My Take On DIY Hennessy Hammock. A Tutorial.

**lvleph** · 03-04-2007, 08:54

I will make mine as soon as my supports show up. I was going to make it this weekend, but I am still waiting on my supports.

**headchange4u** · 03-04-2007, 10:53

Well I checked another Big Lots, Target, ****'s, 2 more WalMarts, and a Family Dollar for the fleece sleeping bags with the correct zipper. No of them were exactly right. The closest zipper to what I need was found on some poly fill sleeping bags at Target. The only problem was that one zipper had a single pull and the other zipper was a double pull. These bags are only 9.00 each.

I really wanted to find fleece bags with the correct zipper so that I could use use the fleece. I don't really have a use for a 3lb poly fill bag, let alone 3 of them. I figure I can make a top quilt or just one as a picnic blanket and maybe keep one in my truck.

I'll be heading back to Target this morning.....

**lvleph** · 03-04-2007, 11:23

What about quest outfitters item #5053?

**Just Jeff** · 03-04-2007, 18:52

My Coleman brand fleece bag only had one pull on the zipper.

But I just got an Ozark Trail brand fleece bag from Walmart for under $10. It has a 106" tooth zipper with two pulls in the standard sleeping bag style. Flip the sliders around and it'll work just like the TravelPod. Only separates on one end if you leave the stops on the end, but you can make it separate if you take the stops off and are careful not to lose a slider.

It also has a drawstring/cordlock at the head end, unlike the Coleman brand.

**headchange4u** · 03-05-2007, 10:44

Originally Posted by Just Jeff

My Coleman brand fleece bag only had one pull on the zipper.

But I just got an Ozark Trail brand fleece bag from Walmart for under $10. It has a 106" tooth zipper with two pulls in the standard sleeping bag style. Flip the sliders around and it'll work just like the TravelPod. Only separates on one end if you leave the stops on the end, but you can make it separate if you take the stops off and are careful not to lose a slider.

It also has a drawstring/cordlock at the head end, unlike the Coleman brand.

My Big Lots fleece bags have double pulls on both zippers. I now know that this is not the norm. I'm glad to know what the Coleman Bags use. I found some at Target but they were packaged in a cardboard box so I couldn't look at them. It looked like from the pic on the box that the zipper did not go all the way up to the top of the bag. The were also 15.00 as compared to the 10.00 poly fill bags.

I ended up getting the Target brand poly fill sleeping bags. The bag has a single pull zipper AND a double pull. I will just have to postition the zippers so that the double pull zipper is near my head.

I would really liked to have used the fleece bags because I could do a lot more with the fleece material.

**wilsonbmw** · 03-05-2007, 15:18

I know I am behind the times ( I was in Utah doing something else I like to do between trees, snowboarding ), but great job on the HH clone. Did you try the repeated folding method and the rolling method? How much difference do the tie outs make when you have them staked out versus not using them? Post some pics of the hammock in action. I also like the zipper conversation that has ensued. Now I have something else to keep an eye out for at the discount stores, zipper transplant doners.

**Drop** · 03-06-2007, 23:42

Ok, I've been inspired by this project to make my first home made hammock.
I'm visiting my parents so I have access to a sewing machine. Even better I have access to somebody who loves me enough to feel pity when they see me looking at it very confused and offered to do the sewing for me.

I've tried to scale it up slightly from the one Headchange4u has done and based it on the dimensions for an Explorer, I've added a foot to the length and increased the tube sewn section from 8" to 1' (seemed like the thing to do)

Now I face the adventure of learning to whip it into an acceptable shape, I haven't attached tie outs since I haven't got my under quilt yet so I'm not sure about where they shall go. I've never seen a Hennessey in real life never mind been in one so I'm not to sure how it should feel.

Really stoked on what I have so far, I also had enough material left to get a set of skins

**blackbishop351** · 03-07-2007, 00:07

Originally Posted by Drop

Ok, I've been inspired by this project to make my first home made hammock.
I'm visiting my parents so I have access to a sewing machine. Even better I have access to somebody who loves me enough to feel pity when they see me looking at it very confused and offered to do the sewing for me.

I've tried to scale it up slightly from the one Headchange4u has done and based it on the dimensions for an Explorer, I've added a foot to the length and increased the tube sewn section from 8" to 1' (seemed like the thing to do)

Now I face the adventure of learning to whip it into an acceptable shape, I haven't attached tie outs since I haven't got my under quilt yet so I'm not sure about where they shall go. I've never seen a Hennessey in real life never mind been in one so I'm not to sure how it should feel.

Really stoked on what I have so far, I also had enough material left to get a set of skins

What are you making the hammock out of? Just wondering since it sounds like you're making the skins out of the same stuff...

**Drop** · 03-07-2007, 10:05

You are right to wonder BB because thats the fly in the ointment it appears to be DWR ripstop nylon, fine for skins but far from ideal for a hammock so I understand.
It beads water, but water will pass through it when I gather it into a balloon and give it a squeeze, It doesnt seem very breathable, it's waxy to the touch, will fray on a cut edge.

I dont tend to sweat much when camping regularly and I slept on it last night (note on not in) in my bed to see if I awoke in a pool of liquid and it passed that test.

I did buy some untreated ripstop but a narrow width and probably too light to trust weight too. It was £0.20 a metre though so I bought the 10 metres or so that was left on the roll, I'm bound to find some use for it.

I have a question about the ridgeline through the whipping. If the knot internally is big enough to stop it pulling through would I be wise to attach my support to the external ends or should I stick to the tried and tested larks head with the whipping stopping it sliding off?

**headchange4u** · 03-07-2007, 10:46

I have a DWR nylon hammock and I have no problem with it being breathable or clammy against my skin.

As far as the internal ridge line, I opted to go for the standard larks head attachment for 2 reasons:

Using the standard attachment method for support lines (larks head) really helps lock everything together, especially the internal loop thingy for the ridge line. Once you lie in the hammock and the lark's head sinches tight I know everything is good to go.

I would not attach your support lines directly to the loop thingy (I gotta come up with a better name) because if you did that it would have a lot of strain and force on the ridge line and not much, if any, on the hammock body. My ridge line is not set up to take that much strain. Even the HH whipps the support lines to the hammock body.

Be sure to post pics when you are done, Drop.