I will never forget the moment I realized that hammocks and tarps are only useful in theory.

The theory is that hanging above the ground in a lightweight system with a rain cover and bug net EQUALS comfortable sleep with protection from rain and bugs.

Sure! That sounds great, in theory, but I found out the sad truth about typical hammocks and tarps on an unforgettable trip to Honduras. 

I was part of a medical team venturing off to serve villages so remote we could only travel there by water in dug out canoes.

We planned to turn down our ‘beds’ outside with the atrocious bugs found in this region and would likely face heavy rain. We could not take up too much room in the canoes with our bulky tents and extra gear so we all packed hammocks and tarps for protection.

I opted for a popular hammock system with a typical tarp and bug net thinking it would cover all the basic elements we'd face out there, as well as allow me to sleep comfortably. 

In turn, I ended up with a small hammock that felt like sleeping in a Venus Fly trap and a shelter that was so narrow and tight it was really just holding me steady for the bugs to feast on me through the sides.

The netting hung so close to my face and body that the bugs were swarming right by my ears all night.

It offered no shelter from the noise and they could sting me right through the netting laying against me.

As if the insect feast-fest wasn't enough,  it started to storm.

And not just your typical rain storm. RAINFOREST rain storm.

The water started to pour into my hammock from the ends. It pooled underneath me like I was being cradled by an open water balloon.

I’ve never been so miserable in all my life. (Including the time I had botulism…)

And that was only the first night!

It never got any better either.

I had new insect stings and bites every morning EVEN THOUGH I was inside a so-called bug mesh.

And the downpours got past the open ends of the tarp so easily I may as well have not been using a tarp at all.

I swear I slept less on this trip than the time I found scorpions in my bed in Nicaragua.🦂🦂🦂😯

In hindsight, I would have traded this lighter hammock and tarp for a little extra weight a million times over if it meant more successful sleep out here!

Especially since my work quality serving these wonderful men, women, and children in need suffered from my pure exhaustion and sleeplessness.

On my flight home I decided to QUIT HAMMOCK CAMPING. 

I toiled with the sad truth I learned first hand about hammocks, bug nets, and tarps.

The Sad Truth:

Just because their purpose is to comfortably protect you from rain and insects, doesn't mean they actually do:

Tarps

• Open ends?! OPEN ENDS? How does this even make sense. Rain is water! Water finds a way in 100% of the time if it is not SEALED out.
• Finding the center?! It's just too much trouble to get it right.  You have to set up your tarp exactly centered at a perfect angle. Too far to the left? WET. Too far to the right? WET. Rain blows in from the end or wrong angle? WET. 
• What about my backpack?! The tarp does not protect my vitally important pack. So what now, Sleep with it? no thanks. Store it in a tree? Insects, rain. Toss it on the ground below me? Mud, water, insects, thieves, the list goes on.

Bug Nets

• I want my SPACE. Most bug nets just sit TOO CLOSE. Makes me feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic.
• Against my skin! What's the point of being INSIDE a bug net if it sits against your skin in some places. You get bit right through the sides!
• Some don't even seal all the way!  This one is just crazy to me. Listen, If they want to EAT you, they will find a way if not 100% sealed out. 

I Know What I NEED! Why Not Build It Myself?!

At this point I liked the THEORY of hammock camping, so I didn't want to completely let it go.  So I nailed down the major downfalls of bug nets and tarps, and drew out specific plans for a brand new apparatus with soaring space like a ground tent, but suspended in the air.

I made sure to create a solution for every single downfall I had listed.

In doing so I designed and patented major features including:

🚿 water proof sleeves for your suspension
👜 a gear stash for your pack

☁️ Sky suspension that makes setup easy and eliminates the need to center or angle like with a tarp

🛩 Low flying wings to deflect sideways blowing rain.

🕷 Completely enclosed insect shield that maintains a fantastic distance away from you.

🛸 Space ship space inside.

It was clear this was NOT your typical hammock and tarp, not a typical tent either.

THIS is AIR CAMP

Our dynamic Air Camp shelters have got you MORE THAN covered in the protection department, see for yourself!

And we'll rock your world with our warmth in the wild too. See our Warmth Line Up

But we believe your hammock itself is so vitally important to your level of comfort.

Hammocks

Most popular hammocks I have owned, (and I've owned a lot). Fail in the comfort department in so many ways:

• They fold you in half like a banana
• They use cheap, weak, parachute fabric that is rough against your skin and deteriorates quickly over time with wear, weather, sun, rain etc. 
• They have the ability to restrict you tightly or wrap you up
• They force you to lay in ways your spine and appendages are not made to lay

We found it incredibly important to construct our hammocks differently and spend an equally obsessive amount of time and attention to detail in the construction of our hammocks that completely change the way you lay in a hammock.

