Hennessy Hammock Expedition Zip review: the complete hammock shelter in one bag
Most hammock setups are assembled from parts: a hammock from one maker, a tarp from another, a net, straps. Hennessy Hammock, a company from British Columbia that has been refining one design for about forty years, sells the whole shelter as a single piece. The Expedition Zip is its most popular model: hammock, bug net, ridgeline, rain fly and suspension in one bag.
Quick take
A complete hammock shelter at 2 lb 12 oz (1.25 kg): an asymmetric hammock with a sewn-in no-see-um net, a side zip, a structural ridgeline, a rain fly and ropes with tree straps. It is comfortable on the diagonal, quick to pitch once learned, and proven over decades. It fits campers up to 6 feet (183 cm) and 250 pounds (114 kg), the rain fly is on the small side, and you still need insulation underneath.
What it does
The Expedition Zip is an asymmetric hammock: the fabric is cut and tied out so that the diagonal lay, lying at an angle across the hammock to get flat, is built into its shape. Two side tie-outs pull the body open and keep the net off your face. A structural ridgeline, a fixed cord between the two ends, sets the sag, so the bed feels the same on every pitch.
The bug net is sewn to the hammock, with a full-length zip along one side using a heavy #10 YKK zipper. You sit down, swing your legs in and zip up, as you would with a tent door. On clear nights the mesh can be held open. The bottom is 70-denier nylon and the net is 30-denier no-see-um mesh.
The rain fly is a 70-denier polyester ripstop tarp that clips to the suspension lines and stakes out at two corners. Suspension is polyester rope rated to 1,500 pounds (680 kg), tied off to webbing straps that go around the trees to protect the bark. The whole system packs to about 4 x 7 x 9 inches (10 x 18 x 23 cm). For where a hammock works and where it does not, see our guide to hammocks and tents.
What verified buyers say
Across verified-purchase reviews, the same points come up:
- Everything is in the bag. The reason most people chose it. Buyers who priced a hammock, net and fly separately found the complete system cost about the same and saved the guesswork.
- Comfortable and stable. Owners who tried several hammocks first call it the most comfortable they have used, and people who cannot sleep on a pad in a tent report sleeping well.
- Dry in a storm. Several describe staying dry through heavy rain under the supplied fly.
- Well built. Materials and workmanship are praised repeatedly, including by former soldiers and long-time users.
- Quick to pitch with practice. After a few tries, setup and packing are described as fast and easy.
- Many owners change the suspension. A common upgrade is to replace the tied rope lashing with adjustable straps or buckles, and to add sleeves that slide over the hammock for faster packing.
- Cold underneath without insulation. Buyers say they slept well only once they had sorted out warmth below them.
Worth knowing
A hammock is cold underneath on any night below about 70°F (21°C) unless you put a sleeping pad inside it or an underquilt beneath it. Hang it only from live, solid trees at least 6 inches (15 cm) thick, never from posts, pillars or dead trees, and check overhead for dead branches first. The stock suspension is tied with a lashing that takes practice, and the supplied tree straps are short for large trunks, so longer straps are worth carrying. The rain fly covers the hammock without much to spare: pitch it low in wind-driven rain, or replace it with a larger tarp such as the AquaQuest Safari for more living space. The warranty is one year.
Who it is for
The Expedition Zip is for the camper who wants a proven, complete hammock shelter and does not want to assemble one from parts: backpackers, canoe trippers, cyclists and motorcycle tourers in forested country. It suits people up to 6 feet (183 cm) tall and 250 pounds (114 kg). Taller or heavier campers should look at Hennessy’s larger models.
If you would sooner choose your own tarp and keep the hammock simple, the onewind 11 ft is longer and costs less. For a first try at hammock sleeping, start with the Wise Owl Outfitters hammock.
Specs at a glance
- Typeasymmetric hammock shelter with sewn-in net
- Fitsup to 6 ft (183 cm) and 250 lb (114 kg)
- Listed weight2.7 lb (1.2 kg) · hammock, net, fly and suspension
- Packed4 x 7 x 9 in (10 x 18 x 23 cm)
- Entryside zip, #10 YKK
- Fabrics70D nylon bottom, 30D no-see-um mesh, 70D polyester ripstop fly
- Suspension1,500 lb (680 kg) test rope with webbing tree straps
- Warrantyone year
- Best fora complete hammock shelter in forest country
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The Verdict
The Hennessy Expedition Zip is a simple way to own a complete, well-made hammock shelter. The asymmetric shape and ridgeline make it comfortable, the sewn-in net and side zip make it easy to use, and the fly keeps the rain off. Plan on insulation underneath, expect to practise the suspension, and consider longer tree straps. For campers within its size limits who want one bag that holds the whole shelter, it is a sound choice.
