Lesovik Draka – Comfortable ship from Poland

Lesovik is not only a mythical East Slavic creature that protects the forest from intruders in the form of a forest demon, but also a very progressive Polish manufacturer specializing in the production of outdoor hammocks and accessories. If you want to know more about this company, then I refer you directly to the interview with the founder of Lesovik, Rafał Palowski: Lesovik – a little big miracle from Poland | Bikepacking.cz

Flagship

The DRAKA hammock stands at the top of Lesovik’s offer. It is a sophisticated model designed for year-round use. DRAKA is a complete system that, according to the manufacturer, offers the user everything he could want from a hammock. Lesovik launched this hammock in 2018 and at that time it was also the only hammock with a fully removable mosquito net in Poland. The company founder himself rates the DRAKA as a personal oasis of peace and comfort. He uses it on his non-racing ultralight bikepacking trips. I personally find the DRAKA to be one of the most comfortable hammocks with the best price/performance ratio. Moreover, thanks to the pioneering and enthusiasm of outdoor shop nalehko.com, it is finally possible to buy this hammock in the Czech Republic, including the original accessories.

You can find much more expensive modular systems on the market with a wider range of accessories than DRAKA offers, but you have to consider that you will have to pay a considerable amount extra for each accessory. This is often also true for the hammock suspension system, which DRAKA already has as a basic feature. Lesovik’s strategy is built in such a way that as a customer you get everything you need for your hammock. Of course, don’t count on the fact that you also get the bottom insulation included in the price 🙂 On the contrary, the manufacturer assumes that everyone decides for himself what insulation he will buy for the hammock, because Draka is compatible with most insulation from other manufacturers. And how much music is really hidden in the basic set at the price of 4 480, – CZK.

The basic package includes:

• 1 pc DRAKA hammock including mosquito net.
• 2 pcs SMUK anodized aluminium Lesovik carabiners.
• 2 pcs SMUK Dyneema® whoopie sling with 2 mm diameter.
• 1 pc SMUK Ridgeline (also made of Dyneema® in 2 mm whoopie sling).
• 2 pcs of SMUK Tree Huggers, which prevent damage to trees and provide two fixed anchor points for hanging the hammock (these are two densely woven polyester straps 2 cm wide and 178 cm long).
• 1 pc net ridgeline organizer for small items (five pockets).
• 2 pcs of side elastic hammock anchorage.
• 1 pc mesh bag for mosquito net.
• 1 pc net bag for tree loops, i.e. Tree Huggers

I have weighed the DRAGON completely and the whole hammock set including the transport bag has a weight of 801 g. The DRAKA itself including mosquito net, ridgeline and organizer, i.e. without suspension and transport package, weighs 617 g.

Comfort

The dimensions of DRAKA are exactly 330 x 150 cm. This means, in other words, that we have 11-12 feet long hammock. This length allows ideal diagonal lying at an angle of 20° with respect to the axis of the hammock. The height of the figure is almost without limitation. I find this dimension perfect to stay longer in one place or just go for multiple nights. At these lengths, you can say that the hammock really becomes your base where you can really relax.

By the way, the length of 11-12 feet is also the most used dimension. It is a kind of dimensional ethanol that is not missing in most of the proven manufacturers. It is the length of the hammock and the sufficient width that makes this hammock one of the most comfortable hammocks and affordable hammocks on the market, because it allows you to sleep in a diagonal position with the feeling that you are really sleeping flat. If you’re familiar with spacious Brazilian hammocks and have ever slept in one, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Please always keep in mind when choosing a hammock that comfort increases mainly with the length of the hammock. It’s really about nothing more than getting enough extra “unused” hammock material available for diagonal lying. In short, the extra material will allow you to achieve a sensationally flat lying position. The hammock won’t try to wrap you up, nor will you have the cramped feeling that often manifests itself in the painful pressure of too much stretched material on your body. Unfortunately, all too often I see beginners buying complete sets in an attempt to save money, but unfortunately in completely inappropriate dimensions for their height. So pay attention to this when choosing!

