For months Steve and I have been talking about different ways to reduce more camping weight and started investigating hammocks vs tents. It took awhile but I finally decided to take a chance and bought the Hennessy Hammock Explorer Ultralight Asym Zip Hammock.
The Specs
- Height Limit: 7′
- Weight Limit: 250 lbs
- Packaged Weight: 2 lbs 4 oz
- Packed Size: 4″ x 8″ x 10″
- Hammock Fabric: 70D Nylon Taffeta, 160 x 90 count
- Bottom Fabric Dimensions: 132″ x 59″
- Mesh: 20D Polyester No-See-Um Netting
- Suspending Ropes: Two 10′ long 1500 lb test spectra ropes
- Wedding Straps: 1.5″ wide x 42″ long, polyester
- Rainfly Weight: 11.7 oz
- Rainfly Fabric: 30D High tenacity PU/Silicone coated nylon ripstop66
- Rainfly Dimensions: A parallelogram short side 70″, long side 120″, short diagonal 128″, long diagonal 140″
My Experience
The Set Up
One of the immediate benefits I noticed from having a hammock is no limitations from terrain. There was still some snow on the ground at our campsite and I was able to set up my shelter without having to dig through the snow. No more uneven ground to worry about or flooding from rainstorms.
Because this is was my first time hanging the hammock, I did struggle a little with keeping the rope tight while lashing. I used four figure-8 wraps and finished with two hitch knots. The rainfly was extremely easy to attach and to position. Instructions on proper lashing and set up are available on Hennessy’s website.
Sleeping
I’m a side sleeper and had no problems sleeping in my hammock. I was extremely comfortable no matter how I laid and I woke up feeling ache free. I didn’t need my therm-a-rest mattress but did use a thin foam pad for insulation and my sleeping bag. The temperature went below 34F so it did get chilly. The Explorer Ultralight is not a 4 season hammock.
For the Future
I’m looking for a better, quicker suspension system to help me put my hammock up faster. I’m also trying to figure out a good way for some additional basic storage for wet clothes, muddy hiking boots, etc.
To help improve in colder temperature, I’m going to incorporate my space blanket somehow into the interior of the hammock and am looking into a different style of rainfly that encloses the hammock a bit more.
Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase. I love how light-weight it is and how small it packs. I was also pleased with the size of the small storage bag that hangs inside of the hammock. This was a great place for me to put my tissue, water bottle, and flashlight.
I am looking forward to using it again soon.