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Reviews > Shelters > Hammocks > Eagles Nest Outfitters OneLink > Test Report by Kelsea Krawetz

ENO OneLink Shelter System

TEST SERIES BY KELSEA KRAWETZ

Initial Report - May 26, 2017

Field Report - August 9, 2017

Long Term Report - October 19, 2017


Reviewer Information

Name: Kelsea Krawetz
Email: KelseaDOTkrawetzATgmailDOTcom
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Location: Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Height: 5' 9" (1.8 meters)
Weight: 125 lbs (57 kilos)
Date: May, 2017
 

Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking my whole life, all over Colorado and British Columbia.  I enjoy glacier, mountaineering, and ocean based backpacking trips.  I carry a 65 L pack; however I tend to pack lightweight gear.  I hike with groups of friends, and I try to cover as much distance and elevation as I can in a single day.  By the evenings, I like to cook hot meals, enjoy warm drinks, and relax under the stars in my hammock on clear nights.  When the weather gets more aggressive, I carry my freestanding tent.   

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

INITIAL REPORT

May 26, 2017

Manufacturer Info  

Manufacturer: Eagle’s Nest Outfitters
Website: https://www.eaglesnestoutfittersinc.com/
Year of Manufacturer: 2017
 

Product: ENO OneLink Shelter System
Measured Weight of all components: 75 oz (2126 g)
Packed Dimensions of all components: 16 in (41 cm) X 7 in (18 cm)
MSRP: $290 CAD
Warranty: 2 year

DoubleNest Hammock
Listed Weight: 19 oz (438 g)
Measured Weight: 22 oz (623 g)
Packed Dimensions: 7 in (18 cm) X 4 in (10 cm)
Unpacked Dimensions: 112 in (284 cm) X 74 in (188 cm)
Weight Capacity: 400 lb (181 kg)
Material: 70D High Tenacity Taffeta Ripstop Nylon
Colour:  Navy/Olive

Atlas Suspension Straps
Listed Weight: 11 oz (312 g)
Measured Weight: 12 oz (340 g)
Packed Dimensions: 6 in (15 cm) X 2 in (5 cm)
Unpacked Dimensions: 108 in (274 cm) X 1 in (3 cm)
Material: Flat Poly-Filament Webbing
Colour: Black 

Profly Rain Tarp
Listed Weight: 22 oz (624 g)
Measured Weight: 23 oz (652 g)
Packed Dimensions: 8 in (20 cm) X 4 in (10 in)
Unpacked Dimensions: 126 in (320 cm) X 76 in (320 cm)
Material: PU Coated Nylon Tafetta Ripstop
Colour: Navy 

Guardian Bug Net
Listed Weight: 16 oz (453 g)
Measured Weight: 16 oz (453 g)
Packed Dimensions: 6 in (15 cm) X 5 in (13 cm)
Unpacked Dimensions: 112 in (284 cm) X 51 in (130 cm)
Material: Super-Fine, No-See-Um Netting
Colour: Black 

Stakes
Measured Weight: 1 oz (28 g)

 

My Description

The ENO OneLink system sleeps one person (two with my doublenest) in the most wonderful and miserable conditions alike.  OneLink is an interchangeable system with a personalized choice of hammock, straps, rain tarp, bug net, and stakes.  All components fit into a durable, nylon, draw string stuff sack.  There were a variety of options, sizes and colours to fit my desired lounging/ camping/ backpacking needs.

Hammock: I chose the ENO doublenest hammock in navy/olive.  However, there are endless colour and pattern combinations to choose from on the ENO website.  This decision was based on my past experience using a doublenest; there is a lot of extra room on the sides to perch my feet or fit two people if I want company.  The hammock is a made of durable nylon fabric and can be hung using 2 carabineers.

Atlas Straps: These webbing straps consist of a series of daisy chain loops that can be used to adjust the placement of the hammock.  They are secured by inserting one end of the strap through the preferred adjustable loop.  These black straps also have a brown and blue stitching accent.

Rain Tarp: This waterproof rain tarp can be secured in the OneLink system by hanging along a chord parallel to the hammock.  It then can be staked into the ground. 

