Review: Go! Outfitters Hammock

I had one of my awaited Kickstarter projects come in not too long ago and I have had some fun setting up up, and working out the configurations of.

This is the Go! Outfitters Hammock, which I had Wish-Lust'ed and even followed up, when the stretch goals were released.

I love hammocks, and get into them as often a I can manage. I have quite the collection these days, with the Sierra-Madre Pares hammock, and its Nube tent system. I even have a, Hummingbird mega-hammock
and a backpacking EaglesNest Outfitters hammock.

I opted for the fully kitted out version of the Go! Hammock, which includes a built in mosquito net and optional tree straps with cinch buckles. These webbing straps have a sewn loop at one end to feed through themselves, around your anchor point, be that a tree, mounted hard point or girder.

The cinch buckle itself is fitted with a loop of high performance cord, which is Amsteel. Che cinch works really well, and makes adjusting the hammock a breeze. It's just a matter of strapping and cinching.



The second optional feature is the Ridgeline cord, This is a lighter cord, also Amsteel in 7/64", has larks heads knot which can be looped through either the included steel carabner or through the heavy duty cords that feed through the hammock to hook it up.

The Ridgeline lets you hook up the hammock at exactly the right tension every time, as it's length is pre-set to give the optimal positioning. It can feed through the eyelet at either end of the flyscreen, from inside to allow you to suspend the flyscreen over the line.

When the Ridgeline is fitted internally, there are three loops of the same flyscreen material the rest of the top cover is made from that are spread evenly to ensure the fly remains securely fitted, although this means that you cant shrug it off and over if you choose not to use the fly later on, without taking the hammock down to adjust.








It is also possible to run the Ridgeline outside the hammock, which drops it lower as it adds length to the hammock attachment points.

There are three external loops to run the Ridgeline through so it hangs lower, which is not such  a big deal, but it can give you a little more sag if thats better for you.

The hammock is fitted with twin double sided zippers so you can climb in or out, and seal yourself away from flying or crawling biters. Even if you're only four.

The zippers are probably the weakest part of the whole setup; they are a very fine toothed zip, which seems to bind up a little bit under the tension of bodies in the hammock, some adjustment is needed in order to do the zip up all the way. No big deal for me, but made it hard for Tactical baby.

The inside of the hammock is really lovely design, the asymmetrical cut of the body allows very comfortable, stable bedding. The higher sides on either edge cradle the head and feet, rather than press down on them, in the way that other more symmetrical hammocks do, when you lay cross-ways. This was again nicely demonstrated my Tactical Baby, who also loves hammocks, and hates personal boundaries.

Another really nice feature of the Go! Hammock is that it features guy line attachment points, (and includes guy lines and tent-stakes) for you to set up, to tension the flyscreen, in order to give you a nice solid setup.

There are also fly attachment points on the body of the fly as well, to give you a truly tent like experience. This was a really cool addition to my camping setup, now that I have four individual hammocks, and one really large one, I could probably host an entirely suspended camping trip.

Treetops anyone?

Wish Lust: Platatac - BF pack

Early last year I popped into Platatac HQ in Hallam and shot the breeze with BDC himself. He took me through the warehouse, and the factory, where all their in-house kit is constructed.

One of the things he showed me was the then as-yet unreleased BF Pack,
and I was pretty impressed. I then saw them again having been given prominent display at the SSAA SHOT Show this year, and whilst I haven;t managed to pick one up myself, I wanted to get a bit of a Wish-Lust review out there for you all, as they look like a really innovative pack.

The BF pack is designed as a short patrol pack, with key features to cover a variety of soldiering needs.

It would provides every soldier with a personal TACEVAC litter, SSE bag and room to enhance mission capability as needed, according to Platatac.

The main feature that sets this pack apart form anything I've seen previously is a lightweight TACEVAC litter, capable of carrying a soldier and his equipment, out of harms way for further treatment, built right into the pack.

