Are Hennessy Hammocks No Good or Something

[Teegs]

It's just, every Hennessey I have laid in, or seen, seemed cheap to me. You can't make that statement about anything Brandon produces.

I'm rocking the HH Hyperlite and I have a WB Top Quilt. Cant's peak for WBs hammocks, but the top quilt is frickin' top notch.

That said, my Hyperlite is frickin' top notch too.

Maybe my standards aren't refined enough yet, but I couldn't see anything cheap about either mfr.

[CatSplat]

Curious. I would argue that the Hennessy brand is equally well-made. Reading other posts in this thread and you'll recall that some who've tried the Blackbird returned to the Hennessy _for comfort_.

I'm convinced that comfort in a hammock is in large part a personal thing. I was surprised to find that a tall friend of mine enjoys his Grand Trunk Nano. This was hard for me to believe at first because if he was laying on his back, his feet would easily fall off the side. I found that he side sleeps, with great comfort and delight, in his Nano. HYOH, right?

I've got a large collection of hammocks and I can get comfortable in all of them. I have favorites for different reasons, but I'll gladly take any hammock over the ground.

I completely agree, the WBBB and other "cottage" hammocks are well-renowned for quality but I have zero complaints about the stitching, material quality, etc. on any of my HHs and they offer extremely good value for money, especially for those just starting out hammocking and looking for a ready-to-go kit.

My first hammock was an Expedition I picked up for $30 with a broken ridgeline. While I've "moved up" to a roomier Explorer UL as my go-to rig, I can jump back into the Expedition and still be just as comfy as that first time I got in it and realized what a fantastic idea hammocks were.

[dant8ro]

I agree that Hennessy makes some good products.

I've owned a blackbird, but to tell the truth I still own a Hennessy Deep Jungle XL, I sold my BB because I found it less comfortable. I don't particularly like many of the stock elements of their packages. They need to learn some new tricks from the cottage guys and change the suspension.

Dan.

[dejoha]

Well then we would be in an arguement

This is all my opinion, and not fact of course. It's just, every Hennessey I have laid in, or seen, seemed cheap to me. You can't make that statement about anything Brandon produces.

Let me agree with you on a quality point. For the most part, cottage guys have an attention to detail that is unmatched in any mass-market consumer product, Hennessy included. That said, the stitching and construction on the Hennessy is high-quality. I guess it is how fine you draw the line. For example, Adam has wicked-amazing stitching on his under quilts -- hardly any seam allowance. I don't know how he does it. The work is impeccable. But does having your hem really small mean that a standard 1/4" seam not high-quality?

In contrast, I have hammocks who's stuff sack fell off thanks to poor stitching, or had lots of frayed edges, loose uncut strings, etc. In some cases, the stitching is not straight. To me, that is poor quality.

Now that I've described my measuring stick, that is why I feel Hennessy is high-quality. Is it a comparison between Dodge, Ford, and Chevy? Or Ford and Mercedes? It could be argued that the Ford v. Mercedes is not a comparison between quality but a comparison of process or luxury.

I don't think there's any question that we value hand-crafted "cottage" gear more than products mass-produced in a factory. There is a personal connection, real or imagined, that can't be matched.

[Cannibal]

Much of the dislike of Hennessy products is due to some old history with how Tom went about dealing with the sudden influx of competition. He has spent the last few years falling on his sword at Trail Days, which is where much of the glad-handing at TD comes from these days. Not that there is a thing wrong with trying to make right a wrong; just know where it comes from.

As to quality of HH products vs cottage products, of course there is a difference. That's why HH can sell their products so inexpensively (relative); they're mass produced. Quality Control can only go so far when the product is coming off the line by the hundreds an hour. I have had a couple of quality issues with HH products. However, when contact with Hennessy is made about the trouble, I have been satisfied both times. So, quality may suffer from time to time, but they make up the difference in service. In fact, more often than not, they will just send you a replacement and tell you to keep your existing (broken) hammock. No complaints here.

Comfort is personal. HH can't ensure that every product they make will fit everybody. Nor can the small vendors. Folks develop 'favorites' and lock into them for a while. Go ahead, ask neo's opinion about Claytors.

I own several HHs; some I don't like at all, others are fantastic. If I was forced to chose one hammock maker, it would not be Hennessy. Luckily, that isn't a choice that has been forced on me. I am lucky to have enough hammocks that I could camp for more than a month without using the same one twice. Knowing that information, I still use my HHs on a regular basis, while other rigs are lent out. Nothing wrong with the products from HH. I admit to still holding a chip on my shoulder about Tom, but it is a very small chip compared to a few years ago and I give him credit for trying; it's all any of us can do.

[sargevining]

Ever buy just one gun?

[Boothill]

i have an explorer ultralight and love it, very well made imo.......i have also been keeping an eye on the for sale forums for a BB to maybe try out and can tell you there are alot of those being sold on here too......

one thing about hennessy that cannibal touched on is there customer service, i had the pleasure of dealing with them on a issue when i first got my hammock and the level of customer service i was shown has never been equaled from any other company i have ever dealt with, it was absolutely amazing

boot

[BillyBob58]

I own a bunch of hammocks, including a couple of HHs, plus Cannibal loaned me one of his (HH DJ XL ) to try out once. I don't have a complaint with any of them. Quality is fine, and the BIG Safari is the most comfortable non-bridge I have used. I still use my original hammock from 06, an HH Explorer UL, usually with an HH Super Shelter. These are some really good products, even though I often use some of my other hammocks. But some hammocks are a little better than others, at least in some ways. But not usually in all ways. For me it is usually a matter of each hammock having some pros and cons.

I really like most of my non HH hammocks a lot, and I seem to use them more than I do the HH. Still, I was plenty comfy in my 1st hammock (HH) and if I was stuck with nothing but it and the HHSS I'd be just fine.

[zukiguy]

Since my HH Explorer Ultralite is almost 8 years old I've had quite a bit of time to "pimp" it out. A zipper mod, whoopies, different tarp, ridgeline organizer, etc has made it a lot more user friendly. I think the "gateway hammock" reference is spot on. When I bought mine though there wasn't a whole lot more on the market that I remember other than a Clark I think (at least what I could find online at the time while I was in Germany).

The stitching on my HH is actually much better than some of the work I've seen from at least one of the cottage vendors. The product was totally functional but just had some sloppy stitches in a few spots.

[icedfire477]

Maybe I'm biased because I'm from Asheville, but I love ENOs. I still don't understand how they haven't made improvements in their straps, underquilts, etc. tho