Hennessy Hammock

“Just got my new Ultralight Hennessy Hammock and I'm bout to set it up for the first time. Any suggestions from users out there? Thing looks cool, can't wait.”

“Hehehehe. My favorite piece of gear is my Hennessey Hammock. I have used my old original lots, and just got my new ultralight yesterday. Want some tips? Check out my homepage:

SGT Rock's Hiking H.Q.”

“I have the original model and love it.. the ultralight model looks interesting but with a weight limit of 200 lbs? hmm... not gonna hold me and my 210 lb butt.”

“Two questions--Does Hennessy Hammock have a web page and how does the silk bandana do?”

“make sure your knots are tight BEFORE you get in.

I absolutely love mine.”

“What kind of knots do you guys use to tie to the trees?? I'm having a hell of a time getting a knot that won't be too tight to undo after weight has been put on it. Fingers are about to bleed getting knots undone.”

“The knot I use is a clove hitch with a quick release. Holds just find and comes off with one pull.

I just made a silk bandana, but haven't taken it hiking yet.”

“What's the silk bandana for?”

“I wear it on my head.”

“use a slipped constrictor hitch. It only slightly more time to tie than a clove hitch, but holds like a sumbitch.”

“i take that back. wrap your rope around the tree twice, and tie two half hitches, slipping both knots. faster than clove hitch or constrictor. easy as hell to untie.”

“ok, or you could buy 2 gibbs ascenders, and tie them close to the ends of your hammock. then you have two separate lengths of rope. wrap the rope around a tree twice, and use the end to tie a bowline around the standing part - cinch up tight. attach gibbs to the standing part. there, do the same thing to other end and you have an easily adjustable hammock.”

“also, using gibbs will help enormously with redirecting water that wicks down the rope”

“Your right Mutt, I use two half hitches with a quick release. I'm not a know expert, so I have to look at a book to get the names.

I have been in lots of rain with the hammock without water going down the line. The fly is secured by a hook on the main ropes that is securesd to the main rope by a prussik loop. The water hits the loop and drops off.”

“I forgot you backpackers like to keep things light. instead of big, heavy gibbs, get two microcenders instead (or any small ascender).”

“sgt rock, well, your hennesy must beat my junglehammock by a mile. I have to rig a tarp above my hammock to stay dry. I use a trucker's hitch to get the tarp line nice and tight.”

“Mutt, if you can afford the hammock, it is worth the $$$$. I use it for my 3 season shelter. It can be a hammock, a tarp when that is all you need, or a bug-proof bivy.”

“thanks for this thread....i have carried a walmart pocket hammock for many hikes and prefer sleeping in it to on the ground in a tent. But, it has to be a bugless, rainless night....now this hennessy hammock looks like the way to go!
thank you for the tips and reviews....”

“i was thinking the same thing, mutt. ascenders and carabiners would make set-up a lot easier.”

“I-am-OM, I can't really review the hammock scene for you, because the one I have is I guess over 5 years old. so i don't know what the current market is like

However, what I can do is make a suggestion or two.

I highly recommend sewing utility loops directly under the hammock, on the underside of the floor. Get a bunch of cheap biners and clip your gear under your hammock so it stays off the ground and remains dry. your gear also remains handy and you don't have to get out of your hammock to get something. also, I don't care how effective Sgt Rock says the fly/prusik loop combo prevents rain water from wicking down the rope, it's a good idea to either use the GIBBS setup like i described above, or install a metal ring near the end of the hammock. anything to disrupt the water flow. attaching strings to the rope also helps divert water. Let's see, you'll still need an air mattress of some sort to keep under you, as air can circulate all around you. Also , hammock tents tend to SUCK D!CK when it's really hot and humid. at those times i prefer a conventional tent on the ground (more ventilation inside the tent).

that's about all i can think of right now. one hammock tent that you probably won't find mentioned on a forum like this is the Newtribe Treeboat. It's tailored to people who spend the night 60 feet up in the forest canopy, but it's also a VERY well made hammock tent that would last a backpacker a long time. you can find it sold at www.wtsherrill.com. also email for a catalog direct from manufacturer newtribe@cdsnet.net (i think that's right). i guess that's all i can think of for now. just be sure to check out all options out there.”

“radagast: yep, ascenders are the best route, IMO. I require the easy adjustability because I'm tying it at a height. But backpackers may want to do without the extra weight of the rope clamps and instead just use an aluminum ring to break the path of wicking water. But ascenders are definitely the cadillac setup to have with a hammock tent.”

“A lot easier? I guess if you need a set up easier than about two minutes, then maybe you need the extra rig.

