Hennessy Hammock

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June 15th, 2007 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Hennessy Hammock

Do you own an Hennessy Hammock?

If you have please tell me what you thiink about it.

I picked one up at an REI used gear sale about five years ago and have backpacked a bit over 500 miles with it. I love it! There are pros and cons, however.

On the plus side, it is::

1) lightweight (less than two pounds).
2) bug proof (unlike a tarp, or a wooden shelter)
3) comfortable. Set up correctly the floor is neither too soft, nor too hard. It's way better than sleeping on the ground with an air or foam mat.
4) In warm weather you can do without a Sleeping Mat, saving even more weight.
4) It's versatile. I've been able to string it between trees in steep rocky terrain where there wouldn't have been a place to set up a tent. When there are no trees, it can be used as a Bivy Sack. Also, you can adjust the tarp and the hammock according to your needs, maximizing rain protection or ventilation.
5) It sets up quite quickly.

Potential Negatives:

1) Since the bottom of the hammock is exposed to air, it does not retain heat well. While this can be nice on a hot day, its tough when it gets cold.

2) If you use a pad, you will need an extra wide one. It can be hard to stay on a narrow mattress pad in a hammock. Also, the floor of the hammock curls around you a bit, so you will need a wide pad for insulation.

3) The hammock is not idiot-proof. You need to know how to tie a secure knot that can be un-tied easily. And you will need to use some care in setting it up so that you will stay dry. When I was lazy and sloppy, I got drenched. The wider tarps now available mean you need less precision in set up than with the smaller ones.

4) Things can jumble around in the hammock as you move and toss and turn. You need to use the rope that holds the roof in place or the mesh storage compartments to store things you might need during the night.

5) You can'tstore many things in the hammock when you sleep, but you can store them underneath. This means a little more exposure to the elements.