The DRAKA is listed on paper as a symmetrical single-layer hammock, but in practice this only means that the removable mosquito net, which is part of the hammock, is sewn as symmetrical. This simply means that you can lie diagonally in the hammock in four directions, i.e. as it suits you in terms of your own laterality. In addition, with symmetrical hammocks you do not have to unfasten and turn the mosquito net inside out, as is usual with some asymmetrical hammocks, when you want to adapt the hammock to a different laterality. If you want to know in more detail what the difference between a symmetrical and asymmetrical hammock is and how it all relates to laterality as well, I refer you to my earlier article: Choosing the Hammock or Finding the Holy Grail | Bikepacking.cz

DRAKA is made of military nylon in 65 g/m² including ripstop treatment. This material can withstand loads of up to 250 kg while still maintaining excellent dimensional stability. In addition, it is sufficiently breathable and practically does not stretch. Both my son and I can confirm that the breathability of the material is at an excellent level for us. We often go on expeditions together all year round, and it is the weather around 0 °C that shows how the hammock material really performs. With the DRAKA we have not yet found a puddle of precipitated moisture in the hammock after a night out, which we have experienced with less breathable hammocks. The hammock material used is very pleasant to the touch and lacks perhaps only the velvety softness that I am used to with the more expensive Dream-Tex material that Warbonnet uses for its hammocks. But maybe that’s just my own debauchery, who knows.

DRAKU is available in three colour versions. The colours are definitely a big plus and I am glad that Lesovik avoided military shades. Interestingly, the inspiration for designing the appropriate colours came from Rafal’s trip to Estonia, where he was inspired by the colours of nature. There the decision was made to use Baltic blue and pine amber for their products. Olive green, on the other hand, is a reference to the beginnings of Lesovik, according to Rafal.

Mosquito net

DRAKA has a fully integrated mosquito net. According to the manufacturer’s information, the density of the mesh used is approximately 256 mesh / 1 cm². It is attached to the hammock on both sides along its entire length by two-way zippers and can thus be easily partially or completely detached, thus also regulating the temperature in the hammock. My son and I use it a lot. Mostly in the summer, of course, as protection from insects. In the winter months, we only use it when the weather is drier and freezing, because even a mosquito net can provide a few degrees better conditions. If the temperatures are slightly above zero, i.e. it is wetter and colder, then we leave the mosquito net partially unzipped or even do not turn it on at all, so as not to encourage condensation. This is always significantly less in a hammock than in a tent, but in such conditions, you may be unpleasantly surprised in the morning. In the following photos you can see DRAKA in winter conditions in Brdy. At that time the temperature was around – 8 °C at night. I put the mosquito net on my son to increase his thermal comfort. Also note that I also hung a camouflaged protector (must be purchased) over the bottom insulation to increase the capabilities of this bottom insulation by a couple of degrees and thus the overall thermal comfort in the hammock. The lower protector will otherwise find use mainly as a moisture barrier, which is what it is primarily intended for.

In the other photos below you can see how the mosquito net can be partially detached, for example on one of the sides of the hammock. This, by the way, is the most common way I unzip the mosquito net. Most of the time I don’t want to unzip it all the way because I’m expressly tired of zipping it back up. I find this method of partially unzipping the mosquito net the most practical. But it has one drawback that Lesovik hasn’t solved yet with the DRAKA: although you have the hammock nicely open, sometimes the mosquito netting on the other side gets tangled in places you don’t want it.

Lesovik is currently trying to solve this with elastic loops that allow you to attach the entire unzipped mosquito net to the ridgeline. At first glance this solution looks interesting, but again it takes a long time to adjust and God forbid if you lose some of the elastic loops. I’ve already accidentally catapulted a few of them somewhere in the woods 😊. I would find a much more practical solution to be a simple one, such as found on the Warbonnet Blackbird XLC hammock, where you use laces sewn on the inner and outer sides of the hammock. Then you just make a classic loop around the tightened mosquito netting and your problems are over. You can see this solution in the third photo below.

