I'm thrilled to present the Hennessy Hammock Deep Jungle Assym Zip, a three-season hammock that can easily be modified for winter use. Great construction, excellent design, from a company that has provided nothing but superior customer service!
Whether you are already a dedicated hammock-sleeper or you are looking for an alternative to sleeping on the cold, hard ground, the HH Deep Jungle will not disappoint!
On the trail... Home sweet, comfortable home...
Pros
- Can be set up just about anywhere there are trees/anchor points
- Customizable/lots of useful accessories
- Easy/dry setup
- Very comfortable
- Included with rainfly, straps, insulation pad
- Two layer hammock fabric for worry free installation/alignment
- Bug-free comfort
- Can be used as a chair/workstation in inclement/any weather
Cons
- Two rainflys recommended for year-round use
- Not ideal for areas without trees/other anchor points
Who said hammocks give that claustrophobic feeling?
“It’s a tent…It’s a hammock…It’s a Chair… It’s a lounger… It’s Super Shelter!”
The Hennessy Hammock Deep Jungle is an EXCELLENT sleep system. The original prototype for the first hammock that Tom Hennessy made with his mother in the 1990's on a 1949 Singer sewing machine was based on World War II US surplus army jungle hammock, which on a backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail Tom found to be simple to use and lightweight to carry. Almost 30 years later, Hennessy Hammocks has perfected the product line to offer the consumer some really great features that I will discuss below. As the name would suggest, this hammock has an asymmetrical design which actually allows the user to lie almost completely flat when in this hammock. Hennessy Hammocks has grown to have a devoted following of long-distance hikers, back-country hikers, people with back problems, as well as the average everyday hiker!
Testing Conditions
I have used this hammock on several backpacking trips, from summer into late autumn, and spring in northern Maine, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. The same area that Tom Hennessy set out with his army surplus hammock decades ago. I have also slept in this hammock at home, and on day hikes many times.
Temperature ranges have varied from about 90°F+ area, to under 30°F. Wind has varied from still nights to very breezy, 30mph winds in November, below freezing. Testing has occurred from Summer 2014 through Spring 2015.
Specifications
Hammock:
- Fit: 6' Height, 250 lbs. capacity (regular model). XL model capacity is 7’ Height, 300 lbs.
- Hammock fabric: two layers 30 Denier Nylon 66 with polyester reinforced ripstop
- Mesh: 20 Denier polyester No-See-Um
- Suspension Ropes: 10’ each/1500 lb. test Spectra reinforced with tightly braided polyester cover
- Dimensions 100" x 48"
- Weight: 2 lbs 10 oz
- Packed Size: 10" x 8" x 5"
Stuff Sack (included) with silkscreened instructions made of ripstop polyester, 0.6 oz
Hammock and Snake Skins in the included stuff sack.
Webbing Straps
Webbing Straps:
- 1.5" x 72" polyester tested
- Sizes Available: 1.5" wide x 42", 72", 96" polyester
2" wide x 42", 72", 96" polyester
Included Rainfly (photo courtesy Hennessy Hammock)
Deep Jungle Rainfly 30D Silnylon:
- 9.4 oz
- 30 Denier high tenacity 66 Silnylon Ripstop material
- Parallelogram design 63" x 99"
- Diagonal length along ridgeline- 132"
- Packed Size 8" x 2"
The included rainfly easily stuffs into a tent stake bag.
Hex Rainfly 70D Polyester:
- 23 oz
- 70 Denier Polyurethane coated polyester Ripstop
- Hexagonal design 132" along ridgeline, 103”" at ends
- Packed Size 11 x 3.5"
Hex Rainfly (photo courtesy Hennessy Hammock)
The Hex rainfly is clearly much larger when packed.
- 30 Denier Silnylon
- 2.3 oz
- 84" length
Hammock in the Snakeskins, ready to be packed away.
Radiant Double Bubble Pad:
- 2 layers of bubbles, silvered on both sides
- 10 oz
- Packed Size 23" x 4.5"
Double Bubble Pad (It's fun to say!)
Double Bubble Pad folded/rolled into includedmesh bag.
Side-view of the DoubleBubble folded/rolled, with included mesh bag.
The Hammock
The HH Deep Jungle is so rich with features; the manufacturer has really gone to great lengths to comfort the consumer. The hammock's simplicity is also part of the success of the product; lightning quick, dry setup time, great packability... I have found all components to be very well constructed, and equally well though out.
