Christmas is almost here and I asked santa for a HH. Wondering about any tips or things you hammockers have learned about using these. I usually go up north around the fishing opener so it probably will be cold but am really excited to see if I can actually get a good nights sleep. Any things you think I should know would be appreciated, thanks
nate

Don't get up to quick when you "roll" out of bed in morning!

Since you are going early, bring a pad to sleep on for insulation. I'm pretty sure Beemer is a hammocker and can fill in the blanks for you.

Yep. The closed cell foam pad is mandatory even in July. At opener, you'll probably want to use a zero rated sleeping bag - it routinely gets pretty cold at night up there, especially noticeable in a HH.

Tips - go to their website for rigging ideas - I always tie mine off chest high and drum tight, you want to be dead level.



A competing brand to HH, my BIL bought and used this design, seems far more complex then the elegant HH.

Nathan,

A good insulated pad is indeed worth the weight. I often use a cheap blue pad. I find that they make a good place to sit around camp too when folded in half. I also have used an insulated BA or Insulmat pad with good results. They take less room in my pack, but if they leak then they are useless.

Close the fly down tight around you on cold nights it will help to trap warm air and will also help to keep the wind off of you.

Learn how to tie your knots the same way each time you set up the hammock. This will ensure that you don't tie a bad knot- I have had a friend place his backside right on a rock because of a bad knot.

Take it a local st. park or set it up in your back yard and spend a couple of hours in it before opener.

I sleep like a baby in mine- but not usually on the first night (that is par for the course for me anywhere). I am sure you will like it- Merry Christmas!

What I did not know was that only your bottom side needs more insulation. The first night I slept in the hammock it got down to around 40°. I woke up around 1:00 AM Hot and sweaty except for my cold backside. I posted a list of things that I have learned and some suggestions on the following sight.
http://www.quietjourney.com/community/YaBB.cgi?num=1187528527/0#0
Wrapping the tarp around (as in the post) will help but for that early in the year you will probably want a closed cell pad of some kind. Before you go practice getting in the your bag on top of a pad in the hammock. Then come back and post a description of how you did it. Maybe have some one take a video.

Any thoughts on the hennessy supershelter??
It seems like a good place to put the extra warm clothes I never seem to use up there, and add insulation to the bottom at the same time.

Plan for failure. Always check the ground beneath you, and check the trees for rot or instability. I've had a tree partially give way on me once, and almost pitched the hammock over some cypress knees before too.

Your weight will crush the loft of your sleeping bag below you, so you will receive NO insulating value. Always use a closed cell or other insulated pad (that's not dependent upon loft) beneath you except in the warmest weather.

A Slap Strap with a couple of carabiners or Micro-Rope or something similar may be worth the investment to you. I enjoy mine, and it makes it incredibly quick and easy to set up or adjust.

I spent my first wilderness night in a hammock last week in the BW. It was pretty cool. I used a Hammock Bliss hammock, a hammock bliss bug screen, and a Tyvek rainfly. The system worked great and I had a great night sleep.

I was so impressed that I just bought a Hennessy hammock on eBay. The Hennessy seems like a much simpler and more comfortable solution.

I did use a thermarest mat under my bag. I never was cold. My wife took a nap in the hammock during the day. She woke up after about 30 minutes because she was cold. She did not have a mat in the hammock. So, even for summer use, I'd recommend a mat of some kind.

My HH arrived a few days ago. I set it up in the basement. It seems pretty nice.

The integrated bug net makes it more like a tent and less like a lounging around hammock.

The bottom entry takes a bit of getting used to. But I've had plenty of zippers fail on tents in the past. So a zipperless design seems like a good idea.

I slept in it once in the basement. It took quite a bit of gymnastics to get get settled but then the sleep was very comfortable.

Overall, it seems like a good purchase. I can hardly wait for a chance to use it in the BW.

I've been using a hammock for years in the bwca. Started off using a large thermarest in the hammock with me. Then moved to the closed-cell foam pad. A couple years ago, I got the Super Shelter and have been using that ever since.

I find that the Super Shelter is far better than just sticking a pad in the hammock with me. It is easier to move around and adjust your position without having to deal with the pad. The downside would be that the SS is far more expensive than just a pad and doubles the amount of time it takes to setup the hammock. The open-cell foam pad of the SS compresses down to less bulk than a closed-cell foam pad.

In the summer, I leave the Under-Shelter on the hammock and just do not use the pad. The under-shelter provides another layer of defense against aggressive mosquitoes that try to bite through the hammock. In case it gets cold, you can always throw some extra clothes or boughs or duff.

With the SS and a 0* bag, I have been comfortable into the 30's. I have used it multiple times in earlier May (pre-opener trips) and also used it in Oct.

i just got a explore delux and i am going to try it out in 2 weeks , wish me luck

I watched a couple of youtube videos on tieing the right knots and setup in general. That helped me a bit.

I also saw the snake skins which look pretty cool for setting it up quickly and packing them away. Anyone have one of these snake skins on theirs?

VikinFan has them on his HH - pretty slick. Not sure I'll add them to mine however.