Thoughts on Deep Jungle

[greggg3]

I agree ChrisH, DJ is the most comfy for me so far. My hammock evolution was: After several homemades, I got an UL explorer, super comfortable but I always had trouble adjusting an UQ, once you were in you couldn't reach out and adjust it or anything plus it didn't have a double layer to hold a pad still. I tried the supershelter and it kept me warm but constricted the sides and I didn't have the same comfort as without it. There was a guy on here, Neo I think, and his posts convinced me to try the Claytor which had a double layer. This held a pad great but it felt narrower than the HH UL Explorer, still I could reach out and get stuff after I was in, so I sold the HH. Then I got the WBBB 1.7 DBL and the winter 3/4 quilt that Brandon sells. This was the best fitting easiet suspending UQ I've ever had and the WBBB was more comfy than the Claytor, but not as comfy as I remembered the HH. So when I saw HH had the DJ with zipper and double layer I finally got one. Its definitely more comfy for me, but dang what a zipper! Looks like something that would be on one of the old canvas cabins tents from the 70's I think one zipper pull weighs more than my pepsi stove. Anyway, I doubt it will be a failure point.

With the old bottom entry HH, it was always clear which was the head end and which was the foot. With the DJ, I keep wondering if Tom intended the zipper to be on the left or right? For some reason the hole to the dbl layer is bigger on the non-zipper side, and the bubble mat is straight on one side and tapered on the other, not sure if that implies anything or not? I've been sleeping with the zipper on my left side.

[ChrisH]

The one thing I do like about the zipper on my DJ is that I don't have to use two hands to use it. It runs smoothly and doesn't get stuck or caught on anything. I'm pretty sure I read here somewhere that the zipper is meant to go on the right but it's the same lye either way. I'm thinking about selling my WBB and my KAQ Potomac to get a winter incubator from Stormcrow. My TQ is soooooo warm it's crazy and I find my Potomac difficult to adjust. It's a warm underquilt once you get it perfect but there's quite a bit of fiddle factor with it. A winter Incubator would be a dream!

[2Questions]

With the old bottom entry HH, it was always clear which was the head end and which was the foot. With the DJ, I keep wondering if Tom intended the zipper to be on the left or right? For some reason the hole to the dbl layer is bigger on the non-zipper side, and the bubble mat is straight on one side and tapered on the other, not sure if that implies anything or not? I've been sleeping with the zipper on my left side.

ZQ here...The zipper is on the right, but I have been told that you can lay in the hammock with the zipper on either side. The Hennessy label on the one tie out is always on the right side, whether it is the original bottom entry or the zipper model.

[ChrisH]

Thanks for clearing that up for us ZQ!

[2Questions]

Thanks for clearing that up for us ZQ!

Always happy to help!

[BillyBob58]

The pad pocket opening is really small on the zipper side on mine, maybe 6". On the other side the opening is around 14" long but I still have to fold my HH bubble pad to get it in there. If/when I send my DJ to 2QZQ I'm going to see if they can make the opening on the zipper side 18" long or so. I plan to use my HH bubble pad with my KAQ Potomac during the colder months. I agree with you about the right foot kinda being scrunched against the side. I often sleep with my left foot up which gives my right foot room to breath. Unlike you, I sleep the with the zipper on my left so my head sometimes touches the net, which I don't like. I have yet to try sleeping the other way round, I thought you were supposed to sleep with the zipper on your left in a Hennessy until a few weeks ago!

BillyBob, when you are in your DJ, on your back, is the zipper on your left or right side?

Rt side. Do I have it backwards? If so, works pretty good anyway!

99.99% sure that BillyBob sleeps with the zipper on his right. I sleep with it on my left, it's the same either way.

I set my WBB up for the first time today. The left calf/knee pressure is much worse than in my DJ. It's quickly remedied with a jacket under the knee, though. The WBB is quite a bit wider than the DJ but the DJ is longer, or maybe it's just that the ridgeline is longer on the DJ, I don't know. The footbox doesn't seem to make a bit of difference (to me) in comfort. I find the DJ more comfortable, easier to get into and more heavy duty than the WBB. The DJ is also much heavier than the WBB, which is something I don't care for. The zippers and zipper pulls are huge on my DJ (apparently not the case with BB's) so I think I'm gonna replace the pulls with dyneema or something similar. I think I might keep the WBB for my hiking set up and use the DJ for car camping. Both are great hammocks but I like the DJ better.

Do you have one of the 1.1 BBs? I think my DJ might be a little lighter than my BB, but it(the BB) is a dbl 1.7.

ZQ here...The zipper is on the right, but I have been told that you can lay in the hammock with the zipper on either side. The Hennessy label on the one tie out is always on the right side, whether it is the original bottom entry or the zipper model.

Good to know, I was starting to wonder! But also, seems like I read somewhere ( at HH?) that the wider pad opening goes to the head end?

[ChrisH]

Yeah, I have the 1.1 in black. The pad being at the head end makes sense. The first time I hung my DJ I only had my pad for insulation. It felt all wierd in the hammock and it just didn't look or fit right, all because I had it the wrong way and I was laying with the zipper on my left. I still lay with the zipper on my left and it's very comfy. I did try laying the other way and you get a better view so I may switch.

[greggg3]

ZQ here...The zipper is on the right, but I have been told that you can lay in the hammock with the zipper on either side. The Hennessy label on the one tie out is always on the right side, whether it is the original bottom entry or the zipper model.

