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Reviews > Shelters > Hammocks > Grand Trunk AT Hybrid Hammock > Test Report by Jeremy R. Laporte

GRAND TRUNK AT HYBRID HAMMOCK
TEST SERIES BY JEREMY R. LAPORTE
LONG-TERM REPORT

INITIAL REPORT - March 16, 2009
FIELD REPORT - June 26, 2008
LONG TERM REPORT - July 21, 2009

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Jeremy R. Laporte
EMAIL: jeremyrlaporteATjeremyrlaporteDOTcom
AGE: 27
LOCATION: Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S.A.
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
WEIGHT: 163 lb (73.90 kg)

I grew up in France by the sea, camping and backpacking for as long as I can remember. Three years ago I moved to Idaho U.S.A. discovering new environments: wilderness, arid lands, forest, mountain, and snow. I also started to learn rock climbing, ice climbing and mountaineering. Because of many contacts I had with the military I thought they had the best gear available but I recently befriended some hikers and became aware of lightweight backpacking. I'm slowly migrating to that style and learning more about the various environments surrounding me.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Grand Trunk
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Manufacturer's Website: grandtrunkgoods.com
MSRP: US$79.99
Listed Weight: 22 oz (624 g)
Measured Weight:
Tarp + S hooks, ropes:18.77 oz (532 g) (product weight)
Suspension ropes: 2.65 oz (75g)
S hooks, ropes: 2.47 oz (70g)
Tarp (without S hooks, rope): 16.3 oz (462 g)
Other details:

The hammock is made of a 10 ft by 6 ft (3m by 1.83 m) dark blue tarp of Ripstop Polyester PU coated.
The tarp includes 8 webbing loops 3/4 in (1.9 cm) wide for the tarp configuration. Each loop is sewed to make two loops. There is a loop at each corner of the tarp and in the middle of each side. A video on the website shows also a loop in the middle of the tarp. This loop is not present on the product I received.
The tarp can be converted into a hammock by inserting in each small side of the tarp, a rope and stainless steel "S" hook that is provided.
A stuff sack with draw cord is sewed to the tarp
Two ropes to pass around trees to suspend the hammock were provided.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The fabric feels soft, and the construction seems sturdy and well made. All the seams are triple stitched but some of them, mostly at each small side of the tarp, where the S hook and rope pass, have hanging threads.

I'm a little concerned about the hammocks configuration. I question whether the flap that is planned to protect me from the rain will stay over me in the wind. But, I always have the option to take some rope and stakes and pitch some of the loops to keep the flap shut or put another tarp over me.

The tarp configuration is very straight forward: I just removed the rope with the "S" hooks and deployed the tarp.
I found though that putting back the rope with "S" hook takes a little bit of time (about 10 / 15 min).

The attached stuff sack is a great feature, that way, I have a pocket to put some accessories at night and I know I will not lose the stuff sack. It's also roomy enough that I was able to put back the hammock with the ropes and S hooks and also add in it the ropes which attach the hammock to trees.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The hammock came with a set of three instruction cards (shown below):

Technical features which shows how you can use the AT Hybrid Hammock. The various configurations are also printed on the stuff sack.

IMAGE 1


Using your hammock which reminds me to set up the hammock level and how to sit properly in it.

IMAGE 2


Rope guide which shows me how to use the rope to suspend the hammock in a tree.

IMAGE 3



All of this information is available on the website. I would have loved some explanation on how to change to the hammock then a tarp and back. The website has a neat video about that but nothing with the hammock. Also I feel some more information for a hammock first time use would be useful.

TRYING IT OUT

For now I only tested the hammock configuration in my garden. Most of my yard is still covered with snow which makes pitching the tarp difficult.

I hung the hammock from the tree in my garden to a big fence pole in the back yard. I had to make my own ropes because the one's provided were too short. I will also switch to webbing to protect my tree.

I rested in the hammock and found it very comfortable. At first I was really not sure about it , would such a thin tarp hold me? But it did a great job and I found it very comfortable to lie in. I tried putting the rest of the tarp over me and it does cover me but I'm not sure it will truly protect me from rain or wind without adding to the hammock either a way to lock the fabric to the rest of the hammock and put another tarp over me.

IMAGE 5
My wife in the hammock



I invited my wife to join me and we were a little bit squished toward each other but it was still quite comfortable. I also invited other people heavier than us to test the hammock and both of them totaled about 350 lb (159 kg), so close to the weight limit, and the hammock handled it very well.

