headchange4u
11-30-2007, 20:14
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock029logo.jpg
Ticket To The Moon Hammocks (http://www.ticketothemoon.com/)
I had contacted Ticket To The Moon Hammocks (TTTM) to find out more information about their products. While conversing with Charly, owner and founder of TTTM, he offered to send me a hammock to review. Of course I accepted because God knows I need another hammock.
Right from the start Charly and the crew at TTTM were incredibly friendly and helpful, answering all my questions. According to Charly TTTM is the original manufacturer of the “hook and attached bag” style hammock and the company is based out of Bali, Indonesia. I would venture a guess and say that if your hammock very closely resembles a TTTM hammock and it was manufactured in Indonesia, it was probably made at the TTTM factory.
Now pay attention here and take notes because this will be on the test:) I am getting ready to coin a new phrase: HAAB (Hook and attached bag) hammock. This can be used to describe TTTM hammocks as well as the several other hammocks that look very similar such as ENO's, Trek Light, Bliss Hammocks, Travel Hammock, etc. This was my first experience with this style of hammock. I do now own a ENO DoubleNest but at the time of this review I had never used it.
Charly stated that he starting making his hammocks about 15 years ago for personal use. After a while he discovered a special parachute silk made in Indonesia and started using this material to construct his hammocks. He started to sell his hammocks at music festivals and outdoor activities to help finance his travels through Europe and Asia. Thus TTTM was born.
TTTM hammocks offers 4 different sizes: King, double, single, and baby. TTTM is the only company that I know of that offers a baby hammock. They offer a lifetime warranty for their hammocks covering material and construction. Misuse and UV damage is not covered under the warranty. One of the most interesting tidbits of info that Charly told me was:
As a manufacturer we can produce any special size request and more than 1600 combinations ,using our 40 basic colors .
Hammock Specs:
Baby
Dimensions (in ft.) 5 x 2.5
Weight (in lbs.) .5
Single
Dimensions (in ft.) 10.5 x 5
Weight (in lbs.) 1.1
*Double
Dimensions (in ft.) 10.5 x 6.5
Weight (in lbs.) 1.3
King
Dimensions (in ft.) 10.5 x 7.2
Weight (in lbs.) 1.5
* review hammock. Actual measured weight is 1lb 3oz. Weight is hammock, 101" Spectra ridge line and BB sack. Does not include suspension system and stock metal hooks were removed. Stock suspension system was modified for this review. Click here to see manufacterers stock suspension and hanging technique (http://www.ticketothemoon.com/faq.asp)
TTTM hammocks have a maximum weight of 160 kgs (~360 lbs).
Test Criteria:
Hammock was tested at a 3 day, 2 night outing at the Red River Gorge. Temps on the first night were about 28-30*F and temps the second night about 35*F. Nights were clear with only a light wind.
My Setup:
TTTM Double Hammock
Speer SnugFit Underquilt
Speer Winter Tarp
Polyester Webbing Supports w/ Cinch Buckles
Western Mountaineering Apache (open up as top quilt)
Fleece Hat
Merino/Poly Thermal Top and Bottoms
Construction:
I was very happy with the quality of construction of this hammock. The body consisted of a wide panel of fabric in the middle with 2 narrower pieces sewn onto each side. The side panels were tripled stitched with “Hi Grade X3 Nylon Stitching” for strength. There is also stuff sack sewn onto the edge of the hammock for storage. The parachute nylon is also mold and mildew resistant. Upon examining the hammock I saw no frays or defects attributed the the construction and all the stitching and hems were straight as an arrow. I really like the fabric that this hammock is constructed from; very soft and comfy.
As with most HAAB style hammocks, TTTM hammocks has a channel on each end of the hammock. There is a short piece of rope that runs through the channel, is knotted, and a metal hook is attached for use in hanging. Also included with the hammock is a pair of knotted ropes meant to to be used when hanging the hammock. For this review I removed the metal hooks and ditched the rope that came with the hammock and switched to my standard polyester webbing/cinch buckle suspension system. I also added a ridge line to the hammock.
