If you’re looking for a turnkey hammock shelter, the CamoLink Sleep System XL from ENO may be the one for you. I’ve used ENO hammocks in the past and really like them, but then I’ve had to piece together the other items needed to go from hammock in the backyard to actual backcountry shelter.
This kit, available through Tactical Distributors incorporates the CamoNest XL Hammock, Atlas Camo Suspension System, Guardian Bug Net, ProFly Camo Rain Tarp, and a set of tarp stakes.
The CamoNest XL hammock is made from a breathable 70D nylon taffeta, yet will accommodate up to 400 lbs. The material is also pretty quiet unlike some nylon shelters. The XL hammock is 9’4″ X 6’2″, making it their largest model. The ENO Camo ProFly is made from the same material. While ENO’s hammocks are offered in a wide variety of colorschemes, in this instance, it’s in a forest digital print rich with earth tone greens and Browns.
Hammock camping is the way to go and the ENO probably makes the best hammock, but only their hammock is any good. Everything else is too heavy or poorly designed. I have the bugnet and it’s really heavy and a poor design. I have their underquilt and it’s heavy, a poor design with poor materials. The bugnet zipper is totally vertical which means that it’s always closed. You can’t sit sideways with the bug net on it and relax. The underquilt is not warm. I don’t own the tarp, but it’s bound to be heavy as well and their suspension system is not the best — mostly because it’s heavy. Modularity, however, is key. Here’s how to do it right: You want to restring the ENO doublenest (or any hammock they sell) with paracord or amsteel and prusik two lightweight descender rings onto it. Then use no-stretch webbing to string it up to trees. Plenty of tutorials on how to do this on YouTube. You want an Outdoor Equipment Supplier MacCat tarp and you don’t absolutely need stakes although you can get light ones. Sticks or rocks work just fine. You want insulation from Hammock Gear: underquilts and either a top quilt or I prefer a sleeping bag or blanket (Kifaru Woobie or Doobie). My favorite bugnet is the Wilderness Logics noseeum bug net. Best night sleep you ever had in the woods. The downside is that all of that is expensive, but you know how that goes.
Thanks for the feedback.
I’m irked that ENO doesn’t have a **complete package** that’s (IMHO) ready to go. I **like** my doublenest, but have the same experience as Diggdatt in needing to fiddle with suspension and a tarp, and still haven’t got it all together. Those aren’t accessories in my opinion. My Hennessey takes 3 minutes to hang, and came with everything. While heavier, it’s all in, (all told, cheaper too by the time you add everything up) and in olive drab, it disappears where I pitch it. I’ve slept mine down to 10F, albeit with an Exped Downmat and a -20F down bag, but could have gone WAY colder…
You don’t want to suspend a hammock with paracord. A separate tarp, sure. But paracord isn’t suited to the task. Amsteel, absolutely.
Is it just me or does their forest digital camo look like a digitized version of Rhodesian camo?
It’s not that cool.
I was just looking at these hammocks on Tac Dist. this weekend. Thanks for the info DiggDatt.
meh… I bought one of there hammocks it dry rotted from the sunlight… an increadible waste of money
Ok, there’s a lot more to this story. Taffeta doesn’t just dry rot in the sun.
I’ve had an ENO hammock for quite a while and it’s lasted through a lot of sun (among just about everything else weather wise).
Did it get wet and dry out repeatedly outside/is it very windy where you are?
My guess is he left it outside for a couple of years.
Don’t know anything about hammocks, but that camouflage pattern is not well suited for the application at hand. With such a short repeat it just looks like stripes from afar…
I thought it was French Lizard Stripe initially.
Well, a big blob hanging about 3 feet off the ground between two trees isn’t exactly suspicious, now is it?
I own an embarrassing amount of ENO hammocks and I immediately bought the Camonest XL last year when I heard of it. Its proportions are slightly different than the Doublenest, but close enough to not really matter. I bought it because its camo instead of blue. It’s not great camo, but as stated it’s a big blob hanging off the ground. It’s better than the blue/green and khaki/green models I had already, but really it’s the same reason people buy a Big Gulp cup in Real Tree: “because I like it”.
I actually own multiple NEO products and find them all to be extremely durable, functional and reasonably light weight. Not sure how long ago the first reviewer tried ENO’s insulation but their Blaze UQ has performed incredibly. I’ve been a dedicated hammock camper for over a decade now and have tried much of the cottage industry gear. I simply prefer my ENO gear. I guess to each his own.