IMAGE 4
My wife and I testing the hammock



I'm a little concerned by the loose thread at both small sides of the hammock but haven't noticed any signs of weaknesses at those points. Also the stuff sack can be akwardly placed. I don't know if I should keep it inside our outside the hammock. In tarp mode it's also hanging sometime on the floor. I will think of where it could be placed but it's still a great feature to have it at hand.

SUMMARY

This hammock seems to be well made and I'm excited to take it with me backpacking. It's truly a lightweight solution and I enjoyed sitting in it. I hope I will be able to find sleep in it though. I'm concerned the rope may hurt the trees but don't really want to change anything to the hammock for the test duration to provide an accurate testing of the product. Though, I will certainly look for some modifications and talk about them later.

This concludes my Initial Report. The Field Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months from the date of this report . Please check back then for further information.

I would like to thank Grand Trunk and Backpackgeartest for this opportunity to test the At Hybrid Hammock


FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I haven't got to test the Grand Trunk AT Hybrid as much as I wanted to. I went through having a first child, graduating from college and starting a new job. So I didn't get to have much outdoor activities lately.
Aside from that, the weather in Eastern Idaho was really bad and I don't have the equipment to sleep in such cold or wet conditions.

May 14-15: backpacking trip to Twin Bridges near Heise, ID with a little day hike near Kelly Mountain. Altitude was around 6000 ft (1830 m). The weather was nice a little bit cloudy bit still warm around 65 F (18 C) but the night was cold around 32 F (0 C).

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

This is my first hammock and I was really excited to test one to be able to lighten my pack and find a way to get rid of the heavy tent.

I absolutely loved it! I was a bit concerned because I'm somebody who doesn't sleep well on my back but prefer resting on my belly or side. It's always been an issue for me camping and sleeping on the ground because I would not get a good night rest. My night in the hammock was just amazing.

It took me only a minute to set it up between two trees while my friends were still setting up their tents.

The hammock is ready for the night with the pad and sleeping bag in it:
My home is ready

Then for the whole evening I could relax in it. All my friends wanted to rest in the hammock so they would kick each other out by trying to flip the hammock upside down. This pointed out two good things for the Grand Trunk:
It's very stable, and it's very hard to fall from the hammock once in it: to get somebody out we had to flip the hammock upside down and the person in it had to let go.
The fabric withstood the abuse very well. It didn't tear or show any signs of premature wear.

Me reading in the hammock before the sun set and I go to bed, it was the most comfortable seat with all the padding from the mat and sleeping bag.
Reading before sleep

Because this is my first hammock I also made some mistakes. My current sleeping bag is very old (1976) so it's not very warm and I got cold during the night. I also use an inflatable air mat which finished out of the hammock in the middle of the night because I kept moving and the mat didn't stick at all to the hammock fabric.

After a little bit of research on the internet, apparently tuning your hammock with a dedicated foam pad is one of the first things to do. I don't want to modify the Grand Trunk through the length of this test but from now on I will use a foam pad with it. Warm sleeping bags are also a necessity or your back gets chilled.

Even if the hammock is made for two people, here is my thought on it: two people can sit in it only if they naturally have the tendency to already be close with each other or that other person has the morphology of a child. I would absolutely not consider having two adults sleeping together in it. It would be too crammed and uncomfortable.

Also while sleeping in it. I slept diagonally to stay as flat as possible, it was extremely comfortable and the smooth rocking was a great addition for a good night sleep. But I got to use the whole hammock. Luckily the weather was good because I now don't expect the hammock to protect myself and my sleeping bag from any rain. I will have to get an additional tarp to put over the hammock.

SUMMARY

I truly enjoyed my night in the Grand Trunk and I'm now a hammock convert. The Grand Trunk is becoming my main outdoor shelter and my wife is asking me to get her one. I haven't tested it to the tarp configuration yet but with things settling down and nice weather coming I will be able to test it more thouroughly.

I already have two overnights scheduled for the next two weekend.

What I like about the Grand Trunk AT Hybrid Hammock is:
Simplicity of setting it up.
Comfort through the night
Sturdy
Stability
The pocket which was great for putting headlamp and knife

What I don't like
Needs to be tweaked to be fully operational in the outdoor (adding some weight to the whole system)
Not a two adults bed

My baby girl first camping night is enjoying the Grand Trunk too.
Baby enjoying the hammock

This concludes my Field Report. The Long Term Report will be added to this report in approximately two months from the date of this report.
Please check back then for more information.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I used the Grand Trunk hammock on three additional occasions: two overnights and one 4 day camping trip.

