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2003 Hennessy Hammock Ultralight Backpacker A-symOwner Review
BIOGRAPHY
Name: Jeff Jackson
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (178 cm)
Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
Website: http://www.geocities.com/jwj32542/HammockCamping.html
Email: jwj32542 at yahoo dot com
Location: Monterey, CA, USA
Date: 23 Sep 05
Backpacking Background:
I have been backpacking for about eleven years. Starting as a three-season only hiker in North Georgia, I have since hiked in California, Colorado, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. Weather is generally mild (50-85 F / 10-30 C), although I sometimes hike in winter (~20 F/-7 C) as well. My current pack weight is roughly 30 lb (14 kg). When I go on a 2-3 day hike with my children (6 and 10), my pack may edge up to 40 lb (18 kg). I am most often a hammock camper, but I still use a tent when my wife comes along.
PRODUCT INFO
2003 Hennessy Hammock (HH) Ultralight Backpacker A-sym
http://www.hennessyhammock.com
Product Description: An incredibly comfortable bottom-entry camping hammock with integrated bug net, a rain fly that attaches directly to the hammock support ropes, and nylon straps to protect the trees from damage.
Listed Weights:
- From Website: 1 lb 15 oz (880 g)
- From Stuff Sack: 1 lb 12 oz (800 g)
Weights as Delivered:
- Hammock: 1 lb 4.5 oz (584 g)
- Tree Huggers: 1.75 oz (46 g) per pair
- Rain Fly: 7.5 oz (214 g)
- Stuff Sack: .75 oz (22 g)
- Total Weighed Together: 1 lb 14.5 oz (868 g)
Specifications Provided by Manufacturer:
- Max user height: 6 ft (183 cm)
- Max user weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
- Hammock body: 100” x 48” (254 cm x 122 cm) of 70D nylon taffeta, 160x90 high count
- Suspension System: 1450 lb (658 kg) test Spectra reinforced ropes
- Tree Huggers: 42" (107 cm) long and 1" (2.5 cm) wide webbing straps
- Rain Fly: 1.1 oz (30D) silicone nylon parallelogram
- Long side: 92" (234 cm)
- Short side: 65" (165 cm)
- Long diagonal: 122" (310 cm)
- Short diagonal: 105" (267 cm)
- Mesh: 1 oz (20D) polyester no-see-um netting
- Set up time: 2 minutes
- Packed size: 5" x 10" (13 cm x 26 cm)
MSRP: US$169.95
FIRST IMPRESSION
“What a deal!” At less than two pounds (907 g) for a complete shelter promising the comfort of the Hennessy Hammock, that was my first reaction.
I purchased the HH from a local outfitter. It was packaged in a black stuff sack with drawstring and cordlock, and the setup instructions were printed directly on the sack. Taking the hammock out of the stuff sack, I found a very lightweight shelter with integrated (non-removable) bug net, Spectra hammock support ropes attached permanently to the hammock’s ends, tree huggers (nylon webbing designed to protect the trees from damage), and a silnylon rain fly.
Setting up the HH for the first time is a bit confusing. First, I wrapped the tree huggers around the tree as instructed, and they seem to do an excellent job of spreading the force imparted onto the trees by an occupied hammock, which minimizes damage to the tree. This was very straightforward. However, attaching the Spectra support ropes to the tree huggers requires a “figure-8” lashing that is difficult to understand from the instructions on the bag. After about four attempts, I lashed the cords correctly. (Later, I found that this lashing is very easy to forget, too!)
Fortunately, Tom Hennessy responded to customer requests by providing a video on his website that illustrates in detail how to correctly lash the ropes to the huggers. After practicing several times, the figure-8 lashing is simple and I can do it in the dark. Additionally, it is a very useful method of attaching the hammock. When I occupy the hammock, the weight causes any knot to cinch down so tightly that it is virtually impossible to untie; the lashing prevents this from occurring, and it is simple to unlash when taking down the hammock.
After securing the hammock to the trees, I attached the rain fly to the hammock. The fly has two clips on each ridgeline corner that attach to prussik knots on the hammock support ropes. This means that I do not need to carry extra cord to hang the fly because it secures directly to the hammock. This is a very simple process with only one potential pitfall. The fly’s asymmetrical shape matches that of the hammock, so if it is upside-down when secured, the hammock’s asymmetrical corners will be exposed. However, this pitfall is easily remedied by flipping the fly over before staking out the sides.