Ah...that makes sense about the label. Thanks for the tip.

I guess I got used to the BB with the zipper on the left, I'll try it the other way and see if I like that better.

[BillyBob58]

Well! I guess I am duly impressed that people have been sleeping backwards in this hammock, and still find it to be comfortable! That alone might be a pretty good testimony to this hammock.

I spent most of yesterday messing around with a frequently forgotten hammock – the HH Safari. And I remain endlessly impressed with it. I was getting ready to sleep out in it, using my Warbonnet Climashield UQ when I changed my mind, deciding I had better get back to further evaluation of the DJ. So down came the Safari, and back up went the DJ. With super shelter.

This would also serve as a dual test of the HHSS (with over cover) and the DJ. But I do realize that to be totally fair to the DJ, I probably need to ditch the super shelter and use one of my other under quilts. Only because some people say (and I very slightly agree) that the HHSS affects the lay of the hammock. Although truthfully, I'm sort of of the opinion that every under quilt I've tried does that to some degree or another. (Usually very slightly only) one exception to that would be the JRB MW 4 used on the JRB BMBH. In that case it's impossible to tell that the under quilt is on there except for increased warmth.

So anyway, off I go to bed at a balmy 55° or so( on it's way to 45). Previously in the Olympic Mountains, I slept without a top quilt in the super shelter, using only my ultralight Polarguard jacket and pants. That night was high 40s to low 50s, and I was just barely okay, though by sunrise if it had not been time to get up, I probably would have added my top quilt. So since temps and maybe even humidity were similar, I decided to try that again, but this time using the super shelters over cover. I did have on a fleece hat. I didn't last very long before I had to remove that hat. And it wasn't very much longer until I had to unzip the jacket. I was plenty warm – still almost too warm – and about 50°. So, kudos for the over cover. I could not have even thought about using a top quilt – even the summer one – at these temps. Not without first getting rid of all of the insulated clothing that I would have with me anyway for these temps.

As far as comfort in the DJ, it was top-notch. Mostly it is really easy for me to find a position for back sleeping that does not have any calf pressure. This hammock (and my ultralight Explorer) did not quite match the Safari in this regard, but are definitely better than most non-bridge. For me so far, the Safari has the least (essentially zero) calf pressure problem of any gathered in the hammock I have tried. Nine times out of 10 when I lay down in it and go diagonal, there is no calf pressure. With this DJ I can usually shift around a little bit and not have any pressure. Or at least not enough to bother me. Still, I tend to put at least a little something under my knees. There is not enough knee hyperextension that I am immediately aware of a problem. But I feel like there is just barely enough there that if I slept through the night with nothing under my knees, it might bother me by morning. So I go ahead and either slip a pillow under my knees, or get in that figure four position. Or, since I didn't even need to bother with a top quilt last night, just "frog leg" it! Boy is that comfortable!

I was not able to quite find a satisfactory position on my left side with legs straight, and definitely not on my right side. I can do this with my Safari, my Claytor No Net, and my Blackbird. However, fetal position was excellent on either side. On my right side there was some hassle in fetal with my feet, finding a comfortable position for them for some reason, but I finally managed to. I suspect having the net zipped up increased this difficulty. On my left side (head and shoulders towards the zipper, diagonal with knees and feet away from the zipper) comfort was excellent in all ways. Feet included! The only problem here was that my upper back and shoulders were off with the super shelter pad – which is biased towards the other side of the hammock. So I realized if it was much colder, I would probably have to come up with a small piece of CCF to put in that cold spot. Or, of course, use something other than the HHSS. I think in the fetal position, the Safari (for me the most comfortable non-bridge hammock and maybe most comfortable overall of any hammock) is just a tad more comfortable than the DJ or my UL Explorer. But not by much. Which is to say they are very comfortable for fetal position sleeping. At least as comfortable as any other hammock except the Safari, and more comfortable than most. And of course also very good for back sleeping. About as good as any.

So, guess that's about it. In my opinion, this DJ jumps to right near the top position amongst all of the gathered end hammocks I have tried. For me only the HH Safari is more comfortable in all ways, even if by only a very slight margin. (and also bridge is more comfy in most ways but not all) The Safari and Claytor and WBBB continue to be easier for sleeping on my left side with legs straight (on the normal diagonal). But it when it comes to fetal position – especially on my left side – the DJ (and UL Explorer) beats out most hammocks I have tried other than the Safari. Back comfort is at least equal to the other gathered in hammocks I have tried, with less calf pressure than most. The zipper is quite excellent. The net stays well away from my face. There is abundant shoulder room. So I rate this as among the very best hammocks overall, considering both comfort and function. A pad works very well in the pad pocket (have not been able to try the bubble pad). The fabric is great. The double layer keeps mosquitoes from being a problem. And it allows me to use the HHSS, which I sometimes really like to do. But of course, comfort tends to be an individual thing. Much like a pair of shoes it seems to me. So I'm sure YMMV!

The negatives are: I do wish the net could be moved entirely out of the way (for Peapod use) and I would prefer a 2Q modification. Since I would prefer a 2Q modification, I sort of wish the bottom entry was still available. And I have to be very careful about my positioning for back sleeping in order to avoid my right foot being pressed hard up against the hammock, especially when fully zipped. At the moment that's all I can really think of for the negatives. If I think of some more later I'll post them here.

[Cannibal]

Which 2Q mod do you think would be best on this hammock BillyBob58?