The bottom fabric of the hammock is very spacious, with separate attachment points (bungee guy lines) to keep it open.
Bungee guy lines
Two-way zippers
Two-way zippers allow one to easily get in, out, and secure the bug netting, which doesn’t allow ANY critters in!
Netting secured
Netting secured
The netting can also be folded and secured out of the way, allowing an open view on mild days and nights.
Closeup view of the tie-out for securing the bug netting out of the way.
I personally find this particular hammock so comfortable I have made this my primary shelter as long as trees are around. The only disadvantages that I can even think of are synonymous with all hammock systems; ie. not having a place to change clothes, a place to spend substantial downtime during storms, etc. It is arguable that the hammock makes a great seat, and area to cook, etc. however the footprint for spreading out gear in a storm is limited.
Set up for an early spring snooze during a day hike on the Cat Rock Trail in Catoctin Mountain Park, Md.
Hammock setup at the Wassataquoik Lake campsite; Baxter State Park, Maine.
An extended pic of the hammock.
Closeup of the ripstop hammock material.
Closeup of the suspension rope. Who knew such a comfortable night’s sleep relied on something the size of shoestring?
The storage net on the ridgeline freely slides for comfortable positioning.
Additional clips for attaching things inside the hammock.
The Rainfly
HH has given the consumer countless options using a rainfly with this hammock system. Since the consumer has the option to attach the rainflies directly to the anchor points, ventilation is 100% customizable. There are factory attachment points on the ridgeline of the hammock, which are adjustable using Prusik knots.
Ridgeline Prusik knot attachment points for the rainfly.
Closeup of included rainfly.
The rainflies can also be externally attached to the anchor points, allowing different ways of configuration for rain/wind coverage.
Corner of included rainfly.
Construction for both the hex fly and the asymmetric are very high quality, and show no wear from use. All of the nylon line is very easy to use/work with, and has built in pockets on the underside for storage.
Pockets are at every line attachment on both rainflies.
Closeup of Hex rainfly
It is recommended to use a larger footprint rainfly for inclement weather, or cold weather use.
Aside from mild weather, the Hex rainfly was my go-to.
An angled view of the Hex rainfly in the Three Ridges Wilderness, Va.
This was a perfect place to set up, unsuitable for a tent.
Side view of the Hex rainfly.
Clearance under the Hex rainfly, Baxter State Park, Maine.
Alternate view of clearance under the Hex rainfly.
Parallel view of the included rainfly.
Side view of the included rainfly.
The Webbing Straps
I have been using the 1.5" x 72" webbing straps, and have found in the Mid-Atlantic area that this can be problematic when finding the perfect site. Although I greatly prefer to sleep far away from others, sometimes that perfect spot has a very large old tree. They are extremely durable and well made, and closely resemble the material used for automobile seatbelts.
Closeup of the 1.5" webbing straps, VERY tough!
Experimenting with a friend’s carabiner/rappelling ring system; easy, but a lot of unnecessary weight. Note: Hennessey Hammocks does not recommend anything other than standard lashing to the webbing straps.
The DoubleBubble Insulation Pad
Claimed to reflect 97% of body heat back to the sleeper, this pad did a very good job keeping me warm down to about 40°F. Like the asymmetric design of the hammock, the pad installs one way, with two attached lines and clips to keep the pad adjusted where you need it to be. It is a little cumbersome, but isn’t all insulation?
For those without overnight hammock experience, it is crucial to understand that insulating underneath your body has paramount importance! Like conduction robs body heat when ground sleeping with too little insulation, air circulating under a hammock sleeper steals warmth via convection.
One of the seams where the sleeping pad is slid in and attached between the main fabric layers. (photo courtesy Hennessy Hammock)
The hammocks ‘floor’ spread out with the DoubleBubble pad.
The hammocks ‘floor’ spread out with the DoubleBubble pad.
Hennessy Hammock.. check 'em out!
The Snakeskins
This is an ingenious method for storing a hammock! It is an easy way to keep the hammock clean, dry, and organized!
Pogo Memorial Campsite, Appalachian Trail, Md.
Conclusion
Having a spinal injury, this is a superb way to sleep if traditional ground shelters are no longer ideal. Hammock systems give opportunities to hikers like never before, allowing one to have a much larger canvas for resting locations. One can be elevated from rocky, uneven, wet, snow covered, bug covered ground with no worries!
Not a bad place to get some fresh air!