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MedicineMan
05-08-2004, 02:27
Just to let you all know, I have ordered the Speer System: the 8.5 hammock and the 8.5 PeaPod and have recieved e-mail notification that he has been paid and that the hammock and pea pod have shipped.
I want to compare his system with all the other systems I have tried and then weigh the pros/cons of each.
If any are interested in what I get let me know and I will post here.

Big Guy
05-08-2004, 08:16
Medicine Mam: I would be very interested in your evaluation of different sysystems. I keep looking at Hammocks but have not yet made the leap.

shades of blue
05-08-2004, 10:59
I'd be interested too. I have the speer system, but I've only been able to sleep in it three nights. All three were in cold conditions (mid 30's) At least they were cold to me. Two of the nights were extremely wet. The tarp held out fine for me, and with a little work, I was warm too. Curious to what you think. My problems with a hammock is where to put everything....but I figure that will get better with experience. The comfort of not sleeping on the ground was super though.

Kerosene
05-08-2004, 11:20
What a question, MedicineMan, of course we're interested in objective, comprehensive reviews of gear!

Tater
05-08-2004, 16:20
Does the Speer have a removable bug screen, or one you can draw back? The Hennessy Hammock, at least the A-Sym, is supposed to have an unadjustable bug screen that you can't ever move out the way.

I'd like to be able to see the stars at night without obstruction.

Rambler
05-08-2004, 18:53
The Speer hammock is designed to have a velcro strip along its edges which coincides with its velcro mate along the edges of the no-see-um netting. The ends of the netting has velcro which attaches to itself to close off the ends. The netting is a foot or so shorter than the hammock body, so it does not have to cover the knots holding the hammock to its support webbing tie-outs. The netting is draped over a separate center line that is attached by rings sewn into the webbing tie-outs. The netting line is tightened using a truckers hitch in the middle, so it can be tightened from inside the hammock. The netting and its center line can be totally removed. With the Hennessy, the netting edges are sewn permanently into the edges of the hammock and one enters in a self-closing slit-opening in the bottom of the hammock. The HH fly is smaller, and a a-symetrical cut, ie. more diamond shape than rectanguler. It is tied at the head and toe ends of the hammock supporting lines and is tied out to the sides by only two lines (ie. one on each side). The fly can also be left attached to the hammock when it is stored. This is handy if you have to set up in the rain, because the fly is already up.
IMO "sleeping under the stars" with no net above you is a little over-played, and nastalgic. In my hammock I want to be asleep ASAP with both eyes closed. To me sleeping under the stars means throwing your sleeping bag on the ground, not bothering with a tent or any covering. In New England, the best time for such sleeping is in the winter. No bugs, less chance of rain. Snow is ok.
The Speer hammock depends on a fly 8x10. Disadvantage: it takes longer to set up than the smaller HH fly. Advantage: the tarp gives you a bigger area to sit under for cooking or staying dry while not in your hammock. Also if you want to sleep on the ground, an 8x10 is big enough for two, or one with all your gear and then some. It gives you two good options for sleeping systems--1.) on the gound under tarp or 2.) in the hammock. Of course, Hennessy advocates will say one can set the HH up on the ground, too, but you would not have as much room as with the 8x10 tarp.
http://www.speerhammocks.com

MedicineMan
05-08-2004, 21:43
I'm most interested in the PeaPod figuring the Speer hammock will be close to the CrazyCreek hammock I've used in snowcamping. As mentioned before, when using the Ponderosa and Crazy Creek crib I'm good to very low temps but very limited above 30F without roasting..its the ability to add a low weight quilt (i.e. Nunatak Arc Edge) to boost ratings.
When the Speer gets here I will be comparing it to:
the Ponderosa/CCC combo (pics here at Whiteblaze for those new to this thread under MedicineMan's album)
the HH ExtremeLite with Nest UQ
the HH with taco/radiantek insulation and various UQ's

When I placed the call to Ed Speer I did not order his tarp figuring my 8x10 sil-nyl Equinox would do, or maybe even one from the HH's, or the MacCat...saved almost 100$ on the total.

