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  1. #1
    Member
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    Apr 2016
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    San Diego, CA
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    DH Dangerbird
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    HELP!! Experienced Hanger advice needed!!

    I am relatively new to the Hammock world but I've got bit by the bug HARD. I became interested in Hammocks within the last year because I was planning a 60 mile hike through the AT and eventually purchased a Hennessy Explorer Deluxe with Large Hex Rainfly. I love the hammock and everything worked out great on my trip however I think I'm looking to sell the Hammock, Rainfly, Country Bound 10ft tree straps, Black Diamond Carabiners and Omega Pacific rappel rings (the whole system) in favor of a Dream Hammock 11ft Danger Bird.
    My goal is to lighten my load and be a little more efficient with my pack space/weight.

    I'm about 6'2'', 175lbs (just for reference)

    Is this a good idea? Is the Dream Hammock worth the swap? Anything I should know before I go messing with my entire starting squad? Does the Asym design 'really' differ too much from the gathered end?

    Thank you in advance!!!

  2. #2
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    VA, Oh, and FL
    Hammock
    HH Expedition, HH Explorer Dlx
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    Noah 12, BCUSA 10
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    JRB Nest, Old Rag
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    Stock HH w/rings
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    7,979
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    Below is the advice I normally give new hangers. Some of it will apply to you, some not so much but before you spend more $, check out item 4!! Why? Because no one but you can tell you what will work and not work for you. Hammocks fit each of us differently. Personally I have two HH and they are my go to hammock for camping but your use might be very different from mine.

    My best advise for you is:

    1) Read all the sticky posts at the top of each section here at Hammock Forums. You will find all of your questions answered plus questions you have not thought of yet.

    2) Go to You Tube and watch all of Shug's videos. He will also answer all your questions but make you laugh. Leave lots of times to watch these

    3) Google The Ultimate Hang and read Derek's The Ultimate Hang pages. He does a great of explaining things you did not even know you needed to know. He also does great diagrams so it's easy to understand.

    4) Attend a Hammock Forum group hang before you invest any addition $ in your gear. There folks will show you and let you check out their gear so you can make educated decisions based on your own comfort levels

    5) Lastly NEVER take any gear to the field that you have not completely tested in controlled conditions such as your back yard in the temps/environment you expect to encounter in the field. A set up that suits one person will mostly likely not suit another so don't assume that just because I like/can be comfortable with a specific piece of gear that you will. Really. We are all very different when it comes to hammocks and what works/what does not work.
    Deb
    TOS Terms of Service Link
    Guidelines to New For Sale Section Link
    How to obtain access & maintain your threads in For Sale Section Link
    Guidelines for Want to Buy (WTB) Section
    Hammock Acronyms


    "The older I get, the more I appreciate my rural childhood. I spent a lot of time outdoors, unsupervised, which is a blessing." Barbara Kingsolver

  3. #3
    Senior Member mattyg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    austin tx
    Hammock
    eno dbl wbbb 1.7 dbl,dangerbird72
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    ugq wd 12
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    kaq/ugq tq uq
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    adj webbing
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    490
    never been in a hennessy but i do own a dangerbird 11ft. im as tall as you and heavier than you by 75 lbs and i love my dangerbird. i swaped from a blackbird to the dangerbird never looked back.

  4. #4
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Jersey Shore, NJ
    Hammock
    Dutch PolyD
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    HG Winter Palace
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    HG 0, 20, 40
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    Dutch Whoopie Hook
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    14,716
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    Used Hennessy Hammocks usually sell for 30 to 40% off, so expect to take a hit. My first hammock was a Hennessy and I've since stopped using hammocks with integrated bugnets. However, if I were to sell a Hennessy, I'd be inclined to hang onto the HH Hex tarp until I figured out what I wanted to do tarp-wise.

    And you haven't mentioned insulation. Tarp and insulation are much more important to me than the hammock.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Fruit Heights, Utah
    Hammock
    WBRR or 11' PolyD
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    WB Superfly
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    Down
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    SpdrPoly Cinch Bug
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    536
    At your height an 11' hammock will probably be more comfortable. I do tend to agree with SilvrSurfr though; tarp and insulation are more important overall. I have 8 or 9 hammocks and I like each of them for different reasons/situations. Some are more comfortable than others but the reality is the comfort differences are fairly minor to me. I can get a good night's sleep in any of them but I have preferences that make certain hammocks more desirable/enjoyable for certain situations. I only have 2 quilt sets. One rated for 20* and one rated for 45* temperatures. That covers most of my needs as I've successfully taken my 20* quilt set down to about 15* with a hot water bottle and could probably go a bit colder. I don't plan on camping in temps colder than that. It doesn't matter how comfortable the hammock is if you are cold and/or wet from insufficient insulation and/or weather protection.

