HH, Hennessy Hammock 4 Season Insulation System ~ Review
Not all of us can have a RTT or even sleep in a tent due to injuries....so a hammock is a must
I was excited to see that HH, Hennessy Hammocks had another winter sale on their merchandise. This time it was the 4 season insulation system for $99 which included both the top and bottom covers along with the padding. When the package arrived I was very eager to get this setup and knew I had to wait… this weekend came that presented itself with the opportunity to set this up and use it during the winter bug out contest as well. I watched all the YouTube videos on the HH web site, so I was ready and knew how to set the unit up. Mine was missing the space blanket. I do not think it was going to do all that much, so I did not rob my spare from my survival kit for this adventure. I will not go into details as to how one set’s it up; as you too can watch the vid’s. When I opened the package one of the cords to the pouch/tube used to store the components was not in the loop and the barrel lock was at the bottom of the bag. It made me question WTF, was this a bad sign? So I fixed that in about 5 minutes, and left the rest of the stuff in the bag until needed.
You get the insulation system is two separate pouches [over cover separately].
This pouch is more of a tube than a traditional pouch that one would normally use. The overall weight of the system is about 1lb; the manufacturer claims this as well. I found that by trial and error it fitted nicely into a molle butt pack I had attached to my ruck. It adds bulk to the rear but no weight.
Looking at one end of the tube you see the foam insulation that is cut to shape the interior of the hammock.
The other end houses the undercover. I find that it is easier to place the insulation into the tube and then add the undercover. I may just make a pouch for the over and under cover.
I also thought it was a nice touch that they had the instructions printed on the exterior of the tube.
So I proceeded with setting up my explorer asym between the two trees of choice. I always use the snake skins. I did/can get both of the under and over covers to slide into the snake skins for what it was worth when taking down the hammock in the morning.
I am not going into details on the setup, but will show photos that hopefully help you decide of this system is for you. I started off with installing the under cover and the foam padding. I must say that the elastic cords used for securing the system is a pain in the azz, in cold weather. You can not wear gloves in this process and the temps today were …well look at the photo for proof.
This photo shows the overall completed look of how the ends look. It is really hard in cold weather to work the toggle with bare hands, or at least for me.
Here is a photo of the foam insulation installed. Please note that the shock cords on this I found difficult to work with. The design is good, but needs to be modified in my opinion. Everything mounts to the main rope line via a glove hook and zap strap [HH definitions’]. One of the setup videos at HH show him using two sets of the glove hooks and zap straps however mine only came with one pair?
The next two photos kind of show how the top cover rides over the undercover. However when I got into the hammock I noticed that this seam if you will separated and created an air gap, when my weight was lowered into the hammock. In return this allowed cold air to enter in from the sides. I am sure I could sew these up to about a foot from the ends, which would allow the system to work better and still allow the system to be installed or removed with little hassle.
I found the vent/breathing hole sufficient in size and placement on the hammock. Only once when I escaped into the hammock around 3:30pm to get away from the heavy wind did I noticed that this got covered by the rain fly. However 25mph + winds are not your average conditions. The side air gap was my safety net if this was a real concern. Here is my setup all complete from the side. With trees too close together I was able to hang the hammock but could not get the fly taunt enough. I think this created the blocking effect when the wind was howling.
The next morning I was able to get the insulation into the packing tube. However I did not use this for the over or under cover as I used the snake skins. I was impressed that the snake skins are large enough to get the hammock, silnylon fly and both of the covers into. The snake skins (fit) are getting very tight at this point however.
Ok, let me finish this review along. I used my modular sleep system minus the bivy bag for the night. The average daytime temp was around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I am sure it dropped another 10 degrees if not more. However I did not check it as I was too frozen.
For my overall opinion and feelings about the 4 season insulation. I do not feel it is a four season system. More of a three season system if anything. Maybe if this system is combined with a set of over and under quilts it would meet the 4 season classification. I have never been as cold during a night before as I was then. Mine was missing the space blanket and I even have to question what effectiveness that would provide? I must say that the overall weight is insane at one pound. The materials are lightweight and strong for their intended application. I think it really is a spring to fall system, for those of us that live in or experience cold, wet, snowy weather conditions. I feel this last photo of the frozen snow ice mix of the rain fly tells all, to what I experienced.
OK so this afternoon I decide to see why I can not get the undercover to seat properly underneath the hammock. After a couple of tries I noticed that the undercover is sewn improperly. Where the material is supposed to met it is twisted over and sewn. So no matter what I do there is a twist in the undercover that goes from the entrance to the head end. I called HH to complain about this a few days ago & today. I feel that my complaints are falling on deaf ears and that they do not care.
EDIT: I got a return call from Tom and he also seems to think that I am installing it wrong. It was also apparent that I was disturbing his New Zealand vacation… I must be a non English speaking person and do not know how to convey the issue? I talked to I was blue in the face.
