Who can school me on hammocks?

Guyon

Guyon

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In the late spring and summer, I'm looking at ways to reduce load and do more overnighters. I'm thinking about a Hennessy Hammock, which would cut out the tent and ground pad requirements. I see Hennessy has won all sorts of awards, so I'm starting my inquiry with that brand.

A few questions:
- Are they comfortable? How well do they sleep?
- Does hammock camping cut down on load, especially for summer camping? I'm thinking I could lose the tent, ground pad, and even the sleeping bag on hot summer nights, maybe just going with a bag liner.
- Does Hennessy make a good product? If you have one, which version do you have?
- Are there other hammock brands you'd recommend?

I did some searching last night. I see there's an entire hammock forum, but I'm afraid entering that fray is going to lead to paralysis by analysis. I might look over there at some point, but right now, I'd just like opinions from W&SS folks who do camp regularly with a hammock.
 
I'm of similar mind. I was directed over to hammock forums and really saw it similarly: Paralysis by analysis.
 
I don't know from experience. I have been thinking of doing this too. I was a little discouraged when talking to a friend on my SAR team who had tried one and found that he tended to really feel the cold in them. I'm still curious... I like the idea of being up off the ground and being able to shed gear as you have mentioned.
 
Hennessey Hammocks are by far the best in the business. They are light comfortable, and they even make an add on for the winter, which I hear works wonders and bumps up the temperature inside and keeps it surprisingly toasty. If I remember correctly, they had British soldiers test it in Norway. I forget the whole review, but you can find it on line or on the Hennessey sight.
 
i'm not familiar with Hennessy Hammocks but i can give you the gist of hammock camping

i picked up a old school army hammock years ago and have used it a couple times on canoe trips. overall it was pretty good. my first trip was early fall so i froze my butt off. i wouldn't suggest hammocks for anything other then summer (at least in Canada)

the second trip was in the summer so it was all good. set up was a breeze. the hardest part sometimes is finding 2 trees that are just the right distance apart (15 feet or so)

it didn't take up any more room then a tent in the pack. kept the bugs out. once i added the trap it was high and dry. if it's not going to rain, the stock fly would be more then sufficient.

a rope slipped off the tree once, i though i rolled out and was too tired to do anything about it so i spent the remainder of the night on the ground. it was still fairly comfy. other then that it was a good overall choice. i'm sure i'll use it again on solo trips during the summer so if the hennessy is any better then mine i'm sure it would be like sleeping on a cloud

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I own a Hennesey. I don't think they are the best, but they are great values (kind like a mora2000 hammock :D). If I had to do it over again, I might be tempted on a warbonnett. Why the hennesey is such a value is that it includes a quality silnylon tarp with the set up. If you buy direct from the website, they also supply free snakeskins. The standard tarp that comes with the Hennessey is adequate for rain protection but will not provide additional protection for your gear. An 8 x 10' tarp is useful to replace the Hennesey one to provide a shelter for your pack and also to provide additional privacy if you are in a campground.

Comfort - one of the things to look for is a hammock with an asymmetrical design. The Hennesey expedition (which most people have) is of this type as are many other brands. The asymmetric design hangs in such a way that a ridgeline forms under the center of the hammock. You lay on a slight diagnal to the ridgeline so your legs are on one side and your upper body on the other. This keeps your body straight while a sleep. It also means you can comfortably roll over, sleep on your side or your belly.

The Hennesey comes in two formats now, velcro bottom hole enclosure and the side zipper. I really hated the bottom hole entry at first, but once I figured out how to get in and out I really like it more now. An advantage of the bottom entry is that it remains virtually bug free when you enter it in really buggy conditions while the zip ones you get in zip up and try to kill the stowaways that came in with you. The zip version is far easier to use when there are no bugs and it would be nice to toss the mesh aside under those conditions. I honestly don't know whether I'd buy the bottom hole or zip one on a replacement. I see advantages to both.

As for forgoeing the pad. I really wouldn't recommend doing that. You can downsize your pad requirements though. For 3 season, a thermarest ultralight works great and has a small footprint when compressed and rolled up. The skeeters can bite through the bottom necessitating some kind of bottom cover. Plus, convection sucks away heat really fast, so unless you are in the upper 70's temperature wise you quickly chill without a ground pad.

Setting up is really a breeze but there are times when finding trees can be difficult. Ironically, camping at designated campgrounds can be the most difficult in this regard because you are supposed to put up your tent in a limited space and sometimes there just aren't the trees there. I've yet to be totally stuck on being able to find a rigging spot so far, but I have had to request my campsite be moved to another spot because of the lack of trees on the one they give me before.
 
