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  1. #11
    Senior Member SteveJJ's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Hammock
    DangerBird 72
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    Kelty 12' for now
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    My explorer has 2QZQ #4, and I picked up a used JacksRbetter Nest underquilt. It's great to have so many options! All of the above posts are good points to ponder in making your decision. You might even watch for a used one to save some dough while you try it and see if it is for you!

    Enjoy!

  2. #12
    Senior Member bear bag hanger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Sanford, FL
    Hammock
    Dream Hammock ThunderBird
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    Zpack Cuben 7X9
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    JRBSierraSniveller
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    ring buckle system
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    491
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    4
    I used a HH with bottom entry for my 2004 AT thru hike and was happy with it. But sometime afterwards, my sleeping position changed and I often found one of my knees right on the opening, resulting in half my body falling out of the hammock. Several of my hiking buddies got a good laugh at that. I'd go with the zipper model.

  3. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Kansas City, KS
    Hammock
    HH Explorer Deluxe+2QZQ Mod #4
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    HH Hex w/ 2QZQ OFS
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    OWL 20* TQ/UQ's
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    Whoopies+Biner
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    1,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Black Wolf View Post
    The plus of the bottom entry is that you can run your tarp very tight to the hammock.. and get into the hammock without brushing the sides of the tarp .. summer time in Fla.. means lots of condensation
    Black Wolf raises what I consider one of the main pluses on the bottom entry. In a very wet environment, you often want to avoid touching the underside of your tarp, but if it's particularly stormy you may want/have to pitch that tarp very close to your hammock.

    Additionally, the bottom entry does help getting in/out of the hammock quickly while limiting the access for mosquitos in heavy mosquito times.

    There are also huge advantages to having a side-zip. Simply being able to reach in/out of the hammock to grab something or to adjust your under insulation, being able to open that net up or even remove it when it's stuffy and bugs aren't an issue, etc...

    I have a HH Explorer Deluxe, and sent it in the the 2QZQ Mod #4...totally, completely worth it. I did NOT have them sew up the bottom entry.

    Now I definitely have the 'best of both worlds' and much more flexibility in how I want to use my gear.

  4. #14
    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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    Quote Originally Posted by WetRivrRat View Post
    I prefer the classic entry (bottom) because it makes it possible for me to hammock - physical limitations make it difficult at best, dangerous at least to have a zip where I have to get up and over the edge of the hammock AND still stay in it, plus be able to get out of it - with the classic, all i have to do is hang it high enough that the bottom of the entry is no higher than a chair. That way all i do is open it up and sit down to get in, and i have a pull cord in the fwd/aft sections so i can pull myself in/out and i use this to pull myself up to stand up
    Tell me more about the "pull cord in the fw/aft sections" please. I have some mobility issues and have been fighting my way through trying to use a side entry hammock. It is not working out as well as I would like.

  5. #15
    New Member cliff369's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Batesville, ms
    Hammock
    Hennessy Hammock Explorer Deluxe
    Posts
    39
    I love my HH Explorer Deluxe bottom entry but as many have said I wanted more options. I am waiting on mine to return form 2QZQ now with a mod 4 right and left triple zipper pulls. I like the bottom entry for all the reasons stated above and I wanted the mod 4 for the ease of use with a UQ. Lots to consider when your spending hard earned money but for me the bottom entry with the 2QZQ mod 4 was without a doubt the way to go.

  6. #16
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
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    Tupelo, MS
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadphans View Post
    If you plan on getting a under quilt I would go with the side zip. I had a bottom entry Hennessy and found I was somewhat limited.

    I also found that on really hot days the bottom entry would get hot inside, and all I wanted to do was open my bug net and let the breeze in. I also couldn't cook break fast in bed if I so choose.

    But then again you could always get a 2qzq mod and have the best of both worlds.

    One thing I did like, however, was the fact I could quickly escape the hordes of mosquitoes that Maine gets plagued with.
    As per above, I had no complaints about the bottom entry (BE) HH, except that I could not reach out once I was in. And being unable to vent on those hot days, but I'm mostly a cool weather camper anyway. And the 2Q mod solves those problems, but at extra expense of course.

    Yesterday, I was playing around in the cooler temps with an extra Explorer UL I have acquired, a zippered model, with and without a Super Shelter under cover on it. It was very windy at times. I did notice that without the UC, it was uncomfortably cool with a slight breeze and very much so with the higher gusts, and that the UC did a good to great job of mostly blocking that effect. But the other thing that I noticed - since most of my previous HHSS experience was with a BE - that it was actually quicker and simpler for me to get in and out with the BE than the zippered model.

    That said, some folks report the opposite because they never get efficient/skilled with the BE, and just never like it at all. And please note I am talking about a netted model, not a no net. For me it is about the same getting in/out of a no net side entry model as the BE HH. But once you throw in locating zipper pulls and unzipping to get out or zipping back up after getting back in, the advantage ( for me ) goes back to BE. Not that it matters much a second or two, but it might be a factor if the mossies are trying to carry you off.

    However, I think 90% of folks just prefer the side entry zipper models and/or actually dislike the BE models. There are a lot of individual prefs in this game.

