"This is another of those rare, "well,
it's about time; why didn't
I think of that? masterpieces of functional design..."
Don McLean,
Soldier of Fortune Magazine
Soldiers
New Video Tom -
Thanks for the hammock! I have spent the last two nights in it getting the best sleep I have had in the last 6 months. I have moved out of my HQ building here in Baghdad and set up a semi-permanent hammock campsite nearby so I can enjoy the better night sleep that the hammock provides over the cot I have been using for the last 4 months.
Ernest Engman aka
SGT Rock
NEW!
Military model: SURVIVOR
2 hammocks tied between 2 humvees
in Iraqi desert - rainflies not
shown
Survivor
Hennessy Hammock's first GSA compliant
product - the "Hennessy Survivor" -
This newest model is rugged and
lightweight and combines all the
best
features of the Explorer Ultralight
and Explorer Deluxe Hennessy Hammocks
plus a new larger one-piece rainfly
and 3000 lb. test spectra ropes
for an
increased weight limit. This model
is designed to fit anyone up to
7'
tall.
Origins of the
Hennessy Hammock
This is a label from an old World War
II army model jungle hammock just like
my first jungle hammock purchased in
a military surplus store in 1955. It
very quickly became my favorite piece
of camping gear and I couldn't go into
the woods without it after I discovered
that you don't have to sleep on the
ground to go camping. After my "friend"
borrowed and failed to return it, I
decided to make one from memory. All
the improvements of the Hennessy Hammock
would never have existed if I hadn't
found that army hammock in the surplus
store...It's amazing to me that the
Hennessy Hammock is now becoming the
new standard for military jungle hammocks.
Mothers and wives are finding out about
them and sending them to their sons
and husbands serving in all corners
of the world...Tom Hennessy
Hi,
I'm a British soldier currently serving in Afghanistan and I'm the envy of most every time the Expedition A-sym comes out of my bag!!!!!!
F.C.
A very satisfied customer.
"ROUGHING IT IN COMFORT"
The idea of a hammock conjures up images of a sandy beach, palm trees,
exotic birds and drinks with little umbrellas, but for the International
Special Forces crowd it traditionally meant a somewhat-more-secure-
than-on-the-ground, relatively comfortable sleep with one's spine curved
at an unnatural angle. One solution to these problems is from Hennessy
Hammocks, who has been providing the US Navy Seals with its Explorer
Ultralight hammock with such positive feedback the Ultralite is the only
jungle hammock used by the Seals today. Entrance is through the bottom
of the unit - one opens the velcro, sits into the hammock and leans back,
by virtue of which the entryway closes automatically with one's body
weight - and the base provides a flat, natural sleeping area. The Asym
part of the name refers to the unit's asymmetrical design, in that the
company has added extra room at the shoulder and knee areas which, at
2.75 metres in length, the hammock provides ample room for habitation
(like a tent) instead of simply being a sleeping quarter - older military
hammocks are 76-cm in width compared to the Ultralite's 152 cm. The
company claims that the Ultralite Asym has a special ridge cord that,
once set up correctly, will ensure one's bed is exactly the same as the
night before no matter where the hammock is erected next. The Ultralite
(a jungle hammock) was recently tested and highly approved by a British
Royal Marine commando at 68* north, just east of Harstad, Norway,
where the minimum temperature was -18*C with a wind-chill factor of 54* C.
"Armada International" Issue 6, 2006
Photos and Letters
from Soldiers Sgt.
Rock
Dear Hennessy:
By now you probably have hundreds of
thank you letters, I'd like to add
another one to the growing list. Last
year one of our troop's 2004 Eagle
Scouts joined the US Marines. Last
February he was sent to Iraq for a
tour of duty. Prior to leaving the
troop purchased him an Expedition model
hammock in desert camo. Our marine
returned home safe and sound this
past November. He stopped by on his
visit home to see
how we were doing and during his visit
I asked him if he used the
hammock. He said the hammock caused
him a lot of grief - it seemed
every time he left it unattended upon
his return another marine from his
squad was sleeping in it. He said
it was one of the most used pieces
of
equipment in the entire platoon.
Thanks for a great product.
E. Willis
Dayton, OH
Hello,
Tom -
You and Kate sold me an Ultralite
Backpacker A- Sym for my posting to
Sierra Leone. It has proved to be
invaluable. It has been the rainy
season here in Sierra Leone for the
last few months so having an integral
rain sheet has made life so much easier.
Similarly as the rain ends and the
temperature rises the cooling effect
of being in a hammock makes sleeping
much more comfortable.
Although the exceptionally fine mesh
has proved most effective against
small mosquitoes and the like, I most
appreciate the way the hammock lifts
me away from rather large and evil
looking bugs that come out at night!
The 'treehuggers' webbing straps
provided have also been most useful,
although not perhaps for the reasons
originally intended. With much of
the infrastructure of the country
destroyed I sometimes find myself
staying in damaged buildings and the
straps help stop the ropes slipping
down the poles that used to support
a porch or something. They also minimise
the wear on the paintwork when I sling
the hammock between a couple of landrovers
for the night.
Hey -
I wanted to take this opportunity
to thank you for your brilliant design
and awesome hammock! I am a
9 year veteran of the Canadian armed
forces (Infantry 2 RCR) and I have
slept in your hammock for the past
6 weeks straight. A buddy of mine
and I saw the hammock in my MEC catalogue
and decided to risk the trouble we
would be creating by using something
so unorthodox for the field.
