Field Report
Hennessy Supershelter
Date: June 2nd, 2005
Reviewer Information
Name: Jim Sabiston
Age: 51
Height: 6' 3" (1.9 m)
Weight: 207 lb (94 kg)
Width at shoulders: 21” (53 cm)
Email address: JimSabis(at)aol(dot)com
State: New York
Country: USA
Backpacking Background:
I've been camping since my teens. My outdoor activities include
backpacking, canoeing, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering and cross
country skiing. I have expanded my backpacking to include winter
mountaineering, back country skiing and ski backpacking. I have received winter
mountaineering training with Chauvin International Climbing Guides. I actively
study ways to backpack lighter and more efficiently. During the summer months,
my style tends toward very light, but not quite ultralight. I use a hammock or
tarp for warm weather, and a small four season tent for winter trips. Most of
my other gear is very changeable, as I am constantly experimenting with gear
and techniques.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Hennessy Hammock
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL: www.hennessyhammock.com
MSRP: $129.95 US
Manufacturers Specifications:
Undercover : 7.5 oz (213 g)
Stuff sack : 1 oz (28 g)
Underpad : 5.5 oz (156 g) Dimensions 30 in X 66 in (76 cm X 168 cm)
Overcover* : 3 oz (85 g)
Torso Pad* : N/A
Hip Pad* : N/A
Specifications as measured:
Undercover : 7.6 oz (216 g)
Stuff sack : .9 oz (22 g)
Underpad : 5.6 oz (158 g) Dimensions 30 in X 66 in (76 cm X 168 cm)
Overcover *: 3.2 oz (91 g)
Torso Pad* : 2.5 oz (71 g) 24 in X 31 in (61 cm X 79 cm)
Hip Pad* : 1.1 oz (31 g) 16 in X 18.5 in (41 cm X 47 cm)
* The Torso Pad, Hip Pad and the Overcover were shipped well after the original
Test Period had started. The beginning of the Field Testing was done without
these additional parts of the system.
Please refer to my Initial Report for a detailed description of the
Supershelter components and assembly.
Field Experience:
Oct. 23-24, 2004
Catskill backpack
Terrain: several miles of bushwhacking through deciduous forest, changing to
thick spruce and balsam as we gained altitude, with occasional scrambling over
rocky pitches.
Weather: Saturday, Sunny and cool, with temps averaging around 45 F (7 C).
Sunday dawned in thick fog, with temperatures below 32 F (0 C), as evidenced by
the icy skin on our water and the heavy hoar frost gathered in the evergreens.
We were fortunate enough to find a very respectable campsite at about 3400 ft (1036
m), facing east and with an exposed view down into the valley. An old,
deteriorated fire ring and convenient cooking rocks were handy
The problem of finding a good spot to hang a hammock on the dense, spruce and
balsam covered summits of the Catskill peaks is not due to a lack of trees.
Rather, it is an issue of too many trees. Fortunately, I located a respectable
pair just off the small clearing about 20 ft (6 m) from the east facing ledge.
Setting up the hammock was straightforward enough. I had left the Undercover
installed, so aside from being careful to keep the extra fabric and shock cord
attachments sorted out, setup was otherwise normal. As daylight was fading
along with the milder temperatures, I installed the Underpad and the reflective
blanket. Naturally, I had to give 'The Tour' to the other gear heads in the
group. The only other hammock user promised to chisel me out of the hammock in
the morning, if needed. He had packed a tarp and bivy for this trip, reverting
to a groundpounder for the cooler weather.
After dinner and the usual campfire bru-ha-ha, I turned in for the night. Aside
from the Supershelter, I had packed my Marmot Hydrogen down bag and a small
Bozeman Mountainworks Torsolight pad . I had packed the pad for campsite use
and as a back-up insulator for the hammock. My few concessions to the cooler
weather were a light Marmot Polarguard vest and a wool cap. I was wearing long,
nylon pants, a summer-weight, synthetic, short sleeve t-shirt, and an Arc'Teryx
Katabatic windshirt. Socks were a pair of Ingenious wool blend. I wore
everything to bed, anticipating a cold night.
