Hennessy Hammock  Explorer Ultralight Asym Zip Hammock

I've been backpacking for 4 years now. Camping for 10+ Up until 2 years ago I used a 10lb Mountain hardwear 3-man tent because it is what I had. I did some research on hammocks and I will say confidently, it's the most comfortable night's sleep I've had on the trail or when car camping. Set up and tear down is easy. Takes a bit to figure out the tension on the lines and making sure your head ends up a touch higher than your feet. The provided tree straps are short, they won't wrap around a lot of trees in my area, but that doesn't mean you can't use the hammock. I think I will trade up to longer straps at some point, but it's not a priority. I've used this on 60+ degree nights and was more than cozy just using a sleeping bag inside. My last trip it was 40 degrees overnight and the sleeping bag was a bit cool so an under-quilt is a must if you like cold weather camping. My son tried it out on a family camping trip and I think one is in his future too, this thing is just too comfortable, no sore back in the morning. The attached bugnet is sturdy and the zippers can take a beating without coming lose. The tarp is a touch small if the weather were to turn for the worst, but it handled a solid night of rain, keeping me dry. Hammock camping is my preferred method of camping now and Hennessy has a solid product with their hammock models. I'd recommend it to anyone. The only downsides are a bit of tinkering during setup to get the sag right, and the fact that if you get caught in bad weather, you can't hang out with the group...unless someone has a tent, or you create a hammock city for cover. Also - I've seen reviews on other sites with people annoyed because they could not hang the hammock...If you don't have trees to hang it on, it's not the best option so probably not the best for above the treeline or serious desert.

An amaIng product. Thank you Tom for a fabulously designed all weather hammock. Being a hammock novice I found it easy to set up and breakdown. Pack size and weight make it a sweet sleep system. The lumpy, wet ground is longer an issue with trees or boulders nearby. If no trees, no problem. Hammock to tent is easy, with practice. The HH website is a great resource for getting to know this system. Had it set up for 2 months in my yard, sleeping through some winter storms and experimented in the cold. Never wet and did figure out a warm low weight system. Love it and looking forward to many long over nighters this season.

I have slept in a few different hammocks and this is the most comfortable one I have been in. The inside is roomy and when sleeping on an angle very comfortable. The only thing I did not like are the provided straps. I upgraded to the Eagles Nest Outfitters Atlas Hammock Suspension System which made set-up a breeze. This thing is very light and takes up about as much space as a coffee can. Highly recomended.

I've been using Hennessy hammocks for almost a decade now, and the Explorer Ultralight Zip for about 4 years. This is, and I think will remain for many years, my go-to shelter for recreational backcountry trips (with the only exceptions being extreme cold and alpine camps -- it does work best in trees, after all). With custom "snake skins" and the oem lines and straps, this weighs 2lb 1oz on my kitchen scale. Is that a rich-thru-hiker-dyneema-hyperlite kind of weight? Nope, but it's also stupid-comfortable to sleep in and very durable. I use a S2S insulated sleeping pad because their cell design will flex with the wierd shape of the fabric when you sleep in the hammock. I know some folks love the underquilt thing but I've never gotten into that for some reason. I've slept dry through some pretty crazy wind and rain storms. Fly tension and placement is important, but if you get it in the right spot, this thing will fend off a squal without breaking a sweat. I've also hung out (see what I did there?) in the hammock through some pretty epic mosquito swarms - the bug mesh is very effective.

I used this product elusively as my tent while bike touring the pacific coast. The materials are very robust and I never worried about them me. The rain fly, when put on correctly, is very protective. You can adjust to be optimal for many situations, and pull it in tight for rain. In torrential downpour i was very cozy and away from the saturated ground. However, be warned that the taut rain-fly acts like a drum and while dry may suffer from lack of sleep. The provided straps are not always adequate for distance or tree girth. Upgrading to a third party set of straps/ webbing is a good idea - this also greatly speeds up the setup. There is going to be a learning curve, both for set-up and for comfort. By the end of my tour I didnt want to sleep in anything else. However, at the start, no fault of the hammock, i had trouble getting used to laying on my back for the duration of the night. I like to sleep on my side, which is completely possible, but not ideal. I Definitely recommend a pad for insulation. I bought a large blue foam sheet and cut it to be more streamlined to the hammock's shape. In my experience, without some kind of insulation your backside will bleed warmth to the surrounding air. If you're going to be in an area with many trees, its hard to suggest anything else. That being said, sometimes its difficult to find trees close enough together, not too far apart, and without any obstructions. Sometimes a tent would be a lot easier and quicker to find a suitable setup.

Within the SPECs section and even included in the packaging, this item is listed as weighing 2lbs 4 Ozs. This is not correct it is 2lbs 7.5 Ozs

Bought this in 2020 and since then have used it on weekends summer and winter camping, and have spent up to a month in this hammock camping in the summer without issue. Solid build and very comfortable. Being able to lie down almost completely flat makes for a better nights sleep than my mattress at home. The rain fly seems small but I’ve never had an issue with me or my gear getting wet in the rain. Would highly recommend.

I bought this hammock because I wanted a lightweight sleep setup. I took it out for the first time and the hammock tore while I was packing it up. Complete waste of money and now I’m out $270.

I cannot recommend this brand enough for individual camping. I purchased this hammock in 2010 (I have the Velcro bottom version), spent most of that summer in it as I ran canoe trips in northern Minnesota and Canada, and have probably spent another 100+ nights in it, from major backpacking trips to simple car camping, since then. Through all of that, the hammock still functions as well as the day I bought it. Adding in the snake skins, this hammock becomes the easiest setup and teardown you will ever have, allowing you to roll and pack the hammock before untying it, keeping it off the wet ground and speeding up your departure. The hammock also provides exceptional comfort and protection from the elements (rain drizzle through nearby tornadoes, I have never gotten wet in this hammock, and the bungee cords keep the hammock relatively calm in all wind conditions). The rain fly can be adjusted to provide more air or more protection, and you can clip your gear in the corners of the inside to keep it safe and dry. As other reviews have noted, you will need 2-4 tent stakes depending on your setup. You can also purchase longer tree straps for less than ten dollars directly from the company if you will be in an area with larger diameter trees. Note: If you will be using it primarily in colder weather, you will need to have a pad below your sleeping bag or look at their double-bottomed models as the insulation of the sleeping bag is ineffective when compressed between your body, the hammock, and the cold air underneath.