I dove right into backpacking last year with a hennessy hammock hyperlite, when I did my research it seemed like a decent setup and there was a sale at the time upgrading the fly from the diamond to the hex, so I jumped in. I got all these ideas either on YouTube or here at HF. Obviously a lot of this comes to down personal preference and/or use case, and the hyperlite has worked great for me from day one, but I find these changes help me stay dry and comfortable while still being light and easy to set up/take down. Just want to share what I've come up with!
Insulation- Initially, I used the bubble pad for underneath. Honestly it works OK down to around 40 F, but it comes with the same problems any other pad does (condensation/slippage). I sewed a fleece blanket to it and it helps with condensation a bit, as in it grabs most of it. Moved to a JRB Greylock 3 UQ, and it works pretty good, beside me struggling to get the gaps out from my footend/under my legs. Obviously this is something not really specific to hennessy models, I know many hangers start with pads.
Suspension- Currently have 15" dutch continuous loops on the hammock. I need to go to the smaller ones, as I thought my hyperlite had the 2 holes at the gathers. It instead just has a loop sewn into the gather. I use mule tape larks headed to my tree huggers, tying a becket hitch onto the loops at the ends of the hammock. I like how the suspension acts as a drip, should keep the hammock dry as long as the loops are under the ends of the tarp, which is why I need the shorter loops. Quick, easy, light. And allows suspension to be stored away from hammock if it's wet.
Storage- Purchased an extra set of snake skins to pack the hammock in. I used this for a while, marking the head end with dots of orange nail polish for easy set up. I like being able to toss the hammock out on wet ground, no worries of it getting wet. Can also use it to gain a lot of space under the hammock if you want to cook/hangout, or if base camping you can pack your insulation in a dry bag, leave the hammock hung and cover it up. The two things that made me switch to a black bishop style stuff sack were 1. bulk 2. the tendency for the skins to get water in them, whether from hard rain or suspension. Worst case, if you don't pay attention to where they are they could actually funnel water in. This can be negated by rolling them up, but i still find heavy rain will mean a damp hammock for me, because moisture gets trapped in all the folds of the skins. BBB for the win, IMHO. But I suppose with my current setup if the skins stayed close to the hammock on the loops, they may stay dry. I'll have to try sometime. The pic of the bishop bag is from before I went to the loops.
Tarp- I have the 70D hex. It's heavy but durable. If it wasn't for it being the one included in the sale I'd have went 30d. Other than that I like the tarp. For me, and maybe it's because I pull it down too tight, it tends to really come down on a hard caternary when I use the split ridgeline. Currently using a continuous ridgeline, strung under the tarp, through the rings on each end. I tried under the ridgeline and that worked OK, but it still had the tendency to come down in the middle. Also, I added shock cord loops to each corner, and keep the guy lines with the stakes. I tie to two shock cord loops at opposite corners, and to the rings at the other corners. Seems to be a good balance of rigidity and give. I like being able to slide the tarp on prussiks to center it, but for me the biggest advantage is holding that main seam (top of the A frame) up. As far as the guy lines on the stakes, I find it easier to pack the tarp, as well as harder to lose a stake lol.
All of these techniques can be found on these great forums and on youtube (all the greats), but I figured putting them all together in terms of my experience with the hyperlite may help people with hennessy stuff or others considering their hammocks. It's not that they don't work well as they come, but isn't part of the fun with this stuff figuring out the most efficient ways for YOU to do things???
What changes have you guys made to your hennessy hammocks, or how you set up camp??
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