Bug Net:  This lightweight net is placed around the hammock system and then clipped to a chord parallel to the hammock using plastic clips.  It fits nicely, securing the entirety of the hammock and can be secured using draw strings.

 

Impressions

I was excited to find out that the ENO Canada distributor is located in my town, Fernie British Columbia.  I received a neural coloured hammock which matches many colour schemes of gear I own.  Upon first lifting the stuff sack and components, I was surprised how heavy the system was overall.  I’m accustomed to my ultralight tent, and I’m interested how this system will compare.  When I opened the stuff sack and saw all of the components, I was rather pleased.   Each component is made independently, which is amazing for times I want to just lounge without setting up the whole system.  I can imagine nights where there is no forecasted rain (and I’m willing to trust the weather predictions), I will leave the rain fly in my pack. 

 

Trying it out

This system has short and simple instructions, which was perfect because I giddy to set my hammock up.  I have set up an ENO doublenest before, so I felt the need to have a record time setting up the atlas straps.  However, being the first hammock of the season, I was rather sloppy and slow and ended up hugging the trees in my backyard and covered my hands in sap.  The atlas strap system is rather straight forward. I looped the straps around the trunk and placed the carabineer from the hammock into the loop that gave me the optimum hammock angle.  I noticed the carabineers on the ends of the hammock could also be useful to hook directly into a wall/bolt as an alternative for the straps, which could be nice for hammock lounging while rock climbing.  The bug net fits over the hammock like a glove.  It was actually quite satisfying to see how tightly it fit to the straps; hopefully this will mean no bug bites for me! The rain fly was also easy to set up, however I found trying to stuff it back into the sack during take down was almost impossible.  I ended up giving up and leaving the tarp peeking out of the stuff sack.  The entire setup process took about 10 minutes. I’m hoping I’ll get faster the more I practice.  However, takedown was quite a bit faster (5 minutes).

 

Quick Shots:

Simple setup, heavy and bulky, durable, comfortable

 

Summary

I’ll take my ENO OneLink system on high intensity backpacking trips and low intensity car camping trips alike.  I look forward to becoming a tree climbing expert and taking many pictures of my toes and hammock with scenic backgrounds.

 


FIELD REPORT

August 9, 2017

Field Locations

Stonehill Montana, USA
When: June 2017
Length: 2 days/1 night
Mileage: 5 miles (8 km)
Elevation: 2,600 ft (800 m)
Weather: Hot and sunny in the day, cold and windy in the night - High: 85 F (30 C), Low: 50 F (10 C)
Trail Conditions: well-maintained trail, easy route finding, no elevation gain 

Shangri La, BC Canada
When: July 2017
Length: 3 days/2 nights (one night spent in my hammock)
Mileage: 6.2 miles (10 km)
Elevation: 8,400 ft (2,560 m)
Weather: Hot and sunny in the day, cool in the evenings- High: 80 F (27 C), Low: 50 F (10 C)
Trail Conditions: steep, dirty and scree tails with glacier travel and scrambling

 Smith Rock Oregon, USA
When: August 2017
Length: 5 days/4 nights (two nights spent in my hammock)
Mileage: 3 miles (4.8 km)
Elevation: 3,000 ft (914 m)
Weather: Hot and sunny in the day, hot and dry at night - High: 100 F (38 C), Low: 65 F (18 C)
Trail Conditions: well-maintained trail but steep and dusty, easy route finding

Juan de Fuca Trail, BC Canada
When: August 2017
Length: 4 days/3 nights
Mileage: 31 miles (50 km)
Elevation: sea level
Weather: Hot and humid in the day, cool, breezy, and humid in the night - High: 75 F (24 C), Low: 50 F (10 C)
Trail Conditions: lot of boardwalks and ladders, muddy sections, and roots

 

