Approximately a month ago, I was approached by a new Hammock Forums member, Andy AKA everand, who is the marketing director for a company known (stateside) as iSPECLE. Andy had apparently read two of my previous hammock reviews here on HF -- for the Dutchware Chameleon and the Warbonnet Blackbird XLC -- and found them suitably thorough, so he wrote to me asking if I would be interested in receiving his company's product, known simply as the iSPECLE Camping Hammock, currently available on Amazon, in return for my agreement to write a similar review after evaluating it. I replied to him with my proposed terms and timetable, accepting the hammock and agreeing to write a fair, unbiased, and honest review within 30 days. This thread is my effort to honor that commitment.
As far as I can discern, iSPECLE is a subsidiary brand and trademark of Guang Zhou Bo Tao Xin Xi Ke Ji You Xian Gong Si, an overseas manufacturing concern and importer of, primarily, mobile phone accessories and other small personal technology items -- not hammocks or other outdoor gear. In fact, as far as I can tell, they don't make any outdoor products except for the integrated-net mosquito hammock they sent me. Obviously, as I never even heard of them until a few weeks ago when I googled it, I have no affiliation with iSPECLE, its parent company, or any of its employees, and I do not stand to gain anything from sales of this product. (They said I could keep the hammock so I didn't have to worry about damaging it or sending it back after my evaluation.)
As a community, most of us here on Hammock Forums are used to high-end, custom-built, American-made camping hammocks full of innovative features and comprising the latest high-tech fabrics and materials.
This ain't that.
That said, the iSPECLE Camping Hammock occupies a decidedly different market niche. It seems to be positioned aggressively to interest the non-enthusiast entry-level consumer who wants a convenient, quick-to-set-up, bug-free casual hammock for lounging and occasional overnighting. Hammock campers of virtually every level of snobbery will probably be familiar with the ubiquitous Equip Mosquito Hammock sold at Wal-Mart stores everywhere (as well as through the Amazon Marketplace), which occupies this same section of the hammock market. The iSPECLE Camping Hammock seems to have thrown its hat in the ring as a direct challenger to the Equip in terms of price point and feature set; as a result, I think it's logical to make most of my appraisals of the specifications and features of the iSPECLE using the Equip as a benchmark, rather than a Warbonnet Blackbird, Dutchware Chameleon, or Dream Hammock Darien.
So, in the world of $40 all-in-one-bag mass-market imported integrated-net hammocks, the Equip Mosquito Hammock offering from Wal-Mart (which was actually the first hammock I ever owned or spent the night in) delivers baseline construction and features one can see in a host of similar mass-produced overseas-made hammocks of similar design: a short 9.5-foot length, a three-piece hammock body (to achieve a scant standard-width), heavy but bombproof fabric, no-frills rope suspension (used for the gathered ends as well), and and a set of very heavy and cheap clip-style caribiners; in the case of the Equip, it provides some stubby fiberglass spreader bars and synthetic cord to allow the user to suspend the net above the occupant, attached and integrated into the hammock by an adequate off-brand zipper. The original Equip Mosquito Hammock (in Moss Green, #WM-96102) weighed in at around 2.75 pounds in its attached bag with all the trimmings, but the manufacturer recently revamped the product, and the newer two-tone (Blue/Green) version (#WM-96160) uses a lighter, softer fabric that packs smaller and comes in at 2.5 pounds with all accessories. (Both Equip hammocks are actually heavier than their claimed weights.)This is that against which iSPECLE intends to compete.
My iSPECLE Camping Hammock came neatly wrapped in an unassuming plain brown box with nothing but a small sticker for identification. Each major component -- the hammock, the strap set, and the minimalist leaflet -- came individually wrapped in plastic. My first impression was, "This actually looks surprisingly nice". My second impression was, "This isn't really a 'camping hammock'..."
The iSPECLE Camping Hammock is 114" long by 57" wide, as advertised, but mine was heavier than its claimed weight (on Amazon) of 29.3 ounces (830 grams). The hammock itself, along with its zippered integrated bug net, springform stays, and crappy clip caribiners, weighs in at 27.2 ounces (1.70 pounds or 772 grams) and comes packed down into its attached drawstring bag, anchored to the hem at the midpoint of its entry side, forming a surprisingly compact disc about 9.5" in diameter and less than 2" thick. The pair of 10-foot bar-tacked daisy chain tree straps, weighing 5.9 ounces (0.37 pounds or 168 grams) were packed separately, but they don't add too much bulk when stuffed in the bag with the hammock (total weight of 33 ounces, 2.1 pounds or 940 grams). It has a claimed weight rating of 440 pounds, but I would be pretty concerned about using it with live loads over 350 pounds; I was only able to test it at 175 pounds.
The single-layer body of the iSPECLE hammock is made from a single piece of 70D nylon taffeta (i.e., no ripstop grid) in a pleasing bright blue color. The mesh of the bug net is grey, and, while soft and fairly lightweight, it is something less fine than the typical no-see-um mesh found on most high-end cottage vendor camping hammocks. The net is held up by thin (spaghetti-like) fiberglass stays looped in sewn channels of polypro webbing that traverse the net on either end, very light and surprisingly sturdy given that they are certainly breakable (and, fortunately, also removable and (theoretically) replaceable). The sewn-end channels were also of single-layer construction, somewhat haphazardly sewn (when I took them apart) and gathered with thick black knotted rope; the rope along with the cruddy cast and plated caribiners adds a good bit of unnecessary weight that could have easily been avaoided by the manufacturer; fortunately, these could certainly be replaced by the end user with Amsteel continuous loops and lightweight alternative biners if one wished to lighten one's load. The tree straps are nylon (not polyester), so they exhibit some stretch and bounce, but under load they were certainly serviceable; they were exceedingly well bar-tacked, albeit in a shade of chartreuse that makes tennis balls look muted, and the loop increments of about 4" provided adequate adjustability. Owing to the unique design of bug net, there was no ridge line on the iSPECLE hammock, nor does there seem to be any facility to add one without permanent modification to the netting or fabric.