In my experience the Hennessey Hammock set up is so easy now, that if you take the full two minutes advertised on his site, then you must be re-reading the instructions during set up.

Air circulation is a problem, but I use a 5oz car sunscreen as a heat reflector, and a 9oz piece of foam pad for really cold temps. In addition I have always got a better nights sleep in the hammock than I ever did on my thermarest.

I like the idea of securing the gear under the hammock, I think sewing straps onto the bottom to hang it from may not work so well on the Hennessey type hammock, maybe running a line of 550 from both support ropes and hanging a pack off that would work, I think it's worth a try.

Thanks for the ideas.”

“Oh yes, and if you want to check out other hammocks (I'm all for competition), check out this one as well:
http://www.lawsonhammockco.com/

Nice design, but heavier.”

“re: circulation
Can you use the hammock without the tarp, just the mesh?
i guess everyone is different...once i fall asleep in a hammock..., i am a gonner until daybreak....( just have to make sure not to drink hot tea before bed!)
.so, having gear close at hand is not a problem to me...I usually hang a light over head from a rope strung between the trees for reading...and a small gear bag with tissue and water.
sgtrock...did i read on your homepage that a space blanket under the sleeping bag and a small section of sleeping pad would keep yer bottom side toasty?”

“.that gibbs set up with ascenders..??????..can you draw a picture? what in the world is an ascender ?does it enhance the bliss of suspended slumber?”

“i-am-om, if you?re going with Sgt. Rock?s hammock, then listen to him: you don?t need the gibbs setup. However, I?m going to describe the gibbs setup in more detail in case anyone is interested (and I?m just bored and have nothing better to do anyway).

an ascender is just a rope clamp: a metal sleeve with a cam. You can feed rope through it freely one direction, but when you try pulling rope the opposite direction, the cam clamps down and you can't feed it through. they're commonly used for climbing rope. when your body weight is on the ascender, the cam clamps the rope and you won't slide down the rope. when you take your bodyweight off the ascender (usually by putting it on another ascender), you can push the ascender up, thus gaining altitude on the rope. many online stores sell gibbs ascenders if you want a picture. On Rope (padgett & smith???) & Rappelling II(martin???) are a couple excellent resources on climbing rope.

Anyway, with a gibbs ascender, you place the rope in the sleeve, and attach the load directly to the cam. this means you tie/clip an end of your hammock directly to the cam. Now you take a length of rope, say 15 feet long. You somehow tie it to the tree (like I described in a post above) so the end of the rope dangles down. You take this free end and clamp the gibbs to it. You repeat this process with another length of rope, a gibbs tied to the opposite end of the hammock, and the second tree. At this point you have your hammock suspended between the two trees, with the gibbs on both ends clamping the ropes so the hammock doesn?t slide down off the ropes. Now the fun part. You can slide the gibbs up the rope (toward the trees) to just the exact position/tightness you want it. When you get it right where you want, the weight of the hammock (and your weight in the hammock) pulls on the cams and the hammock stays put. Got your hammock too tight? No problem. Just thumb the cam open and lower the gibbs down the rope a little. Is your hammock not centered between the two trees? Just readjust the gibbs. Wow, is that easy or what?!? Depending on how you tie the ropes to the trees, you should be able to move those up and down the trunk with ease as well. My God, it?s infinitely adjustable!!

With this system you don?t have to guess how much slack to leave in the rope when you?re tying your knots. You don?t have to untie and retie knots when you want your hammock tighter or looser. Plus (and this is a big plus), any rain that wicks down your rope (and this WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN in a downpour) goes down the gibbs to the ground, and not into your tent.

BTW, you should use quality, low stretch rope (double braided or kernmantle) for this setup, 3/8 inch thick.

I?ve used this setup now for over 3 years. It works well and it takes the guesswork out of tying up the hammock, which is nice when your mobility is restricted (like if you?re 60? up a tree), or if it?s late & you?re tired/drunk/stoned, etc.”

“Another thought about hammock tent camping:

At least for me, getting in & out of your sleeping bag in a hammock tent is more difficult than if you're a land-lubber sleeping on the ground. And if you're like me, you only want to get into your bag ONCE, when you go to bed. But if you drink beer or coffee or prodigious amounts of water, then chances are you're going to have to pee in the middle of the night. So I always keep a pi$$ bottle with me (clipped under my hammock of course). When nature calls just grap the bottle, stick your johnson......well, you get the idea. It's better than getting up out of your bag and out of the tent.”

“Well, one of the great things about the Hennessy is how easy it is to get in and out. Besides who wants to sleep with their liquid waste?”