Our hammocks:

• cradle your body gently
• disperse itself equally around your pressure points
• allow you to stretch out and lay flat.
• We use our own Teslon3 fabric blends that are buttery, silky smooth against your skin. We coat each strand of our high-thread count hammock material with a propriety coating making the final luxurious fabric weather resistant and much stronger

• (Ninox)are cut in a proprietary comfort wave pattern (rather than the typical rectangular gathered end hammock) creating an extremely flat lay. Lay on your side, back, stomach, any direction! 

Hear me when I say sleeping comfortably in a hammock does not mean wrapped up like a burrito🌯 , smashed up like a banana🍌 , forced to lay a certain way 🙅🏻‍♂️ ,  eaten alive🕷,  or feeling sore 🤕 when you wake up.

That is why we designed our Hammocks the way we did in our Comfort Line Up.

We Got Tired of Restless Nights on the Ground!

The whole idea behind Sierra Madre is elevating your outdoor experience. It starts with getting a great night's sleep, we created our Hammocks to do just that.

You shouldn't have to suffer through sleepless nights on your adventures. You should be able to enjoy a solid 8 hours of peaceful slumber in the wild, without worrying about waking up sore, stiff, and unrested!

The Adventurous Richard Branson loves Sierra Madre gear too!

Sierra Madre is the sound of a revolution in the outdoor world. Whereas other corporate conglomerates are figuring out which colors to push next year, Sierra Madre is creating real innovations that empower you in the wild!

That's why Sir Richard Branson (possibly one of the most adventurous people on the planet) backed Sierra Madre. He believes in disrupting the status quo with the best product and service and was thrilled to partner with Sierra Madre. 

Sierra Madre gear is built to last a lifetime and only available on our website.

Sierra Madre gear was created to maximize your time in the wild, the Nubé Air Tent brings protection and convenience to a new level and our Ninox and Pares Camping Hammocks insure the best pressure free sleep you can imagine in the wild. We also created gear to keep you warm while you're in the wild, like our 5in1 Puffle Adventure Blanket and our top line Inferno System.

No matter where adventure takes you, we've got your back.

Our founder, Richard Rhett, created Sierra Madre because of two epic gear failures he experienced in the wild. Both left him stranded and completely ruined his adventures. As a Mechanical Engineer turned Entrepreneur. After over 10 years of building gear, Richard has held fast to our two pillars of our gear design, 1) solve problems, and look good doing it 2) over build it with hyper quality. 

“Sleeping in the wild should be restful and enjoyable, when you're not worried about getting wet or cold - it's so much easier to feel at peace in the wild”. Being comfortable, protected, and warm in the wild helps you feel at peace... Feels like home. "That's what it's all about."

We'd love to share one of our favorite stories with you. This came from a (now) customer. 

"Hello,

My name is Jim Aexfor and I am from Minnesota. I recently returned from a trip with a friend to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota.

I have a Kammok hammock setup while my friend has your Nubé setup he purchased early this year.

During our trip we encountered a bad storm with 50+ mph winds. During the storm my Glider hammock shelter ripped in half. This happened on day 2 of our weeklong adventure. My friend's Nubé shelter withstood the winds and we ended up adding my hammock above his in the shelter so I had a place to sleep out of the rain. We had another night of rain later on in the trip and had to do the same.

I had to let you know how awesome your product is and what a trip-saver is was for us. Otherwise, the trip would have been pretty miserable for me.

I will be shouting from the mountaintops about the quality of your product and will be advising my relatives and friends to check into your products. Ever since I started hammock camping many of my relatives and friends have become interested in this great outdoor experience.

I will be selling my hammock and investing the money into one of your setups. I am a teacher and a volunteer EMT so during the upcoming winter months I will be saving up to purchase the entire Nubé system.

Thank you so much for your incredible products that saved our trip!

Jim

What an REI employee said about us...

“I work for REI in the camping department and I also teach wilderness skills for the outdoor school. I have had plenty of experience with other camping gear but not until I tried sierra madre I was never satisfied. Sierra madre has worked the kinks out with their incredible innovation!” — Robert

All Sierra Madre products are created with sustainability at the fore front.

We strive for sustainability in our product design and excellent working conditions in every factory we partner with. We believe that every human has value and if people are taken care of, then they will take care of our planet.

We also believe that quality drinking water shouldn’t be a luxury. As part of our 1 for Clean Water Promise each piece of gear contributes one year of clean water to a person who desperately needs it. Together, we can end the water crisis.