Reviews > Shelters > Hammocks > Hennessy Ultralight Backpacker A-Sym > Owner Review by Andrew McNeil

HENNESSY HAMMOCK'S ULTRALITE BACKPACKER A-SYM
BY ANDREW MCNEIL
OWNER REVIEW
March 28, 2007

TESTER INFORMATION

I have been backpacking since my early twenties. I have done traditional seven day hikes, but now favour shorter duration, long distance hikes carrying very little gear. I do not have a lot of ultra-light gear and keep my pack weight down by carefully choosing what to bring with me. For a weekend summer hike in the Rockies my typical base pack weight would be 5.44 kg (12 lbs). I have also kayaked extensively on Canada's Pacific coast and in the Yukon, but still try to pack like a hiker for the sake of simplicity and speed.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Manufacturer: Hennessy Hammock
Year of Manufacture: 2002
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.hennessyhammock.com
MSRP: US$179.95
Listed Weight: 880 g (31 oz)
Measured Weight: 880 g (31 oz)
Included: hammock with suspension ropes, rain fly, Tree Huggers, stuff sack

The hammock has a weight limit of 91 kg (200 lbs) and is marketed as being comfortable for people up to 1.83 m (6') tall.

Additional Purchase: Hennessy sells a product in which to pack the hammock, called Snake Skins. These are fabric tubes that slide down the suspension ropes and encapsulate the hammock body and fly. They make setting up and taking down the hammock much easier and are equal in weight to the included stuff sack, which I no longer need.
MSRP: US$19.95

Materials
Body of the Hammock: 70 denier nylon with a durable water repellent coating, topped by 20 denier polyester No-See-Um netting
Suspension Ropes: Spectra ropes covered with braided polyester. 1450 lbs (658 kg) Test
Rain Fly: 1.1 oz (31.18 g) 30 denier silicone-coated nylon
Tree Huggers: 42" (107 cm) lengths of 1" (2.54 cm) wide nylon webbing
Stuff Sack: coated ripstop nylon
Snake Skins: 1.1 oz (31.18 g) 30 denier silicone-coated nylon

Packed Size
In Stuff Sack: 10 cm x 25 cm x 6 cm (3.94" x 9.84" x 2.36" )
In Snake Skins: a tube with a diameter of 5 cm (2") at its widest

LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS OF USE

My impetus for purchasing this hammock was an attempt to hike the West Coast Trail, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in only two days. It is a notoriously damp hike normally done in five to seven days, so I was looking for a very lightweight shelter that would be up to the precipitation and sodden ground of the rainforest. The hammock proved to be an excellent choice. In winter, I have used it on hiking and paddling trips in the temperate rainforest of British Columbia's coast. In summer I have used it on British Columbia's coast, on paddling trips in the Yukon and on hiking trips in Jasper National Park, which is in the Rocky Mountains. The temperatures I have experienced in the hammock range from 5 C to 28 C (41 F to 82 F) and the elevations were from sea level to 2100 m (6890').

My weight is at the upper limit for this model of hammock, and with gear inside, exceeds it. I am also 5 cm (2") taller than recommended for this model. Hennessy makes hammocks with higher weight limits and more room for taller people, but they are heavier and bulkier. I decided I wanted a lighter hammock and was willing to make sacrifices in other areas for this.

The hammock is a very light shelter to begin with and, because it allows me to sleep off the ground, I can further lighten my load by leaving my sleeping pad at home. The caveat is that, while the sleeping pad is not necessary for cushioning, depending on conditions, it might still be needed for insulation. This is because the hammock compresses the sides of the sleeping bag, as well as the bottom. Combined with the air circulation allowed by the hammock's elevation and the air permeability of the hammock body, this makes the hammock cooler to sleep in than a tent. Except when I want to travel extremely light, I usually sleep on a closed-cell foam torso pad, as it lets me bring a lighter sleeping bag and has other uses around camp. The pad I bring with me is much lighter, thinner and shorter than one I might choose to put between me and rocky ground. In summer, my sleeping bag is usually an Integral Designs Mummer Primaliner, which is rated to 10 C (50 F). My winter bag is rated to -9 C (16 F).

Hennessy sells an insulation system called the Super Shelter for use in colder weather. It integrates with the hammock and consists of an over cover, an under cover, and an under pad. I have not used this. Alternatively, the Internet is rife with homemade solutions for insulating hammocks for winter use.

