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  1. #1
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    DD Travel Hammock Review

    Conditions:

    This is my first hammock and I've now used the DD for a three week trip through Europe and a five day walk along the North Norfolk Coastal Path. The European trip was from Belgium down to the very bottom of Italy and over to Greece then back up through most the Adriatic countries. This was in late August and early September with minimum temps varying from about 7C (45F) to 13C (55F) and almost no rain. Maximum sleeping temperatures I don't know but some nights were very hot.

    Temperatures on the Norfolk trip were considerably lower (although I don't have exact figures) with intermittent light rain most nights and some blustery wind.

    Also between the two trips I changed the suspension from the nylon straps which came with the hammock to 1” polyester webbing and rings.

    A quick word about other equipment:

    For the Europe trip I was using a poly tarp nearly 3.5m square with (for the most part) a Snugpak Jungle bag (comfort 7C) and a ccf pad. For the Norfolk trip a silnylon tarp 2.5m square, a Snugpak Elite 3 (comfort -5C) and the same pad.

    What's to like:

    The DD Travel Hammock is reasonably priced at £35, I believe at current exchange rates that's about $70, which seems a very fair price considering the materials and construction. Great for us on the civilised side of the Atlantic as postage from the US manufacturers (and Import Taxes) can be significant. I'd imagine the same would work in reverse and it's probably uneconomical to get DDs shipped to the US.

    The hammock is tough, the main body is made out of a waterproof nylon material that feels extremely strong, the downside of this of course is that it's probably not the lightest of hammocks so ultralighters may want to avoid. Having said that, the weight is not excessive (900g) so if you don't mind a few extra ounces it's pretty OK. The netting is also strong, we set up the hammocks in the garden before the trip and my friends daughter wanted to try it and then suddenly decided to shift her weight by grabbing the netting and hauling herself up – I was amazed it didn't rip to shreds but in fact it was undamaged. The whole thing has a solid, well made feel to it and the stitching seems top notch. If at one time there was a problem with the loops on the netting it's certainly been corrected. I've never felt any question over the durability or reliability of the hammock and despite a months worth of heavy use it looks new.

    The waterproof material provides a “go to ground” option where it can be set up in a bivy like configuration, I've never needed to use this option but it's nice to have as a just in case thing. In practice I pick a suitable camp site to stop at.

    I'm 6' 2” tall and fit comfortably in the DD although if I was shorter I might be able to lay on more of a diagonal. However, I've never felt constricted and can turn and shift position easily. The length means that a 2.5m tarp must be set up “diamond” style to provide full coverage and consequently has to be set low to give adequate protection on wet and windy nights. A larger tarp would be one easy solution (a 3m tarp is ideal) but I prefer to keep the lighter tarp and work round any minor inconvenience, it also means I only need two pegs.

    The standard suspension is a doubled up nylon strap at each end which is a very easy and quick method requiring only that you know how to tie shoelaces. The suspension is totally secure and confidence inspiring although I changed it for reasons mentioned below.

    I didn't sleep too well the first couple of nights, I think due to unfamiliarity and some early insulation issues but after this found the hammock very comfortable and easy to sleep in. Standard advice is that DD hammocks are best set up fairly taut but I've found a reasonably loose hang more comfortable – the friend I travelled with through Europe however agreed with the advice so I guess it's a personal thing. Stomach sleeping is not feasible in a DD but side sleeping is OK and my personal preference is a kind of half side-sleeping/half back-sleeping position which is, I suspect, unique to hammocks. The hammock isn't particularly wide so a diagonal lay while possible is generally only a little off straight, my experience of other hammocks is zero but I believe this means the lay isn't as flat as some, however it certainly doesn't feel “banana” like even when hung loosely.

    The netting is easily sealed up with the two way zip which works very well with no snagging issues whatsoever. I suffered no bites even when we camped near Bled and the site was alive with more mozzies than I've ever seen. The mesh is very fine and reportedly will keep out midges as well, this seems entirely believable although I haven't been in any midge infested areas so as far as I'm concerned it's untested.

    The double bottom of the DD works very effectively and I don't think having experienced a double bottom I would now buy a single bottomed hammock. It holds a foam pad securely in place so that you can turn and fidget without any issues. My immediate reaction to the velcro for sealing the layers together was not good however in practice the three small tabs are more than sufficient. Getting a foam pad correctly positioned first go can take a bit of experience but once it's in the right place it stays there.

    Negatives:

    Now don't get me wrong, I like the DD hammock but it's not perfect.

    The waterproof base can be problematic, even on the very hot sweaty nights in Greece it didn't feel clammy as long as I was wearing a cotton t-shirt. Attempting to sleep in a very thin polyester top however left me feeling like I was sleeping in a puddle and resulted in a sweat rash, I can only guess this has something to do with “wicking”. In Norfolk with colder weather I used a much heavier sleeping bag, this sleeping bag performed as advertised, pulling moisture through the bag and out of the breathable shell, the end result was condensation forming under the bag on the inside of the hammock. The waterproof sleeping bag shell prevented this water from getting back into the bag and kept the insulation dry but each morning the bottom of the bag and inside of the hammock would be wet – not a problem as there weren't large quantities of water and if the weather was good both would dry very quickly in the sun. if they couldn't be dried I'd just use them as they were without suffering any ill effects. In some ways it would be better if the hammock wasn't waterproof but this would remove the option of using it as a bivy, perhaps something like Goretex might work? Opening up the bag to work like a quilt seemed to prevent condensation, I'm not sure why but it could be something as simple as better temperature regulation.

