View Full Version : Seeing the stars in a hammock, unobstructed
I was about to order a Hennessey Hammock until I realised the HH hammocks have a bug screen that you cannot take off or move to the side. So -- I would not be able to lay in my hammock and look at the stars, unobstructed.
I'm considering a Speers hammock instead, which has a bugscreen attached with velcro that you can detach and move to the side, letting you see the stars at night. What do you think?
I'd really like to lay in my hammock after sundown and see the stars with nothing between me and them.
Lone Wolf
09-18-2004, 06:10
Just lay out on the open ground.
orangebug
09-18-2004, 06:24
L. Wolf's and your solution could get yourself "dewed." Your observation about relative merits of the two hammocks is correct. I've just obtained a Speer and have an original HH. The Speer design and HH are equally comfortable in warm weather. Speer is better with the Pea Pod in colder weather. The Speer can't be inverted.
I wouldn't expect either hammock to be a good platform for stargazing - you have two trees in the way from the git-go.
peter_pan
09-18-2004, 09:16
Tater,
I've watched many a star in my HH. Frequently when high on a ridge or just over the lee side, the trees are thin and small and star gazing is great. The bug fly is not a big deal. Also, you can lounge on the outside aka modified chair style and enjoy the heavens.
To avoid the dew. Hang your tarp normal and just flip the side over on a speer or with a HH, rig a cord from your laid back corner (open for stars) to the head tree and back to the foot end to close it off without even getting out of bed. Alternatively, Pick a high site. Pitch your tarp high on the down side ( as a shed roof) and enjoy the stars or anything else on the horizon. Wild-life watching is great also: especially when elevated for a better field of vision.
HH with a "Nest" under quilt is as warm , argueably warmer than a Peapod. We have used them into the 20s with sleet conditions. http:www.jacksrbetter.com
What ever you do hang high and soar with the eagles.
smokymtnsteve
09-18-2004, 09:39
Just lay out on the open ground.
Heck ya.....ain't nothing better!
Hikerhead
09-18-2004, 09:41
You might also want to take a look at a Clark Hammock. Zippered bug screen.
Youngblood
09-18-2004, 10:43
I was about to order a Hennessey Hammock until I realised the HH hammocks have a bug screen that you cannot take off or move to the side. So -- I would not be able to lay in my hammock and look at the stars, unobstructed.
I'm considering a Speers hammock instead, which has a bugscreen attached with velcro that you can detach and move to the side, letting you see the stars at night. What do you think?
I'd really like to lay in my hammock after sundown and see the stars with nothing between me and them.
Actually, on the Speer you can totally remove the bugscreen, which is how I use mine the majority of the time. And it is much nicer to not have the bugscreen in the the way when you don't want it. Removing the bugscreen allows an unobstructed view of the environment so you get great views of the surroundings since you are elevated a foot or two, and the sky if you don't need the tarp overhead and the leaves don't block the view. You also get to feel the breeze; that is great when it is hot, nice when it is warm, but maybe not when it is cold (the bugnet restricts air flow, you can tell the difference in warmth and sometimes humidity when it is attached). You can easily reach the ground to access things that are not in the hammock with you.
I pack my hammock bed in the top of my pack so I can easily access it. I often take advantage of this by quickly hanging the hammock without the bugscreen at long breaks and using it as a comfortable chair and/or taking a quick nap.
Youngblood
Thanks for the comments. Any other major differences between the Speer and the HH? Most people go with the HH, so I'm wondering if there are any major shortcomings to the Speer, or special advantages of the HH. I'm still leaning toward a Speer.
I've added two "improvements" to my two Hennesseys:
1. I cut the ridgeline inside the bug net, which lets me completely invert the hammock for use without the net : especially good in hot weather without bugs or for just sitting around the campsite & socializing. I use a pair of sailboat "sister clips" to instantly reattach the ridgelines together: or just tie them back together.
