Hammock Bliss Sky Tent 2
If you are looking for a product that is entirely unique and one of a kind, you have found it in the Hammock Bliss Sky Tent 2. When I first saw this product I thought to myself, “Nick, you have got to get this thing”.
So my first night out in the Sky Tent 2 was interesting. My brother and I hiked out into an unused forest at about 6:30pm, so we still had a few hours of sunlight. We thought it would be an easy stroll to a good hanging spot, we were wrong. The forest was so overgrown and dense it was difficult to know what you were walking on. At one point my brother, taking the lead, stopped and said, “don’t walk this way, one more step and you’re in a river”. The grass was so overgrown my brother couldn’t even see over it! We finally got through the rough stuff, crossed a river and started to set up camp in a mosquito infested forest.
I pulled the Sky Tent 2 sack out of my bag weighing 42 oz or 2.6 lb and started setting it up. The entire system doesn’t take any longer to set up that your typical tarp. It comes with a ridgeline that is 295” in length which consists of about 135 inches in the center under the rain fly and 80″ that extend to the outside on each end of the rainfly. The rope itself is is constructed of durable 6mm climbing cord. This is good but I found the cord to be short a couple of times when I was trying to tie to larger trees. Tree Straps might come in handy for this. This was not a deal breaker but worth noting. The Sky Tent 2 set up is 138” Long 73” Wide and 43” Tall. This can be an issue if you are purchasing a double hammock or a custom hammock that is longer as I found my BIAS 11f hammock and my TTTM double hammock did not fit inside the Sky Tent. This ridgeline is adjustable using prusic knots in case you need more rope to hang the Sky Tent on one side than the other side or if you want to tighten the tarp. This was a fantastic feature on the Sky Tent but the space where the ridgeline cord entered the hammock was not bug proof, there was a small hole about half an inch round where bugs could enter. I had one mosquito in my Sky Tent when I woke up, I don’t know if it came in through the hole or if I let it in when entereing the Sky Tent. The tarp has four tie-out points at each corner which spreads the tarp/bug net out creating a comfortable space inside the bug net. The stuff sack for this system is attached to it and acts as a large storage area when not in use. I love it when the stuff sacks are attached because I easily loose things I am not attached to. Once you have set up the tarp and tied it out you have finished setting up the Sky Tent 2, no problem. There is a double pull YKK entry zipper on one side of the system that opens about half way up the hammock and provides ample space for entry.
Another feature of the Sky Tent 2 is that it can be used on the ground as a Tent. I have yet to use it this way but when I do I will be sure to provide a review of that experience. On the bottom of the bug net there is a large Ripstop Nylon Base layer. This is what you would use to sleep on in Tent mode. I used this as a storage area for all of my gear when I was sleeping in the hammock. I LOVED THIS. Everything is in your sleeping area and you don’t have to go out into the buggy woods to get something you forgot in your bag because your bag is right under you. You can also hang your bag on the suspension of your hammock inside the Sky Tent. There is so much space once you get in there it is really amazing and comfortable but I will get to that soon. The only downside of the floor storage is if you put all your gear in it and set up your tarp too high it brings the bug net down closer to you on the sides. That is not a gear issue it is a set up issue and can be revised yourself. I am just mentioning it because it happened to me during that mosquito feast I mentioned earlier and I didn’t want to go out and adjust it.
Back to the Sky Tent, There is two entry points on each side of the bug net for hammocks, yes two! This means that you can sleep in this system with two people. Amazing I know. The way it works is you put your suspension in the bug net through the entry point, once your hammock is set up you can clinch the entry hole closed to prevent bugs from entering. I found when using the Hammock bliss Single Hammock rope suspension system the whole spread open slightly after you get in the hammock because it uses two ropes tied in a bow knot. If you switch that out for a Whoopie Sling suspension you would be fine. After you get your hammock/hammocks set up you can get in the Sky Tent and get comfy you’ll notice there are two large mesh pockets in the bug net. I really liked these pockets because normally you get small pockets that don’t fit much. I attempted to sleep in the Sky Tent with two people a few times in different locations but each time found it to be a little squishy for the person on the bottom. It is a great idea and I think it would be outstanding for introducing your children to hammock camping as they would be close to you and if they fell off the top they would just land in your hammock. That being said, since it is designed for two when you use it on your own it is so spacious. This I think was my favorite feature, I hate and I mean HATE! Having bug nets on my face, arm, foot, anywhere a mosquito can bit through and get me. It wrecks my entire sleep sometimes. I had never been so comfortable in a bug net as I was in the Sky Tent 2.
Overall I really liked the Sky Tent 2, it is great for people that have a no-net hammock and are wanting a bug net and tarp. The space that you get when you are inside this system is outstanding. I only had a few issues with this system;
1) The holes by the ridgeline making it easy for bugs to enter
2) The inability to cook from your hammock, this was not a major deal for me as I often cook with my company or have a cooking area anyways
3) The small coverage the tarp has over the bug net; there is about two inches between the edge of the tarp and the beginning of the bug net. In a rain storm I can see this being an issue with staying dry. I did have it in the rain but it was just a light rain, there was no issue getting wet and the bug net did not get wet at all but in a downpour I can see this as being a problem
4) The length of the ridgeline, also not a major issue
I would use this set up again with some modifications and my no-net hammocks and did find it to be a really comfortable set up. One great thing about Hammock Bliss in general is they have outstanding customer service and they are always improving their gear, hence the Sky Tent 2. I am sure there will be a Sky Tent 3 someday so keep a lookout as you never know what Hammock Bliss is going to come up with next.
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