Customer Reviews

Hennessy Explorer Deluxe Asym

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's going on six years now - my sleeping in a Hennessy (1925 nights). No more beds. I use the longest Thermarest mattress made (it leaks, but that doesn't matter). I have three pillows which I locate where needed - hips and legs mostly. I'm in Panama and the no-seeum netting retains too much heat nine months of the year - so I use a fan to stay cool. It's so nice not to have to share your bed with snakes, skeeters and other critters. Most mornings I wake up in exactly the same position I went to sleep. It's changed my life. There are lots of soldiers in Iraq who love their Hennessys, so I'm surprised there aren't more reviews here. Get the biggest one you figure you might need - the extra room makes a big difference. It's an excellent idea, very well executed, and can change your life.

I've been using the Explorer for three years now. I've slept in it about 35-40 nights/year.

When I first saw it, I thought that it would be uncomfortable. I expected the "butt-down" sleeping posture. But getting in a friend's for about a minute convinced me otherwise. If you angle your body diagonally, you find that you are almost flat -- no "butt-down" posture. That one minute was enough to convince me that I had to get one of these things.

So I got the Explorer Deluxe A-Sym model. The "Deluxe" just means that it is longer, and somewhat more "heavy duty", for somewhat taller, heavier folks like me (6'2" and 200#).

The standard rainfly didn't look like it would keep me adequately dry in the rain (though I couldn't find anybody who complained about that). Since I never backpack -- and didn't mind some extra weight -- I asked for the larger "Hex" fly, which they will substitute for no additional charge if you ask. They also sent a pair of SnakeSkins. As far as accessories, I bought the OverCover and the SuperShelter 4-Season Insulation System (consisting of an UnderCover and UnderPad).

This thing is not just a hammock -- it has built-in mosquito netting and a rain-fly -- so it is designed to completely replace a tent and a sleeping pad.

Setting up the basic hammock is easy (though of course easier after the first time). After a while, you get good at judging how far the trees need to be from each other in order for this to work out. The instructions were relatively clear, as I recall.

After tieing the end lines to the two trees (using the two included nylon straps around the trees -- which protect the tree pretty well), all you need to do is to similarly tie the ends of the fly to the trees and stake down the side lines of the fly (and, optionally, the sidelines of the hammock).

Comfort in the hammock is absolutely exceptional. Last summer, when staying at our family cottage, I stayed in the hammock in the front yard instead of sleeping in a bed in the cottage -- for a month. It is that comfortable. Again, after arranging yourself slightly diagonally, you are almost flat. Extremely comfortable.

When I first started sleeping in the hammock, out of habit, I tried moving around at night. I'd start out on my back, then move to my side. Then the other side, even tried my front. Nothing was very comfortable except the back. Thinking about it, the reason that we all move around like that at night on conventional beds is because conventional beds have pressure points (i.e., uneven support on our bodies concentrates pressure in a small area of our bodies). But the hammock supports the full body equally -- no pressure points. So I tried just sleeping on my back and not moving around -- and it was great! No need to switch positions at night!

I also used a pillow at first. But I found it just got in the way. Trying it without a pillow, I found the pillow was wholly unnecessary -- your head is well supported by the hammock.

Downsides of using the hammock:
- Your backside gets cool (particularly your upper back and your butt). In a tent, you always use a ground pad to insulate you from the cool ground. But there's no such beast here. Even with a sleeping bag, since it compresses under your weight, there is just a fraction of an inch of compressed (and therefore ineffective) insulation underneath you -- so COLD air is blowing past you a fraction of an inch from your body. This tends to make the upper back and butt somewhat cool. More on what to do about that later.
- If it is really hot, you can sleep with your skin against the bottom fabric. The above described coolness (i.e., wind blowing past you underneath the hammock) can keep you nice and cool at night in hot conditions. Unfortunately, the downside to this plan is that mosquitoes are fully capable of penetrating the fabric. So it pays to have something like a sleeping bag underneath you. They addressed this issue with their new "Deep Jungle A-SYM ZIP Hammock" by having a double layer of fabric. I haven't tested that model, though.

COLD WEATHER USE
For cold weather use, I bought the OverCover. This is a very thin nylon thing that covers the top of the hammock (the mosquito netting part). It is for use in dry winter conditions. The idea here is that it acts as a windbreaker -- so that you don't have COLD air blowing across your top half through the mosquito netting. There is a small breather hole near where your head is.