SET UP AND USE

The hammock is designed to be set up between two anchoring points that are from 3.66 m to 7.62 m (12' to 25') apart. For backpackers, these will most often be trees, but I have also used the posts of shelters and have seen people use rock climbing hardware to secure one end to a cliff. One of the great things about all hammocks is the nature of ground under the hammock is irrelevant to comfort. It can be rocky, sloping, wet, uneven or covered in brush, which opens up a myriad of options not available to tenters.

The Tree Huggers are webbing straps designed to distribute the weight of the hammock over a larger area and prevent the suspension ropes from sawing into the tree. They are wrapped around the tree and then the suspension ropes are threaded through a loop sewn on each end.

The directions for use are written on the stuff sack. I found the picture and description of the recommended knot to use for the suspension ropes confusing. There is a video on the manufacturer's website that depicts the knot much better and it is very easy tie. The knot is technically a lashing and is also easy to untie as it does not jam when loaded. Before I figured out the recommended knot, I had success simply using a round turn with two half-hitches.

Using either stuff sack or the Snake Skins, the hammock can be stored with the fly attached or separately, perhaps if the fly is wet. To attach the fly, plastic clips on either end are connected to prussic knots on the suspension ropes. The prussic knots can be slid along the ropes to tension the fly. With the Snake Skins, the hammock can be tied to trees with the body still furled inside, safe from rain and dirt. Once attached to the supporting trees, the Snake Skins can then be slid back and the guy lines for the fly attached to either a natural feature, such as a rock or branch, or to tent pegs. Choosing trees and the height to tie the suspension ropes is quite an art and I have become much better with experience. The further apart the trees, the higher the hammock has to be tied. The body of the hammock is suspended underneath an integral ridgeline, so it retains the same shape every time it is set up.

Once I have the hammock and fly set up, I will sit in the hammock and let the knots and the rope take the strain. I then get up and tauten the fly as the droop in the hammock from my weight will cause the fly to slacken as well. One way to prevent this would be to tie the fly independently to the trees, rather than to the suspension ropes. This would require adding more cord to the fly. As the name suggests, the Backpacker A-sym is not constructed symmetrically and the orientation of the fly must match that of the hammock body.

There are two pieces of elastic cord, attached to either side of the hammock body, which can be used to spread the hammock out. This gives the interior a much greater feeling of space. The cord can be tied to either a natural feature or to a ring on the corner of the rain fly.

Entry to the hammock is made through a slit in the bottom near the foot of the hammock. When I put my weight on the hammock, the slit automatically closes. The slit is lined with Velcro to provide a more bug-proof seal. The top of the hammock is closed in with bug netting. The netting is sewn in, which makes it lighter than if it was attached with a zipper, but leaves no option to remove it if camping in a bug-free area. The fly and bug netting are held up over the hammock by a ridgeline that runs the length of the body. There is also a small mesh bag and a couple of plastic hooks that hang from the ridgeline. These are good for hanging something like a contact lens case or glasses. At the foot of the hammock there is also a small hook to which gear, such as a stuff sack, could be attached. This will keep it from sliding to the low point of the hammock.

To pack the hammock, the guy lines for the fly and hammock body are undone and the Snake Skins are simply slid down hammock, meeting in the middle. The suspension ropes can then be untied from the Tree Huggers. The Snake Skins, with the hammock inside, can be easily coiled for storage. If using the stuff sack, one rope is untied, and then the body and fly are stuffed into the sack while walking towards the other tree. Water beads on the surface of the fly so, if packing up a wet fly, a vigorous shake can get rid of much of the moisture.

In the unlikely event I can't find anything from which to suspend the hammock, there is always the option of setting it up like a tent, perhaps using trekking poles or paddles as supports. The drawback is that the bottom of the hammock is not waterproof, but this setup is very serviceable in a pinch.

LIFE ON THE INSIDE

I have found that the hammock is a very liveable option compared to other very lightweight shelters, such as bivy sacks and tarps. It may be ever so slightly heavier, but I think the exponential gains in comfort make it an excellent trade-off. As I do much of my outdoors traveling in wet areas, I love being off the ground. I find that tents get very clammy in the rainforest, no matter how well they are ventilated. The hammock also provides enough room, with a little wriggling, for me to get dressed or undressed inside. The colours of the hammock are quite muted and blend in well with the forest; ideal for stealth camping. The interior of the hammock is light and airy and allows me to feel much more connected to my surroundings than I do in a tent.

