Hennesy Hammock Expedition A-sym

In our view the market leader in hammock design- Woodland Ways Quality Mark Approved.

If you have ever walked through the instructors camp on one of our courses you will see that each and every one of us is suspended in one of these. The ultimate design in hammocks we have tested these throughout the UK, in the Atlas Mountains and in the Jungles of Borneo, and they have never let us down. We like items that have multiple functions, not only can this hammock be used as a sleeping system, just drop one side and it can be used as a chair, and remove the basha on a sunny day it can also be used as a sun lounger... fantastic.

The complete package comes with a diamond shape basha to cover the hammock, the hammock itself is all enclosed with a mosquito net, and can be suspended just using the fixed ropes supplied direct to a tree or with the tree guards (supplied) to ensure no damage is done to the tree. It is 9ft Long (2.7m) and designed for one person under 6ft tall and weighing up to 250lbs. If you are taller or heavier please see Hennessy Explorer Deluxe A-sym.

The hammock is designed so that you enter it from underneath in a sitting position, lift your legs when inside and the velcro fastening closes behind you leaving you completely insect bite free!

So what do our instructors think? Here Jason writes:

"I have tried a number of different hammocks over the years and finally settled on the Hennesy... it is such a comfortable design to sleep in. But not only this, sleeping in a hammock means you have to pay less attention to what is going on on the floor, and your impact on the surrounding area is reduced so much more than sleeping on the floor. These hammocks come into there own in the jungle where the rain can just come at you for hours, I was able to remove my wet clothes under the hammock down to my undergarments, climb inside and complete my change of clothing with no embarrassment to anyone! As a word of caution whenever setting up camp there are a number of different factors to take into consideration, but probably the most important is to check the health of the tree before suspending it and always look up to look for dead limbs hanging in the canopy"

Advantages: Well, I think the design says it all, they are comfortable, minimal impact, lightweight and very easy to put up using a series of lashings... all explained on the handy carry bag supplied.

Disadvantages: In the jungle these work superb where the rain comes straight down, but in the UK we found that you have to get the basha exactly right to ensure all round protection. We got around this by pegging out the sides of the basha using wooden poles... or you can go that extra bit further by purchasing one of the large tarps that fit on the hammock system, this gives you a lot more protection and a sitting area underneath the basha in serious weather. Also you need to consider that this is not a cheap hammock... but it has a higher price due to the very clever features involved, the price has also recently been driven up further by the exchange rate between the dollar and the pound as these are shipped in from America... but all our instructors can't be wrong by investing in this piece of kit!