ENO Double Nest Hammock

There's not a whole lot to say about a hammock per se but if you're into swinging from the trees, not having to worry about a flat spot to sleep on the trail, and looking for a fairly cheap solution then this might be something for you.

ENO's Double Nest Hammock was my selection to get into hammock camping. I've always enjoyed heading to the beach and relaxing in a hammock so I thought it would be a fun idea to try it on the trail. I could leave the bivy sack at home and enjoy a relaxing swing to put me to sleep at night. The idea was to continue with a lightweight solution that added comfort to end a long day of hiking. There were pros and cons to this though.

I definitely enjoyed the idea of sleeping away from the ground. I wouldn't have to worry about finding a non-root infested flat spot to comfortably sleep. Granted I always used an old RidgeRest and recently an inflatable ThermaRest (which is very comfortable and warm). I kept the ThermaRest with me on the first outing just in case I couldn't sleep in the hammock and had to resort to the ground. I invested in the Slap Straps from ENO as well that claim a quick attachment to a tree but have a lot of terrible reviews due to them being made of nylon and stretching throughout the night. I noted that most of the people complaining of this issue were over 200lbs so I went with it and yet to have an issue. I seem to be a good 60-70 lbs lighter than most hikers so it works for me.

When I first got the hammock I was not impressed with the very heavy and bulky carabiners attached. I quick replaced those with some ultralight Black Diamond carabiners to shave a few ounces and it was well worth the trade I think. I quickly ran outside eager to try this thing out and I wanted to get a feel for setup before trying it on the trail. I found a good span between some trees and hung it according to the specs and found it quite comfortable. I went with the Double Nest not because I am big, need the extra room, or plan on sharing it with someone else. In fact I would love to see two people sleep in this thing! I got the DN for the extra fabric and so I could sleep at an angle horizontally and maybe, just maybe sleep on my side if I got flat enough. Well, the extra fabric was nice as I could wrap it around like a cocoon and deflect a cool breeze and it did give me that extra foot room but I have yet to successfully sleep on my side without a lot of squirming.

I don't normally sleep on my back as a general rule, or rather I sleep on my side until I naturally end up on my back through the night. So I did sleep well on my back although the slight banana shape is a little weird at first to get used to. Supposedly it is a shape to be in while sleeping for therapeutic purposes though. I did find myself to be less stiff the next day and I probably got about the same amount of rest as I would lying on the ground anyway so, I think I got off to a good start.

The next big advantage to using a hammock would be not having to worry about a flat spot. Last summer, on my first trip with the hammock, we ended up sleeping literally on the side of a mountain and all I had to do was find some trees. The rest of my equipment was sliding down but the hammock succeeded where I would've found myself at the bottom of my bag on the ground. So, on this front it is a very successful product and one that I will continue to use in the warmer season.

Hammock-ing is definitely something to try out but I wouldn't ditch your tent or bivy until you're comfortable with it. I like having the option and I will still go for the bivy for colder weather hikes. The ENO hammock is certainly a great buy compared to the other hammocks out there but apparently it's considered a bit lower-end comparatively. It is a lightweight solution, packs small, and is cheap. If nothing else it is great to bring along for a day hike to swing on the top of a mountain with some lunch or toss it up in the backyard. Either way it's well worth the 60-70 dollars if you enjoy being outside and I would definitely recommend giving it a shot.

(www.alterauslander.com)