“Here is a question -

How strong is the support rope that holds the mosquito net up? I am going to definately hang a small bag to keep personal items close at hand (t.p., mag-lite, etc). I was thinking I could even hang my water bladder with drinking tube. Sewing loops on the underside sounds good, but I probably won't due to my paranoia of ruining my precious hammock.

What do you all keep in your hammock? What do you do with your pack?”

“well...for ladies the pi$$ bottle is problematic...heh
in the past, i just do not drink much before going to sleep,

again, maybe i am different, but i never put a lot in my tent or hang over my hammock...beyond a light, book and tissues, glasses..small things .i dont wake up much so, i dont need stuff to do in the tent. If it is raining...i sleep even better..
I would also use this hammock at home...i sleep outside in a hammock a lot”

“switchback, although the weight limit of the hammock says 225 lb., the ridge line that supports the netting is 1200 lb. test ultra light Dyneema rope(so says the tag that came with the hammock). So, I'd say that you could hang quite a bit of weight on that line, just wouldn't over do it. But the hammock already comes with a bag attached on the inside to put your personal items in as well as a clip on the line to hang a light or water bottle or whatever you like. I may add one more clip to my line. One for my mag lite and one for my water bottle.”

“I just checked out the hennessy website. I'm kind of impressed with it. But what I really don't like about it is that it's a 4 point attachment system - not only do you have to tie it between 2 trees, but you have to stake out the sides, too. Not good for climbing, and just an overall pain in the a$$. My junglehammock is 2 point, which makes it more versatile, and with the gibbs setup is quick and easy to put up. 1 point would be ideal. I'd love to get a portaledge some day.

um, I'm not so sure the quality of material in the hennessy is as good as a junglehammock. I mean, you get what you pay for. My junglehammock is still practically new after 5 years of abuse. Treeboats are the most rugged hammock tents.

And I don't see that the hennessey is going to keep you dry in a heavy downpour with a strong wind. I know my junglehammock doesn't, and that's why I rig a small tarp above it if I'm expecting rain. Also, wicking looks like it would be a problem in the hennessey (like every other hammock tent) unless you modify it.

No storage underneath the hennessey sucks, and tying a line under it would work but would be a pain in the @ss as well as interefere w/the entrance.

But the hennessy is comfortable and easy to get into. looks great for light use. But my perspective is from climbing, and it's a little more demanding situation than backpacking. If you want the best, get a treeboat. That's the overall favorite of rainforest canopy researchers. They're comfortable and dry and expensive. But the hennessy looks ok.

Anyway, I keep all my gear with me, because I clip it all underneath my hammock. everything is in reach. I bring my Krill lamp inside for reading.

Oh, and larock, I don't sleep with my pi$$ bottle. it gets clipped underneath when I'm done, or dropped to the ground (depending on how high up I am).”

“I just realized I'm a hammock tent elitist. Ha ha ha! what an a$$hole!”

“I tried the thermal blanket that is on the Hennessey site, and it tore to shreds in a stif wind. I got one of those reflective shades that you put in your car window, and is slightly padded - 5oz for 24"x72" and used it inside th hammock. When it is really cold I use a trimmed down foam pad under my but and shoulders - that is the worst spot for cold spots. Both pads together weigh 14oz. I have thought of switching to a type of bubble wrap insulation that is 5/16" thick, has a great insulation value, and very lightweight - it's what they use in some airplaines.

As for getting to your gear, I usually just bring in what I need that night - glasses, light, book, then read until I go to sleep, never needed any more gear. I thought the hanging gear under might br a good way to keep it drier,

Currently I either place my pack under the center of the hammock and put the rain cover on it, or use the hip belt and sternum strap to fasten my pack to a tree trunk and then put the cover on it.

The center rope for the net is very strong, I have hung my boots, a book, a camel bak, glasses, and flashlight from it in my old hammock - the new ultralight actually has a stronger center cord. What may work to hang gear is similar to what I did with my boots - I used the laces to hang them off the ridgeline, then had them hang low enough that they were out the door slit under the hammock.

I agree the four point tie down could be a pain for climbing, I really don't think the hammock would work well for that. It can be hung with just two points, but then it would sleep more hammock like -taco wrap I gess you could call it. And there wouldn't be any way to tension the fly. I also think the hammock would suck for climbing because of the bottome entrance. Seems to me in climbing you can use the hammock as atemporary sleeping/eating/living platform, being able to stay above the "floor" of the hammock would be important. I think you might want to chack that link for lawson hammocks Mutt.

Did I answer everyones questions?

You can set up the hammock without the fly, I've done so on nice nights so I can see the stars. I have also set up the fly without the hammock - nice shelter for eating or cooking, in fact I have set up the hammock, then tied both bottom cords for the hammock to one side so "I have the entire area under the fly like a tent vestibule, then moved the one hammock cord back to the right position before bed.