Really these are by far the best hammocks out there. Do a little research and find some reviews. I found a lot of people prefer Clark over Hennesey. You can sleep in a hammock in winter and be warm if you do it right. Research this as well on youtube.
www.junglehammock.com/index.php
 
kgd, this is exactly the kind of overview I was hoping for. Thank you for your extremely informative post.


kgd said:
I own a Hennesey. I don't think they are the best, but they are great values (kind like a mora2000 hammock :D). If I had to do it over again, I might be tempted on a warbonnett. Why the hennesey is such a value is that it includes a quality silnylon tarp with the set up. If you buy direct from the website, they also supply free snakeskins. The standard tarp that comes with the Hennessey is adequate for rain protection but will not provide additional protection for your gear. An 8 x 10' tarp is useful to replace the Hennesey one to provide a shelter for your pack and also to provide additional privacy if you are in a campground.

Comfort - one of the things to look for is a hammock with an asymmetrical design. The Hennesey expedition (which most people have) is of this type as are many other brands. The asymmetric design hangs in such a way that a ridgeline forms under the center of the hammock. You lay on a slight diagnal to the ridgeline so your legs are on one side and your upper body on the other. This keeps your body straight while a sleep. It also means you can comfortably roll over, sleep on your side or your belly.

The Hennesey comes in two formats now, velcro bottom hole enclosure and the side zipper. I really hated the bottom hole entry at first, but once I figured out how to get in and out I really like it more now. An advantage of the bottom entry is that it remains virtually bug free when you enter it in really buggy conditions while the zip ones you get in zip up and try to kill the stowaways that came in with you. The zip version is far easier to use when there are no bugs and it would be nice to toss the mesh aside under those conditions. I honestly don't know whether I'd buy the bottom hole or zip one on a replacement. I see advantages to both.

As for forgoeing the pad. I really wouldn't recommend doing that. You can downsize your pad requirements though. For 3 season, a thermarest ultralight works great and has a small footprint when compressed and rolled up. The skeeters can bite through the bottom necessitating some kind of bottom cover. Plus, convection sucks away heat really fast, so unless you are in the upper 70's temperature wise you quickly chill without a ground pad.

Setting up is really a breeze but there are times when finding trees can be difficult. Ironically, camping at designated campgrounds can be the most difficult in this regard because you are supposed to put up your tent in a limited space and sometimes there just aren't the trees there. I've yet to be totally stuck on being able to find a rigging spot so far, but I have had to request my campsite be moved to another spot because of the lack of trees on the one they give me before.
Click to expand...
 
My step-brother just went winter camping with his over the weekend.
Of course, he had such a huge fire going that he almost melted it...:rolleyes:

It does prove that it can be a 4 season thing though.
 
A few questions:
- Are they comfortable? How well do they sleep?

I think so. Usually I'm a stomach / side sleeper. In a hammock it's back / side and seems to work just fine. Don't lay down the centerline. A diagonal lie is key.

- Does hammock camping cut down on load, especially for summer camping? I'm thinking I could lose the tent, ground pad, and even the sleeping bag on hot summer nights, maybe just going with a bag liner.

You will almost certainly need some insulation under you. A CCF pad is a good starting point though the hammock pros tend to go for underquilts (think half sleeping bags that hang beneath your hammock). I got down into the 60s this summer for a week in the GSMNP with no insulation under me but after an hour or so, I was wearing a fleece jacket. Also I like sleeping cold - YMMV.

- Does Hennessy make a good product? If you have one, which version do you have?

I don't have a Hennessy but folks seem to like them.

- Are there other hammock brands you'd recommend?

I have an ENO Doublenest - inexpensive and comfy. Those are good as are a number of other brands. The Warbonnet Blackbird is the current 'gotta have' hammock. Maybe I'll get one if they ever go out of style. Honestly, if you are so inclined, a DIY hammock is a pretty easy project and the price is right.

www.hammockforums.net is to hammocks what bladeforums is to knives but if you don't want to dive quite that deeply, check Just Jeff's page - http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCamping.html - for good info.