Climbing into the hammock was normal, other than having to push the Underpad
and reflective blanket out of the way while climbing in. The presence of the
Underpad was immediately noticeable by the growing warm spot on my back. At
first, the vest proved to be overkill, as I started to overheat, but rather
than take it off, I just vented the vest and the sleeping bag, as I expected I
would want the extra insulation later when the temperature dropped further. I
slipped the small sleeping pad to the foot of the hammock where I could find it
quickly if needed.
All went well until the inevitable need for a pee break arrived at some point
in the wee hours of the night. I noticed my back was cool, but not cold. Upon
returning to the hammock, I slipped the pad under my sleeping bag and zipped
up. The Torsolite is a minimalist pad fitting, as the name implies, under the
area from the bottom of my buttocks to the top of my shoulders. This is also
the area where most of the compression takes place in my sleeping bag. I slept
warmly for the rest of the night. Towards morning, I noticed the back of my
legs felt cooler than the rest of my body, but not unpleasantly so.
The only exception was if I moved and shifted my position off the 'sweet spot'
over the Underpad. The Underpad is designed to remain in the relatively fixed asymmetrical
position that the hammock is designed for. I tend to move about in my sleep and
I find that I shifted off the sweet spot two or three times during the night.
Once off the insulating pad, my back would go cold and I would wake up.
Shuffling myself back into the proper position would remedy the situation until
I fell asleep and moved off a couple of hours later.
In my position near the ledge, I received some exposure to the light to
moderate breeze that came up during the night. Aside from the occasional
flapping of the tarp, the breeze was otherwise undetectable from inside the
hammock. At 7:00 am, I left the cozy confines of the hammock to make coffee and
breakfast. To my surprise I found the trees covered in a thick layer of hoar
frost and a skin of ice on the water supplies, which had been left out in
Platypus containers. The temperature was still below freezing. This was a
promising start. I had never been comfortable in the hammock in temperatures
below 50 F (10 C) before.
November 14-15, 2004
Location: Harriman State Park, NY
Terrain: Mixed, Deciduous forest with very rocky, hilly trails.
Weather: A surprise cold snap, a severe cold front came through on Friday
night, changing the moderate rain to snow! We found 3 in (7 cm) average
accumulation with occasional 6 in (15 cm) patches. The rain had frozen, coating
the trees and rocks in clear, hard ice. Saturday daytime temperature hovered
around 37 F (3 C). Saturday night the temperature dropped to 25 F (-4 C). Winds
were about 20 mph (32 kph).
We covered about 12 miles (19 km) and arrived at our targeted destination with
about an hour or so of daylight left. The location offered a series of stepped
ledges off the ridge we were following. Trees were a bit scattered here, but I
found a nice pair perfectly situated below the primary ledge which offered
excellent protection from the biting wind.
I set up the hammock in the usual fashion. Note to self: install the Undercover
before leaving home or practice more to familiarize myself with the process. I
had disassembled the individual parts to weigh them and had forgotten to put it
back together! In my rush to install it I put it on inside out and did not
realize it until I tried to rig the side guy lines. By the time I got it sorted
out I had rigged and dropped the hammock three times. All my own fault, of
course. In my rush to beat nightfall, I also forgot to install the reflective
blanket over the Underpad.
My clothing and sleeping gear was essentially the same as for the previous
Catskill trip. The only clothing change was my pants, as I had switched my
nylon pants for my Lowe Alpine Dry-Flow tights. These are a loose fitting tight
that offer a bit more insulation than light nylon pants. The only sleeping gear
change was the addition of a Marmot Dri-Clime liner to the Marmot Hydrogen
sleeping bag. As before, I wore all my clothes to bed.
