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Hennessey Hammock

5K views 29 replies 15 participants last post by  Raul Perez 
#1 ·
Since my last camping/survival trip over the summer I've been looking for a better hammock. My original hammock was a cheap mesh hammock that did not retain any heat and was fairly flimsy.

I came across the Hennessey Hammock which seems to be a highly improved GI Jungle Hammock. The price was pretty steep $140 but there was a special going on (buy one get another free). I couldn't pass it up.

Set up was fairly easy once I figured it out. The hammock itself is light weight being 2.5 pounds. It has a mosquito net attached to it. What is unique about this hammock is the entry and exit system employed. You enter from the bottom which seals itself with velcro!

I ran out of video at the end but I also wanted to show the "tree hugger" system. A heavy Nylon strap which goes around the tree without harming it. Seems perfect if you are looking to do a "leave No Trace" style camping.

Overall I'm highly optomistic my future camping with a hammock will be a better experience. If you are looking to do hammock camping I would definitely recommend this one.

Video below:



Raul
 
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#4 ·
The HH is considered one of the best hammocks, in the backpacking world. Having said that, its benefits/drawbacks have been hashed over and over at the hiking forums over the years. Typically, the main drawbacks to hammocks are..

-Noticeably colder in winter since theres very little insulation under you.
-Hard to do much(besides sleep) inside it like cook(impossible actually) or change when the weathers bad.
-Not good above treeline. duh :).
 
#6 ·
Raul welcome to the hanging club...u will love your HH :)
there my shelter of choice and have bin from some time now i can tell u a few tricks to getting the best night sleep in the woods u will ever have if u want, that and check out SGT rocks Hiking HQ
he had alot of great info on hammock camping .....if u want more links let me know :thumb:
 
#8 ·
I have two Hennessey Hammocks- a Scout, which I purchased from Tom used- without the netting, and an Ultralight backpacker asymetrical.

I wanted the Scout since it was cheap to buy, and I like having no netting since most of my backpacking trips are in cooler weather (bugless). I modified mine to be asymetrical, which I find WAY more comfortable.

It's definitely a challenge staying warm underneath you in a hammock, but my middle aged bones sure appreciate the comfort!!

I love how my hammock is also my camp chair, and I can sit comfortably while I cook or read. It's great to be able to set up and break down camp completely under the tarp while staying dry :thumb:

I'm going to try making some of my own hammocks soon. There is a wealth of "how to" knowledge about hammocking available online. I got started with Sgt Rock's site, and Just Jeff's Hiking Page has a WEALTH of knowledge!

There are many brands of hammocks out there, and they all have differences and varying comfort levels. It's really an individual thing.

Thanks for puttin up the video!
Welcome to the wonderul and addicting world of hanging! :D:
 
#10 ·
I'm waiting for them to restock mine for my first bought hammock. Last year I had a DYI hammock and it worked great! Way cheeper but since I can afford it this year, and the trip is into the Rocky's not just the woods, I hope it proves to as awesome as they are made out to be... Thank you for the review and I hope to post my first video after the trip!
 
#11 ·
I'm waiting for them to restock mine for my first bought hammock. Last year I had a DYI hammock and it worked great! Way cheeper but since I can afford it this year, and the trip is into the Rocky's not just the woods, I hope it proves to as awesome as they are made out to be... Thank you for the review and I hope to post my first video after the trip!
 
#12 ·
I'm waiting for them to restock mine for my first bought hammock. Last year I had a DYI hammock and it worked great! Way cheeper but since I can afford it this year, and the trip is into the Rocky's not just the woods, I hope it proves to as awesome as they are made out to be... Thank you for the review and I hope to post my first video after the trip!
 
#13 ·
Hi
I have a Hennessy as well and love it, so comfortable. I also have a bunch that I have made myself.
Standard practise is to keep the hammock body, ditch the small tarp and buy a larger one that you can cook and other stuff under, then get an under quilt to go under the hammock body and this will keep your back warm.
Use your fully open sleeping bag as a quilt in the hammock and just pull it over you, it is really hard to get in to a sleeping bag the traditional way in a hammock.
Come along to hammockforums.net and say hello.
 
