Reviewer  information

Name	Marie-Noëlle Augendre	I started backpacking nine years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing several one or two-week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica, Pyrénées, Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year. In the past three years, I have gradually lightened my pack load as I changed to a hammock, an alcohol stove, a light pack and running shoes instead of boots. Nowadays, I am more and more attracted to the outdoor way of living, to the point I have moved to northern Quebec a couple of months ago, in order to spend as much time as possible not only backpacking, but also kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, etc.
Age	48
Gender	Female
Height	about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Email address	augendre.bgt@gmail.com
City, Country	Lac-Kénogami (QC), Canada

Product information

Manufacturer	Lawson
URL	http://www.lawsonhammock.com
MSRP	169.99 $ US

	Listed	Actual
Measurements  - length  - width  - height  - pack	90 in (228.6 cm) 36 in (91.4 cm) 22 x 6 in (55.9 x 15.2 cm)	66.9 in (170 cm) inside measurements of the hammock, showing its actual habitability 47.2 in (120cm) 17.7 in (45 cm) 25.6 x  10.2 x 4.5 in (65 x 26 x 11.5 cm) actual size of the stuff bag, with everything inside
Weight  - rain tarp  - stuff bag  - poles  - poles bag	4.25 lbs (1.93 kg)	4.83 lbs (2.19 kg) 15 oz (425 g) 3.25 oz (92 g) 8 oz (226 g) 0.25 oz (7 g)

This report is the second in a series of three. For a complete description of the product, and my first impressions upon reception, please refer to my Initial Report.

Testing conditions

Unfortunately, during the past two months, I've had no opportunity to take the Blue Ridge Camping Hammock backpacking; there are not many hiking trails in the region I've recently settled in, and the very few long enough for several-day trips feature campgrounds where one must book in advance and set up tent in the required place. Nevertheless, the hammock has been put to good use as I've been able to sleep in it for several weeks at a row in my own yard, and with very different weather conditions. I got temperatures from 50°F (10°C) to 72°F (22°C) - and even up to 86°F / 30°C when napping some afternoons, gentle breezes or no wind at all, as well as strong winds, drizzles as well as heavy and lengthy showers. In addition, the area is overrun with mosquitoes and black flies in this season (my house is in the woods by a lake at a height of 610 ft / 186 m), and a mosquito net is not an option.
I must admit that I was so dissatisfied with the Blue Ridge Camping Hammock that I gladly reverted to my own usual hammock once I thought I had carried out my testing duty.

Observations

I have used the Blue Ridge Camping Hammock either hung with straps between two trees (pictures in my Initial Report) or to the chains of my big and sturdy hammock stand (pictures in this report), and noticed the same poor performances with either setting. I once tried to set it up on the ground as a bivy, but couldn't find a way to tighten the fly properly; and anyway, I couldn't consider creeping in so low a shelter.

My main complaints are related to:

1- Unsteadiness

Unfortunately, the elasticity I have deplored from the very first time I hanged the hammock has not  lessened as time goes on: I still have to hang the hammock much higher than I would like so my back won't touch the ground. That means getting in the hammock without being dropped is always some kind of acrobatics. Of course, it is even trickier when I have to prevent sleeping bag, pad and a couple of other items to slip to the ground; and getting sat on the sleeping bag or the pad is not the right option, as everything - including me - is sure to get thrown downwards in the process.
Once in, things are no too bad ... provided I do whatever I can to lay as close as possible to the central axis, so not to slip on either side and make the hammock overturn.

2- Questionable behavior in the wind The empty hammock spins in the wind and ends up more time than often in an upside down position. It even succeeded in throwing down my sturdy, heavy  wood hammock stand a couple of times.

3- Poor performance in the rain

In the rain, the fly doesn't remain tight and collapses on the inner tent-like compartment. Water pools in places on the fly. The day I took the picture, it had also been windy, I found the fly rolled up by itself and no longer protecting the inside from water; this might be one reason for water pooling inside the hammock, but I did find quite a lot of water under my pad when I have been actually sleeping there during several rainy nights.

4- Sauna in hot temperatures

As the hammock was more or less permanently hung in the yard, I took the opportunity to nap a couple of times in warm weather. The only times I have been able to stay there for more than a half-hour was when it was windy enough so the fly get lifted by the breeze and admit some air inside. Otherwise, it quickly gets too warm and sauna-like.

5- No room for gear

The Blue Ridge Camping Hammock is designed in such a way than nothing stored underneath is ever sheltered from bad weather: simply getting in or out the hammock swings it enough to have the wet fly dripping on anything left on the ground. I even gave up protecting my shoes in a plastic bag as they get drenched the moment I put them on when getting out the hammock. And of course, I get wet in the process too, as the fly also drips on my head and my back.
The hammock features two little net pockets, that I used to store little items such as my watch, a headlamp or a buff. Unfortunately, more often than not, I found those items somewhere under my pad or sleeping bag, as they've managed to slip from the pockets during the night.

6- Other minor criticisms

• the little zip on one side of the fly seems pointless: I have never used it as the fly is never so tight it cannot be left zipped when I slip underneath
• the net door always seem to be in the way when getting in / out the hammock
• the door zip cannot be operated single-handed, and it is difficult when burdened with a sleeping bag, a pad and whatever else I need to the night.
  

My conclusion after two-month testing

 I won't take it anywhere as my only shelter, whatever conditions I could expect. And definitely cannot view it as a "camping hammock" .

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I would like to thank Lawson and BackpackGearTest.org for giving me the opportunity to test the Blue Ridge Camping Hammock.