Originally Posted by
csmith2287
Anyone look at Hennesy Hammocks? I have never used one, but from what I have heard, they are very fast to set up and extremely comfortable. You can cut down on weight with no sleeping pad too. I've been thinking of getting one myself. Can anyone vouch for them?
Some people love them. I am not a big fan for the places that I tour. I have backpacked in places where being off the rocky boulder strewn ground would have been wonderful though. It depends on where you plan to camp.
They aren't necessarily lighter than tents though. Of the 7 models listed on the Hennessy site 5 are heavier than my $100 Eureka Spitfire. Of the two that are lighter one is only 7 ounces lighter and the other is full pound lighter. In both cases that is without any insulation under you so you need to add a pad or an under quilt if you will experience cold conditions. Their recommended under pad weighs 10 ounces, meaning that if you include that only one of the hammocks is lighter than a $100 tent and the other is only 6 ounces lighter. Bear in mind that I am not comparing it to a high dollar ultralight tent.
Cost, in the range of tents the Hennessy Hammocks are not particularly cheap, so going to one to save money isn't going to fly.
Then there is the issue of needing trees to hang it on. I have often toured in places where it would be a hassle to find a spot to hang a hammock. In those cases it could be used as a bivy, but do you ant to deal with that if riding the Trans America or Southern tier where you may go for days without seeing a tree?
So to me hammocks make sense for those who really find them much more comfortable or those who very often camp in wooded places with nothing but super rocky ground.
If I planned to do a lot of backpacking in some parts of Pennsylvania I might buy one, but for the places I have toured I never thought one would be especially suitable.