#15 ·
I have the Explorer as well have used it in the westcoast rainforest of my rock (they named it well) and its a staple when I go for a motorcycle run , if I feel I dont want to keep going or going home , its up in 3 minutes , picked up the 4 seasons kit for it to as I like winter camping, I almost found it too warm
 
#17 ·
The Clark doesn't come with insulation. Some people say that it works and others say it doesn't. YMMV. To me, it's not worth the extra money because you're not really getting anything extra. Even if stuffing things into the pockets keeps you warm, you're still going to need some insulation for the areas that aren't covered by the pockets.

If I was in the market for a new hammock and I'd come down to a clark or a HH, I'd pick the HH and maybe just go and get the super shelter. For the amount of money you're spending on the clark, you can get the HH, plus a few extras.

here are more pictars. one setup is mine, the other is my hiking buddies from this weekend's camp.
 

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#18 ·
True, the price looks better, and you can get one with a mosquito net and the snake skins to make it a snap to put up. I just dont know about sleeping on something that is Velcroed along the bottom. And I only weight 160lbs...It just bothers me haha.

I live in Tennessee and the coldest it gets is around 15 F. I dont plan on camping when its that cool but it would be nice to be able to just in case. I have a Mountain hardwear ultralamina 15 but have never used a hammock. Its appealing because I wouldnt have to sleep on the hard ground but Im just concerned about the warmth since I have never use one before
 
#19 ·
The biggest thing to know is yourself. Are you a warm sleeper or a cold sleeper?

For me, I'm a warm sleeper. I can go down to 30F with my 20* synthetic bag and a closed cell foam pad. That's wearing a lightweight poly pro long sleeve shirt, fleece pants, smart wool cap and thick wool socks.

As for your issue with the velcro on the bottom, I'll advise you to check out hammockforums.net . There is a section there for a guy named 2Questions. His wife does a modification where she well sew up the bottom entry, then put a zipper on the bug net so that the HH becomes a top loader and can be used as a chair without modifying the structural ridge line.

If you're going to go through all of that trouble though, just do what I did. Buy a Warbonnet Black Bird and a tarp. Go with the webbing type suspension for ease of setup. The bugnet already has a zipper and it's a top loader. No modifications required.

Hammockforums.net has a warbonnet section.
 
#20 · (Edited)
-I'm a warm sleeper
-I HAVE to have mosquito netting
-Would prefer a top loader
-Prefer zippered entrances over velcro
-Mainly use in the spring, summer, fall (I try not to camp below freezing)
-Ability to be used as a bivy if there are no trees (I think all hammocks can)
-Like to be able to use snake skins or other method of packing the hammock in a flash
-Like to be able to use a caribeaner and straps to quickly attach to a tree without having to re-tie knots. Will have to have a way to sinch the straps to make it loose or tighter
-Feel the Clark is on the expensive end, or the most that I would want to spend. I feel buy right, buy once.

I will check out that forum but what options do these circumstances limit me to?
 
#21 ·
-I'm a warm sleeper
-I HAVE to have mosquito netting
-Would prefer a top loader
-Prefer zippered entrances over velcro
-Mainly use in the spring, summer, fall (I try not to camp below freezing)
-Ability to be used as a bivy if there are no trees (I think all hammocks can)
-Feel the Clark is on the expensive end, or the most that I would want to spend. I feel buy right, buy once.

I will check out that forum but what options do these circumstances limit me to?
With those main points, I'd go ahead and get a Warbonnet. No modifications needed to make it a top loader. Bug net is attached and zips up. Is one of they roomiest hammocks being made today. Also made in the USA by a very friendly guy.

The other reason I'd say go with a Warbonnet is the guy who makes the hammock also makes a 2/3 length under quilt designed for the hammock and tarps. All of his work is top quality. Send him an email from the hammock forums website if you have any questions.
 