Suspension and anchor points

DRAKA is also equipped with four side anchor points, each in pairs on the left and right side of the hammock. Each pair of these anchors is connected by adjustable elastic cords (bungee cords). The anchor points allow the hammock to be additionally extended sideways to improve its spaciousness and make it easier for you to lie down. This small detail is also very practical for handling items in the hammock. The additional anchor points are also welcome for anyone who is not comfortable swinging. In the photo below you can see the asymmetrical anchoring, where you can combine each pair of side anchor points into one spot (in short, you only use one anchor point on each side). If you’re wondering what this is good for, you can easily create an asymmetrical hammock with this little trick. With this configuration, you always anchor the sides in place of your feet and head. This will simply help you fine tune your diagonal lying. I recommend this configuration especially for those sleepers who already know their exact laterality and sleep mostly in one particular direction. I recommend trying both ways of anchoring the sides of the hammock. so you know what works best for you. My kids, for example, usually use the standard symmetrical anchorage because they wiggle around in the hammock a lot and I often find their feet in the morning where their head was in the evening.

As I mentioned above, the basic DRAKA set also includes the complete SMUK suspension system. The whole set consists of a carabiner, Dyneema® whoopie sling and Tree Huggers. You don’t need anything else. Lesovik’s aim was to equip the DRAKA with the least complicated, sufficiently lightweight and affordable suspension system. This was successful, but I still found a few flies on this system. The tree loops, with their 178 cm length, are too short. I’m used to lengths of around 210-230 cm myself, and I know what an advantage this is when you just hit a great spot and, like hell, only wider tree trunks are in place. Then you’re glad for every extra inch of skid.

The whoopie sling system probably doesn’t need much introduction. If you don’t know it, check it out on YouTube – it’s better to see than to explain. I have a few reservations about it too, unfortunately. Part of the sling is directly threaded through the hammock. This means that if you want to replace this type of suspension for the winter with another, more gentle on your frozen fingers, you will have to remove the whoopie sling completely from the hammock. For these reasons, I advocate a more variable solution, which involves placing permanent short Dyneema® interconnecting loops at each end of the hammock. You can see the SMUK system in the photos below. The last photo then shows as an example the variable version I described, where I clamped a wide Beetle Buckle suspension into the permanent loop. If you want to upgrade your suspension system in time, it will be up to you, as SMUK is sufficient as a base.

Storage space

The DRAKA hammock already includes a five-pocket organiser. At first, the organizer seemed quite small compared to side storage systems I know from the Blackbird XLC and Chameleon hammocks. However, I came to like it quite a bit. The whole organizer is made of flexible material and it’s amazing what it can hold. For example, you can stuff a sweatshirt into the main largest pocket just fine. If you also buy a HUBA mini hammock with the DRAKA, then you don’t have to worry about storage no more.

What you won’t really find in the base

As I hinted earlier, you will need to buy underquilt (uq) and a tarp. These accessories are not really included. Lesovik also has these accessories in their range and so there is no need to be unfaithful to the brand. Of course, DRAKA is also fully compatible with other reputable brands of insulation, and we specifically rotate between multiple brands of insulation depending on the conditions. However, this is also because we carry multiple types of hammocks and over time everything got mixed up. Lesovik offers both summer and winter versions of the popular OTUL synthetic insulation. In the photo below you can see the OTUL light summer insulation. The next photo, in which you see a red DRAGON, is already hung winter OTUL insulation. If you want to know more about hammock insulation, I refer you to my earlier article on this topic: Warming the hammock or what you learn in youth you find in old age | Bikepacking.cz

And it would be good to mention one hot news. From mid-December 2022, new versions of Lesovik OTUL AUR summer and winter insulation will be available on the Czech market. After a long time, Lesovik has thus nicely supplemented its offer. According to the latest news, it looks like everything has gone well, as the AUR insulation has won two main prizes in the GOOD DESIGN 2022 competition in the Sport and INNOVATION FOR SPORT 2022 categories. The Good Design awards are given by the Polish Institute of Industrial Design for innovation, aesthetics, functionality and quality of implemented solutions. You can see the new version of the insulation below.

Does it make sense to start something with Draco?

I think it certainly does. After more than a year of use, I perceive DRAKA as a very good system, which is on the level of much more expensive and reputable brands in its workmanship and focus. The hammock is one of the most comfortable I have slept in yet. It is also light enough and collapsible enough for bikepacking. If you race a lot and deal with every gram, the Draka isn’t for you. But if you have the soul of a traveler and enjoy waking up in the morning with a good cup of coffee, then this hammock is definitely for you.