Hennessy vs Warbonnet for beginner hammock

[Deadphans]

I just want something plain and simple,,think I will order the Traveler 1.1 and just throw a piece of bug net over the RL and my top half with a couple of sinkers tied to it to hold it down the sides...and give the GTSB Pro to the wife as she is only 5'2" and will get lost in it,,when she tries it out..lol..something simple,,something lite.!

In alllll honesty, from my newbish experience this sounds a bit more trouble than a Hennessy.

Now let me quickly throw this out before I go on, I have never used a Warbonnet, never even saw one in person. But just from seeing how you want simplicity I think the Hennessy is an easier solution than what you are describing here....and cheaper.

The Hennessy may look complicated to set up in pictures...but is in fact extremely easy. AND when it is up there is a bug net in place. No hassling with sinkers or anything. The tarp is also extremely easy to set up....two already made prussic knots on the ridgeline to connect the tarp too, stake the guy lines, and WALLA!

Just my 2 cents.

[Deadphans]

Can the Hennessy team be the Sharks? Sharks are awesome.

The OP should buy one of each and give me the one he doesn't like.

How about Aardvark's? LOL. j/k I just like saying Aardvark.

[Dirtbagger]

I have a single nest ENO but am looking at moving up to either an Ultralite Backpackers Hennessey or a Warbonnet Blackbird.

Okay okay, it's been awhile...I know. I finally bought a Hennessey Ultralite Backpacker Asym used. The "Tree hugger" webbing straps need to be replaced.

I want to know what length to go with plus anything else I should consider. The Hennessy website has the 42" straps for $9.95 BUT standard shipping is still like $12 .


Thanks again.

[IRONFISH45]

I ended up with the Jacks r Better, their longest straps. Problem is we have big wide trees in the N.W. I am never sure what size trees I might decide to Hang from. Sure one could put two straps together, however, I would not trust them. Now, I drag around too much strap, most of the time, however it is really nice not to worry about Hanging from a wide tree.

Hennessy must have dropped their shipping price. Last time I purchased from them they dinged me $15.00 U.S. for the slowest shipping I have ever experienced. They mail their items from the U,S. really a straight shot down the coast, yet it was three weeks after Hennssey said it was mailed until I had the merchandise.

[FreedomVan]

Okay okay, it's been awhile...I know. I finally bought a Hennessey Ultralite Backpacker Asym used. The "Tree hugger" webbing straps need to be replaced.

I want to know what length to go with plus anything else I should consider. The Hennessy website has the 42" straps for $9.95 BUT standard shipping is still like $12 .


Thanks again.

You can buy from any of the vendors in here or even look in the market section. But the important thing is that if you're using the stock suspension, make sure you get tree "huggers" or note that they've got loops in both ends. There is another variant with only one side looped which is more conducive to whoopie sling suspensions.

Good in you for trying out the HH. You'll have plenty of BBs to try at your next group hang I would imagine.

[Elessar]

Hey Johnny, I'm a new hanger too! While I'm currently working on my first DIY hammock, here were some things that pushed me to favor the WBBB over the HH.

- Comfort. From everything I've read, the footbox in the BB is a great addition and makes this hammock more comfortable than the HH. While the HH is roomy and can be nice, the BB footbox tops it and allows for both more room and more sleeping positions.

- Features. The WBBB has a "traditional" hammock entrance on the side versus the HH "womb entrance". (Not sure where I heard that one, but I liked the metaphor). Furthermore, the standard BB comes with a zippered entrance, while most HHs are Velcro. I spoke to a Speer owner on the AT who told me that his biggest gripe was the how fussy velcro can be. Yes, I know zippers can break and are harder to fix, but on a daily basis they're much less hassle IMHO.

I like the concept of the DL Blackbird because I'm a pad-sleeper who will need to go to ground at times. That second layer holds the pad and keeps it "tucked away". HH are all single layer (I believe) and therefore your pad's gotta go inside the hammock. Both are conducive to underquilts though.

And who can forget the pocket on the WBBB?! It's a great little feature that gets stuff off of your ridgeline. Some don't like it because they don't use it (hence extra weight), or it lays against the side of the hammock, so if you don't like the idea of the pocket, the HH might be a better option.

-Manufacturing. The HH is manufactured overseas I believe, while the BB is manufactured by hand here in the US by a HF member.

- Suspension. You get different suspension options with the Blackbird, and - from what I've read - it's easier to convert a BB to a whoopie-sling system than it is to convert a HH. Plus the Blackbird seems to have a pretty downright simple setup on its own!

However, here are some points for the Hennessy:
- Weight. The featherlite weight of the HH includes a tarp! If you're really counting ounces, the HH is slimmer than the WBBB.

- Cost. The cost of the HH includes a basic asym tarp, whereas you'll chuck out another $80+ for a tarp for the blackbird. However, I don't like the small size of the HH tarp (I've seen it in action) and as a beginner I want a little bit of room for error so that, if a sudden downpour came, I'm not learning on the spot how poor my tarp-pitching skills are. =P

-Availability. You can get a HH pretty quickly from REI or similar manufacture, while you may be waiting a few weeks or more to get your Blackbird. So if you want a hammock ASAP, you're only option may be the HH (unless you snag that used BB on the Sale forum right now)

Hope this helps!