#22 ·
I have an HH and in hind sight I should have just bought a normal hammock, bug screen and a couple of camo tarps. It would have cost a quarter of what I paid and would have accomplished the same thing.

Don't get me wrong. It is a good system and I do like it, but the price is not really worth it to me. Gonna make a back up homemade system to cache.
 
#23 ·
I updated my list of what I feel I would like;

-Like to be able to use snake skins or other method of packing the hammock in a flash (I like how to clark packs into its own bag) The clark ultra light ($199) seems like what I need but it says it doesnt have a Breathable WeatherShield...That doesnt seem like its worth the extra $100 to move to up to the North American. The weathershield is for 50° F / 10° C or below which would be nice.


-Like to be able to use a caribeaner and straps to quickly attach to a tree without having to re-tie knots. Will have to have a way to sinch the straps to make it loose or tighter.

I havent found the setup yet but imagine. pulling out hammock, clip around tree, clip around other tree, sinch tight on both sides, set up tarp, done.

Maybe I need to break down and buy the clark, it seems to fit my needs. I was just seeing if there was a more affordable option.
 
#26 ·
i would think combineing this HH and the 3 stage military sleeping bag would keep you warm and dry for a good nights sleep on a cold winter night :thumb:


i would think the only big draw back would be on windy nights, like gusts of up to 70 mph winds :eek:

thanx for showing i was just think today,of what hammick to get, now i know thanx
 
#27 ·
Crypt - After you place your order it take about 2-3 weeks for it to be completed.

Some of the things to consider (that I am still working out)

-For colder months you need a pad or an underquilt to keep you warm
-With the blackbird you need a tarp to go over it to protect you from rain (there is no zip up section over the mosquito netting) but the tarp provides additional warmth.
-I have a Mountain hardwear ultralamina 15 sleeping bag which is compact but I need to see how much space all of this shelter is going to take up in my pack. (I am currently looking at how other people pack their hammocks, sleeping bags, quilts, etc. compact and keeping them dry.

I am making a survival camping/BOB and I am going with this setup because it is lightweight, can be setup anywhere in my region, and it gets you off the ground (away from bugs, flooding, etc.)
 
#29 ·
Crypt - After you place your order it take about 2-3 weeks for it to be completed.

Some of the things to consider (that I am still working out)

-For colder months you need a pad or an underquilt to keep you warm
-With the blackbird you need a tarp to go over it to protect you from rain (there is no zip up section over the mosquito netting) but the tarp provides additional warmth.
-I have a Mountain hardwear ultralamina 15 sleeping bag which is compact but I need to see how much space all of this shelter is going to take up in my pack. (I am currently looking at how other people pack their hammocks, sleeping bags, quilts, etc. compact and keeping them dry.

I am making a survival camping/BOB and I am going with this setup because it is lightweight, can be setup anywhere in my region, and it gets you off the ground (away from bugs, flooding, etc.)

when i was in the army we use to put the sleeping bag in a water proof bag and strap it to the outside of the backpack :thumb:
 
#28 ·
This should perhaps be broken off into another thread, since we're not really talking about the HH anymore, but here goes.

I use a down top quilt and a down underquilt (Full length and 2/3 length depending on weather). I put them in a heavy duty trash compactor bag and close up the top. I don't seal it tight, just roll the top over the side. Then, I throw everything in on top of it. This means that I'm not compressing the down unnecessarily. The down will compress just enough to under the weight of my clothing bag, food bag, hammock stuff sack and whatever odds and ends I may stick in my packs main compartment.

Everything else goes in an outside pocket.
 
#30 ·
finally got a chance to use the hennessey hammock this weekend. It was terrific! Didn't utilize the snake skins and I have to tell you the tear down and set up is not as fast. I actually just finished re-installing the snake skins.

I've read that most users use a sleeping pad to keep their backs warm. You really need it. I had used my self inflating pad and when my leg or shoulders moved off of it you could feel the difference in a 60 degree night.
 
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