Has anyone used the hennessy insulation system?

[Lucky Dog]

I sleep in hammocks, tents and shelters. I like the way the hennessy system looks, but looks doesen't mean it works well. I will only be using my H.H. in temps 40 or above.

[Smee]

What a shame. Why be comfortable only when temperatures are above 40 deg.?

Check the archives. This question has been asked before. There's plenty of info available.

[Just Jeff]

Hennessy's system won't do you much good in a tent or shelter...open cell foam compresses when you lay on it.

[SGT Rock]

Well the open cell foam goes outside the hammock so it doesn't compress when you lay on it because it simply moves with the hammock body on the outside since it attaches with shock cord. That said, I still don't know how well it works in low temps yet, I never got a chance to play with on in very cold weather.

What concerns me more is the fact the bottom doesn't breath. For this reason I like the JRB Weather Shield system - that and a JRB No-Sniveler kept me good and comfy to 25F in the Smokies last winter. I was hoping to take my system up on LeConte this winter as a test.

[Just Jeff]

Well the open cell foam goes outside the hammock so it doesn't compress when you lay on it

Right, but I infered from his post that he wanted something that would also work in a tent or shelter. OCF will compress if you use it as a pad in a tent or shelter.

I agree with you about the breathable thing, though I haven't heard anyone say it's actually been a problem. Garlington says he gets some condensation between the bag o' feather and silnylon...it seems like the SS would do the same thing. I just haven't seen anyone mention it actually happening.

Any SS users out there to comment on this?

[Singe03]

Question to Sgt. Rock and the other people who do testing.

When you guys go up to test stuff like this, do you carry some sort of backup shelter the first couple of times out just to be safe or do you have so much faith in the systems from the outset that you just go for it?

[Just Jeff]

Test in the backyard first - or somewhere with a bailout plan (car camping, etc). As much to make sure I have the intricacies of the system down and don't use the system wrong as with faith in the system itself. Testing close to home allows me to judge how much faith I have in the system, too.

[Hana_Hanger]

Question? With all this underneath padding...no matters who's
I am wondering HOW one gets in and out of the HH with the padding in the way??
Sorry to sound so dumb...unless the underneath padding has bottom slit openings to match the HH???

[Just Jeff]

Some have slits to match, some you can just push aside and the shockcord will pop it back into place. For pads inside, you just push it out of the way and climb on top when you're in.

[Hana_Hanger]

Thanks
Okay it really got cold for us here last night...now don't laugh :)
when it is like 85 in the day and drops to 52 you feel cold :-o

I am going to look into the pads and the underneath padding.
Of course my children just wonder why I just did not come inside and sleep in a bed lol
off to read all the archives on this mind boggling subject.

[Seeker]

Question to Sgt. Rock and the other people who do testing.

When you guys go up to test stuff like this, do you carry some sort of backup shelter the first couple of times out just to be safe or do you have so much faith in the systems from the outset that you just go for it?

my 'lab' is right in my backyard, between a tree and a 4 x 4 post set in concrete supporting a swingset... if it gets too cold, i can either go into the house and stay, or rummage around in my garage for another piece of foam to see if it makes things better... i've learned to trust the 'too small' HH stock tarp by spending several nights in it in my yard during severe rainstorms... if something breaks, my shop is right there, close by. i've tested homemade hammocks the same way... then, once i know how it's going to work, i can comfortably/confidently take them to the field.

same thing with alcohol stoves... can't tell you the number of times i've cooked my dinner on a new experiment, in my own house...(well, ok... maybe 'tried to cook dinner' is more accurate, for some of them). once it works there, i try it out on the back porch (real wind and rain then!) then, once i know how it's going to do, i take it out on a short day hike and cook lunch, then graduate it to real overnights.

[Seeker]

Question? With all this underneath padding...no matters who's
I am wondering HOW one gets in and out of the HH with the padding in the way??
Sorry to sound so dumb...unless the underneath padding has bottom slit openings to match the HH???

not dumb at all...

can't speak for the HH underpad. i have a JRB underquilt. there's a slit in the pad with velcro on it that matches the HH's slit. the undershield (sort of a single ply of some sort of really light waterproof stuff that's breathable) can go on over (meaning toward the ground) the underpad. it doesn't have a slit. the ends have drawstrings. if you use it, you pretty much do have to open the drawstrings to get out... the hanging system bungie cords will stretch, but i'm not comfortable stretching them THAT far...

like jeff said, if you use a foam pad on the inside, you just climb around/over it... with experience, you learn exactly where the head end needs to be, and at what angle to the axis of the hammock. once you get it set there, you can just fold the bottom of the pad up, sit inside, arch your back, and unfold it into place beneath you... (so, get the underquilt... it's much simpler!)

[SGT Rock]

Question to Sgt. Rock and the other people who do testing.

When you guys go up to test stuff like this, do you carry some sort of backup shelter the first couple of times out just to be safe or do you have so much faith in the systems from the outset that you just go for it?

I usually try to test it out somewhere that I can bail into something warmer. That doesn't always work - so other times I will carry back up. The Snugpack sleeping bag was probably my most miserable test ever. No back up bag, just cold and miserable all night long.

BTW, avoid snugpack sleeping bags.

[MedicineMan]

go to the lawn and garden section of wallyworld and look for the $48-50 hammock stand,its in a nice green color, easy to put up/down, can fit in a VW jetta with no problems, seems robust enough to last a decade or more left out in the weather.....

[Lucky Dog]

Living only 15 min from A.T. all my life i have really enjoyed the trail. Done most my camping in tents and shelters. Now i have a H.H. read alot about under quilts but not very much H.H. insulation system for my hammock. So does anyone have one and does it work well? Aug. 26 i had to have a brain tumor removed. The day after Thanksgiving went on a section hike and i'm doing great, posted a pic at Deep Gap shelter with the crew. Now you know why they call me Lucky Dog. Thanks

[Just Jeff]

Congrats on your recovery!

Check the BGT reviews...look about halfway down the page for the SuperShelter.

http://www.backpackgeartest.org/mfr_reviews/Hennessy