For the next step I staked out the sides. The hammock body has two shockcorded tie-outs that pull the hammock open. Given the asymmetrical shape, one tie-out is located by my right knee when laying in the hammock, and one is by my left shoulder. This allows me to more easily lay diagonally, which allows a much flatter sleeping platform (more on that later). To stake out the hammock, I simply tied the shockcord to a stake (not provided with the HH) with a tautline hitch and poked it into the ground. Then I tied the fly’s corner guylines to the hammock stakes on each side and completed the setup.
Now I had to test the hammock. Since the bug net is sewn to the hammock body all the way around, the HH is a bottom-entry hammock. It has a hook and loop lined slit on the foot end of the hammock, running along the centerline from about the middle (where the butt sits) to the end of the hammock fabric. To enter, I opened the slit, sat down just as in a chair, pulled my feet in, and laid back. The slit popped closed from my weight. Very simple.
However, when I entered the hammock, the lashings tightened and the hammock stretched. Even though it was attached to the tree at chest level, I ended up with my butt near the ground! I had to get out and re-lash the figure-8s tighter. Over time, I learned to cinch the lashings as tight as possible. Additionally, I think the hammock fabric stretched quite a bit for the first several times I used the hammock. After several uses, the hammock quit stretching and now appears to remain closer to where I hang it each time.
After a little bit of practice, I can now set up my hammock very quickly with absolutely no frustration. I still find the 2 minute setup time listed on the stuff sack a bit optimistic, though.
USAGE DETAILS
I have tested this hammock on several trips from 1 to 4 nights each. Some nights I spent in my backyard, some were on the Appalachian Trail Approach at Amicalola Falls State Park, GA, and some were in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area on the SC/NC border. Climates ranged from 90+ F (32+ C) and very humid (from ~90% to pouring rain during the day) to 35 F (2 C) and windy at night. I have experienced only light rain while actually occupying the HH. Overall, I have spent approximately 30 nights in the HH. (For comparison, I have spent approximately 60 nights in other types of hammocks.)
I have used the HH with several aftermarket products that overcome the system’s weaknesses, which I discuss below.
SPECIFIC CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME
These issues must be overcome for any camping hammock and are not specific to the HH models, but are still very important considerations for anyone purchasing a HH.
- Bottom insulation. On a windy 35 F (2 C) night, I slept in a -20 F (-29 C) sleeping bag and froze my bum. Insulating in a hammock is rather technical, but the short version is that the occupant compresses the sleeping bag underneath the body, severely reducing the insulation’s effectiveness, and the wind blows the heat away from underneath. I had to experiment with several methods of insulating underneath the hammock, including using sleeping bags rated for much colder temperatures than I experienced, using a sleeping pad inside the hammock, and using an underquilt setup to provide non-compressed insulation on the bottom of the hammock. I finally decided that the underquilt was most comfortable and convenient for me, even though this added significantly to the cost and complexity of the HH. (For more details, see my JRB Three-Season Hammock Quilt Set Owner's Review.) However, once I settled on this solution the setup is still extremely quick, easy and comfortable.
- Gear storage. In a tent or tarp, many users bring their gear inside the shelter. In a hammock, I found this impractical because any stray gear ended up in the lowest point of the hammock – under my rear! I have put my pack on the ground underneath the hammock, hung it from the hammock support rope with a carabiner, and used a gear hammock. All options provide acceptable solutions under certain conditions, but take some mental adjustment to get accustomed to sleeping without immediate access to gear.
- Sway. Since the hammock hangs from the trees, the wind sometimes causes me to sway while I sleep. Although I enjoy this feeling, some users have said it gives them motion sickness. The HH’s side guylines reduce the sway significantly, and sometimes I don’t stake them out simply so I can retain the swaying motion throughout the night. This causes the bug net to remain slightly closer to my body while sleeping, but does not impact my comfort level.
DURABILITY
The hammock seems to be holding up extremely well. I have noticed no damage to the body, and only minor wear to the bug net where I found some tiny holes in the fabric. These holes were so small I did not need to repair them, and this wear is certainly nothing more than I would expect from any similar lightweight piece of equipment.
I found that the prussik knot fly clip on one hammock support rope frayed very quickly. At this point, I am hesitant to secure my fly to it for fear of failure. Tying a new prussik knot would be a simple repair, but I have not done this because I now tie my fly directly to the tree.