If you any of you read my trip report from last week's hike you know that I have even more reason to continue the pursuit of the perfect hammock setup because there is no doubt my hike would have ended on day 2 if not for the reprieve/santuary the hammock provided for my ribs.

It should be here Monday, after its arrival I will go first to the Post Office for some exacting weight measurements. Already there is a weight penalty over the HH Extreme Lite Racer so I am hoping to be really impressed with the PeaPod and how it fits and accepts additional layers.

OK for now.
MedicineMan

gardenville
05-08-2004, 22:52
After you have had your Speer Hammock awhile you may want to make your own. They are very easy to make. I wanted one made from silk for warmer weather and asked Ed if he would make it for me. I now have a custom silk Speer Hammock (8) w/a light silk mesh bug net . It is lighter and nicer to sleep on than the silnylon. The weight of the Hammock, bug net and his standard straps is 15.5oz. I have slept in it as low as 29 degrees so far. For that temp. I used a Target Blue pad and a full size Thermarest "Standard" sleeping pad and a 20 degree sleeping bag. The Target pad was under the Thermarest. I was very warm. I was wearing silk weight Patagonia long underwear top and bottoms and wool socks. I use an old Moss Heptawing Tarp and it works great with the Hammock. I am on the list for a MacCat and with it should I should save some weight on my trap.

MacCat information: http://www.geocities.com/outdoorequipmentsupplier

MedicineMan
05-08-2004, 23:03
you will like this tarp, used it 4 nights last week on our section hike..3 days of which were blessed with rain and one night some high sustained wind...i never worried about direct hits on the hammock or the UQ but did watch for splatter wetting of the UQ, the amount of splatter hits on the UQ after 2 hours of very hard rain was inconsequential. Also at most campsites I used rocks and adjacent limbs versus the pegs i was carrying.

gardenville
05-08-2004, 23:16
I am sure it will work great. I have had the Moss Heptawing for about 12 years and love the design. The Cat design works so well even in very hard rain. The Moss Heptawing It is 23oz (heavy, for todays materials) and I expect to drop a good bit of that with the MacCat.

Youngblood
05-09-2004, 10:18
The Speer hammock is designed to have a velcro strip along its edges which coincides with its velcro mate along the edges of the no-see-um netting. The ends of the netting has velcro which attaches to itself to close off the ends. The netting is a foot or so shorter than the hammock body, so it does not have to cover the knots holding the hammock to its support webbing tie-outs. The netting is draped over a separate center line that is attached by rings sewn into the webbing tie-outs. The netting line is tightened using a truckers hitch in the middle, so it can be tightened from inside the hammock. The netting and its center line can be totally removed. [/url]

The only Speer Hammocks I have are ones that I made after reading Ed's book. Maybe I misread his instructions, but I made my bugnet about a foot longer than the hammock body and it covers the hammock knots. However, I seldom use it and much prefer when bugs aren't enough of a problem to require its use.

Youngblood

Hammock Hanger
05-09-2004, 11:15
MM: I will be interested in your comments. I have been a long time Hennessy Hammock user. About a month ago I bought a Speers. I have always thought his concept of the sleeping bag being the underquilt was a great idea. -- And it is!! -- Unfortunately for me I am not able to sleep as well in the hammock and have reverted back to my HH. I still give Ed kudos on his concept and all of those out there that love it. For myself it did not workout. Now I'm waiting to see what Tom Hennessy has come up with for cold weather hanging. Or I might buy one of the underquilts I have seen here on this sight. All are similar to a prototype I made a year or so ago, but have been perfected. Sue/Hammock Hanger

gardenville
05-09-2004, 12:17
Sue/HH, If you are not sleeping in your hammock below 29 degrees the Pea-Pod and all the rest of the stuff like that hanging under the hammock may not be necessary. In my Speer hammock a combination of 2 sleeping pads works very well for me and is much less trouble. Then a decent sleeping bag for the Temp and you are set. The 2 pads I use down to 29 degrees have an R value of around 8. The Thermarest "Standard" R value is 5.8 and I guess my Target Blue Pad at 2 or so, it might be more. I haven't had a chance to use my hammock below 29 degrees yet.

I also use the Target Blue pad all the time so I can sleep on my side if I want and to keep the bugs from biting through the bottom of the hammock.