Required watching:

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15516

These will certainly get you started.
---

Beckerhead #42
 
I camped with a guy last August who was using a Henessy. He was an older guy who said he gave up on tents years ago because of back trouble, and that the hammock was pain-free. He let me try it out, and I could lie flat in it if I was diagonal. I was impressed by how fast he set it up (less than five minutes) and how small it packed (like a large breadloaf).
 
kgd said:
I own a Hennesey. I don't think they are the best, but they are great values (kind like a mora2000 hammock :D). If I had to do it over again, I might be tempted on a warbonnett. Why the hennesey is such a value is that it includes a quality silnylon tarp with the set up. If you buy direct from the website, they also supply free snakeskins. The standard tarp that comes with the Hennessey is adequate for rain protection but will not provide additional protection for your gear. An 8 x 10' tarp is useful to replace the Hennesey one to provide a shelter for your pack and also to provide additional privacy if you are in a campground.

Comfort - one of the things to look for is a hammock with an asymmetrical design. The Hennesey expedition (which most people have) is of this type as are many other brands. The asymmetric design hangs in such a way that a ridgeline forms under the center of the hammock. You lay on a slight diagnal to the ridgeline so your legs are on one side and your upper body on the other. This keeps your body straight while a sleep. It also means you can comfortably roll over, sleep on your side or your belly.

The Hennesey comes in two formats now, velcro bottom hole enclosure and the side zipper. I really hated the bottom hole entry at first, but once I figured out how to get in and out I really like it more now. An advantage of the bottom entry is that it remains virtually bug free when you enter it in really buggy conditions while the zip ones you get in zip up and try to kill the stowaways that came in with you. The zip version is far easier to use when there are no bugs and it would be nice to toss the mesh aside under those conditions. I honestly don't know whether I'd buy the bottom hole or zip one on a replacement. I see advantages to both.

As for forgoeing the pad. I really wouldn't recommend doing that. You can downsize your pad requirements though. For 3 season, a thermarest ultralight works great and has a small footprint when compressed and rolled up. The skeeters can bite through the bottom necessitating some kind of bottom cover. Plus, convection sucks away heat really fast, so unless you are in the upper 70's temperature wise you quickly chill without a ground pad.

Setting up is really a breeze but there are times when finding trees can be difficult. Ironically, camping at designated campgrounds can be the most difficult in this regard because you are supposed to put up your tent in a limited space and sometimes there just aren't the trees there. I've yet to be totally stuck on being able to find a rigging spot so far, but I have had to request my campsite be moved to another spot because of the lack of trees on the one they give me before.
Click to expand...

Ken nailed it perfectly; it mirrors exactly my own experience. I did a 5 days hike last fall with my expedition hennessy. Some additional points to ponder:
- I gives you a very nice shelter for very little weight;
- You don't have to prepare your camping ground much;
- Snakeskins are a must;
- You have an instant clothes line;
- The area under the hammock is protected (storage);
- You sleep well...very well;
- You can easily sleep under the stars when the sky is clear;
- Snakeskins are a must;
- You really need a sleeping pad; it's real cold in there without one. The breeze sucks the heat out of your body real quick. The best is to buy a blue foam and resize it to match your body with an extra margin along the sides. No need of a pad under your legs as you can use your backpack and it's extra confortable.

Did I tell you the snakeskins are a must :p

Shot of my setup last fall:

D4_3LacsHammock.jpg
 
kgd said:
I own a Hennesey. I don't think they are the best, but they are great values (kind like a mora2000 hammock :D). If I had to do it over again, I might be tempted on a warbonnett. Why the hennesey is such a value is that it includes a quality silnylon tarp with the set up. If you buy direct from the website, they also supply free snakeskins. The standard tarp that comes with the Hennessey is adequate for rain protection but will not provide additional protection for your gear. An 8 x 10' tarp is useful to replace the Hennesey one to provide a shelter for your pack and also to provide additional privacy if you are in a campground.

Comfort - one of the things to look for is a hammock with an asymmetrical design. The Hennesey expedition (which most people have) is of this type as are many other brands. The asymmetric design hangs in such a way that a ridgeline forms under the center of the hammock. You lay on a slight diagnal to the ridgeline so your legs are on one side and your upper body on the other. This keeps your body straight while a sleep. It also means you can comfortably roll over, sleep on your side or your belly.

The Hennesey comes in two formats now, velcro bottom hole enclosure and the side zipper. I really hated the bottom hole entry at first, but once I figured out how to get in and out I really like it more now. An advantage of the bottom entry is that it remains virtually bug free when you enter it in really buggy conditions while the zip ones you get in zip up and try to kill the stowaways that came in with you. The zip version is far easier to use when there are no bugs and it would be nice to toss the mesh aside under those conditions. I honestly don't know whether I'd buy the bottom hole or zip one on a replacement. I see advantages to both.