  7. #17
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by potneck View Post
    I have a HH Safari bottom entry which I just sent to 2QZQ for the Mod 4 and to have the bottom entry closed. For me, the only reason I had the bottom entry sewed up was that I never could get comfortable w/my legs over the Velcro seam. There was always a pressure point no matter my position. It really didn't hinder my sleep, but just seemed like something I would rather not have. Other than that for me the bottom is a good feature, but one I decided to try and live w/out. I now sleep w/my head and shoulders over the sewn up entry. As I hoped, that has completely eliminated my problem. Also, I like the flexibility of bug net or no bug net. It opens up lots of options.

    One more comment. You can't go wrong doing business w/2QZQ. Excellent work, reasonable pricing and a pleasure to get to know. Hope to meet them in person one day.
    A lot of folks report that evil pressure point with a lot of different brand non bottom entry hammocks, hammocks that have no Velcro in the foot end. And ironically, my No Net Safari ( with Velcro BE still functional) model is the non-bridge model most guaranteed for me to be free of that pressure point! Mainly because I am always able to get far enough to the left side to avoid that center ridge ( hits me mid thigh and is not noticeable)- and still have plenty of room for excellent over all comfort. Just shows how individual hammock experiences can be.

    On the pros/cons of BE, so many folks have reported never getting used to it, and having trouble getting out. But for me, even with the Super Shelter UC always in place, it was always so easy, at least after my first few nights of sleeping in it on a week long trip. ( learning curve) I would always just stick one foot out of the slit, maybe have to move the foot around a bit until it is outside of the HHSS undercover, follow with the other foot and stand up. That is a lot of words to describe a very quick procedure, a few seconds at most. It is about the same effort as lowering the foot of my recliner and standing up. Just watch this video, it really is just this easy, or was for me after getting used to the wierdness of the whole concept:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtjvN...layer_embedded

    also this video on the home page:

    http://hennessyhammock.com/
    Watch to the end for a quick snake skin demo also.

    One other thing, twice in 6 years I have fallen in a side entry hammock. All just due to pure carelessness on my part, but it happened. Using a narrow net free hammock with a Pea Pod, in the middle of the night still half asleep, I failed to make sure I had hold of the hammock edges, grabbing one Pea Pod edge by mistake, flipping over on my back. Ouch, but no injuries beyond pride, luckily. I don't think this can happen in a BE HH. It seems nearly impossible to fall getting in via HHBE. But it probably is also way less likely to happen in a side entry hammock which has a net being used.

    For users with mobility problems, like WetRiverRat mentioned, it should be easy to put some pull cords through the RL loops inside the hammock. RamblinRev may comment soon. He has always used HHBE only for hiking trips, as it was way easier for him to use with the mobility problems he has.

  8. #18
    Senior Member bowl-maker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Hammock
    Hennessy Explorer UL
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    DIY Winter Dream
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    I love my BE HH Explorerer UL, so much so that I made clones for my kids with a BE. +1 on not having to bump around under a wet tarp when getting into the hammock...you can be directly under it rather than to the side trying to get in. And...if you are really special (like me) you can reach out through the bottom opening to do things like cook and move around UQ, etc.
    *BTW I am not really special*

  9. #19
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
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    OES, WL BullFro
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    I've used the bottom entry and thought about the zipper entry. Getting to the zipper and reaching to unzip in the dark can be tough - and one more moving part to break. That said, a lot of first timer seem drawn to a zipper because they might feel a little claustrophobic with the bottom entry. But don't let that be a criteria because the feeling goes away after a few overnights.

    As far as getting in with a sleeping bag, I'll try a hint I read about in the book, The Ultimate Hang. Most sleeping bags have a double zipper. And I usually leave the foot area unzipped anyway - don't need that much warmth. So you get in the sleeping bag outside the hammock with your feet outside the bag because the foot area is unzipped. Then you just sit down, lay back and bring your feet up.

    It would have been a winning video to watch me try to get into the bag, starting completely out of it, from inside the hammock.

    On the other hand, because the bottom would be compressed anyway, I could just leave it unzipped and use it like a quilt.

  10. #20
    2Questions's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Lititz, PA
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    HH Explorer w/ Zipper Mod #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by [email protected] View Post
    Getting to the zipper and reaching to unzip in the dark can be tough - and one more moving part to break.
    FWIW,
    I have a Mod 4 with the triple zippers. I always position the two zipper pulls so they are reached at arms length. With the two zippers at my left and right hand, I can easily open up to adjust the UQ if needed.

    To exit the hammock, one goes toward the head end as far as I can reach, and the other I open with my toe, sliding it down as far as my toe will push it. Now this may not be orthodox, but I've never busted a zipper. I do tie about 8" of 2.5 mm cord to each pull for easier grabbing. I tie a knot in the end of the cord so I can grab it easier with my toes!
    2QZQ Hammock Specialties
    Specializing in:
    Hennessy Hammock zipper modifications
    Sewn on Tarp doors, Pole Pockets, and Grizz Beaks
    Ridgeline and gear organizers, peak storage bags, UQ protectors,
    2QZQ tree table!

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