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

Date: February 7, 2006

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 was on my way towards becoming a lightweight packer. However, I have found that I really don't like leaving my little extras behind so now I'm just trying to get my pack weight down to a manageable 40 lb/18 kg. 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 more in-depth reporting along with photos, please see my Initial Report and my Field Report.   At the beginning of January, I received a letter from Jacks 'R' Better along with 2 new "micro-biners".  According to the letter, these 2 micro-biners were an improvement to replace the single JRB mini-biner.  These micro-biners are anodized aluminum.   Also, the letter states "While there are techniques to allow attachment as a gear hammock to the foot of the Hennessy Hammock with a single biner, the use of two biners simplifies the attachment and ensures that the loop at the side tie out point does not slide down the guy line when weight is placed in the gear hammock.  They also reduce attachment time.  Since these micro-biners weight (sic) just 2 grams each and the previous mini-biner, also anodized aluminum, weighs 8 grams this increased capability comes with a reduction in weight of 4 grams overall!"  It also gives instructions on how to use the new micro-biners which I will expound in my report.

As you can see in the picture below, the micro-biners are quite a bit smaller than the original mini-biner.

The 2 small micro-biners are used in the same manner as the original mini-biner. One micro-biner is used in the place of the mini-biner and the other micro-biner is used in the appropriate corner tab that was originally used to pull the hammock tie out shock cord through.

Corner tab with tie out	Corner tab with micro-biner

The other micro-biner is used in the same place/way as the original mini-biner as seen in the picture below:

Original mini-biner attached to hammock	micro-biner attached to foot of hammock

This has made it EXTREMELY easy to attach the gear hammock to the Hennessy Hammock. I am very pleased with the improvement as previously, I had to remember to set up the gear hammock at the same time as I was setting up the Hennessy. This way, I can use the gear hammock as a ground sheet or protecting other gear in the rain until I'm ready for bed. Now I can hook the gear hammock to my Hennessy without untying the corner tie-out shock cord and threading it through the corner tab. This makes it a whole lot easier. A very nice improvement and I thank Jacks 'R' Better for thinking about sending us these micro-biners to finish our test with.

Here you see the gear hammock attached to my Hennessy Hammock with my boots inside.

As you can see, it's weighted down from the weight of my boots. This improvement has made it so the weight doesn't make the corner tab slide down the guy line which was a problem that concerned me when I saw it happen the first time. The new micro-biner has "cured" that problem nicely. Also, noted in the letter sent with the micro-biners "Take up any slack in the perimeter shock cord at the toggle and the gear hammock will assume a top lip closure for security. Properly positioned under your tarp and lightly weighted with your gear not in use it will provide convenient waterproof gear storage." I am pleased to report that it does exactly that. The night I was out when the above picture was taken, it rained cats and dogs (well, not any animals really but I was about ready to call the animals out by twos!) and I was pleased to find that my boots were nice and dry when I grabbed them when I woke up and put them on.  It is very easy to access the gear hammock from inside the Hennessy although the first time I tried it I almost fell out on my head but that's just me.

The blaze orange color makes it perfect for use during hunting season around here but I may end up buying the gray one for summer use to help with "stealth" camping.

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.

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