I also bought the SuperShelter, consisting of the UnderCover and the UnderPad. The UnderCover is basically a thin nylon layer that is slung snugly underneath the hammock. This could be used when it is hot and your bare body is sleeping against the fabric (i.e., to protect you from mosquitoes getting you through the fabric), though I haven't used it that way. It is designed so that you could pack some sort of insulation between the underpad (which again is slung snugly underneath the hammock) and the hammock. This can be your parka, or your dirty clothes, or your clean clothes, or some dry leaves or whatever. Another option is their open cell foam UnderPad, which fits in there well.

I've used this system (with the OverCover, the UnderCover, and the UnderPad) in conditions as low as 16 degrees F and been comfortable. However, keep in mind that I had a zero degree sleeping bag AND was bundled up quite a bit inside the bag, while wearing gloves, two balaclavas, down booties, wool sweater, fleece long underwear, etc.). BUT I proved that it was possible to be comfortable in this hammock in sub-zero conditions.

There are also some other alternatives for cold-weather comfort here. A company called "Jacks 'R' Better" makes a down thing designed for this hammock that slings snugly underneath it (i.e., replacing the UnderCover and the UnderPad). I haven't tried it and don't know anybody who has. It is kind of pricey, as you might imagine. But if you are intent on using this thing in arctic conditions, it may be worth it.

They also sent a pair of SnakeSkins gratis. These are two sleeves of nylon. It makes it extremely simple to "fold up" your hammock. These sleeves are left on the end lines when the hammock is set up. When you are ready to take your hammock down, you just pull the sleeves towards the middle and tuck the hammock material into them. You now have a long, thin, snake-like thing tied to the trees. Untie the end lines from the trees and fold up the snake -- easy, convenient, and tidy. Unfortunately, the SnakeSkins only work when you don't also have the optional OverCover or UnderCover installed. The rain fly also doesn't fit in there (though the standard one might, I suppose).

The big Hex rain fly has always kept me completely dry even in the biggest downpours.

Where do you keep your stuff? Well, underneath the hammock is a big open-air vestibule for storing your pack. This keeps it dry and accessible. When I get into the hammock at night, I bring tomorrow's clean underwear and clothing -- and sling it over the taught line above me -- kind of pushing it towards the two extremes (the head and the foot) to get it out of the way. Then, I typically get dressed in the hammock in the morning.

Overall, you should be able to tell that I'm quite sold on the spectacular comfort of this hammock. The only issues are ensuring that you can find trees or something to sling it between and ensuring that your underside is adequately warm.

How can it be improved? Don't know. Maybe the new Deep Jungle A-SYM Hammock is an improvement with it's double layer bottom (to better protect from mosquitoes) and its more conventional side entry (the Explorer has you entering from the bottom). Don't know whether it is better though, because I haven't tried it (and don't know anybody who has tried it).

Wow this is nice I was told a little cool in winter. So I got Lost ranger 15 degree sleeping bag and a thermarest pad (pad goes in under the bag so you don't slide off. I have since added some foil insulation with the bubbles. I haven't tried this out just yet. But I t should help. I like this hammock I am glad I got the Deluxe one. It is a little larger and this helps storing stuff inside.
I have had a knee replacement (within 3 months) and thought that may be a problem. Sometimes I'd sleep on my side and sometimes I'd feel like my feet were up in the air. This may of been the way I hung it.
This real fast and easy to set up and gave me a great night sleep. I was not cold down to upper 30's and where we camped you couldn't of set up a tent. To many trees and too rough of ground. I also got a fly and we set this up over the hammocks and out front so we could cook and set up chairs under a tarp.
Get one for everyone. Also look up hammock camping on the web you will find a lot of great ideas.

John

I was worried that I was going to be uncomfortable in this tent, but was pleasantly surprised. In "on the ground" tents I frequently wake up in the middle of the night wishing it was morning so I could get up. I am a side sleeper and always wake up with sore hips and shoulders from laying on the hard ground in traditional tents. With the Hennesy, I was surprised to wake up on my back, and yet perfectly comfortable.