Here is the fold vertically
A closer view
Another view
I think this one says it all, there is no way when this if folded over the ridgeline the fasteners will line up…
Not all of us can have a RTT or even sleep in a tent due to injuries....so a hammock is a must
I was excited to see that HH, Hennessy Hammocks had another winter sale on their merchandise. This time it was the 4 season insulation system for $99 which included both the top and bottom covers along with the padding. When the package arrived I was very eager to get this setup and knew I had to wait… this weekend came that presented itself with the opportunity to set this up and use it during the winter bug out contest as well. I watched all the YouTube videos on the HH web site, so I was ready and knew how to set the unit up. Mine was missing the space blanket. I do not think it was going to do all that much, so I did not rob my spare from my survival kit for this adventure. I will not go into details as to how one set’s it up; as you too can watch the vid’s. When I opened the package one of the cords to the pouch/tube used to store the components was not in the loop and the barrel lock was at the bottom of the bag. It made me question WTF, was this a bad sign? So I fixed that in about 5 minutes, and left the rest of the stuff in the bag until needed.
You get the insulation system is two separate pouches [over cover separately].
This pouch is more of a tube than a traditional pouch that one would normally use. The overall weight of the system is about 1lb; the manufacturer claims this as well. I found that by trial and error it fitted nicely into a molle butt pack I had attached to my ruck. It adds bulk to the rear but no weight.
Looking at one end of the tube you see the foam insulation that is cut to shape the interior of the hammock.
The other end houses the undercover. I find that it is easier to place the insulation into the tube and then add the undercover. I may just make a pouch for the over and under cover.
I also thought it was a nice touch that they had the instructions printed on the exterior of the tube.
So I proceeded with setting up my explorer asym between the two trees of choice. I always use the snake skins. I did/can get both of the under and over covers to slide into the snake skins for what it was worth when taking down the hammock in the morning.
I am not going into details on the setup, but will show photos that hopefully help you decide of this system is for you. I started off with installing the under cover and the foam padding. I must say that the elastic cords used for securing the system is a pain in the azz, in cold weather. You can not wear gloves in this process and the temps today were …well look at the photo for proof.
This photo shows the overall completed look of how the ends look. It is really hard in cold weather to work the toggle with bare hands, or at least for me.
Here is a photo of the foam insulation installed. Please note that the shock cords on this I found difficult to work with. The design is good, but needs to be modified in my opinion. Everything mounts to the main rope line via a glove hook and zap strap [HH definitions’]. One of the setup videos at HH show him using two sets of the glove hooks and zap straps however mine only came with one pair?
The next two photos kind of show how the top cover rides over the undercover. However when I got into the hammock I noticed that this seam if you will separated and created an air gap, when my weight was lowered into the hammock. In return this allowed cold air to enter in from the sides. I am sure I could sew these up to about a foot from the ends, which would allow the system to work better and still allow the system to be installed or removed with little hassle.
I found the vent/breathing hole sufficient in size and placement on the hammock. Only once when I escaped into the hammock around 3:30pm to get away from the heavy wind did I noticed that this got covered by the rain fly. However 25mph + winds are not your average conditions. The side air gap was my safety net if this was a real concern. Here is my setup all complete from the side. With trees too close together I was able to hang the hammock but could not get the fly taunt enough. I think this created the blocking effect when the wind was howling.
The next morning I was able to get the insulation into the packing tube. However I did not use this for the over or under cover as I used the snake skins. I was impressed that the snake skins are large enough to get the hammock, silnylon fly and both of the covers into. The snake skins (fit) are getting very tight at this point however.
Ok, let me finish this review along. I used my modular sleep system minus the bivy bag for the night. The average daytime temp was around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I am sure it dropped another 10 degrees if not more. However I did not check it as I was too frozen.
For my overall opinion and feelings about the 4 season insulation. I do not feel it is a four season system. More of a three season system if anything. Maybe if this system is combined with a set of over and under quilts it would meet the 4 season classification. I have never been as cold during a night before as I was then. Mine was missing the space blanket and I even have to question what effectiveness that would provide? I must say that the overall weight is insane at one pound. The materials are lightweight and strong for their intended application. I think it really is a spring to fall system, for those of us that live in or experience cold, wet, snowy weather conditions. I feel this last photo of the frozen snow ice mix of the rain fly tells all, to what I experienced.
OK so this afternoon I decide to see why I can not get the undercover to seat properly underneath the hammock. After a couple of tries I noticed that the undercover is sewn improperly. Where the material is supposed to met it is twisted over and sewn. So no matter what I do there is a twist in the undercover that goes from the entrance to the head end. I called HH to complain about this a few days ago & today. I feel that my complaints are falling on deaf ears and that they do not care.
EDIT: I got a return call from Tom and he also seems to think that I am installing it wrong. It was also apparent that I was disturbing his New Zealand vacation… I must be a non English speaking person and do not know how to convey the issue? I talked to I was blue in the face.
Here is the fold vertically
A closer view
Another view
I think this one says it all, there is no way when this if folded over the ridgeline the fasteners will line up…