2. I use a second pair of Snake Skins for the fly, thus keeping it furled and out of the way, but still handy in case of rain.
Now on to some type of underpad insulation.
Jim
Youngblood
09-19-2004, 10:41
Thanks for the comments. Any other major differences between the Speer and the HH? Most people go with the HH, so I'm wondering if there are any major shortcomings to the Speer, or special advantages of the HH. I'm still leaning toward a Speer.
Tater,
There are lots of hammocks suitable for backpacking. It is a good news, bad news situation in that it is good that you have all these choices but it is bad in that you have to figure out what to choose. A lot of feature differences with the various hammocks can be viewed as either postive or negative, depending on the particular conditions that they are going to be used in and ones own personal biases/opinions. There are also lots of backpacking hammocks that you might not be aware of and there are various reasons for that... some of that is because of usefulness of the design and some of it is how the product is marketed. Ed Speer maintains two hammock related web sites and he provides a link to all of the manufactured backpacking hammocks that he knows of on this page: http://www.hammockcamping.com/Links/Links.htm . I would recommend that you at least familiarize yourself somewhat with what is available, who knows, you might find something else that suits you better.
For a couple of reasons I am biased towards the Speer type hammocks and have made my own versions of that hammock design for the last year or so. Personally, I did not like the sewn in bugnetting, the bottom entry slit or the tarp size, design or attachment method of the Hennessy Ultralight Backpacker Asym that I had used previously. But that is me, and you may not feel the same way.
Some folks pick one, try it and are tickled pink with it. Others pick one, try it and decide that hammocks aren't for them. And then there are those of us who pick one, try it and like it but want something a little bit different. Which type do you think you will be?
Youngblood
Jersey Bob
09-20-2004, 20:35
at least 10 characters
I've added two "improvements" to my two Hennesseys:
1. I cut the ridgeline inside the bug net, which lets me completely invert the hammock for use without the net : especially good in hot weather without bugs or for just sitting around the campsite & socializing. I use a pair of sailboat "sister clips" to instantly reattach the ridgelines together: or just tie them back together.
Jim
Hey now thats a great idea!
can't wait to try it
White Oak
09-23-2004, 10:11
What's the ridgeline? A seam running down the middle that you can cut in two?
I've added two "improvements" to my two Hennesseys:
1. I cut the ridgeline inside the bug net, which lets me completely invert the hammock for use without the net : especially good in hot weather without bugs or for just sitting around the campsite & socializing. I use a pair of sailboat "sister clips" to instantly reattach the ridgelines together: or just tie them back together.
2. I use a second pair of Snake Skins for the fly, thus keeping it furled and out of the way, but still handy in case of rain.
Now on to some type of underpad insulation.
JimDo you have any pictures of this? I would like to see them if you do.
What's the ridgeline? A seam running down the middle that you can cut in two?The ridgeline is a piece of string/cord that runs accross the top that the netting hangs over. It also is part of the structure of the hammock. You can not cut this string.
The ridgeline is a piece of string/cord that runs accross the top that the netting hangs over. It also is part of the structure of the hammock. You can not cut this string.
I cut the line and have added a small piece of string to tie them together so I could just lay in my HH.
I have a down quilt and instead of tyeing it like a pea pod, etc,
I've been thinking to turn the HH upside down, undo the ridge line and then stuff the quilt into the underside which is the bug netting.
Any one try this yet? I've been too busy too try it.
Or am I wasting my time?
thanx to all you hammockers
I cut the line and have added a small piece of string to tie them together so I could just lay in my HH.
I have a down quilt and instead of tyeing it like a pea pod, etc,
I've been thinking to turn the HH upside down, undo the ridge line and then stuff the quilt into the underside which is the bug netting.
Any one try this yet? I've been too busy too try it.
Or am I wasting my time?
thanx to all you hammockers
Sounds interesting. But I don't dare to cut my hammock up to experiment with this.