REVIEWER INFORMATION:
NAME: Joe Schaffer
EMAIL: never2muchstuff(at)yahoo(dot)com
AGE: 70
GENDER: Male
HOME:  Bay Area, California USA

     I enjoy California's central Sierras, camping every month with a goal to match my age in nights out each year. For comfort I lug tent, mattress, chair and such. Typical summer trips run 5-8 days; 40 lb (18 kg), about half food and water related; about 5 miles (8 km) per hiking day in the bright and sunny granite in and around Yosemite. I winter base camp most often at 6,000 to 7,000 ft (1,800 to 2,000 m); 2 to 3 nights; 50 lb (23 kg); a mile or so (1.6 km) on snowshoes.

Product: The Ultimate Hang 2

Author & Illustrator: Derek Hansen
    Website: http://www.theultimatehang.com
    ISBN-13: 978-1478351184
    ISBN-10: 1478351187
    Publication date, 2nd Edition: November, 2017 

My Specs: 
     Pages: 344
     Sections: 9
     Illustrated pages: 340, line drawings
     Dimensions: 8 in w x 10 h x 7/8 t (203 mm x 254 x 22)
     Weight: 1 lb 11 7/8 oz (789 g)
     Cover: Soft

MSRP: $19.95 US
    Other formats: Kindle, $9.99 US

Received: February 6, 2018

My Description:
   "The Ultimate Hang 2" offers a comprehensive evaluation of hammock styles, uses and pitches; along with instruction how to make hammock camping fit into the environmental Leave No Trace ethos.

Impressions:
    I did not know there could be so much to know about "hanging". Already I've discovered I do it wrong! I'm looking forward to warmer seasons where I can test out the "right" way to do it. I've logged 30 nights hanging and not found it superior to tenting. Perhaps when I follow directions (which is always painful) I'll better 'get' the program.
    The book is a trove of illustrations and explanations. Hansen obviously holds a passion for this style of camping, though his comparative analysis regarding tents (my passion) seems complete and balanced. He makes big of hammock camping advantages and does not shy from the less favorable attributes (like when it's cold!).
    Note my age as I make this comment: The type face seems weak and tiring to read. If this were just a browse I picked off the shelf, I'd be inclined to put it back. My journalism professor would scold for the lack of perfection in proofing.

Field Conditions:
    June 6-9, 2018: Stanislaus National Forest, California. Three camps at 5,200 ft (1,585 m). Sleeping temps in 40's (7 C). Dry, no wind. ENO Double Nest with Big Agnes AXL mattress and Therm-A-Rest Questar 0 bag.

Impressions:
    This was my first opportunity to test two of the key points made in this book of instruction that I thought ignorance had caused me to miss in last year's hammock test. (I should say that I don't do as well following directions as your average bear.) Specifically, those key points were the angle at which to adjust the un-tensioned suspension straps, and positioning the body at a slight diagonal.
     I started off with my best estimate of a 30-degree angle on the straps. The banana bend was pronounced. In the middle of the night I felt compelled to lessen the angle. The second night I decreased the angle more and the third night I pulled the hammock fairly taut for the best sleep of the outing.
    Getting a diagonal lie did not work out any better. As opposed to the one I'd used for the hammock test, the mattress had no length-wise tubes. It resisted folding evenly up the sides of the hammock and persistently squirted out from under me to one side or the other. I was able to force my body to a diagonal, and that did seem to gain a bit more level lie. However, gravity and the clothesline nature of suspension joined forces to slide me back to center. A different mattress might have been a little bit less resistant to cooperating in letting the body lie off-center in the slot canyon design of the hammock.
    The credibility and passion of the author seem beyond reproach. But I could not make hay with either of what I thought were key instructions to improving hammock comfort.
    This book would seem an invaluable resource to all hangers and wannabes, though, given the wide range of comprehensive information from choosing sites to tying knots to DIY hammock gear.

Quick shots:
    a) Comprehensive
    b) Informative
    c) Easy to understand
    d) Weak typeface
   
Thank you Derek Hanson and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product. This concludes my report.