    The hammock does seem to inevitably have a rigid line in the centre where the material is stretched very tight and that line tends to press uncomfortably on my heels. A diagonal lay only partly solves this and I often found myself sleeping with my legs in a “figure 4” so that one foot would lie sideways and the other would be crossed on top and lifted from the hammock – comfortable enough but not ideal. Another technique which works is to use clothing as a foot pillow but there can be issues with this moving around when you're restless.

    The netting is good but has some limitations, even if you're not using a tarp you still need a ridge line to attach the elastic cord which holds up the netting, yes you can just tie it to the trees but the elastic isn't long enough to always do this comfortably. Without the spreaders the netting has a tendency to flop against your arms. So you'd think the answer would be to use spreaders but if you're in rain and need the tarp low on the hammock cross sticks won't fit. I found I could solve this by putting small but dense kit in the netting on the sides of the hammock (a flash-light works well for example) encouraging the netting to form into pouches and pulling it taut. Another method is simply to tie the netting up tighter but with very little elastic between the net and the ridge line and the set up deliberately taut, I worry it may not have enough stretch. This is not a problem if you can hang the tarp higher over the hammock and allow room for the spreaders.

    The nylon straps have a habit of stretching overnight – I've seen comments on line saying this reduces after a night or two but I found it a continuing issue even after three weeks which is why I switched to polyester webbing. I changed the suspension on receipt to include a drip ring so I don't know how much of a problem rain running down the straps would be but I didn't like to risk it even given the waterproof nature of the material where the straps attach. The polyester webbing is also much lighter.

    The fact that only one side has a zip gets me swearing mad on occasions – I've lost count of how many times I've set up only to find the zip on the “wrong” side. Not too much of a hassle to swap it round of course (or sometimes just leave it) but it's maddening because it's my own fault for not thinking. I wouldn't want a second zip on the other side though, it seems to me it would just be extra weight for no great improvement in functionality. I understand the DD Frontline hammock has this and apparently some people like to be able to move the bug net out of the way completely, I guess it might be nice but it's not a big deal to me.

    In summary:

    Reading through the above I find I've spent more time talking about what I don't like than what I do but I don't want to give the wrong impression. The hammock is comfortable, easy to set up, well made and durable. The negatives are all rather minor and not things that make a big impact from my point of view – I mention them for fairness and impartiality. Overall I've been very impressed and have enjoyed better sleep than I ever did in a tent.

    If I was to go back I think on balance I'd probably go for the Frontline rather than the Travel mainly for the breathable base - although it's nice to have the bivy option I've never used it in that way. I also think the swap to polyester webbing suspension is advantageous, the nylon works OK but the polyester is lighter and doesn't stretch.

  2. #2
    Senior Member neo's Avatar
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    check out the new dd frontline hammock,it has a zipper on both sides
    and it has a breathable double bottomneo

    http://www.ddhammocks.com/products.php?cat=1


    http://www.ddhammocks.com/gallery.php?id=13
    the matrix has you

  3. #3
    Senior Member Drop's Avatar
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    Nice writeup trewornan

    Pablos done a nice video pointing out some of the new features of the frontline
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yuNBXdpPaQ

  4. #4
    New Member Andy2112's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by trewornan View Post

    The netting is good but has some limitations, even if you're not using a tarp you still need a ridge line to attach the elastic cord which holds up the netting, yes you can just tie it to the trees but the elastic isn't long enough to always do this comfortably. Without the spreaders the netting has a tendency to flop against your arms. So you'd think the answer would be to use spreaders but if you're in rain and need the tarp low on the hammock cross sticks won't fit. I found I could solve this by putting small but dense kit in the netting on the sides of the hammock (a flash-light works well for example) encouraging the netting to form into pouches and pulling it taut. Another method is simply to tie the netting up tighter but with very little elastic between the net and the ridge line and the set up deliberately taut, I worry it may not have enough stretch. This is not a problem if you can hang the tarp higher over the hammock and allow room for the spreaders.

    The nylon straps have a habit of stretching overnight – I've seen comments on line saying this reduces after a night or two but I found it a continuing issue even after three weeks which is why I switched to polyester webbing. I changed the suspension on receipt to include a drip ring so I don't know how much of a problem rain running down the straps would be but I didn't like to risk it even given the waterproof nature of the material where the straps attach. The polyester webbing is also much lighter.

    The fact that only one side has a zip gets me swearing mad on occasions – I've lost count of how many times I've set up only to find the zip on the “wrong” side. Not too much of a hassle to swap it round of course (or sometimes just leave it) but it's maddening because it's my own fault for not thinking. I wouldn't want a second zip on the other side though, it seems to me it would just be extra weight for no great improvement in functionality. I understand the DD Frontline hammock has this and apparently some people like to be able to move the bug net out of the way completely, I guess it might be nice but it's not a big deal to me.

    In summary:
    Nice review mate, i turn my hammock over so the net is underneath, i've not slept inside it yet.

    The tapes will eventually stop stretching but it's worth changing them for some climbing tapes.

    atb

    Andy

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