View Full Version : Eno or hennessy hammock
johnhump
03-19-2011, 11:04
i have both the eno and the hennessy hammock but i cant decide which one to bring since i havent tried neither. im afraid that once i get out there im gonna wish i had the other. ive heard that getting comfortable in a hennessy. but the eno does not have a bug net. so which one?
Chowbear
03-19-2011, 23:35
I like my Hennessey a lot. The bug net is perfect, and I wouldn't go without one. I like the fact that I can sleep diagonally in the hammock to lay flat. But really, why head out on the trail without testing them? Set them up in your back yard and try them both for a night.
Two Tents
03-20-2011, 08:32
Chowbear is right, try em both. The missing bug net will be a problem you'll notice right away. Choice is to be eaten up or not. I do not have comfort issues with either hammock. Easy pick, Hennessy.
Modify your Hennessy to a removable top net
I have a hennessey and I love it. Its what im taking on my SOBO this june. I have 6 or so hammocks and I have tried them all out. every hammock sleeps differently.
gunner76
03-20-2011, 19:01
Take a hammock with a built in bug net or a take bug net you can use. A few times years ago (in the 70's) I tried to cowboy on the AT and quickly had to set up my tent to get away from the skeeters. Back in those days, a 8 lb tent was considered light weight.
Try to test hang in your hammock choices to see what works best for you. Lots of great hammocks out there to choose from. No one perfect setup although I like my BB for camping and my ENO DN for day hikes.
sheepdog
03-20-2011, 19:02
Warbonnet.........
hehehehehehe
I have a Hennesey HyperLite Sidezip. Nice to use for a chair unzipped. Sideentry is also a breeze. You may not need bug net early on could always have someone send you the Hennesy when it gets Buggy out and send eno home?
Have owned an ENO and a Hennessey. ENO is no good. Looks cool with flashy parachute colors, but performs poorly with mosquito net too big and tree huggers that weigh a ton. Its best to just take the Hennessey. One recommendation is to sell the ENO, and use that money to buy the 4 season supershelter made by Hennessey which weighs only a pound and makes for a luxurious addition.
My 170 pound friend slept in my Hennessey all night upside down in the mosquito net by accident and it did not tear or stretch. Unreal huh?
Great advice from everyone so far:)
I'll add to the chorus saying "try them before you go"
I had been a tent camper for decades before I tried a hammock.
Hammock camping is a different experience, and one that made me tweak some of the rest of my gear.
For example, I found that in the hammock my backside gets cold if the temp is below about 70*F. That meant making an UnderQuilt (UQ).
Since sleeping IN a sleeping bag would mean compressing the insulation on the bottom 1/2 of the bag, the sleeping bag provides poor bottom insulation. That meant I could ditch the comparatively heavy sleeping bag for a TopQuilt (TQ). My combo of UQ and TQ can be used if I have to go to ground, and combined weigh about 1/2 what my sleeping bag weighs... and take up less pack space.
...but I would not have figured this out if I hadn't spend several nights in the back yard doing "test hangs" in the hammock trying different things before hitting the woods.
I also found that I REALLY prefer a built in bug net compared to a separate bug net. Some folks find that they prefer the separate bug net.
So, that is the long version of what everyone else said. I would not even consider hitting the trail for even a short section hike without doing a couple of test hangs to be sure you work out the kinks in your "sleep system".
I'm a big fan of the over-the-hammock style of bug net. I've been stung by a wasp through the bottom of a hammock (Hennessy).
ENO hammocks are relatively heavy and expensive. I'd look at similar hammocks. I have a discontinued hammock bought at REI. It's a "Tree Sling" model. You can buy a good hammock for around $20.00.
For the over net I'd suggest looking at the one offered by Warbonnet. It's much lighter than the one I have that I got from ENO.
double j
03-23-2011, 21:30
i have a hennessy but my grand truk is way lighter and my tarp is a 10oz warbonnet
2Questions
03-24-2011, 17:16
i have both the eno and the hennessy hammock but i cant decide which one to bring since i havent tried neither. im afraid that once i get out there im gonna wish i had the other. ive heard that getting comfortable in a hennessy. but the eno does not have a bug net. so which one?
FWIW, if you're interested, we offer a service modifying Hennessy hammocks by installing a zipper to unzip and stow the bugnet. Find us at www.2qzqhammockhanger.com
GvilleDave
03-28-2011, 11:35
I also like the simplicity of the attached netting like a Hennessey. It helps me keep all my sleeping gear inside the hammock.
With that said I also have a lightweight DIY hammock (12 oz) that I use with a separate bug sock when I want to go minimal and save the weight. Not as comfortable but still light years better than sleeping on the ground for me.
I would also recommend a double layer hammock that makes insulating underneath you with pads easier and more comfortable until you take the gear leap to an underquilt.
The Counselor
03-30-2011, 07:11
What is so much better about a built in bug net over an add on? If you use lighter tree straps and change to lighter carabiners, doesn't that solve the weight problem on the eno? What about the eno tarp? Any good?
What is so much better about a built in bug net over an add on? If you use lighter tree straps and change to lighter carabiners, doesn't that solve the weight problem on the eno? What about the eno tarp? Any good?