I also noticed that a section of the grosgrain trim around the rain fly separated from the silnylon. A few minutes of hand-stitching repaired the trim easily.
These are both minor issues and I have not contacted the manufacturer about them.
WHAT I LIKE
- Comfort. On my first night in the HH, I experienced the most comfortable night I had ever spent outside. I was elevated above any roots or rocks on the ground, above any water runoff during rains, and I did not worry about finding level ground for a campsite. I have slept comfortably in the HH on my back, both sides, and on my stomach. I have even slept in the HH with my five year old son and had plenty of room. During the summer, the HH kept me nice and cool at night, and effectively kept the bugs away.
To be fair, I did have to figure out a few tricks to remain comfortable. First, sleeping on the diagonal is essential. The asymmetrical shape makes this simple. I put my legs to the right of the hammock’s centerline and shoulders to the left, making my body lie diagonally across the centerline of the hammock. This causes my feet and shoulders to “drop” relative to the hammock’s centerline, which causes a feeling of lying flat. I am actually only “almost flat” but this position is so comfortable that it often feels completely flat.
However, since my feet are elevated slightly my knees often get a bit sore. When lying on my back, the hammock supports my heels and my leg remains straight throughout the night. This leads to a slight hyperextension of my knees, which causes soreness. I found several possible solutions to this: sleep on my side, put a pillow (clothes in a stuff sack) under my knees, or bend one leg under my other leg (like a figure-4) to support that knee.
I also found that the hammock strained my neck a bit. A neck pillow helped tremendously. A full pillow put even more pressure on my neck, but stuffing my rain jacket into its sleeve and putting this under my neck relieved the pressure perfectly.
When sleeping on my side, I put the clothing-filled stuff sack between my knees to relieve pressure on my lower back.
Lastly, I found that hanging the hammock level caused me to slide to the foot end during the night. If I hang the hammock with the foot end elevated a few inches higher than the head end, my body stays centered in the hammock.
- Darn convenient. Since the whole shelter packs into one small sack, and setup takes about three minutes, the HH is extremely convenient. Additionally, campsites are virtually unlimited since I no longer need to search for level ground free of rocks and roots. The only challenges I have found on the East Coast are trees too close together and thick underbrush, and on the West Coast the trees are thicker than the tree huggers can wrap around. Sometimes this required me to search a bit longer for suitable sites, but still not as long as finding a suitable tenting site would have required. On his website, Tom Hennessy also sells longer tree huggers for larger trees.
- Ridgeline. The fixed 100” (254 cm) ridgeline maintains a consistent level of sag in the hammock, so that no matter how I hang the hammock it offers similar comfort each time. Very convenient. Also, I use the ridgeline to hang my watch, flashlight, and book while I sleep.
- Weight. At less than two pounds (907 g) for a fully functional shelter, it’s tough to beat. Add in the level of comfort and convenience, and I am sold on hammock camping.
- Versatility. The Hennessy website has instructions for using the HH as a chair or lounger, providing a soft dry place above the ground to sit. I found that the ridgeline prevents me from sitting back when used as a chair, but it works great for leaning over to cook, dress, or if I lean forward with my elbows on my knees. Very comfortable. Also, the HH sets up as a bivy to sleep on the ground if trees are scarce (hiking poles or similar needed). I have not tried this setup yet.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE
- Can’t open bug net. The integrated bug net is a two-edged sword. On one hand, it aids in creating such a lightweight shelter. On the other hand, I would very much like to be able to reach out of the side of the hammock without actually exiting through the foot end. Simply being able to get something from the ground, or even creating “more open” feeling during non-buggy trips, would add considerably to my enjoyment of the HH.
- Fly too small and sags. I never felt comfortable with the stock fly. It protected me adequately in minor drizzles, but any windblown rain would wet the hammock’s ends. Additionally, the fly attachment system seems fundamentally flawed. When I enter the hammock and the support ropes stretch, the points where the fly attaches to the ropes move closer together. This causes the fly to sag. To remedy this, I purchased a larger aftermarket fly and secure that fly directly to the tree instead of to the fly connectors on the support ropes. Hennessy now offers larger flies as well.
SUMMARY
In sum, I love my Hennessy Hammock. It is extremely comfortable, very lightweight, and convenient to setup and take down. I have not spent a more comfortable night in a commercially available lightweight outdoor shelter. Unless I am camping with my wife, above timberline or in the desert, I plan to take my hammock on every lightweight backpacking trip in the future.
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