I have had the hammock in pretty good storms, just make sure you pull the side tie downs on the fly really low before you tension off the ends on the hammock support, makes a pretty good shelter, especially if you pick a site that allows you to get low, and have the side to the wind.”

“i thought i saw on the hennessey website that a guy floated up to two trees in a swamp and hung the hammock from his canoe and slept in it over the water?
was i dreamin? would that still mean a four point set up?

i dont think u r an a$$....just have a passion about hammocking....”

“I don't know about that guy and his canoe. I was sitting here thinking of some solution, I guess you could spread a trekking pole to max width, then secure the ends of the fly to the pole as a spreader bar under you in those situations, but who would carry trekking poles rock climbing.”

“sgtrock...i was talking to mutt when i said"i didnt think u r an a$$" he had just made the comment about himself. and your post had not shown up as i was replying...

thank you both for all your insights....i am going to invest in one and retire my old five dollar walmart pocket hammock.......actually, that thing has served me well for 4 years now.....and last trip i used it to hang my pack in...it placed my pack at waist level, dry and off the ground and made it easy to remove and repack stuff in camp. covered it with a tarp at night.”

“I didn't think you ment me, but I also have a hammock passion. Been using hammocks instead of tents for quite a while now.”

“Sgt Rock, it shows. I called myself an a$$hole because I came on a bit too strongly. Some of the political opinions of the denizens of this forum provoke me, and unfortunately I brought over my political aggression to this gear thread. Sorry.

I like the ideas SGT_Rock has regarding insulation. I usually don't hammock in the coldest weather, but I'm sure the combination reflector/insulation pad would keep you comfortable to a fairly low temp. Thinking about some of his other techniques made me realize that hammocking is quite a bit different than ground-sleeping. You improvise and do what works for you, and you become very efficient rather quickly, even if it seems awckward at first (as it did to me).

I-am-om, keep that old net hammock. I consider my cheapie to be essential gear. It's great for short breaks from hiking/climbing, and is a good gear sling, like you've suggested. Sometimes I tie my net hammock right underneath my junglehammock, so I can take advantage of the rain fly to block sun/rain.

ok, I'm outta here.”

“Can you cook in these things? Or is that out of the ??”

“No cooking in the Hennessey Hammock. It could get ugly. I saw a hammock (can't remember the model) that used a single hoop over the entire "floor" to support the net and fly. It weighed about 5 or 5 pounds and was designed to be used in the tree tops of S. America. They claimed you could do everything including cook in it.”

“lipton, there's not enough room/ventilation in the tent for cooking. I have a friend who made a harness for his alcohol stove/pot and hang it outside the tent at arm level. He'd fix breakfast while remaining warm in his sleeping bag. You could rig a tarp above the stove too”

“I am about ready to buy one, I have been thinking about it for sometime now (A good couple of months). I don't know what one to buy. REI has the original on sale for $65. Or I can go with the other "new" models of the hammock. Any suggestions?”

“javaboy, I just bought the ultralight model so I can't really vouch for the older model. But for $65 it may be a good deal to go with the one at REI. I think it will depend if you care so much about the extra pound of weight. Also the model at REI may not have the built in pocket on the ridgeline. But, $65 is a good buy to me. Maybe some of the others on this site that have the older model can give a more expierenced answer.”

“$65 is a great deal considering I paid $99!

The main thing, other then cost, is weight. Both for the hammock and yourself. The original weights in at 2.25 lbs and can hold 250 lbs. The Ultra Light is 1.5 lbs and can only hold 200 lbs. So I guess it really all depends on how much that .75 of a lb is worth or if you fall under the 200 lb weight limit.

Either way I'm betting you'll be very happy with the purchase of a hennessy. I'm very happy with my original and I plan to make my own pockets for the ridge line.”

“It's a done deal. Drove up to REI and picked it up today. Looks great can't wait to try it out!!”

“SGT R0ck and Mutt, can you explain a little on how you get those knots undone? I just had my hammock up with the line wrapped around the tree twice and finished off with two half hitches. Thing is, the know is still bearing the weight of me and the hammock and when I go to get them undone they are so tight that I have to get an ice pick to pry the knot apart. Help, give me some hints!!”

“I put a quick release on my knot. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'll try.

When you tie your second half hitch, double up the rope end before passing it through the loop that tightens against it, kind of like tying a shoelace. When you put tension on the rope, it holds itself tight, and to remove the rope, you just pull on the end like untying a shoelace.”

“Check out this site, it may help: http://www.mistral.co.uk/42brghtn/knots/index.html

they don't show the quick release on the double hitch, but they do show a double hitch.”