Performance in the Field

On my first trip, I spent most of my time searching for a prime hammock spot with a view of Lake Kookanosa.  Unfortunately the spot with the best view was on a large hill with lots of thorns and loose dirt and gravel.  This added a new level to the hammock setup challenge.  The straps were easy to wrap around the trees and the setup of the hammock was rather straight forward.  Adjusting the hammock to right height was easy with the quick release carabineer and various daisy chain loops.  As I was setting up the hammock the wind started to pick up to what seemed at the time like a mini tornado.  The bug net slid over the hammock like a sock, but to my dismay hung on the ground and became tangled in thorns (but didn’t tear).  With the wind it became very difficult to put on the rain fly.  I was frantically running from side to side of the hammock, trying to hold the fly on the cord while steaking it down.  In the end, I was able to get the fly on, but the setup didn’t look so pretty.  Satisfied with my efforts, I passed out with a sleeping pad for insulation.  I’m used to sleeping in hammocks, and I find the sound of the wind against the fabric to be very soothing.



I was excited to sleep in my hammock in Shangri La because the view were so stellar and there was no forecast for rain.  The bugs were atrocious, so I put on the net but decided to ditch the fly.  Setup was easy, the only struggle I had was finding a tree strong enough to hold my body weight.  Once again the bug net drug on the ground, despite efforts to hang the hammock high in the trees.  I slept with a sleeping pad and bag for insulation.  I found my sleep to be incredibly peaceful and comfortable.  My only complaint was there is some extra fabric on the sides of the doublenest that would flap in the wind.  I would just shove a Nalgene, headlamp, or rock into the little pocket on the side and cross it over my body in order to keep the hammock from flapping.

Smith Rock was ultimately hammock heaven; no rain and no bugs.  Just good views, good sleep, and good times.  I spent a significant amount of time lounging in the hammock with my partner.  We both were able to chill comfortably and were thankful for the breathability of the hammock with two humans and hot weather.  When two people were getting in and out the hammock, my ENO stayed stable and didn’t “tip” over.  Note: we did not both sleep in the hammock.  The trees were especially sappy in the area, and the straps became very sticky.  The material on the straps was not damaged however, and they still did an amazing job holding up my weight.

I brought the hammock as an “add on” to the Juan de Fuca Trail.  I went on the trail with mom, who wanted to sleep in a tent.  In order to save weight I brought the hammock, straps and bug net and planned on sleeping in the hammock if the nights appeared not to have any rain.  Note: It did not rain at all on this trip.  Bringing the hammock along added a lot of additional space and weight.  Setup went well, and the bugs weren’t able to penetrate the net once it was up.  I slept comfortably.  I was afraid that the sticky west coast air would make the material on the hammock wet and smelly, but the material didn’t smell or become moist.  The fabric actually stayed cool at night which was nice considering the air was so wet from humidity.

Straps: I am a fan of the Atlas straps.  They are strong, durable and easy to set up.  I even used some climbing slings to extend the straps when the trees were too far apart, which worked great.

Hammock: I am able to sleep very well in this hammock.  It’s perfect for relaxing in my backyard, lounging with two people, or sleeping with a sleeping pad.  I love the durable, soft, and colourful material.  The excess fabric on the sides of the hammock doesn’t seem to bother me, and I love cozying up in my ENO!

Bug Net:  As mentioned previously, the bug net is rather long.  It has always been on the ground while I have been sleeping in it.  The material is nice, but I do find this component bulky.  I also don’t like how I have to snap the net to a cord in order to set it up.  I do however find it satisfying to slip the bug net over the hammock like a sock.

Rain Fly: Luckily for me, it did not rain on any of the trips I brought this hammock on.  I can’t comment on the waterproofness of the rain fly at this time.  I only set up the rain fly for one night in Stonehill Montana.  I did however just move to Vancouver, where rain will most certainly be present.

System Overall: The setup of the straps, hammock and bug net are quick and easy.  However, I find putting on the rain fly quite cumbersome and tricky.  I’m afraid that one day I will use the cord used to hold up the fly and I will have the rain fly drooping onto my face while the rain pours down around me.  This system is also quite heavy and bulky.  I imagined a hammock system to be lighter and smaller that my two man tent, however this system compressed to relatively the same size and weight.  I do like how all the components are individual, but overall the system is larger and heavier than I would like it to be. 

