Hammock Shelters

S

Stryver

Joined
Jun 5, 1999
Messages
566
Greetings All!

I am searching for information on camping-type hammocks. I am interested in designs that will keep me dry and bug free, and am hoping some here have used them before. The brands I have found on-line are: Hennessey (http://www.hennessyhammock.com/) which seems to be the lightest, but have trouble with hard stormy weather. Clark Jungle Hammocks (http://www.junglehammock.com/) which seem exorbitantly complicated. Lawson (http://www.tbcinc.com/hammocks/hamindex.html) whose Blue Ridge Camping Hammock looks much like a solo tent suspended between two trees.

Please chime in if you have experience with any of these, or knowledge of other brands/types.

I have always enjoyed sleeping on my hammock, but mosquitoes normally drive me to the ground where my Sleep Screen does fantastically in good weather. Recent encounters with some centipedes of a size I'd never thought existed outside of the amazonian rainforest and a particularly prevalent scorpion have encouraged me to return to the trees away from the crawlies on the ground.

Thanks for your help


Stryver, still jittery from them centipedes...
 
I have the Hennessy. Its pretty nice. Works as advertized, plenty strong for one person, etc. This is NOT cold weather camping gear by any means! There are ways to keep them a little warmer in a pinch, but if you know its going to be cold, then I wouldn't recommend a hammock!

Now that being said, I'll give you my review of the Hennessy...

So far I've used it for maybe 5 nights (last summer). It was the most comfortable (on my back) sleep in the forest I've ever had. The gentle rocking is also relaxing. The vaunted "diagonal" that allows you to stretch out flat in these hammocks is about 10 degrees off the centerline, and while it works, you have to work at keeping yourself flat and not drifting into the centerline where it will sink like most hammocks. It was easy to set up and take down. Easy to pack, very light, small, etc. I have to admit it sure reduces the total load normally dedicated to shelter. You don't need a ground mat either, which saves even more room!

The bad news for me is that its a real pain in the a** to get into your sleeping bag! The only technique that worked (I got clued into it here and by calling Hennessy), was to step into the bag on the ground and to sit in the entry slit in your bag, then lay back into the hammock pulling your feet and the bag up with them. You might even have to zip the bag part way up before you lay back and pull up your feet so they don't come out of the bag. This sounds worse than it is except for one thing. I <i>always</i> have to go pee at least once during the night, and that is <i><b>hell</b></i> in a sealed hammock (with an integral roof) when its difficult to get into your bag!

Bottom line for me is that I choose the Hammock when I know where I'm going is hot - at least warm nights, and I don't really need to wrap myself efficiently in my sleeping bag.
 
I own a Hennessy Hammock Safari Ultralite. I love it. One heck of a great buy. I too have never used it in cold weather, but Tom (Hennessy) said that he used a reflectix and fleece liner on the inside and slept warmly in 30 degree weather.

But then he is Canadian - and you know how weird they are.:p

Get one... I think you'll like it!
 
I used those jungle hammocks in Panama. Much better than sleeping off the ground, and the screen keeps the creepy crawlers off. I have tried normal hammocks in colder weather, but froze in just a bag.
 
I usually carry a tent, ground cover and sleeping pad but last summer I wanted to go "ultra light" and I tried a hammock with a seperate mosquito net. I carried about 5 pounds less of gear and I never slept better. But, only do it in the summer. It was early September when I did it and I was in the mountains. I almost froze my keister off.

I first strung the hammock between 2 trees about 3 feet off of the ground. After I applied a little body weight and the ropes tightened, I was about 1 foot off of the ground. This was OK because, as others have mentioned, it's a little hard getting into the sleeping bag when in a hammock.

After I had the hammock in place, I strung a rope from the 2 trees about 5 feet high. I threw the mosquito netting over this and that was it. A crafty mosquito could have found his way thru the ends of the netting but none bothered me. Maybe it was the cold weather that kept them away?? I also had a visit from a curious bear during the night but that's another story.

PS - I also noticed that it was about 5 degrees warmer inside the netting that outside. A very lightweight way of keeping a little warmer.
 
How much weight will these support? I'm over 260lbs. I've never even looked at these because I was always affraid of crashing down during the night.;)
 
The Safari Deluxe will support 300 pounds. I'm strongly considering a Safari Ultralight, which will support 250 pounds. I'd get the Ultralight Backpacker A-Sym, but it only supports 200 pounds and I weigh 220. Check out the Hennessy Hammock Catalog.

Right now, unless it looks like rain, my summer shelter is an 8.5 oz. 58" x 104" silicone impregnated nylon poncho, 100' (2 oz.) of Kelty Triptease, six titanium tent stakes (~1.5 oz.), half a Space Emergency Blanket (2 oz.) for a ground cloth and a home made closed cell folding sleeping pad/frame sheet that weighs 6 oz. I could add a 6.6 oz. A16 Buy Bivy and it would all still weigh less Safari Ultralight. Even if I get the Hennessy, I'll be carrying the other stuff anyway as emergency gear.
 
I have and enjoy the Clark Jungle Hammock.

It is well built, and not too expensive. I normally cannot sleep on my back worth a flip, but I sleep like a baby in mine.

It rolls up relatively well, and I like the green coloration.

My two cents.
 
Thank you for the reviews. Anyone out there used the Blue Ridge one?

Both the hennessey and the Clark have removeable rain-flies, yes/no?

One technique I've known people to use, when very lazy, or very cold outside, and not staying in the same place twice, was to roll over and relieve oneself under the hammock. Could be done with the hennessey, probably not with the clark. Probably better just to have a pee bottle with you.

I've spent nights down to low thirties in a net hammock and been fine, albeit in my down bag that I've spent subzero nights with on the ground. The one thing I've foudn to make the most difference is a ground pad. I have a 1/4 or 3/16 closed cell pad I normally use, and it makes a world of difference under you in a hammock.


Thanks again for the reviews,

Stryver
 
Yes the Hennessey has a removable rain fly. You can't just roll over and pee though because the mosquito net is sewed to the hammock. The only exit is through the slit in the bottom (same way you get in). You could roll over and maneuver yourself so that you dangle out the slit and pee, but that means you're peeing on the same ground you have to step on when getting into and out of the hammock. Good luck getting back into your bag afterwards too...

As for a pee bottle, yes you could have one, but since everything slides to the center of the hammock, you're going to end up sleeping with it, and heaven help you if it leaks or the cap comes off!
 
I have no experience with it, but you can get what appears to be an old style military jungle hammock for 40 bucks right here . It weighs 3 pounds and doesn't appear to have a rain fly, but I'm thinking of getting one anyway.

The weight is pretty close to the other brands, and with a price difference like that I'll make my own rain fly.

Does anybody have some experience with this model?
 
Be careful! My brother-in-law had a "military style" that let loose and dropped him on his hind end in the middle of the night! This is why I was asking the weight capacities. He is only about 180lbs, I'm over 260. I really like that Safari delux. Actually the ad said it will support 350lbs. All I know is his looked nice and he was just so proud until it dumped him. (Kinda reminds me of a few women...;))
 
I think a Hennessy Hammock with an appropriately sized silicone impregnated tarp (larger than the fly) would be a pretty cool set up. The hammock would offer comfort and bug protection (not to mention the ability to pitch it on uneven ground). The tarp would provide better bad weather performance and a place to relax, cook, store gear, etc. out of the weather. There used to ba a place called vermont voyager that sold a hammock (w/o bug netting) and tarp for just such use.
 
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