Interesting questions.
1) A hammock with a sewn on bug net will be lighter, all other things considered, than one with a separate net, but you must carry the bug net with you even when there are no bugs, plus you must invest in an underquilt unless you use a foam pad inside the hammock, which tries to escape from under you all night as you toss and turn and is a devil to get back under you.
I switched from a Hennessy to a basic gathered-end hammock to use the insulation system I have been using for the past three+ years. I have a bag with a foot vent that I simply slide over me when it's time to sleep. Beats the gyrations I had to go through with the Hennessy trying to set up for the night (plus I usually get up several times during the night).
Adding an external bug net allows me to stay with this system, switching to a lighter bag for summer use.
I got stung by a hornet through the bottom of my Hennessy once - can't happen with the external bug net.
2) Honestly, I've never taken an ENO hammock out of the package so I haven't gotten a look at the tree straps or 'biners which come with it. Maybe you have a point. There are extremely light hanging packages on the market now.
3) Eno tarp - It's probably fine, but the listed weight makes me suspect that it is urethane coated nylon instead of silnylon - ie: it's heavier than other tarps the same size. Some folks might argue that there are two extra stake out points vs. something like the Mac Cat Tarp (which I own, in the lighter spinnaker cloth). True. Honestly, though, given the fact that the middle of the hammock hangs lower than the ends and that sideways driven rain is most likely to hit the lowest part of the hammock (your backside :D) it makes sense to me to have the middle of the tarp wider than the ends. I'm seriously considering purchasing a rectangular tarp to replace my Mac Cat.
Shiraz-mataz
03-30-2011, 08:48
I've read (here, I believe) that the ENO tarps are too small. They even look small on their website. So I just bought something totally separate - a Kelty Noah 9', and have never gotten wet in the rain.
gunner76
03-30-2011, 09:51
unless you use a foam pad inside the hammock, which tries to escape from under you all night as you toss and turn and is a devil to get back under you.
Try a double layer hammock like a Warbonnet BlackBird double and slip the pad inbetween the layers, very little movement.
The big dark blue pad is a 20 inch wide self inflating pad that I used one time and found it was too narrow for me. The other is a Wallyworld blue pad and is 24 inches wide (15 ounces) and a good fit. I have used the blue pad down to 18 degrees in s snowstorm
What is so much better about a built in bug net over an add on?
For me, the biggest difference is that the built in bug net holds up the loose edges of the hammock and keeps my stuff from falling out as I toss and turn at night.
A built in bug net is one less thing to have to set up and take down.
Freedom Walker
03-30-2011, 12:37
When I became serious about backpacking, I did not consider a hammock because the only experience I had in trying one led me to believe it would not be very comfortable to sleep in. Since then I have tried out the newer versions and found my earlier conclusions to be false. Now I have purchased a lightweight tent and a Neoair mattress and although I have been comfortable with these, I have recently gone through disk surgery on my neck and I may want to reconsider going the way of a hammock because even with the Neoair sometimes sleeping on the ground is undesirable. After I recover completely from the surgery I will have to see if ground sleeping is still okay. Has anyone gone to a hammock after surgery and found it better.
Buffalo Skipper
03-30-2011, 14:46
After I recover completely from the surgery I will have to see if ground sleeping is still okay. Has anyone gone to a hammock after surgery and found it better.
Freedom Walker, this has been a popular topic of discussion on hammockforums.net. You may find a better response to so specific a question there. Good luck. I hope the recovery continues to go well for you.
johnhump
03-30-2011, 18:27
im feeling like i should just get a Warbonnet
johnhump
03-30-2011, 18:27
whoa wrong thread
johnhump
03-30-2011, 18:28
nvm it just changed pages
lilricky
03-30-2011, 19:41
im feeling like i should just get a Warbonnet
You might as well save the time and money, alot of us bought the Eno, then the Hennessy, and finally the Warbonnet Blackbird. Each step was better than the last.
What is so much better about a built in bug net over an add on? If you use lighter tree straps and change to lighter carabiners, doesn't that solve the weight problem on the eno? What about the eno tarp? Any good?
Another thing about bug netting that people don't often think of this time of year is how much it impedes air flow. It's frustrating to be surrounded by mesh only to see that when the wind you've been praying so hopefully for finally comes up the netting moves, preventing much of the breeze from reaching you!
At least with the mesh around you, as when you have a separate bug net, the wind pushes the screen against the inside air and at least that moves a bit.
With my Hennessy I would lie there helpless and hopeless while the cooling zephyrs went over me because the sides of the hammock were so high.
This was a phenomenon I first experienced in tents with high "bathtub" floors.
I'm a tall fat guy and the hennessey explorer deluxe is my perfect hammock. I will never sleep on the ground again. I can't speak for the enos.
WalksInDark
04-05-2011, 19:58
:sunFor me, the only way to enjoy my Henessey was to have 2Qs mods done on it (www.2qzqhammockhanger.com/).
Being able to get in from the top; lock the bug net to the side; and even remove the bug net from the Henessey made all the difference in the world.
BTW, 2Qs wife (who does the actual sewing) does flawless work. I can highly recommend any work these folks do for you. :banana