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I was looking into ENO hammocks and I was just wondering if any ENO owners have compared their hammock to other companies products?
Aside from the great marketing and ENO community I don't see how their expensive products are any better?
I was just curious.
ENO DN was my first hammock. Second hammock, also a ENO DN puchased as the One-Link system. This was attractive in the same way that a all-inclusive resort at an exotic local is attractive; every-thing you need with one purchase decision.
Cost wise, I beleive the ENO is reasonably and attractively priced. This is especially true when it is the only, or best option on the shelves of the local retailer. As a entry into this hobby I believe ENO is providing a great service.
That said, I now own more comfortable hammocks. There are craftsmen on this site providing greater value. However, I would not own $$$$ worh of hammocks and accessories had I not been able to pick up that first ENO DN at a local mass merchant.
Regarding the cottage vendors here- their products would likely cost 2-3x more if offered at REI or other retailer.
I like the ENO 'style' of hammock, but I like ENOs the least of all the majors making hammocks of that fashion. They are easily the shortest of the parachute hammocks and as a result, don't really hold up in a head to head comparison. As always, JMO.
I have a WBBB and the wife decided we all needed hammocks so we have 2 singles for the boys and a double that my wife claims is for me and her but is really for her and the dog.
The single is a nice hammock. I find it hard at 5'8 to get a flat lay in it. I can in the double though. Its kinda huge that way. I like the eno, but I doubt it would ever end up in my pack.
Actually I decided on the ENO after comparing it to other top brands and finding the ENO to be the most reasonably priced.
My first real hammock was a ENO that I bought in an one-link DN system because it covered the basics in one easy purchase- hammock, tarp, suspension, repair kit, stakes, and bugnet. I found it on sale on an online sporting goods site for a pretty decent price. With the price and the whole package system I figured it was a wise purchase.
I found that ENO makes top quality items. Everything, including the awful stretchy slap strap system, was built to last. I also found it all just too small. The tarp was way too small to be used during bad weather, the hammock was too short for my height (6ft), the cordage for the tarp lines was junk (tarp line hernias) and the suspension system that was included was made with the wrong materials (they've since fixed this) which i had to replace almost immediately to use. In the end the only things i truly liked (and still miss) about the system was the bugnet and the tent stakes.
I ended up selling it to a buddy who wanted to get into hanging. he has since started to swap out parts and making his own and is slowing handing the ENO down to his kids.
Now don't get me wrong the hammock was comfy but it was a lounger and not a sleeper, IMO- because of the length of the hammock and the small tarp. A lot of this could have been solved with more research on my part before the purchase but i was just too darn eager to get my swing on. I've since learned a bit more, have more experience with hammocks (hang time), and experimented with several options in equipment and have adjusted my upgraded system accordingly.
Too short? That's odd, cause I'm 6'4" tall and the Eno seems plenty long enough for me.
All about personal comfort. My personal comfort (I'm only a short 6') likes a longer hammock more than a shorter hammock. As always HYOH on that front. :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Vagabondman
Here is the ENO, TrekLight, and TicketToTheMoon hammocks side by side. The far ends are aligned evenly, but you can see the difference in length. From left to right, ENO - TrekLight - TTTM:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B...2/IMAG0127.jpg
I AM NOT knocking ENOs. Not at all! One of my first hammocks was an ENO and I probably have half a dozen of them. Excellent loungers! But if I'm taking one of these style hammocks to sleep in, it is almost always one of the other brands. Usually a TTTM rig. They seem to be the most comfortable to me. Genuine Draft would kill a person (quite slowly, I'm sure) if they tried to take my her TrekLight. She prefers the TL Double over any other hammock in the house. I got me a weird chic! :woot:
I got me a wired chic too. But that's why we love em'. ;-)
Anyway, length aside, all three of these hammocks seem pretty similar. The ENO is 9'4" long and the others are about a foot longer. With a foot & a half to spare on either end of my ENO, I have plenty of room above my head and below my toes. So i don't suffer from hammock envy. Lol.
As long as your hammock works for you, that's all that matters.
Happy hammocking!
Cheers,
VM
Better? Worse? It's all personal preference. I do have to agree with the other posts that if it were not for ENO, there wouldn't be nearly as many people camping and sleeping in hammocks. Because of the company, their marketing, and the ready availability at local retailers, there are a lot more of us out here.
For me, an ENO was my introduction into hammock camping about a year or so ago. Why? Because it was easy. I could walk into the store, touch and feel the product, and walk out with my purchase and be camping that weekend. Since then, I found this forum and was introduced to a lot of other hammocks. Now my two personal favorites are my WBBB and my DIY camo hammock. That being said, my ENO still ends up hanging up its fair share of the time (especially with my kids).
At 6'4", I get a better lay out of my Woot hammock for $20 than I get out of my ENO for $60.
compared to other crinkle hammocks, I personally think it's easier for find a better value for say a GT or an off-name brand on ebay. That being said, my ENO double was my go-to, retiring a WB Traveler I thought would absolutely be better for me. Wasn't. For me.
Have laid in some longer hammocks though and I can appreciate the increased comfort by having more space (less squeeze) and a more gradual arc making easier for me to find that flat lay. WL hammock has been the comfiest I've been in to date. YMMV.
my first hammock was also an eno DN. but being 6'4" i couldn't really get flat in it. my next one was the $20 woot hammock. the extra 1.5' made a huge difference. i was able to really get some good sleep in it. recently i just got a lite owl and boy is it comfy.
one thing i noticed about the eno and woot hammocks is there is a 8" strip sewn down the length of both sides. when you lay in them it it cuts into the width of the hammock. the lite owl doesn't have that sewn in strip so it makes it feel wider and more comfortable. the downfall to that is that i liked to fold that strip over and use it as a pillow, but i'll take the extra usable width over the pillow.
edit: i took a closer look at Cannibal's image and i love the ring buckle setup on 2 of them, but i can't make out what the middle one is. is it a cinch buckle?
:lol::lol::lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by sploiz
To bend the spoon with your mind, you must first accept that there is no spoon.
Here is a closer picture:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5...2/IMAG0126.jpg
There is no spoon! :laugh:
I generally add my suspension as I'm packing the hammock. I've got a lot of hammocks and change things around to fit my needs for any given trip, so seeing my hammocks without an active suspension is par for the course. There are no rings attached to the hammock (although Genuine Draft insists on the purpleish drip line) and the webbing you see is just loose webbing from one of the other hammocks. The other two had been hanging when I took them down to take a visual look at the length between the ENO and TTTM rigs. I threw the Trek Light in there just for added comparison and was actually surprised to find it longer in length than the TTTM.
Thanks for all the great feedback.