Hammock Troubles

[xMagnolia]

OR- a completely different approach: roll out and land on your knees, get up from there. Works great unless it's muddy.

Charlotte

[Runsalone]

OR- a completely different approach: roll out and land on your knees, get up from there. Works great unless it's muddy.

Charlotte

Lol ouch! Let me guess you’re a physical therapist. Job security right? Ha ha

[FLTurtle]

OR- a completely different approach: roll out and land on your knees, get up from there. Works great unless it's muddy.

Charlotte

Works pretty good when you're hammered drunk.

[Ze_Mind]

You say you looked at bottom entry hammocks, but have you tried one? It's almost like one of those chairs that helps you stand up. When lying down, just stick a heel through the opening, followed by your other foot, and stand up, easy-peasy. It's one of the things I miss about my Hennessey (sold it, wish I had just hung on to it). If you can get somewhere to try it without buying - you have nothing to lose.

Other than Hennessy, I can't find any other company that makes them. And where would they have that hammock? Dicks sport store just closed about a year ago. Dunno what Home Depot or Menards has.

Edit?: And thanks to the above, I'll try those things.

[Ze_Mind]

OR- a completely different approach: roll out and land on your knees, get up from there. Works great unless it's muddy.

Charlotte

I actually tried that, and it aint fun..

[cougarmeat]

REI carries Hennessy hammocks. And you can buy direct from Hennessy. Be sure the specify the bottom entry. Also, when you buy from them, you can upgrade the standard “mini” tarp for their general purpose Hex model. They give you the retail price of the small asymmetrical tarp as trade credit.

Note - all that is stuff they used to do. I haven’t done business with them for a while so don’t know now.

[Phantom Grappler]

Here is a Phantom guess

I don’t have a bottom entry hammock and have never got in one.
But in all the group hangs I’ve been on—
Very few, hammock campers are currently using bottom entry hammocks.

Got2B a reason4it
The group as a whole gives bottom entry hammocks a thumbs down pass—without saying a word.

I hope I haven’t made a wrong guess. Additionally, I hope I’ve not hurt anyone’s feelings that really likes their bottom entry hammock.

[cougarmeat]

For me, the bottom entry Hennessy worked great. I moved to other hammocks because the Hennessy is a little small and I wanted to try out other stufft. With Sea Kayaks, one manufacturer added what they called a “Day” hatch behind the cockpit. Never mind that you needed to reenact a scene from the Exorcist in order to turn around to reach/open/close it. Soon, all the other manufacturers added a Day Hatch too. I asked EddieLine if it added any structural integrity to the boat and the person I talked to said it was a marketing necessity and I could have the rear most bulkhead (behind the day hatch) removed for more versatile storage.

I’m guessing the same dynamic was in play with Hennessy. Everyone else's hammocks had a zipper side opening. So Hennessy added that option to stay in the market.

As far as getting in/out of the bottom opening … you could use an underquilt, the Nest (JRB), designed for it or you just push the UQ out of the way. Without the UQ, for getting in, you just duck in the opening, sit down, and pull your legs in. The tension closes the velcro bottom. To get out, you can press with your legs to separate/open the exit port, sit up as you put your legs down, stand up and lift the hammock over your head.

I still keep a Hennessy on hand as part of the display in case someone wants a class.

[LowTech]

If you did add a ridgeline like Phantom Grappler said the you could add a "grab rope" (like a grab bar only softer). I just put one in for my mom who is mobility challenged.
It's made of about 12" of rope in a comfortable grip diameter that I knotted at each end w/ a simple overhand knot. I then made a couple loops of zing-it that I larksheaded just inside the knots on the rope and pussiced to the ridgeline.
It's movable, stays up parallel to the ridgeline, and has been happily used as an aid for getting from laying down to sitting up.

[slugbait]

Phantom- you didn't hurt my feelings. My Hennessy hammock will turn 20 this fall and I still enjoy using it once in a while. The velcro came loose years ago so I removed it rather than repair. My underquilt is hung with shockcord making it easy to push aside with my foot when I get out. I've thought of making a lighter copy of the hammock but am not backpacking much any more.