The only complaint I have are the speed of set up. On their website, I think they claim 3 minute set up. Well, maybe with a perfect location and lots of practice. I admit, I am new at it and I expect to get faster, but on the first few times I set it up I did everything at least twice. Hammock tents are new to me so that is to be expected, I guess.

I haven't had to endure any rain in this tent, but the tarp/rainfly seems a little small. One thing to note; if you buy this from the Hennesy website you can substitute a double-size tarp for free.

Also the set up instructions call for 2 tent stakes, but they are not included. Nice way to keep down the weight!

I will be using this tent whenever I am solo camping without question. I am a bit worried about cold conditions though. Being up off the ground allows cold air to circulate below you. I have found countless forums on how to keep warm in a hammock tent, but the tent alone would be very cold even with a good sleeping bag.

The Hennessey Hammock Explorer Deluxe is great for one person, but can also work for two people. This is the solution for anyone who wants to share a hammock with their significant other, and wake up without aches or stiffness created by pressure points formed by sleeping on the ground (even with a good sleeping pad). It is also far lighter than the vast majority of two person tents on the market. There are, however, several caveats.

The first is that the hammock is rated for 300 pounds, so your combined weight must be below that, which shouldn't be a problem for shorter couples with athletic builds. If you're not a couple, don't even consider using this hammock for two as it forces your body to hug the other person's whether you want to or not.

The second is a caveat that applies to all hammocks, which is that you need a pair of trees a suitable distance apart. That may sound simple, but finding just the right pair is likely to take much more time than the few minutes needed to actually set up the hammock and rainfly. You may want to purchase additional webbing or rope to extend the maximum distance between trees you can use.

The third issue to keep in mind is that hammocks are invariably colder than tents due to the air circulation underneath you. During naps on hot days this is a significant advantage, but on cold nights it is essential to have some type of insulated pad underneath you, along with a good sleeping bag. I tend to sleep colder than most guys, but with a pad and a 20 degree bag on a night that dropped into the low 40's, I was warm enough that I never zipped up the bag.

The fourth item to keep in mind is that, unlike a tent where the rainfly reaches to the ground, the hammock fly is well off the ground and acts like a kite in wind. That's not to say you can't use it in windy conditions, but make sure you have it staked down very securely. In addition, my girlfriend noticed that after a number of strong gusts the pre-knotted rope that is attached to the primary rope and clips onto the rainfly had started slipping and making the fly loose. I solved this by taking leftover primary rope and slipping it through the O-ring at the end of the fly, then pulling it taught and tying it to the knot I had already created to hold the hammock to the tree. I also anchored the sides of the fly fairly close to the hammock so that the sloping fly almost hugged the hammock body and shielded us inside from much of the wind.

The fifth item of concern is a result of two people using a product intended for one, which is that when you are both inside the hammock, it is very difficult and awkward for the first person to exit. Hennessey did a wonderful job designing this so that when you are inside, your weight forces the rip-and-stick opening shut so that you don't accidentally fall out. When you are exiting the hammock with no one else inside, it is relatively easy to pry it open and get out, but with the weight of another person forcing it closed, the opening is very difficult to spread wide and getting out is not an easy process.

With these criticisms, it may sound as though I don't like the Explorer Deluxe very much, but that is far from the case. My girlfriend and I have enjoyed it more than we expected and are excited to use it again in the future. You just need to keep in mind that hammocks have different benefits and drawbacks than tents have. Using this for two people is certainly not for everyone, but if the two of you will fit and you have an adventurous spirit, this is a fun, interesting option that will surprise you.

I bought my Hennessy Explorer Deluxe Asym months ago, and I've tested it twice, napped in it a few times in the yard, and have actually only had the opportunity to use it in the field 3-4 times. To date, I've found no issue with this Hennessy product and highly recommend it's use. Especially if you're into self-contained hiking trips, this will save you some weight and bulk.