Comfort:
I have to say that this is a VERY comfortable hammock. One of the most comfortable hammocks that I have tried. The double hammock that I received was large and had ample room to stretch out. One thing that I found out is that to maximize comfort in this hammock one needs to make sure that they are lying centered in the hammock. The first night that I slept in it I was laying off to one side, leaving a large area of extra fabric one one side and a much smaller area on the other side. I still slept very well, but on the second night I took the time to make sure that I was in the middle of the hammock. This resulted in me being able to lie flatter on the second night than I did on the first night, increasing my comfort level even more. You can see in the picture below I lay flat as a board:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock038.jpg
Being centered in the hammock also reveled a very interesting property of this hammock. When centered in the hammock I pretty much had equal amounts of extra fabric on each side of me. I found that I could wrap the extra fabric around my top quilt adding warmth. It would also be possible to use the extra fabric to create a sort of “tent” around my head, face and upper body, helping to retain heat much like a travel pod or hammock sock, and going a long way to help to stay warm without added weight. This is a very interesting idea and you can read more in the Using The Extra Material in a HAAB Double Hammock thread (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?p=38531#post38531).
This roomy hammock also sleeping very well when lying in the fetal position and on my side, which is the way I sleep most of the night.
My wife and I also got to try out the hammock with both of us in it. The hammock had more than enough room to hold us both, but it was more comfortable to lay in opposite directions as opposed to lying the same way. The hammock showed no signs of strain or damage from holding 2 people.
Overall Impressions:
I am very happy with my TTTM hammock. It's an extremely comfortable, well made piece of gear and the people at TTTM were a pleasure to deal with. I am anxious to experiment with the hammock some more, especially with using the extra fabric for added warmth. One feature that really nice is having a hammock big enough to hold me and my wife.
There is a lot of competition in HAAB style hammocks. TTTM hammocks have an advantage on available sizes and color options not offered by other companies as well as the possibility of ordering a hammock that is custom made to your specs. The biggest disadvantage that TTTM has is shipping times because they are based out of Bali instead of the US. When they shipped my hammock they told me it would take about 10 days. The actual transit time to me was 5 days but I could see that someone located on the west coast would probably take the full ten days to receive their hammock.
Enjoy the eye candy:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock018.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock024.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock035.jpg
Due to a camera malfunction the photos taken at the Red River Gorge were lost. These pictures were taken at The Pinnacles in Berea, Ky.
Ticket To The Moon Hammocks (http://www.ticketothemoon.com/)
I had contacted Ticket To The Moon Hammocks (TTTM) to find out more information about their products. While conversing with Charly, owner and founder of TTTM, he offered to send me a hammock to review. Of course I accepted because God knows I need another hammock.
Right from the start Charly and the crew at TTTM were incredibly friendly and helpful, answering all my questions. According to Charly TTTM is the original manufacturer of the “hook and attached bag” style hammock and the company is based out of Bali, Indonesia. I would venture a guess and say that if your hammock very closely resembles a TTTM hammock and it was manufactured in Indonesia, it was probably made at the TTTM factory.
Now pay attention here and take notes because this will be on the test:) I am getting ready to coin a new phrase: HAAB (Hook and attached bag) hammock. This can be used to describe TTTM hammocks as well as the several other hammocks that look very similar such as ENO's, Trek Light, Bliss Hammocks, Travel Hammock, etc. This was my first experience with this style of hammock. I do now own a ENO DoubleNest but at the time of this review I had never used it.
Charly stated that he starting making his hammocks about 15 years ago for personal use. After a while he discovered a special parachute silk made in Indonesia and started using this material to construct his hammocks. He started to sell his hammocks at music festivals and outdoor activities to help finance his travels through Europe and Asia. Thus TTTM was born.
TTTM hammocks offers 4 different sizes: King, double, single, and baby. TTTM is the only company that I know of that offers a baby hammock. They offer a lifetime warranty for their hammocks covering material and construction. Misuse and UV damage is not covered under the warranty. One of the most interesting tidbits of info that Charly told me was:
As a manufacturer we can produce any special size request and more than 1600 combinations ,using our 40 basic colors .
Hammock Specs:
Baby
Dimensions (in ft.) 5 x 2.5
Weight (in lbs.) .5
Single
Dimensions (in ft.) 10.5 x 5
Weight (in lbs.) 1.1
*Double
Dimensions (in ft.) 10.5 x 6.5
Weight (in lbs.) 1.3
King
Dimensions (in ft.) 10.5 x 7.2
Weight (in lbs.) 1.5
* review hammock. Actual measured weight is 1lb 3oz. Weight is hammock, 101" Spectra ridge line and BB sack. Does not include suspension system and stock metal hooks were removed. Stock suspension system was modified for this review. Click here to see manufacterers stock suspension and hanging technique (http://www.ticketothemoon.com/faq.asp)
TTTM hammocks have a maximum weight of 160 kgs (~360 lbs).
