I confess: I'm a 'tent guy'.
I've spent a lot of nights in a series of 'great' tents over the years -Sierra Designs Glacier, Stephenson Warmlite, and now a couple of Hillebergs.
Recently, I got interested in kayak camping. Here in the PNW, some kayak-accessible sites are either 'beach or bush'. I was recently camped on a rocky knoll with very poor tenting possibilities except for two nice trees...so my mind turned to hammock camping as a backup/alternative to the tent, when flat sites are in short supply.
(Most kayaks can carry quite a lot of gear, and weight isn't much of an issue, usually.. so carrying tent+hammock is certainly a possibility.)
Once I started reading about hammocks, though, I had second thoughts. Underquilt, top quilt - too much $$ and volume. The Exped Combi caught my attention since I could use my Exped pad under, and sleeping bag as a TQ. Adding 3-4 lb and a small stuff sac would double my site selection possibilities.
Note: My previous experience with hammocks was trying to have a nap in the typical back-lawn hammock - uncomfortable and tippy.
The Exped arrived in the mail a few days ago, and I set it up last evening (with tarp above) in the back yard - I'd watched some videos online, so it only took about 5 minutes to set it up. Once I'd weighted the hammock, I re-clipped the suspension carabiners to compensate for the stretch, and that was it.
It's very comfortable even without the pad/air mattress in the pad pocket under the hammock. It feels very stable and I had no problem lying on my side or back. The suspension is 'from the sides' so the shoulder area is not tight, even without the pad.
With the Exped 9 pad inserted, the hammock was very comfortable. I had a great night's sleep. I didn't feel I had to adjust my sleeping position for comfort, but when I did, it was very easy to do so. Exiting/entering is easy, even in the dark.
This thing will definitely work 'out there'...
I had a couple of other folks try the hammock out for a few minutes, and the both agreed that it was (surprisingly) comfortable and non-constricting.
The tarp is very large and really protects the hammock. With the tarp guyed down and the end doors closed, the hammock would be protected from even a driving rain (unlike some of the setups in online pictures). There's also plenty of room for gear (hung from the suspension or on the ground) under the tarp. I could stand under the tarp at the ends without touching the tarp fabric.
Tarp setup: The Ergo Combi 'instructions' are similar to others I've seen: Set up the hammock and then put the tarp over it. Have any of these folks actually camped in RAIN? Fortunately the Exped tarp is big enough that it can be put up on its own suspension, first, and then the hammock can be set up under the tarp's protection. I'll need to make a couple of web straps for the tarp suspension, but everything else needed for a separate tarp suspension is included with the Exped tarp.
Included items: You'll probably want to put some stakes in with the tarp when you pack it. Perhaps you'll also want some guys for possible extra tarp tieouts in stormy weather. Otherwise, everything you need is included.
Bugnet: I felt the bugnet was unnecessarily 'tight' on my hammock. I got the feeling that the bugnet is helping to suspend the hammock body. It came from the factory with the shock cord net suspension adjusted tight, with about 12" of slack shock cord hanging. Even letting out the slack (very cumbersome, as only one of the two suspension points is provided with a cordlock, so you need to 'work' the slack from one end through two toggles and the ridgeline) kept the bugnet too-tight. I'm going to replace the shock cord with a longer length, and add a 2nd cordlock.
Exped did thoughtfully include a stainless mini-carabiner hung from the bugnet shockcord, so you could hang a light there.
The bugnet zipper pull does tend to have trouble passing the suspension points.
So, I'd give the Exped a 8/10 rating, so far. Poor instructions and a few 'mystery connectors' and some suspicions about the bugnet are the main drawbacks. Otherwise, it seems a fine piece of equipment, and AFAIK it's the only hammock around with the 45-degree sleeping orientation fully thought-out and engineered.
The eyelet line suspension (with webbing straps for trees included) and the great tarp, along with the sleeping position and 'suspension bridge suspension are the strong points.
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Originally Posted by WV
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