Originally Posted by Paul-Stefi
That's the one thing about ENO I love. It was the only reason I got I to hammock camping. It was the first time I thought about using a hammock for camping. Then I found this forum and I have spent way more the I have ever thought possible on sleeping in the air.
I just picked one of these up and so far I like it. It works for what I need it for. I do not really need to worry about weight due to the fact that I normally car camp or kayak camp. I personally like the ENO products.
Except that the website specifically says the "Best use" is for winter camping. I guess winter camping can mean different things to different people. I still consider 50 degrees to be summer camping.
Homer: Sir, I need to know where I can get some business hammocks.
Hank Scorpio: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that? Hammocks!
I saw one of these this past weekend. The guy using it was comfortable at 50* with just the quilt, but he used one of my Snugpak Jungle Blanket quilts as a "booster" when the temps went down to 38* on the first night.
While definitely not a 4 season quilt by any stretch of the imagination for most of the USA, you could use it 12 months out of the year on the Gulf Coast if you were selective about which weekends you go out.
Last edited by sargevining; 02-11-2015 at 16:00.
Price is too much. I think $65 or $75 would be a perfect price. I want to buy but all the reviews I have seen have not been too good.
The packaging says two conflicting statements. It says it is for winter camping, and it also says that it is rated for 40 degrees. I think eno intends the under quilt to be paired with a sleeping mat inside the hammock for anything colder than 40 degrees, and It also appears that they intend whoever is using it to be sleeping in the hammock the incorrect way. Sure, For 100$ you could buy a better designed under quilt from a cottage vendor. That still dosent take away from the point that this is the only underquilt that you can actually put your hands on before you purchase. The average person is not going to go to a group hang as soon as they are interested in hammock camping, and this is the only underquilt option in most(any?) stores. With those facts combined we are left with untold amounts of sales reps truthfully answering the question "what is the best way to stay warm in this thing?" with "the ember 2 by Eno, it is our best(because it is our only) underquilt we have". I don't want to discount this underquilt too much with the bashing that i just gave, because the availability combined with the price point are big.
There new quilts now use down and the new primaloft continuous fiber. And comparing them to a jarbridge is silly. Full length vs small partial length. I know there are a lot of enough haters out there but they are coming along.
The ember 2 is there lowest rated UQ. Using simple polyester fill. All their other stuff is primaloft continuous and down
i kinda like that it is full length being where i am it gets below 40 for maybe 2-3 months a year tops price is a little high but almost all this hammock stuff ive seen is kind of high priced to the point of i almost bought a ground tent to scavenge the rain fly from and would still save money vs a fly made for hammocking lol. its definitely a niche market don't get me wrong i love my hammock.
being a member of other enthusiast forum websites the people on the forums rarely look at stuff like this from an every day consumer's point of view, no average joe is going to go out and research their stuff and build an elite $1200 gaming pc as much as they arent going to go out and research hammock stuff and put together a few hundred hammock setup, they are gonna grab a dell or hp (eno) from a big box store (dicks) and call it a day, they are likely spending more and getting less than someone doing it themselves but simplicity is key for the other 99% of consumers.
First, a story... 2003 I'm looking for a sleeping bag to take to Colorado in the summer where I know its going to get down into the 30s at night, and I know I need to keep my pack small and weight down. I see and buy a Lafuma bag that is rated 35 degrees on their extreme rating, and I figure with additional clothes, etc., that's good. Its cheaper, light, and reasonably small for a synthetic bag.
That easy price point was a $100 waste. It was only a summer bag (wouldn't take below 55), which in retrospect, all clues should have pointed towards me knowing that. I just didn't know all that much about insulation to heed many of the clues, and what I did was pay more attention to the 35 degree rating, which was ONLY sales bunk.
Us "haters" here probably have a story like that in our collection of experience somewhere. I think a lot us see that Ember 2 just as I should have seen that Lafuma bag years ago. Some of the other ENO quilts look good, actually, as Firesong mentioned with better materials. But ENO has been in this game too long to be "coming along".
The Ember 2 is a marginal summer series quilt that doesn't even use top insulation, but basic polyester. In other words, this is the equivalent of the puffy jacket you saw at Macy's on clearance for $20. Oy, such a deal! I do like the fact that it closes up the ends preventing drafts which means it will make the most of the polyester's ability to insulate, but as noted, it also requires a lay pretty much in line with the banana. The website says 50 degrees, then it actually says 40-50 on the product comparison chart. This is the equivalent of the Lafume extreme ratings on the aforementioned bag.
The extreme ratings aren't completely bogus - they are derived from specific use by those who know how to push their gear technically. But the Lafuma bag wasn't sold in PeterGlenn, or even in REI... I bought it at Dicks. Ya think Dicks was looking to satisfy the techy gearhead types who push their gear to the limit, to make sure they were selling to that market? Heck no, they were selling to techy gearhead wanna-be's like me. I didn't know any better. I was the target market.
The target for the Ember 2 is folks who have a hammock and may or may not have been using a pad for insulation. Its not designed to truly satisfy that user, but to provide an entry level option for those who have that want to buy. Put that product in a store, and as prussik suggested, it gains more value in terms of the fire burning in your wallet. It IS a reasonable option for someone looking for a summer UQ, if they don't mind how it fits. I think all the criticism I've seen is based on the fact that its 1) most definitely not a "winter" quilt, 2) of questionable materials in terms of lofting warmth, 3) designed to fit with the person lined up straight in the hammock, not a typical diagonal lay. Those with experience here know that its almost impossible to have too much insulation below, we know what materials are worthwhile, and we typically preach the diagonal lay for comfort. These are all pretty standard, and they don't figure into "hating" anything.
So, am I a "hater" for pointing this out? Am I a hater for not going into my background earlier and simply stating the Ember 2 is not a good product for what it claims to be. To wagex's point about the "average joe", I would say that the average Joe comes to HammockForums looking for info on hanging, to gleen info on how to do it, and to learn about the tools of the trade. And I would say the average member here knows all too well what the every day consumer's point of view is. What you have is called "denial" by those who don't want to be told their baby is ugly on a forum where they came looking for info and got a little too much of it for their comfort.
"I wonder if anyone else has an ear so tuned and sharpened as I have, to detect the music, not of the spheres, but of earth, subtleties of major and minor chord that the wind strikes upon the tree branches. Have you ever heard the earth breathe... ?"
- Kate Chopin
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