The A-sym in the hammock's name refers to the asymmetric cut of the hammock body. It could be described as a long rectangle with the suspension ropes connected to opposite corners. This allows the occupant to sleep diagonally across the centerline in a position much flatter than in a traditional hammock. It is flat enough for me to sleep very comfortably on my side or back but not on my stomach. I normally sleep on my side, so this is comfortable for me. I am a bit taller than recommended for the model, so I imagine it would be even more comfortable for someone shorter, as there would be even less difference in the height of their feet and head versus their waist. This hammock has provided me with my best night's sleep in the backcountry.

Even in windy conditions, I have found the hammock sways very little and, with the ridgeline, entry through the bottom and absence of spreader bars, have never felt as though I was going to tip over. I find the slight motion quite relaxing.

In the Yukon, it was wonderful to be able retreat into the completely bug-proof confines of the hammock for some respite from the constant assault of mosquitoes. It is very easy to fold the fly over, or completely remove it, for some afternoon lazing in the sun. The body of the hammock can also be folded over to provide a comfortable camp seat.

The ridgeline inside the hammock provides handy storage and the whole hammock is essentially one long clothesline. I am very short-sighted without my glasses and really appreciate having a place to store them safely, yet close at hand. I have hung stuff sacks outside the hammock but still under the shelter of the fly and the ground under the hammock is also reasonably sheltered from the rain. When packing up, I can stand on the ground with my body inside the hammock and pack my sleeping bag and clothes while sheltered from the weather.

PROTECTION FROM THE WEATHER

The sides of the rain fly can be raised and lowered depending on conditions. The fly can be secured at any angle, from horizontally, allowing views of the surroundings, to a sharp downward angle, increasing the protection from the weather. The instructions direct that the sides of the fly should be tensioned before the head and foot. I have found that this is crucial to attaining adequate coverage for the hammock body. In windy conditions the hammock body is sometimes splattered by rain drops blown under the fly, but I have found that, because of the DWR coating and so much air circulation, this is not a serious issue and the fabric soon dries. When the fly is tied low against the hammock body, I have found the shelter to be quite weather-proof. I have sat out many West Coast rain squalls warm and dry in the hammock.

The fly is essentially a tarp and in high winds, all the same concessions must be made as one would with a tarp. I usually seek out more sheltered locations to set it up. The silicone nylon used for the fly is a crinkly fabric and in the wind, if the fly is not absolutely taut, can be a little loud.

DRAWBACKS

I find it is best suited to solo forays into less traveled areas. Two hammocks take longer to set up than one two-person tent and weigh about as much as the new generation of lightweight tents. When choosing a campsite, the ability of the hammock to float over inclined, saturated or rocky ground is irrelevant if my companions are tenters. It is still a tenters' world and campgrounds, even in backcountry settings, are selected and maintained with tenters in mind. However, I have never been in a situation where I could not find a place to suspend my hammock and always retain the option of setting it up as a tent.

Similar to a tarp, setting up the hammock requires utilizing natural features creatively. It is not as self-contained as a free-standing tent. I enjoy the challenge, but others might find this a hassle.

The fabric of the hammock body is quite slippery and there is a tendency for everything (including me) to head for the lowest point. The other problem I have had is that there is much more friction between my sleeping bag and pad than there is between my pad and the hammock. This means adjusting the position of the pad beneath me can be a hassle. I have considered using a sleeping quilt instead of a bag or getting a sleeping bag with an integrated pad.

As mentioned earlier, the hammock suffers a bit in the cold. There is the option of adding insulation, but it is to the detriment of the hammock's selling points: low weight and simplicity.

DURABILITY

In five years of light use, the edges of the loops on the Tree Huggers have started to fray from the suspension ropes being fed through them and then loaded with weight. I have also broken one plastic clip that pulls the fly closer to the hammock body. The clip is not critical to the integrity of the hammock and I have not bothered to repair it. Apart from this I have not noticed any signs of fabric deterioration or stitching giving way. This has impressed me because my weight is at the upper limit for the hammock, and with gear inside, exceeds it.

CONCLUSION

This hammock is a lightweight, three season shelter useful anywhere there are trees. It is very comfortable, weather-proof, bug-proof and liveable. By getting me off the ground and providing lots of ventilation, it is particularly well suited to one of my favourite areas of exploration: British Columbia's coastal rainforest. I love that the fly, body, bug netting, suspension and storage come in one integrated package. As with all very lightweight shelters, it does make some compromises, but has struck one of the best balances I have experienced. I look forward to adding insulation and expanding my hammocking horizons. Even though the hammocks are manufactured close to where I live, they are still relatively rare and a great conversation starter, as other hikers are very intrigued whenever I set it up.

Reviews > Shelters > Hammocks > Hennessy Ultralight Backpacker A-Sym > Owner Review by Andrew McNeil