The traditional casual hammock is the rope hammock often associated with beaches, backyards, and lounging in the sunshine on a glorious summer day.
These hammocks are comfortable, simple, and have a great-looking aesthetic. They often include spreader bars to keep the hammock flat and add stability which makes the hammock very comfortable for prolonged use.
While rope hammocks pack relatively small and are quite light, they are often not as well suited to expeditions as purpose-built, fabric camping hammocks.
This is because fabric hammocks are made of strong, modern materials with great strength to weight ratio, as well as being waterproof or very quick to dry. This makes fabric an obvious choice for more arduous environments where weight and utility are key.
Fabric hammocks may not be as comfortable as rope hammocks, depending on the configuration and whether spreader bars are used, however fabric hammocks are still superbly comfortable. This may explain why most dedicated camping hammocks nowadays have a fabric construction over the more old school rope designs.