My sleeping experience was essentially a repeat of the Catskills trip. There were
a couple of variations worthy of note. First, my feet were very cold when I
retired for the night, to the point of being uncomfortable (very unusual for
me, I suspect the new socks I was using were not up to the cold temperatures).
My feet warmed up nicely once in the hammock and sleeping bag (wearing the same
socks). This would very likely not have been the case if the rest of me were
not sufficiently warm. Second, remember the reflective liner? I suddenly
recalled that I had not installed it at the exact instant that I had zipped
myself into my sleeping bag and had settled in for the night. So, in the
interests of science, I decided after due deliberation of approximately 1/2
second that I would leave the reflective blanket off and see if there would be
a noticeable difference (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!). I slept
comfortably until about 1:00 am, when I was awakened by my cold back. I decided
that it was time to get up and install the reflective blanket. Temperatures
were clearly below freezing already, as the snow had re-frozen into a hardened
crust. I quickly finished up, took the opportunity for a pee break, and climbed
back into the hammock. The difference was immediately noticeable and I drifted
back off to sleep. Some time later, I was again awakened by a cold back. I
opened my sleeping bag, reached down to where I had stashed my Torsolite
sleeping pad, slipped it into position, and zipped back up. My back warmed up
almost immediately and I dozed off.
This trip called a few things to attention. First, and foremost, the reflective
blanket is an effective and important addition to the Supershelter system.
Next, the Undercover is easier to live with if installed before leaving home.
Installation is hardly rocket science, but it is easy to get it wrong at the
end of a long day when my mind would rather be focused on a hot meal.
November 26-27, 2004
Location: Harriman State Park, NY
Terrain: Mixed, Deciduous forest with very rocky, hilly trails.
Weather: Generally sunny and mild, day temperatures around 45 F (7 C) and night
temperatures hovering around freezing.
This trip was similar to the prior backpacks as far as the Supershelter is
concerned. There were two things I did differently, however. The first was to
try packing the hammock and Supershelter pre-assembled into a stuff sack so I
could avoid the assembly in the field. Much to my surprise, I was able to fit
the whole thing, foam pad and all, into the original Hennessy A-Sym stuff sack.
It must be said that this took some doing and was not a happy fit, but it CAN
be done! The stuff sack was strained to the point that the printed lettering on
the exterior of the sack started to pop off!
I was otherwise very happy with the results of the experiment. Hanging the
pre-assembled hammock/Supershelter was more akin to the easy and quick process
I am familiar with in warmer weather. A slightly larger stuff sack could make
this method the normal procedure. The only extra work was a minimal amount of
fussing to ensure that all the layers were in proper position once the hammock
was properly hung. This little trick shaved a good five or ten minutes off the
setup time. I should also mention that all the respective shock cord bridles
came off their respective hooks. This was not entirely unexpected, as the
system is not under tension when in the stuff sack. It was a very simple matter
to re-attach the bridles to their respective hooks BEFORE tensioning the ridge
line.
The second change was to not use the small sleeping pad that I'd used on the
previous trips. There is no doubt that I needed it on the previous Harriman
backpack, but the night temperatures were going to be a bit warmer this time.
Indeed, the pad proved unnecessary, as I slept comfortably all night. The only
addition was the recommended reflector sheet, which again proved surprisingly
effective.
I have noticed that I seem a bit more likely to remain in the insulated 'sweet
spot' if I sleep in a position a bit closer to the hammock centerline, rather
than in the full angled 'A-Sym' position. This may be due to the fact that I am
well into the outside size and weight limits of the Ultralight A-Sym hammock.
This position also seems to keep my extremities (arms and legs) over the
Underpad more effectively.
May 28-30, 2005
Location: West Rim Trail, PA
Terrain: Mostly deciduous forest.
Weather: A real mix, starting in rain, with mixed sun and rain and high to
moderate humidity for the entire weekend. Temperatures were around 45 F (7 C)
at night and 60 F (16 C) during the day, with moderate breezes.