Well, I have owned the Hennessy for probably 6 or 7 years. If you are looking for a 3 or even 4 season hammock out the box, forget about that. Late spring to full summer is what you will get out of the box, because of convection, the air that moves under your body, will rob you of body heat at or about 65 deg or lower. The solution for many die hard hammock campers (4 seasons) is to purchase an underquilt which is made of down material to attach to the underside,then sort of wrapes around the hammock. This type of equipment is a specialty item and will run at or more than the hammock costs. 2nd magjor problem is moving around in this thing. Putting on any item while in the hammock, i.e. clothes, boots, or sandels will be a chore for even the most experienced contortionist. If you have back problems to begin with, trying to move around and get comfortable or sitting up may cause serious muscle strain on the lower back muscles, BEWARE! Other than those 3 things, I like my hammock. I have not used a tent since I bought my hammock those many years ago. Do I camp alot, the answer is No. Once or twice a year summer weather. Do Your Research, on other forums first before buying a Hennessy.

After reading the many reviews of the Hennessy and watching you tube videos I had come to the conclusion that this was the tent for me. I own 4 tents. 2 that leak when it rains and 2 that I spent a whole bunch of money for. I have camped on my own deep in the woods for months. I WISH I HAD ONE OF THESE YEARS AGO! Last night I took it out of the bag, set it up in what seemed to be 2 min. It was fast and simple. I put my cold weather bag in it and down came the rain. It rained all night. I am guessing the temp was in the low 40s F. The wind blew hard yet I was warm, dry and very comfortable. What a great product. I plan on buying 10 more( I have a lot of family and friends).

As a survivalist this tent just makes sense. Its perfect for your Bug Out Bag. Its small, lite, bug repellent, easy to use, well made, and water resistant. I watched a video of a guy who hung his off the side of a rock face where there where no trees. I have seen them hung in between trucks, off of fences, rocks, hiking poles with guide wires and stakes. I even saw one hung in a hole with the rain fly covering the hole. Now that is inconspicuous camping.

Oh yea. The whole cold weather thing I haven't tried yet BUT the pad they sell is a aluminum bubble wrap insulation that you can buy big rolls of at home depot for 20$s. I use this stuff all the time in my work and it is great insulation. One roll would make a 3 layer thick insulation pad 4ft by 6ft. Reflective insulation is far better then any other form of insulation. I will post my cold weather findings when I camp in the snow.

On the other hand this thing will rock in hot weather.

I am sold. I am a believer. Best night sleep I have ever had in a tent by far!

the 1st time i set the hammock was simple enough.. maybe not the 3 minutes as it says but fairly quickly.. i tried the hammock in the campground setting before taking it on the trail just a "incase" i didn like it thing. But let me tell you i will NEVER go back to sleeping on the ground.. the 1st nite in camp we had a Huge thunderstorm and was awsome,the rain fly kept me totaly dry and the stabilizer cords kept swing to very minimum with the heavy winds. getting into it was a different challange the 1st time but as with everything, there is a learning curve. sleep was great i dont think i woke all night.. and was very comfortably with the sleeping pad i purchased per others info on the 'cold butt'.. i would highly recomend this hammock to anyone who love's the outdoors and is into backpacking or even camping,
I plan to take this with me on the AT in the fall and will be 100% better than carring a tent! I would also recomend getting the snake skins for this, i didnt but will be shortly i can see it will be a time saver to the already fast set up.. great buy and great sleep! see you on the trail...

This hammock is very well built and much more roomy inside than I thought it would be. The ridgeline keeps the no-see-um net off your face and creates a fairly spacey interior considering it is a hammock. I definitely recommend going with the Deluxe if you are over 6 feet tall. I am 6'3" and the way I lay in the hammock, it is fairly snug - leaving me to believe that the standard Explorer version would certainly be too small to position myself to lay flat. I use a thermarest under me to help with the loss of heat through the bottom that others have mentioned in cool weather camping. I don't fault the Hennessy Hammock for this problem as all stock hammocks have this problem. Hennessy makes a "Super Shelter" that can be added on to accommodate colder nights if you want to use it year around. I also went with the Hex rain fly over the standard fly. I use the hammock in all types of weather conditions and don't mind the extra few ounces to guarantee that I stay dry no matter what angle the rain comes in at. The Hex fly is fairly large, has ropes attached and pockets built into the fly to hold the rope when not in use (genius!). I do recommend the snake skins and adding a ridgeline for the fly (this increases airflow and creates a roomier feel). I don't move too much when I sleep, maybe only turning to a side and back during the night. No problems doing so in the hammock. In fact, I like sleeping on my side and that was on of my biggest problems with tent camping. I honestly see my tent gathering dust from here on out - this hammock is just so comfortable and lightweight.