I'm back after 16 years

[heymarke]

Hi all, my name is Mark. I was last on here around 2008, I would guess. I have an ENO Double Nest with custom polyester webbing strap/cinch buckle suspension (which I read about on here). After all these years the hammock is still going strong (it only gets occasional use each year).

Latest news: my girlfriend enjoys relaxing in my hammock and wants one for her birthday. Thought I'd drop back in and see what people are liking and recommending these days? Should I pick up another ENO or should I consider some other contender? This would be used for hanging in the back yard while she relaxes, reads, and naps. No full system (tarp, insulation, etc) needed. Basic and simple, but quality. That's what I'm looking for. And I don't mind making a few mods. Thanks!

[Phantom Grappler]

For backyard hanging, get a simple gathered end hammock
Made with 1.6 Hexon wide fabric
Length 12 feet
Width about 66 inches
Hammock ridgeline fixed at 10 feet (119.52 inches)
That is 83% length of hammock

If you want shade or protection from rain, a tarp with a 12 foot ridgeline and 11 foot six inch width
will be fine. Dutch makes a bonded seam tarp that will work great.

Any overnight sleeping will be assisted by use of 20* bottom quilt and 20* top quilt. Or a forty degree set if just used in summer.
If daytime lounging only—you can probably do without added expense of quilts.

And a tarp is not needed if you use hammock for daytime lounging and take hammock inside after each use to keep it out of rain.

By getting a longer hammock, you will experience a great leap in comfort. My first hammock was an ENO Doublenest. When I got and 11 foot hammock there was a noticeable jump in comfort.
Then when I got a 12 foot hammock there was another noticeable upgrade in comfort.

Good luck!
Make your own choices after your own research

[iceman857]

For backyard hanging, get a simple gathered end hammock
Made with 1.6 Hexon wide fabric
Length 12 feet
Width about 66 inches
Hammock ridgeline fixed at 10 feet (119.52 inches)
That is 83% length of hammock

I have a few lounging hammocks in my quiver, including two ENO doublenests that I almost never use. Even for lounging, I prefer a longer, wider hammock than the 9'6" ENOs. I have purchased the Dutchware netless hammocks in 11', 11' wide, and 12' in Hexon 1.6 like Phantom mentions. The 12' wins for comfort in the back yard, IMO. You can often find them at a discounted price, but they are pretty cheap to begin with.

[PopcornFool]

I prefer a longer hammock for lounging as well. Most hammocks you find in brick & mortar stores (like ENO and Grand Trunk) will be significantly shorter, often less than 10' long. A lot of the hammocks you find with online vendors like Amazon are the same. Very short. There are exceptions.

Most cottage vendors like Dutchware Gear, Hammock Gear, Tralheadz, etc. will offer a basic netless hammock that's at least 11-feet long for right around $60. That's not including suspension. But with a little digging, you can find similarly basic hammocks that are 11-feet long (or longer) on Amazon or other online retailers for right around the same price (even less) that also include the hammock suspension. OneWind is just one example. Most will work just fine for backyard lounging and will last a long time if you take care of it, arguably much longer than cottage vendor hammocks made with less sturdy fabric. So unless your girlfriend is particularly sensitive to 210T nylon (the most common fabric of choice for online and big box store hammocks) then she should be fine with any generic hammock. There's no need to feel obliged to go to a cottage vendor for their specialty fabrics.

[heymarke]

Thanks for the useful replies already!