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Jeff's
Gear
Hammock and Pack Cover - Long Term Report
February 12, 2006
Reviewer
information
| Name |
Marie-Noëlle
Augendre |
I
started backpacking
eight years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing
several
one or two-weeks trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica,
Pyrénées,
Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year.
In the past two
years, I have gradually
lightened my pack load as I went for a hammock, an alcohol stove, a
light pack
and trainers.
Nowadays, I am more and more attracted to the outdoor way
of
living, to the point I am moving to northern Quebec in a few months, 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 |
159 lbs (72 kg) |
| Email
address |
augendre.bgt@gmail.com |
| City,
Country |
Paris, France |
Product
information
|
Listed
|
Actual |
Weight
|
3.0
oz (85 g)
|
3.7
oz (105 g)
|
Dimensions
|
40
x 53 inch
(101.6 x 134.6 cm)
|
38
x 53 inch
(96.5 x 134.6 cm)
|
This is the closing
report of a series of three:
- for a complete
description of the Gear Hammock and my first impressions, please refer to my Initial
Report
- field testing during
the first two-month period is related in my Field
Report
- this last
report describes the last part of the test, and present my conclusions
regarding the Gear Hammock after a four-month usage.
1) Test conditions
During the last two months, the Jeff's Gear Hammock & Pack Cover has been mainly used :
- as a gear hammock during a two-week stay in Quebec, which
involved 9 nights sleeping outdoors, either in a hammock hung below a
tarp or a tepee, or in a tent heated with a wooden stove. Temperatures
encountered during these nights varied between -4°F and
41°F (-20°C and +5°C), depending on whether a fire was
going or not. In these conditions, the Gear Hammock was of little
use: when it was very cold, I'd rather kept my clothes and
water bladder in my sleeping-bag, so they don't freeze; when sharing a
heated tent, clothes were usually hung close to the stove, and - if
used - the silnylon gear hammock would have prevented them to air
and dry properly.
- as a pack cover during 5 or 6 day-hikes in Ile-de-France,
with temperatures in the 23°F / 45°F (-5°C / +7°C)
range, but only dry weather - no drizzle or shower. It was used to cover a
far from full 4250 cu.in (70 liters) ULA P1 pack, for which it was almost too big (see picture at the head of this report).
About
a month ago, the manufacturer sent me 2 mini-carabiners, with
instructions for hanging the Gear Hammock alongside a Hennessy Hammock
with them. I don't own this kind of hammock, so I tie the Gear Hammock
to the same places as my sleeping hammock (see pictures in the Initial
Report and the Field
Report);
though I appreciated these little carabiners to clip small gear to my
pack, I didn't find any special use for them in regards to the Gear
Hammock.
2) My conclusions
I must admit that I have mixed feelings about the Jeff's Gear Hammock & Pack Cover.
I chose the large size, because I was
interested in using it as an additional tarp but, as a result of my
first test, the manufacturer now advises against this usage.
I kind of appreciate it as a gear hammock, but found it too big, as
everything I put in it always ended in the same place, that is at the
lower point in the middle; I guess the small size would probably have
been better, or that two small gear hammocks could have provided better
storage space management than a large one.
As a pack cover ... well, I'm not a great fan of pack covers. I now use
big light packs without internal compartments (ULA P1 or P2), and all
my gear is stored in separate silnylon bags to keep everything more or
less organized; when wet, the packs themselves dry quickly. So I don't
see the point of a pack cover, which seems to be always in the way.
For water storage, I tend to prefer some container I can collect water with; as reported in my Field
Report,
I couldn't find an easy way to fill the Gear Hammock & Pack Cover
properly. I can't see the benefit to hang it somewhere (how far from
the water source ?), collect water with some pot, and come and go
between the water source and the water storage container.
I like the idea of a field sink or bathtub, as it allows me to do some real washing, and far enough from water sources not to pollute them; for this usage, I tend to think the small size would have been sufficient.
Furthermore,
I would recommend to replace the shock cord and its toggle by smaller
ones, in order to both lighten the whole piece and make the adjustments
much more easier.
I
would
like to express my thanks to Jacks ‘R’ Better
and BackpackingGearTest.org
to have allowed me to test the Gear Hammock and Pack Cover.
Read more reviews of Jacks R Better gear
Read more gear reviews by Marie-Noelle Augendre
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