessitate ducking under the netting each time if the side pulls are tensioned. These are minor issues that we didn’t notice much after getting used to them, but they still bear mentioning.

Should You Buy the Kammok Mantis UL Hammock?

The Mantis UL is an excellent product for someone who wants to dive into hammock camping with a full kit and know that every component is high quality and comfortable (with the exception of the stakes.)

Its asking price is a little steep at first glance, but assembling a comparable kit from high-quality components on your own would cost a similar amount.. You can definitely get lighter, and you can definitely get cheaper, but Kammok has managed to find a sweet spot for all the components here that we think make for a compelling package.

What Other Hammocks Should You Consider?

Below are some comparable options to the Mantis UL. For even more options, check out our complete Guide to the Best Hammocks for more of our favorites.

Hennessy Expedition Asym Zip Review: If the idea of an all-in-one hammock kit is appealing but the price of the Mantis UL is still a bit high, then Hennessey makes the best entry-level hammock kit. It’s not going to be as comfortable or provide the same weather protection, but it’s made of quality components that should last a long time, and it comes at a great price. Hennessey rates their standard hammocks for heights up to 6 feet. We think that’s a bit generous, so if you’re on the edge we’d recommend bumping up to the XL size.

Warbonnet Blackbird Review: For our favorite standalone hammock, the Warbonnet Blackbird does a lot to stand out while being the lightest hammock in our lineup. If the thought of assembling all the components isn’t intimidating, the Blackbird is the best standalone hammock to start with, even if it does command a premium price.