THAT, right there is the best review of the differences between these two hammocks that I've ever read. This should be pinned to the product review section of this forum. Great job!

[cougarmeat]

I can't believe I read the WHOLE thing ....
I started with something that was nylon string and a wooden dowel at each end with a loop woven into plastic rope for suspension. I might have bought it at the Dollar store. - Worked GREAT! for resting after paddling to a destination. Then I met a paddler who used a HH to sleep overnight! what a concept. She showed me the bug net, and the undercover she just put her therm-a-rest pad it. Pretty simple.

So I got an HH with bottom entry. The first thing I did was watch YouTube videos on suspension and never once tied all those knots shown on the HH videos. I used to rings, attached to trees, at each end to pinch the line coming from the hammock - was quick and easy.

There is nothing wrong with the bottom entry, no problems with the Velcro. It is easier to part the Velcro, sit up, put feet down and pull the hammock over your head than to run an entrance zipper from your shoulders down passed your knees.

Later on, I got a Safari from this forum and it was huge - like going from a sedan to a station wagon. Very comfortable.

Since then I have acquired hammocks from WB, WL, BIAS, ENO, SLD, Hammek, along with some DIY. They all work great. I currently sleep in a Lite Owl outside at night but for an upcoming trip I may take the WB or even the RR.

If you are comfortable in your hammock and bugs are not a problem (winter is on its way) you might consider getting other things first - like an under quilt and/or under cover protector - that you can use with any new hammock.

The one thing that bothers me a little about the "shelf" in the WB all the stuff presses agains the bug netting and the seam were the bugnet attaches to the hammock. I much prefer the saddle bag style of the Ridge Runner. Also, because of that shelf design, you cannot fold the bug net completely out of the way if you don't need it.

I also found the catenary cut on the edges of the SLD StreamLiner were not for me.

Though an attached bug net can be handy, these days I'm using a sock. Of course it is getting colder. But the sock protects the under quilt, add protection from wind and blowing rain, can give a little more privacy, and still keep the skeeters out.

If you have it completely zipped up, there may be some condensation on the walls - especially if it is cold at night and you don't have a tarp - but if it is that cold you don't need to worry about skeeters so you can leave it unzipped a bit.

My point is that for X amount of dollars, there are other things you can get to enhance your hammock camping without immediately switching out the hammock.

I mean you need a TQ and an UQ for each of the three temperature ranges (40, 20, 0) right?

[x PREACHER x]

Just want to correct some misinformation about the Hennessy.

The "womb" entrance isn't really popular anymore. I believe REI only carries the side zip now, so the entrance isn't any dif than the BB, unless you just really wanted the bottom entry.

Also, it is no longer hard to convert Hennessy hammocks to whoopie slings. The old two hole burnt gathered end of the HHs are being phased out, so conversion to whoopies on the current models should be fine.

Lastly, the UQ's CAN be difficult to get positioned on a HH without some work, but it isn't really a big deal. Either buy a quilt made for the HH (Arrowhead's Potomac for example) or if you DIY, just use a plan that takes the asym tie outs into account. Or, if you want more "universal" quilts, just get some good quilt clips (duthware?) and you should be fine.

So, imo, if weight and cost is a major factor, go HH. If the storage shelf and the footbox are important to you, go with the WB. That shelf is nice.

Height may be a consideration too. If you are asking "how big of a difference does the WB footbox make on comfort?" I believe the answer depends on height. The ultralight HH is supposed to be comfy up to 6ft, however, a friend of mine is 5'11 and really noticed the cramped foot room. I am 5'9 (and a quarter!) and don't have a problem. So while I find the HH to be extremely comfy, if you are taller (or have really big feet?) you may really want to consider the WB.

[Five Tango]

Now that I have read the whole thread,all I wanna know is whether or not my HH bubble pad will work in a Blackbird 1.1 double layer ok or not?Thanks.

[Migs_]

I have both of the hammocks and while the HH has nicer finish (the ends where the hammock meets the suspension is not as pretty on a WBBB) the HH is harder to get into. If you add the foam undercover and cover bag to the HH it feels clumsy getting in and out of. (Because you get in and out of the bottom) Nevertheless the HH is very nice. I like how the ridgeline cord inside the netting of the HH is adjustable whereas on my WBBB it is fixed. In my HH the suspension rope I think cannot be replaced for a whoopie string or a buckle setup. Replacing to the different suspension systems on a WBBB is easy. In an emergency getting out of the HH would be much harder. What scares me about the WBBB is the Amsteel loop at the suspension interface. It looks weak (but is incredibly strong) All in all if I had to choose one it would be the WBBB.
P.S. I suspect that the more experienced forum members have combined parts of many manufacturers so in the end they have hybrid hammocks, and you - given enough time - will too.

Migs

WBBB=Warbonnet Black Bird
HH=Hennesy Hammock