As for forgoeing the pad. I really wouldn't recommend doing that. You can downsize your pad requirements though. For 3 season, a thermarest ultralight works great and has a small footprint when compressed and rolled up. The skeeters can bite through the bottom necessitating some kind of bottom cover. Plus, convection sucks away heat really fast, so unless you are in the upper 70's temperature wise you quickly chill without a ground pad.

Setting up is really a breeze but there are times when finding trees can be difficult. Ironically, camping at designated campgrounds can be the most difficult in this regard because you are supposed to put up your tent in a limited space and sometimes there just aren't the trees there. I've yet to be totally stuck on being able to find a rigging spot so far, but I have had to request my campsite be moved to another spot because of the lack of trees on the one they give me before.
Click to expand...

I hate quoting poor kgd again, but he is spot on. I've got a couple of Hennessy A-Sym hammocks, Speer hammock, a Mosquito Jungle Hammock, a simple ENO and my favorite, the Warbonnet Blackbird.

I would again, recommend a double-layer, as it helps keep the sleeping pad (still bring it along!) stable and in place. For recreation, I like the side entry hammocks as they double as a decent "chair". I can swivel around into a sitting position to get my boots on in the AM (or my sandals when mother nature calls at 0300:p). However, I do like the "bottom" entry on the original Hennessy for a quick in/out shelter.

I also recommend a separate fly (8x10 or 10x12) as it gives you more coverage for gear that you can’t put in your hammock and it gives you another option for a ground shelter if the temperature or terrain doesn’t facilitate a suspended shelter (another reason your sleeping pad comes in handy). Forgot to add that with a separate fly, you can get more space for air flow (when expecting precipitation) between the hammock and fly...important for the humid summers in the SE!

Comfort ratings are really an individual rating. I sleep pretty warm, but I usually pop in the sleeping pad when it gets in the low 60’s. Last spring on a camp out, the temps dipped to freezing (~30 degrees), and I ended up with my 40-degree summer sleeping bag, Kifaru Woobie, sleeping pad under and even with a lightweight top and bottom, I had to put my wool shirt under my bum but I slept pretty comfortably. Had it been windy, I would have been much more uncomfortable. I want to do a few tests over my Christmas Leave to try a simple poncho liner under-quilt, but for me, I think the hammock loses its advantage when the weight and bulk rival a small tent. As a late spring to early fall shelter, I won’t use anything else (and both my kids and wife now use hammocks).

There is a whole bunch of anchor and suspension techniques which are fun to experiment with (the hammock forums has a ton of great info!). I’ve found a few that work well for me and for my kids. Something simple to set up and take down; as mentioned, Snake-Skins are an excellent addition as well.

Let me know Guyon if you want me to send you a Hennessy A-Sym (bottom entry) to try out for a month or so before you purchase. If you do plan to purchase, definitely consider the side-entry with double-layered bottom (Warbonnet is another excellent option I would highly recommend, although you’ll have to look at getting the fly separately, but get an oversized one for more coverage options.

ROCK6
 
defaultuser said:
- You really need a sleeping pad; it's real cold in there without one. The breeze sucks the heat out of your body real quick. The best is to buy a blue foam and resize it to match your body with an extra margin along the sides. No need of a pad under your legs as you can use your backpack and it's extra confortable.]
Click to expand...



The guy I was camping with used one of those truck windshield sun reflector things for insulation. I thought that was pretty resourceful.
 
from my own research i think hennesy hammocks while sweet, are just over kill. but youre a busse guy ( :) jokes!). i liked eno but the single nest is a tad small for me.

i HIGHLY suggest building your own whipped end hammock to test. look it up on hammock forums and it is easy to make in a matter of 20 min. the fabric will cost around 20-40 for ripstop nylon. hem edges and whip them. suspension is easy to figure out will common sense. the less stretch the rope has the happier you will be.

if i was going to buy over again and not DIY i would buy a Warbonnet. as tough as henny but cheaper. good luck its fun.
 
check out gingivitis kahns links of jeffs pages. really good info condensed! thats what i used to make my own.
 
That was a great review KGD, you've convinced me to give hammock sleeping a chance. A buddy of mine has been talking up hammocks for the last two years but I never got around to giving them a chance.
 
This man is nuts, but he has a wealth of informative videos on hammock camping. He goes over some basics in this one, but he also has vids of hammock camping in sub zero temps. Cool stuff. I've never done the winter stuff, but I do it in the spring and summer.

Enjoy.

JGON

[youtube]d7NZVqpBUV0?fs=1&amp[/youtube]
 
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