The iSPECLE deploys with lightning efficiency. Wrap the tree straps around the anchor trees and thread them through their end loops. Then remove the ends of the net stays from the drawstring bag and pull out the hammock body. Clip the head end and foot end to appropriate loops in the tree straps using the included caribiners, and the bug net pops perfectly into place. To stow the hammock, one must unclip the caribiners gathered ends and gather the net stays together; one end of the stays is inserted into the attached stuff sack, followed by the hammock body, and then the remaining ends of the stays are looped and collapsed into the sack before drawing it shut.
Entry into and egress from the iSPECLE Camping Hammock is provided by an L-shaped two-way zipper on the left side of the hammock. The zipper does not traverse end to end, but the portion on the head end rises up about a foot from the hem, just inboard of the head-end bug net stay, creating a triangular flap that allows just enough give and clearance for the occupant to get in or out in a relatively unfettered fashion. There were no zipper pulls provided on any of the tabs, but the action of the zipper itself was pretty good for such a cheap component.
Fit and finish were adequate but less than perfect. There were a couple of long hanging threads on the interior hems of the hammock, and the raw edge of the bug net mesh is left exposed inside rather than being bound, overcast, or folded. (I had been spending a lot of time in my perfectly finished Dutchware Chameleon hammock when the iSPECLE arrived, so I found the hurried finishing details on the Camping Hammock rather noticeable in contrast.) However, the actual structural integrity of the hammock remained good throughout the evaluation period, and the only fault of construction I found was the closure snap on one of the bug net stays, which popped open on occasion; while exposed, it didn't migrate much and didn't really affect the experience of using either the net or the hammock.
I slept in this odd little hammock for three nights straight during the first week I had it, as well as on several additional nights over the subsequent weeks, for a total of seven overnight tests. I am 6'2" tall with relatively broad shoulders for my 175-pound frame, and my initial suspicions were confirmed. For someone my size (or taller/heavier), I would doubt that the iSPECLE would be the first choice for one's overnight camping hammock. It simply did not provide the level of support or comfort that a proper cottage vendor camping hammock provides, because, while the nominal width of the hammock body was adequate, the short length brought the gathered ends together in a way that constrained my diagonal lay. However, head to head with similarly sized inexpensive big-box options like the Equip Mosquito Hammock (in which I've spent many nights), I would say that the comfort level of the iSPECLE is definitely comparable. I like fairly supportive hammocks as a rule; the iSPECLE has some noticeable stretch, which I think helped avoid any calf ridge (I experienced none) but definitely contributed to a degree of shoulder squeeze. However, I would expect a smaller, lighter occupant to find the iSPECLE hammock body comfortable and compliant compared to the thick, rough materials common in low-end mass-produced hammocks. The lack of a structural ridge line bothered me, even beyond not having anyplace to clip or hang anything inside the hammock. (I finally clipped a tiny keychain light to one of the zipper tabs inside just to have some available illumination!) The hammock's lay seemed to be improved by stringing it at shallow hang angles (below 30 degrees), tighter than I would have pitched it if it had an 83% ridge line (which makes me even more concerned about its claimed 440-pound load capacity). I tried the iSPECLE with a closed-cell foam pad on some nights and a short synthetic underquilts, and I found the lightweight, flexible pad was actually easier to wrangle than the UQ, although I'm not sure why. So, not exactly a purpose-built" camping hammock", despite the name, but definitely adequate for the task if one needed to spend the night in the iSPECLE, and probably better for those smaller of stature, owing to the length.
However, for long afternoons of casual lounging free from insect pests, the iSPECLE was really quite convenient and pleasing, even for someone of my height who likes to stretch out. Set-up and take-down times were substantially better than with my old Equip, entry and exit were smooth, the lay was fine for more casual positions and for shorter durations, and it weighs a quarter-pound less than the big-box hammock. The looped stays that support the bug net provide a real feeling of spaciousness when you're passing time inside the iSPECLE on a sunny afternoon, reading a book or catching a nap while keeping insect pests at bay. One can even flip the hammock body of the iSPECLE over (net on the bottom, stay removal optional) to use it as a netless lounger. These more casual modes were where the iSPECLE Camping Hammock really excelled. It is flat and light enough to toss in a day pack or keep in the seat pocket of your vehicle for impromptu relaxation opportunities, and it serves this purpose far better than as a full-tilt backcountry hang, for which its specs and feature set leave something to be desired.
My bottom line: If you understand its limitations and accept its minor faults, the iSPECLE Camping Hammock is actually a very good value and a nice alternative entry into casual integrated-net hammocks, a worthy challenger to its mass-market competition. Thanks to iSPECLE for allowing me to evaluate it, and thanks to you for reading this product review.
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Originally Posted by Cabmanhang
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