This is the first trip I took with all the Supershelter bits, excepting the Hip
and Torso pads. I tried a new packing technique as well: instead of stuffing
all the individual bits into there respective stuff sacks and assembling the
Supershelter after hanging the hammock, I pre-assembled the system and stuffed
the hammock directly into my backpack on top of my sleeping bag, which is
stuffed into a waterproof stuff sack. This worked out much better than my prior
practice of cramming the hammock and Supershelter into a stuff sack first. The
advantage is that, by having the system pre-assembled, I avoided the nit-picky
bother of putting all those bits together when I would rather be relaxing or
cooking dinner. Hanging the hammock with the Supershelter pre-installed was a
breeze. I simply take one of the tree hugger straps and tie it to a suitable
tree, then walk the pack towards the desired second tree, letting the hammock
run out of the pack as I move. When the other end of the hammock pops out of
the pack, I grab the remaining tree hugger strap and tie it off on the second
tree. All that remains is setting the guy lines. The entire process takes just
a couple of minutes. The only change I made to the above procedure was when it
rained. The silnylon tarp was wet, so I removed it and placed it in the A-Sym
stuff sack to avoid wetting the pack interior. The body of the hammock is
stuffed into my pack in the reverse of the set up: I untie one end and walk
towards the opposite tree while stuffing the hammock into the backpack.
The Overcover proved to be a real asset in the cool, breezy weather. Hennessy
states that the Overcover is intended for below freezing conditions.
Apparently, according to their web site literature, they are getting feedback
saying the Overcover has a wider range of usefulness. I’m going to back that
up. With the Overcover in place, the inside of the hammock was a very snug
place, with heat losses to moving air all but eliminated. With the temperatures
well above freezing, my main concern was condensation, but none appeared, even
though the humidity was quite high. In fact, the second morning dawned with a
thick, dense fog. The inside of the thin Overcover nylon was dry to the touch. It
is my practice to hang my glasses, headlamp and watch on the hammock ridgeline
at night. All three items were covered in a heavy layer of condensation, but
everything else inside the hammock was dry.
Field Report Summary:
Likes:
1 - All the usual advantages of a hammock and a warm back too!
2 - Reasonably light weight system.
3 - Hennessy's usual good quality materials and construction.
Dislikes:
1 - Set up is busier than I prefer. I was satisfied with my 'pre-pack'
experiment, as the only additional step was installing the reflective sheet.
2 - The 'sweet spot' effect. The Supershelter system works, but it is not very
forgiving with an active sleeper.
Overall, I am very pleased with the cold weather performance of the
Supershelter. It seems to work well for me in temperatures down to about
freezing without any additional insulation aids other than the reflective
sheet. Once approaching that threshold, comfort starts to decline. In a pinch,
I've pushed it down to about 25 F (-4 C), but the 'sweet spot' effect becomes
increasingly noticeable, and perhaps even critical. In its current
configuration, I suspect I could push it to around 20 F (- 7 C), but I would
not expect to be truly comfortable or get a good night’s sleep.
A note on 'forest duff': This has proven to be an unreliable source of added
insulation. In the upper elevations of the Catskills, there just isn't any. In
Harriman there was plenty, but it was either soaking wet from the previous
night’s rain, or covered in snow or ice from the sudden freeze. Neither of the
latter choices seemed like promising options. In springtime, the previous
fall's duff has been reduced to a sodden, compressed mulch and would be
unlikely to make desirable insulation. Accordingly, for my purposes, when
planning my gear requirements for a hike, forest duff will remain on my
'emergency backup' list only.
The Supershelter makes the Hennessy A-Sym hammock a viable three season
backpacking shelter, extending it's useful range right to the edge of winter,
whereas previously I would consider it only for the warmest summer weather.
Long Term Testing:
I will continue to use the Supershelter into the spring. The real test will be
next fall and winter when I can get it out in the really cold conditions again.
This will provide the opportunity to play with the Hip and Torso pads to see
how they extend the comfort range of the hammock.
