Home Sweet Hammock
I recently wrote about sleeping on the ground and the desire for a better kit of gear next time I find myself far from home needing to camp out. With the end of school right around the corner, plans are being made by a small group for a major motorcycle outing to criss-cross West Virginia and North Carolina on a bunch of awesome roads. It's finally time to push the button and get the gear in hand. Today the central item of that kit arrived, something I've been wanting to obtain for several years; a Hennessy Hammock. Woo! Woo! It's like Christmas! This is a simply brilliant bit of inventive engineering combining a hammock, mosquito net, and tent all in one compact and light weight unit. Along with a new zero degree mummy sleeping bag, some serious rain gear, and a few other odds and ends I'm ready for anything.
This is the new Explorer model. It's 8" longer than the original Expedition model. (Just the opposite of Ford SUV's) I like it a lot! (There is a Safari model which is 12" longer and 4" wider and than the Expedition and also ultralightweight versions using lighter, more expensive, and presumably more fragile material.) I set it up in some trees down the way to learn how to rig it. Then I set it up on my patio using some hooks I had installed for my more conventional Venezuelan hammock. My second time took me ten minutes to set it up. They claim 2 or 3 minutes once you really have it down. I think that's very possible. I got the optional "snake skins" and they are fantastic. There is a good set of photos and text describing how they work here. Also, if you are interested, the entry is through the bottom which is another ingenious feature. It's counter-intuitive, but works great.
The rainfly is in an unconventional mode here. Normally it is staked down low on the sides and looks more like a pup tent. If you Google images of Hennessy Hammock you will see lots of them set up that way.
I had to do some creative rigging to come up with a support point with all the brick in our building. The screw hook went up around the corner to a stud in line with the extended angle of the rope bent through 90 degrees.
The secret to hammock comfort is to lay at an angle. This lets you stretch out flat. Sleeping on one's side is quite comfortable this way. The noseeum bug netting looks strangely opaque because of the flash, but it is very easy to see through. There is a ridge line that holds up the mosquito netting and it makes a convenient place to hang stuff up like shoes and clothing, or as above, my watch and my flashlight (in perfect position for reading a book) and, in the case of the next photo, the camera.
This looks a whole lot more inviting than the ground, doesn't it? Safe from bugs and vermin, ready to sleep through any storm. Set up and strike in minutes. It also functions as an open hammock and a chair. There is lots of stuff about these things elsewhere on the internet. BTW, best price I found was at Kato Creek Outfitters. Well, now to go do a little test drive for the rest of the night.
This is the new Explorer model. It's 8" longer than the original Expedition model. (Just the opposite of Ford SUV's) I like it a lot! (There is a Safari model which is 12" longer and 4" wider and than the Expedition and also ultralightweight versions using lighter, more expensive, and presumably more fragile material.) I set it up in some trees down the way to learn how to rig it. Then I set it up on my patio using some hooks I had installed for my more conventional Venezuelan hammock. My second time took me ten minutes to set it up. They claim 2 or 3 minutes once you really have it down. I think that's very possible. I got the optional "snake skins" and they are fantastic. There is a good set of photos and text describing how they work here. Also, if you are interested, the entry is through the bottom which is another ingenious feature. It's counter-intuitive, but works great.
The rainfly is in an unconventional mode here. Normally it is staked down low on the sides and looks more like a pup tent. If you Google images of Hennessy Hammock you will see lots of them set up that way.
I had to do some creative rigging to come up with a support point with all the brick in our building. The screw hook went up around the corner to a stud in line with the extended angle of the rope bent through 90 degrees.
The secret to hammock comfort is to lay at an angle. This lets you stretch out flat. Sleeping on one's side is quite comfortable this way. The noseeum bug netting looks strangely opaque because of the flash, but it is very easy to see through. There is a ridge line that holds up the mosquito netting and it makes a convenient place to hang stuff up like shoes and clothing, or as above, my watch and my flashlight (in perfect position for reading a book) and, in the case of the next photo, the camera.
This looks a whole lot more inviting than the ground, doesn't it? Safe from bugs and vermin, ready to sleep through any storm. Set up and strike in minutes. It also functions as an open hammock and a chair. There is lots of stuff about these things elsewhere on the internet. BTW, best price I found was at Kato Creek Outfitters. Well, now to go do a little test drive for the rest of the night.
posted by wingman at 1:55 AM
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