I recently took advantage of the holiday deal that Hennessy had on their website to get a free "Cub Zip" hammock. Since I couldn't find much information on this hammock (understandable since it is only available as part of a promotion) I wanted to give you guys my thoughts on it, even though I can't get in it to test it out and I don't think my 3 year old is qualified to compare comfort.

The Cub Zip is the smallest of Hennessey's hammocks and is good for someone up to 5'7" and 120lbs. This is slightly less than the 5'8" and 150lbs limits of the Scout. Unlike the classically designed Scout though it is asymmetric and thus matches up with the rest of their hammock lines. The specs on their website say it is 2lbs 1oz without the tree huggers. It measures 2lb 1.8oz on my scale including stuff sack and without the tree huggers. The tree huggers add 2.1oz for a total of 2lb 3.9oz.

As far as I can tell the Cub is a slightly smaller version of the Expedition Zip. They are very similar. I bought the Expedition at the same time and these are things that I noticed when I compared them. According to specs the Cub Zip body is made of 70D nylon. The Expedition Asym is listed as 70D Oxford nylon. After a visual and tactile inspection I believe that the two hammocks' bottoms are made out of the same material. Though I can't be sure, the ridge line also appears to be the same thickness on both. The zipper on the Cub isn't as beefy as the Expedition's zipper though, but it still seems very sturdy. The suspension rope isn't as thick either. The specs agree on this point as it lists the breaking strength of the Cub suspension as 700lbs vs the Expedition's 1600lbs. Also, the tree huggers are 1" wide on the Cub compared to 1.5" wide on the Expedition and the material isn't as heavy/thick.

As for features, the Cub has a mesh organizer and 2 plastic glove hooks on the ridge line. It has a plastic o-ring at each end of the ridge line so you can attach peak bags or other things using carabiners, s-biners, or whatever other means you can come up with. I believe these are all the standard features on Hennessy hammocks and this "kids" model is no exception. As the name suggests this hammock has a zippered side entry instead of the classic bottom entry. Since this is marketed as a kids hammock I am glad of this. Though a bottom entry would likely be easier for a kid to get into I could see it also being a hazard as kids tend to thrash around more than adults and I can imagine a kid falling through a bottom entry. A zippered side entry was a wise choice.

The Cub's tarp is a standard issue Hennessy asym (in other words minimal) tarp. As with other Hennessy tarps it connects to the hammock suspension with hooks and prusik knots. Like the Cub hammock when compared to the Expedition hammock, this tarp is slightly smaller than the Expedition's tarp. I expect that it will have similar performance to other Hennessy stock tarps, for better or worse. If this hammock is going to be used for a child in rainy weather you should probably be experienced and confident in pitching a stock Hennessy tarp or else purchase a more substantial model of tarp.

After inspection and comparison to my Expedition I believe the Cub hammock body should be every bit as strong as it's big brother. The only thing I see holding it back from a higher weight limit is the suspension, which is easily replaced. I would not hesitate to surpass the weight limit if I upgraded the suspension first. If I wanted to be extra sure I would replace the ridge line also. Of course doing any of this would void the warranty and leave you with no legal recourse if something were to happen, though so would exceeding the weight limit.

Since I exceed the height and weight limits of this hammock I can't give a first hand report on the comfort. But Hennessy's asym design is not new and some people swear by it. The Cub is closest in materials to the Expedition Asym Zip and should give you a very similar experience, of course taking into account the shorter dimensions.

In conclusion, I believe the Cub hammock is a high quality, sturdy outdoor shelter. It is not a toy and in fact has the same features as the Expedition Asym Zip. The fact that it is often given away in a promotional deal with another hammock purchase makes this a superb value for anyone who will fit in it.

--Nick