The first overnight was near the Heise, Idaho area. This is a mountain area at about 6000 ft (1800 m) but I slept in a field. The weather was nice and warm but because it was still spring the night was relatively cool.

My camping trip was in a mountain canyon near Palisades Reservoir on the border between Idaho and Wyoming. It was a forested area with thick vegetation. The temperature was on the warm side but throughout the trip I received 4 big thunderstorms.

My final overnight was again at Twin Bridges near Ririe, Idaho for a Scout camp. The weather was warm but I was afraid a thunderstorm would come through the night.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

While sleeping near Heise, I couldn't find trees close enough to suspend my hammock with the ropes provided by Grand Trunk. Therefore I decided to use the hammock in tarp A frame mode. I didn't have any ropes with me so I had to stake the tarp to the ground and use the suspension ropes to provide tension to my hiking poles. The set-up was easy and I ended-up with an A frame shelter which was not very tall and just wide enough for one person but it was long enough for my sleeping bag and all my equipment. The tarp is long enough to sleep two people if their feet stick out on each side.

IMAGE 1
A frame from the side
IMAGE 2
A frame from the front


In the A-frame configuration, the pocket is of little value because it is on the outside of the shelter. I also noticed that on the main centerline (the one made by my hiking pole) because of the tension the little holes made from stitching the reinforced area had a tendency to stretch out. I put tension on the tarp but not too much just what was needed so the tarp would not flick in the wind. The stitching is not very strong and I'm afraid that it will break in the long run.

I also tried to set up the tarp in all configurations I could think of but the tarp special shape made it difficult. The flying diamond is not possible without wasting a lot of fabric. In my opinion the only interesting tarp configurations are the A frame for a one person shelter or two people if you can suspend the tarp high enough; or the lean-to if it's nice weather and you want to cover the heads of 5 or 6 people.

During my camping trip, I didn't use the hammock as a shelter but I was glad to have it in such bad weather. I wrapped myself in it and used it as a poncho and I also used it over my head to protect my wife and me during a hail storm. On both occasions the tarp remained fully waterproof and protected me from the elements.

On the final overnight I used once again the AT Hybrid as a hammock. Because the weather was uncertain I suspended overhead a heavy duty tarp I had with me. The tarp was not appropriate and I couldn't set it up correctly. During the night there was not enough ventilation there for I got extremely hot. I decided to remove the tarp from over me and instead sleep in the car if it started raining. Luckily it didn't rain, and I spent the rest of the night in the hammock. I just brought a foam pad that time but it was not sticking enough to the hammock and kept going out of it. Also in the morning I noticed that the pocket was almost ripped off the hammock. I loaded it with my headlamp, knife and other little items but obviously the stitching is not holding very well in the long run.

IMAGE 3
Tears on the pocket


SUMMARY

The Grand Trunk AT Hybrid is a great piece of equipment. I like sleeping in it, in the hammock mode and the fact that it can become a tarp makes it even more useful.

The pocket is great when using it as a hammock; but, from my experience, it is useless or even cumbersome in any other configuration. The pocket stitching and around the reinforced area seems relatively weak.

Because the size of the tarp is particular for the hammock, it is difficult to use it as a tarp, the shapes and dimensions are unique.

The hammock mode is great but needs customizing to fit my style. I need to create my own suspension mode because the ropes provided by grand trunk were not long enough and hurtful for trees. Also my last time at Twin Bridges my hammock was not spread correctly because the space between the two trees was not enough and I slept horribly. An efficient suspension system could have solved this problem.
I will also need to customize a sleeping pad and find a way to have it stay correctly positioned in the hammock because every time I slept in it the mat and sleeping bag had a tendency to pop out of the hammock.

Finally I will need to create a dedicated rain cover to the hammock. Knowing that the price of a light weight tarp is about the same price as the hammock, it doubles the price of the sleep system.

What I like:
Lightweight
Garden hammock for two
Waterproof
Ability to cover, tarp for multiple usages

Improvement area:
Hammock needs a lot of customizing to fit my sleeping style (suspension, sleeping pad, rain cover), Grand Trunk does not provided information or products to answer those needs and it will add weight and cost to the system.
The tarp size is unique which limits the various possible configurations
The stitches are breaking in the long run

CONTINUED USE

Now that this test series is reaching its conclusion, I will modify the Grand Trunk AT Hybrid to be able to fully use it as a hammock. I will continue to use it because it's truly the best piece of equipment for lightweight shelter that I have ever had. Though I'm a little worried about the stitching and I will look for way to reinforce them.

I would like to thank Grand Trunk and BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the opportunity to test the AT Hybrid Hammock.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1.5 Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

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