Test Criteria:
Hammock was tested at a 3 day, 2 night outing at the Red River Gorge. Temps on the first night were about 28-30*F and temps the second night about 35*F. Nights were clear with only a light wind.
My Setup:
TTTM Double Hammock
Speer SnugFit Underquilt
Speer Winter Tarp
Polyester Webbing Supports w/ Cinch Buckles
Western Mountaineering Apache (open up as top quilt)
Fleece Hat
Merino/Poly Thermal Top and Bottoms
Construction:
I was very happy with the quality of construction of this hammock. The body consisted of a wide panel of fabric in the middle with 2 narrower pieces sewn onto each side. The side panels were tripled stitched with “Hi Grade X3 Nylon Stitching” for strength. There is also stuff sack sewn onto the edge of the hammock for storage. The parachute nylon is also mold and mildew resistant. Upon examining the hammock I saw no frays or defects attributed the the construction and all the stitching and hems were straight as an arrow. I really like the fabric that this hammock is constructed from; very soft and comfy.
As with most HAAB style hammocks, TTTM hammocks has a channel on each end of the hammock. There is a short piece of rope that runs through the channel, is knotted, and a metal hook is attached for use in hanging. Also included with the hammock is a pair of knotted ropes meant to to be used when hanging the hammock. For this review I removed the metal hooks and ditched the rope that came with the hammock and switched to my standard polyester webbing/cinch buckle suspension system. I also added a ridge line to the hammock.
Comfort:
I have to say that this is a VERY comfortable hammock. One of the most comfortable hammocks that I have tried. The double hammock that I received was large and had ample room to stretch out. One thing that I found out is that to maximize comfort in this hammock one needs to make sure that they are lying centered in the hammock. The first night that I slept in it I was laying off to one side, leaving a large area of extra fabric one one side and a much smaller area on the other side. I still slept very well, but on the second night I took the time to make sure that I was in the middle of the hammock. This resulted in me being able to lie flatter on the second night than I did on the first night, increasing my comfort level even more. You can see in the picture below I lay flat as a board:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock038.jpg
Being centered in the hammock also reveled a very interesting property of this hammock. When centered in the hammock I pretty much had equal amounts of extra fabric on each side of me. I found that I could wrap the extra fabric around my top quilt adding warmth. It would also be possible to use the extra fabric to create a sort of “tent” around my head, face and upper body, helping to retain heat much like a travel pod or hammock sock, and going a long way to help to stay warm without added weight. This is a very interesting idea and you can read more in the Using The Extra Material in a HAAB Double Hammock thread (http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?p=38531#post38531).
This roomy hammock also sleeping very well when lying in the fetal position and on my side, which is the way I sleep most of the night.
My wife and I also got to try out the hammock with both of us in it. The hammock had more than enough room to hold us both, but it was more comfortable to lay in opposite directions as opposed to lying the same way. The hammock showed no signs of strain or damage from holding 2 people.
Overall Impressions:
I am very happy with my TTTM hammock. It's an extremely comfortable, well made piece of gear and the people at TTTM were a pleasure to deal with. I am anxious to experiment with the hammock some more, especially with using the extra fabric for added warmth. One feature that really nice is having a hammock big enough to hold me and my wife.
There is a lot of competition in HAAB style hammocks. TTTM hammocks have an advantage on available sizes and color options not offered by other companies as well as the possibility of ordering a hammock that is custom made to your specs. The biggest disadvantage that TTTM has is shipping times because they are based out of Bali instead of the US. When they shipped my hammock they told me it would take about 10 days. The actual transit time to me was 5 days but I could see that someone located on the west coast would probably take the full ten days to receive their hammock.
Enjoy the eye candy:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock018.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock001.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock024.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/TTTM/TTMHammock035.jpg
Due to a camera malfunction the photos taken at the Red River Gorge were lost. These pictures were taken at The Pinnacles in Berea, Ky.