Reviews > Shelters > Shelter Accessories > Jacks R Better Pack Cover Gear Hammock > Jodi Cornelius > Field Report

Date: December 12, 2005

My Background: I have been backpacking for 3 years now and before that I car camped quite a bit. I consider myself somewhat new to backpacking and am on my way towards becoming a lightweight packer. I tend to use a Hennessey Hammock since my only tent is a bivy tent. I prefer the hammock to a tent as the hammock leaves me swinging gently in the breeze with no hard spot from rocks on the ground. Nor do I need to dig troughs for my hips and shoulders (side sleeper) so I can practice LNT (Leave No Trace) much better.

Product Information:

Field Testing: For a more in-depth description along with photos, please see my Initial Report. So far, I have used this pack cover on my Deuter Futura 32 day pack. This is not the normal pack I would use this with as it is the large pack cover and this day pack is definitely smaller. However, we had located a huge honeycomb and wanted to bring some honey back with us but this was in muzzleloader season for deer and carrying a green and black backpack in the woods on your back wasn't too good an idea. So I grabbed the pack cover and cinched it as tight as I could so it wouldn't fall off. I was quite pleased with the result. The cover did not snag or catch on any of the brush as I expected it to nor did it fall off. It works quite well even with the smaller pack. This is good to know when I need to carry my day pack during hunting season.

I have also set up my hammock outside and used the pack cover as a rain fly. My hammock is brown and green in color and I didn't want anyone mistaking me for a deer while I was in it! So I replaced the stock brown rain fly with the blaze orange pack cover and it worked quite well although it was far from a "perfect" fit. It's not something I would want to have to use all the time, but during hunting season, it is nice to have it. In order to use it as a rain fly I had to clip the carabiner up at the head of the hammock (fortunately, I am testing the Hennessy SuperShelter and only needed to cover the head of the hammock - if it's raining or there's a wet snow falling, this may not be as useful as a rain fly as it doesn't cover the length of the hammock) and then ran parachute cord through the tie-outs on the cover to stakes on either side of the hammock and then one to the tree at the foot of the hammock. This was not as nice as the regular rain fly, but it did work the way I was hoping it would.

Continuing Test Plan: At this time I am planning on continuing to use it on my hammock for the next 2 months. Temperatures from now on are going to be in the low 30s F (-1 C) to possible lows of -5 F (-21 C). This cover will be used in altitudes ranging from 1640 ft (500 m) to 2480 ft (756 m). The testing time will see a range of weather from nice sunny days to almost blizzard conditions. There will be wet, heavy snows along with light, fluffy snow. Winds will range from calm to heavy blowing. Will hard wind blowing pull the cover off my pack? Can I hook it to my hammock without fear of it ripping in heavy winds? I will be looking to use it as a water carrier as well as a gear hanger and a pack cover. I am also thinking about using it as a small tarp from my hammock opening if I can make this work. I am planning on using it as weather protection when I stop for meals in inclement weather or simply as a ground sheet in nicer weather.

Likes: This cover is simply incredibly versatile. I cannot wait to see what all I can do with it as I am out and about.

Dislikes: None.

Suggestions: I would like to see this modified in such a way as to be able to use it as a rain fly. The shock cord which it is made with is excellent. However, it would have made setting it up as a rain fly a lot easier if there was enough shock cord to allow the cover to lay flatter. If not this particular cover, maybe a different one. The blaze orange is excellent for use here during hunting season.

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Reviews > Shelters > Shelter Accessories > Jacks R Better Pack Cover Gear Hammock > Jodi Cornelius > Field Report