Quick Shots

Durable, comfortable, stylish, cozy, bulky, heavy

Summary

I look forward to more nights spend in my ENO this fall.  Even though the system is rather heavy and bulky, I do enjoy sleeping in the hammock on clear nights.  I’m interested to see how my ENO preforms in the rain.



LONG TERM REPORT

October 19, 2017

Field Locations

Squamish, BC Canada
When: August 2017
Length: 5 days/4 nights
Mileage: Under 3 km
Elevation: 16 ft (5 m)
Weather: Hot and sunny in the day, cool in the evenings- High: 85 F (29 C), Low: 55 F (13 C)
Trail Conditions: bush whacking into dense rain forest


Gambier Island, BC Canada
When: October 2017
Length: n/a
Elevation: seal level 
Weather: rainy, rainy, rainy and cool – 55 F (13 C)
Trail Conditions: Lounging and hammock fun near the ocean

Performance in the Field

In Squamish, some friends and I found a nice little patch of trees to set up a hammock camp for the week.  We would all sleep in hammocks at night, and go rock climbing in the day.  This trip wasn’t a backpacking trip, however it was a good test for sleeping comfort after long strenuous days climbing.  The trees on the West Coast were much taller, larger and wetter than those I was used to in Fernie.  This didn’t make too much of a difference for hammock set up, just that I needed to choose trees that were closer together to account for the larger diameter of the trees.  As a bonus, there was no sticky sap to mess around with on the coast.  Setting up the hammock itself was easy, and the bug net slipped over the hammock as usual.  I still find this process rather satisfying, the bug net fits so nicely over the hammock.  For the first time, I managed to set up the hammock high enough so that the bug net did not drag on the ground. 

The first few nights didn’t call for rain, so I risked it for the biscuit and didn’t put the rain tarp on the hammock.  After long days of rock climbing, sleep in the hammock was exactly what I needed.  The bug net was suspended just far enough over my face so that it didn’t get in my way.  I like the density of the bug net material, it makes me feel a little more secure while sleeping in the hammock.  The bug net hangs on a cord suspended just above the hammock.  The second night, the bug net fell off this cord (probably by wind) and I woke up to the bug net in my face.  So tired from the day’s activities, I couldn’t be bothered and decided to fix it in the morning.  That being said, I’m not the biggest fan of the bug net suspended from the cord.  I find that the system is nice to sleep in, but isn’t secure to the line above.

On the third night, it rained! Normally this would make me upset, but I was so happy to give the rain tarp a chance.  I found it difficult to remember how to set up the rain tarp, but in the end I had the entire set up perfected.  It didn’t rain very hard that night, and I wasn’t wet at all from the rain, yay!

As for hammock comfort, I used my sleeping pad for bottom insulation and my Rumpl blanket on top for warmth.  Since it was rather warm and humid in Squamish at this time, I found this sleeping arrangement to be the perfect combination.   

 

Unfortunately, with school starting up at full force, my trip to Gambier would be one of the last times I used my hammock before the temperatures got to cold.  This trip involved no sleeping, or backpacking, just good ol’ fashioned hammock fun.  My friends and I set up a “hammock village” and climbed high in the trees to stack our hammocks.  I learned a new hammock entering technique where I could enter the hammock from the underside.  I put my arms in the hammock flaps and flopped myself around the hammock to get myself upright.  This worked rather well to climb to the top of our hammock fort.  The hammock withstood many humans playing around and switching hammocks, so I have lots of confidence in the strength of the hammock itself. 

 

Summary

I’ve loved playing around in the outdoors with this hammock.  From backpacking to lounging, I love the versatility of the product.  It can be used as a full shelter system, or a nice relaxing hammock to spread out and chill in.  It can fit two people comfortably while relaxing, but can only sleep one comfortably.  The whole system is easy to set up, however since all the parts are so individual, the system as a whole is rather heavy and bulky.  That being said, it preforms how it’s supposed to and has provided me endless comfort and fun this summer.   

Quick Shots

Durable, cozy, versatile, heavy, bulky, inconvenient bug net design

 

Thank you Eagles Nest Outfitters, Inc., and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product. This report concludes my testing period.



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