    Having said all that, I've always heard great things about the Dream Hammocks. That is probably the vendor I would go with if I wanted a built in bug net. I like the freedom of my netless hammocks so I doubt I'll ever get one but if that's the route you are set on Dream Hammocks are a quality item.

  6. #6
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
    Tarp
    OES, WL BullFro
    Insulation
    HG UQ, TQ, WB UQ
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    Python Straps
    Posts
    3,758
    If possible, keep the Hennessy along with any new hammock. As mentioned, because REI sells them at 20% off several times a year and they go for less in the For Sale forum, plus the shipping to the buyer you will pay - you might as well keep it as an extra. It will be good for demos and for any friends that want to try it. If the Dream doesn't have a bug net, then you'll have one with (the HH) and one without.

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    San Diego, CA
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    DH Dangerbird
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    Thanks for the advice. I've definitely watched a lot of Shug's videos, they're great and the tarp would definitely be the thing I miss the most. My biggest interest is in lowering the overall weight of my pack. The HH is somewhere in the 40oz range and the Dream Hammock I've got my eyes on is somewhere down toward the mid 20's. With that interest in mind, I think I'd also like to make my own rain fly at some point as well.

    This is all fantastic info and I can't tell you how much I appreciate hearing back. I don't have anyone I can bounce ideas around with at home or work so this is great.

    I tossed the hammock up on craigslist just to get a few feelers but I suspect I'll wind up hanging on to it while I work on crafting my under/top quilts.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Fruit Heights, Utah
    Hammock
    WBRR or 11' PolyD
    Tarp
    WB Superfly
    Insulation
    Down
    Suspension
    SpdrPoly Cinch Bug
    Posts
    536
    Quote Originally Posted by sanglin View Post
    Thanks for the advice. I've definitely watched a lot of Shug's videos, they're great and the tarp would definitely be the thing I miss the most. My biggest interest is in lowering the overall weight of my pack. The HH is somewhere in the 40oz range and the Dream Hammock I've got my eyes on is somewhere down toward the mid 20's. With that interest in mind, I think I'd also like to make my own rain fly at some point as well.

    This is all fantastic info and I can't tell you how much I appreciate hearing back. I don't have anyone I can bounce ideas around with at home or work so this is great.

    I tossed the hammock up on craigslist just to get a few feelers but I suspect I'll wind up hanging on to it while I work on crafting my under/top quilts.
    If you are just looking for lighter weight, my 11' Dutchware PolyD 1.4 with Knotty Mod, suspension (whoopies with hooks & 6' tree huggers), and a Fronkey bug net weighs in at just over 15 Oz. I can even save a few more Oz. if I use a HUG net instead of the Fronkey net. There are lighter fabrics than the PolyD 1.4 as well, it's just an example from my gear closet. There are also lighter suspension systems but to me the extra Oz. or so of savings isn't worth it at that point. Not to sway you away from the Dream Hammock, just pointing out if weight savings is your goal there are lighter options out there.

    Where you really save weight is with quality down insulation. Down is pricey, but my old MSS bag weighed nearly 4 lbs. I more than cut that in half with a down quilt which is much more comfortable/warm while also being much less bulky. Of course if you already have a decent down bag you won't save much but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Zilla's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Jersey Pinelands
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    I have an 11 ft Thunderbird Dream Hammock made out of Hyper D fabric and i love it, super strong fabric and the Smurfs build high quality hammocks that imo are made to last.
    I don't think you can go wrong with a DreamHammock

  10. #10
    Member
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    Apr 2016
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    To anyone who has experience with both:
    What are the major differences between a gathered end and an asym hammock design? Are the differences noticeable at all?

    Also, to those who have experience with Dream Hammocks:
    Being 6'2'' and having the option to customize the width of the hammock, does anyone have any recommendations on that? I was thinking somewhere around 60'' would be smart but having never been in one, it's hard to say.

    Thanks again

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