Greetings from Knoxville, Tn! I have made a few posts in a few forums digging for info on this newly wonderful sport and have been loving what I found.

Originally I was doing research for a regular tent (please, do not beat me for not knowing... It was an honest mistake! Even though a pair of them did follow me home...) The idea of hammock camping was catchy as it suits the uses I was going to use the tents for; motorcycle and kayak camping. For the jeep camping we usually have a few dual sports or dirt bikes with us and go for several days so the huge 8-man tent is the storage area and sleeping area. It suits it's purpose. I guess now it can be a garage for the bikes at night? lol

Anyhow, I flopped around in a friends Eno singlenest at our last camping adventure and really liked it. I was all geared up to go with the Eno Doublenest 1-link and posted some questions about it. Everything I read said I'd end up spending $200+ to get a hammock only to throw everything else into a box never to be used again. Scratch that idea. (I did pick up a single-nest and a hammock stand Sat and have been flopping in it watching TV in the evenings ever since! lol)

Decisions time

Me: 6'2, 205 and trying to winnow back down to 195. Frequent camper.

Area's to be used: Mostly eastern TN/Western NC mountains.

There is a motorcycle camping trip not this weekend but the one following that I'd like to initiate my hammock in. The problem? I haven't settled on which one to get yet!

Uses: Dual sport/motorcycle camping and the odd random camping trip.

The three contenders I have narrowed it down to:

$199/$249 Hennessy Explorer Deluxe Zip system. For some reason nothing about the bottom entry one appeals to me. Without the side zip it'd not even be a contender. It's also a split decision between the regular and the ultralight. I have no intentions of any backpacking any time soon so I don't think I'd fit in the Gram Weenie camp. Advantage, ready to go out of the box, comes with tarp, would just use the webbing that comes with it unless I found the need for whoopies. Also I read this is more open and airy than the BlackBird. Right now that could be an advantage, but in fall maybe not so much. I like the idea of the snakeskins but they can be added to any hammock as far as I can tell.

$305 ($175+ $130 Superfly tarp?) so Warbonnet Blackbird Double 1.7 (though I wish it was in black, why does everything want to be brown/camo??) Advantage seems to be a comfortable hammock, like the idea of the footbox and shelf, seems to be one of the most heavily used (stock and modded) hammocks here from my basic reading. Disadvantage: Doesn't include the tarp which means trying to figure out the best one to go with it. tarp thought tends to be the larger tarp with doors for the most flexibility. Also can be used for a multi-person shelter before crashing for the night if the rain hits and in east TN we have a lot of rain.

$429 Clark NX-250. The Ferrari of off-the-shelf Hammocking as far as I can tell. Advantages It does a bit of everything, includes everything, love the multi-pocket ideas, etc. Supposed to stay a bit warmer with the baffling before needing under quilts, etc. Disadvantage: looks like it might be a bit confining and almost like sleeping in a coffin with the spray pannel zipped. Doesn't look as easy to do things like underquilts unless you go with the ones that slip into the pockets. Seems a bit bigger than the rest when folded, still need a place for the poles. (this is a bridge hammock isn't it?) Nearly half a grand for a hammock!?!?!

If I knew for sure I would use it frequently I'd probably just get the NX, but without ever spending night 1 in one I'd hate to spend that kind of money and feel stuck with something that may not work. Am I nuts to think that way?

Open thoughts are welcome, I'm not someone you can offend so be blunt and blatant! If I'm missing an option that seems to fit the needs better or am missing some major mod that would be needed asap, let me know. I am looking to order it by tomorrow or Wed so I can have it in time to set-up once before going.

Thanks in advance from yet another newbie!

-Myk ("Mike")

P.S. Any reason NOT to use the Eno Single-nest as a gear loft below whatever hammock I get?