State: Vermont
Date: 08/08/16
Current time on the road: 7 months and 8 days
Before I set out on my journey through all 50 states, I had to find the right gear for the trip. I researched and researched the best gear and all kinds of different travel styles. However, when I came across the Expert Vagabond’s gear list I noticed he had a camping hammock. This intrigued me. Lightweight, off the ground, mosquito netting, and a rainfly? Sold!
I checked the different brands, however, one name kept coming up and that name was Hennessy.
I went through their inventory and chose the Explorer Deluxe Asym Zip with a Hex Rainfly, 96″ webbing straps, XL Snakeskins, Supershelter 4-season insulation system, and h2O Automagic Water Collector & Rainfly Tensioner System.
Nearly, the same set up as the Expert Vagabond (When it comes to traveling, he knows his stuff). Matt Karsten (The Expert Vagabond) has been traveling the world for over 5 years and has some great travel tips and resources, which I used to prepare for my journey. Check him out at www.expertvagabond.com
I ordered my hammock right before I left for my trip, so I didn’t have time to learn how to set it up, figuring I’d learn on the go. The above picture was my first attempt at setting it up.
Right after the picture, I realized my butt was still touching the ground. However, as I was about to adjust the hammock, I got swarmed by mosquitos, noseeums, and sandflees all at once!
“Screw it!” I said as I hopped into the hammock and the relief of the mosquito netting.
Since then I’ve gotten better at setting up my hammock.
This was in no small part to Tom Hennessy himself because he has how to videos on how to set up your hammock. These videos helped me out tremendously because I usually suck at knots, but his step by step guide got me setting it up like a pro.
I’ve been on the road for over seven months now and I can tell you for long-term backpacking, a Hennessy Hammock is the way to go! It’s still going strong even after everything I put it through.
Being in a shelter off of the ground is great on the road because you don’t have to worry about finding a flat spot, which are not always as easy to find as you think. Another great feature is the mosquito netting. One of the only things I hate on the road is the bugs! But with the built-in mosquito netting, I don’t have to worry about them when I’m sleeping.
One thing I will mention from my experience is that the mosquitoes can still poke through the bottom of this model (Explorer Deluxe Asym Zip), however, a trick I’ve learned on the road is to put my camping mat in the hammock and viola, no more butt bites. This also prevents convection on cooler nights, keeping you warmer. Granted a thicker sleeping bag will do just as well, however, if you have a synthetic sleeping bag, you may want to use the camping mat technique I just mentioned. Hennessy does have other models with thicker bottoms (The Jungle models) for people who are going into especially buggy areas.
They also have accessories to make it a 4 season hammock. I have yet to test out the Supershelter 4-season Insulation System yet, but I will this winter.
The Hex rainfly is also fantastic and has saved my butt more than a few times. In Florida, while I was crossing 41, there was really nowhere to set up my hammock and so I had to get creative.
After 7 months on the road, my experience with my Hennessy Hammock has been this: it’s become my home on the road (I camp out 90% of the time on my adventure). The ease of setup, protection from the elements and bugs alike, and the durability polyester and sinylon, make me understand why the Hennessy is the authority on the camping hammock market. So thank you Hennessy Hammock for a great product and giving me a great place to stay while I’m on the adventure of a lifetime.
Forever your friend,
~The Outsider