Luckily nobody really seemed to mind
because of the task we were doing
so we have spent the last six weeks
"hangin' out." Let me tell
you that it was worth every last penny.
We have since convinced another
guy in the platoon to buy one and
he is as impressed as we are. I find
that line extremely useful for hanging
things up like socks and even books
and magazines while lounging about
or getting a little sleep during lulls
in the battle.
J. P.
Dear Tom,
Recently I bought myself an Expedition
2.5 in a local adventure store. From
the beginning, like everyone else,
I totally fell in love with your hammock!
It truly is a genius' invention.
Two weeks after purchase, I was able
to test it in the field: I am a crewmember
of the Dutch 42nd Tank batallion.
My platoonmates were sceptic at first,
but once they got inside the loved
it. I have some pictures as an attachment
you might like. It shows the hammock
hung between two tanks in the German
countryside. Another brilliant thing;
it can be used virtually everywhere.
Corporal Daniel Ypma
Hello from Belize
"On a recent marijuana eradication
mission in Belize I had the opportunity
to truly validate my Hennessy Hammock.
Having worked extensively in the jungles
of Central and South America I understand
the value of a quality reliable shelter.
If you've never spent the night on
the jungle floor, or any similar less
desirable location, you have some
appreciation for this. We had been
helicopter inserted into a remote
jungle location to destroy a significant
marijuana cultivation operation. During
the mission the weather turned severe
and the helicopters were unable to
return and extract us. The team settle
down for the evening setting up their
various hootches, tents, and tarps.
I set up my Hennessy Hammock with
full confidence that I would be both
sheltered from the elements and insects,
and I would arise the next day well
rested. The torrential showers that
night were some of the most drenching
I have ever experienced and when it
wasn't pouring down on us the mosquitoes
were dense enough to see large swarms
of them. I spent the night comfortably
tucked away in my Hennessy while the
other members of the patrol spent
the night either swimming in their
tents or fending off critters and
insects. Most were soaked to the core
while others were literally swollen
from the extensive bites they sustained.
When they saw me emerge dry, safe
and well-rested, the only thing I
could say was "Hennessy".
When the helicopters extracted us
a few hours later, they were stunned
to see the condition of the patrol.
When we returned to our operating
base I had so many inquiries from
the unit that I had to set up my Hammock
for all to see. A few weeks later
one of the patrol members was hospitalized
for malaria, having been exposed to
the mosquito swarms the entire evening.
We made it an SOP that every member
of the patrol would carry a Hennessy
from that day forward and we haven't
had a bad night since. I don't ever
go on any mission without my Hennessy
Hammock.
MAJ Wally - US Army Special Forces
A TEST OF THE HENNESSEY
HAMMOCK IN AN EXTREME COLD WEATHER
ENVIRONMENT
PROBABLY THE ONLY HAMMOCK NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
a Review by Ben Reynolds of the
Royal Marines Commandos
It’s indisputable. Hennessy
Hammocks could well be the best in
the world. Light, durable,
comfortable and excellently engineered… perfect
for warmer areas of the world, right? Well,
you will have seen from the website
that ever evolving design solutions
are attempting to expand the boundaries
of the hammock inhabitable world,
from calm low lying areas and comfortable
lower latitudes,
to where the silent killer reigns
supreme…. cold. So,
it was with Hennessy Hammock’s
Explorer Ultralite Asym, along with
elements of the insulated Superstructure
that I found myself in Northern Norway
in order to test whether the cold
can be defeated by this intruder
from the tropics.
THE TEST
CONDITIONS. The system was tested in the area of 68º 33’ 37.12’’N
by 16º 58’.54’’E, east of Harstad, Norway. Initially
mild temperatures prevailed, fluctuating around freezing, which resulted in
freezing rain, sleet and snow. Though this is not the extreme cold that
was later encountered, it was far more testing due to the freeze-thaw effect
and moisture content of the air which accentuated the cold. Minimum temperature
encountered was - 18ºC (0ºF) still air and estimated at -30ºC
(-54ºF) with wind chill. Maximum precipitation encountered was 7.5cm
(3 inches) of snow in 6 hrs. Click here to
read the entire review.
...CONCLUSION. The Hennessy
Hammock insulation system is capable
of supporting a lone traveller in
extreme cold weather environments
down to -12ºC (10ºF) in
the format tested. This was
dependent on the sleeping bag used
and a bag with a lower comfort zone
than that used in the test will similarly
reduce the -12ºC figure. This
figure will also be reduced by: (1)
adding insulation to the Under Cover
e.g. spare clothing/suitable vegetation,
(2) use of the Over Cover, and (3)
a solution to cooking which would
also heat the living space...However,
for those comfortable operating in
extreme cold the system works in
all respects other than the method
in which one can cook, but there
must be solutions out there.
Thanks to Ben for his detailed
and informative review!
Free
Snakeskins
with any
hammock
purchased click here
Hello,
Tom -
Two weeks after purchase, I was able
to test it in the field: I am a crewmember
of the Dutch 42nd Tank batallion.
My platoonmates were sceptic at first,
but once they got inside the loved
it. I have some pictures as an attachment
you might like. It shows the hammock
hung between two tanks in the German
countryside. Another brilliant thing;
it can be used virtually everywhere.
latitudes,
to where the silent killer reigns
supreme…. cold. So,
it was with Hennessy Hammock’s
Explorer Ultralite Asym, along with
elements of the insulated Superstructure
that I found myself in Northern Norway
in order to test whether the cold
can be defeated by this intruder
from the tropics. 
"Recommended
gear"