Pic swiped from Platatac

The pack itself is comparable to that of other short patrol packs like the Propper UC pack I recently covered , measuring 46cm (18") x 27cm (10") x 9cm (3.5") internally but encompassing an expanding  SSE pocket allowing quick stowage of documents or extra equipment to further your load capacity. This is stored away behind zippered flaps, and cinching compression straps and topped with a hook-and-loop cover flap to keep it secure.

Pic swiped from Platatac

When those straps are unhooked, I wonder how well the fabric of the SSE pocket holds up against the load of the front of the pack, but with it, I've no doubts.

An ADDITIONAL kangaroo pouch beneath the external cover flap will take a triple shingle or insert for extra mags/medic supplies or other similarly sized kit for even more sustainment in the field.

Clever design also adds a pocket for hydration bladders to be stored behind the cord-locked SSE pocket.

Pic swiped from Platatac

The pack also features a small 3 row, 5 channel PALS-MOLLE covered external admin pouch with a two internal mesh pocket allows you to store and have easy access to essential documents, gadgets, spare batteries, cyalume or whatever kit you need to have on-hand when out and about. There is no shortage of storage in this pack, and that's even before you look at the main compartment.

Pic swiped from Platatac

Internally the main compartment is fitted with full PALS-MOLLE webbing, all of which is also loop-field for taking either permanently attached pouches, or "tear-away" ones. the "back" is fitted with 7 rows of 6 channels, and the front lip has 8 rows of 6 channels. The whole thing clam-shells for ease of access to everything stored.

I must say I really prefer this over the all-loop/no MOLLE lining of the Propper UC pack, as most of my internal carriage would be permanent pouches. There are three zippered off internal pockets, one on the back, and two on the front the back one being big enough to take a 3L hydration bladder. Two ports give hydration tube / antenna access points.

Another cool feature is the wire fed Quick Release System (QRS) built right in. Feeding the included wire through the built in loops, and the back of a plate-carrier, or a larger pack, you have the option to with a yank of the top handle, release the back and have full access to its features. 

This makes utilizing the built in and lightweight TACEVAC litter, which is designed to be capable of carrying a soldier and his kit,out of danger. I checked, and Platatac don't recommend using it as a hammock, it's not designed for that. The two sides of the litter stow away into hook-and-loop closed inset pockets, and are accessed by simply pulling away at the tabs. The pack straps can even be stowed away in the top pocket when the QRS is employed.

All in all, from the twin side carry handles, to the use of the same quality materials and hardware I've come to expect from Platatac to the level of detail given to not only carry capacity, but also clever storage options for all the loads, the BF pack would be a good step up from my old favorite the Bulloch Echo even before the addition of the litter feature.

I really hope this kind of system makes it's way into regular use, I can only imagine the benefits to those putting themselves in harms way to have a fast and effective way to deploy a TACEVAC system like this.

Update: Go! hammock stretch goal.

I covered the Go! Hammock a little while ago as a Wish-Lust item. Jason Montgomery, creator of the Go! Hammock Kickstarter tells me he has had lots of people asking about the possibility of adding a bug net option. He is pleased to announce that all backers will have the option to upgrade, for a fee. He isn't yet sure about the upgrade price yet. 

This version of the hammock will have an integrated bug net that is sewn on.

A long zipper will be set along one side of the net to close it. The hammock can be used without the bug net by removing the ridgeline from inside the net, flipping the hammock over. The upgrade will include four stakes and four pieces of shock cord for tying off the net to keep it our of the way. 

Go check out the Kickstarter here!

Review: Sierra Madre - Pares hammock

As first seen on BreachBangClear!

I covered the tent-component of the Sierra Madre Research system, the Nubé not long ago, and I wanted to also show off their very well thought out hammock component as well.

The Pares hammock system follows on from the design philosophy as on the Nubé, with its 100% nylon fabric body, lending it softness to the touch, stretch for comfortable shaping, resilience to UV degradation and both fast drying and breathable for comfort even on rainy days.



With a packed weight of 640g (1lb 6.5oz) the Pares stretches out to a massive 3.3m (10'9.5") long and a stretched width of 1.98cm (6'6"). This of course only gives you an indicator oh how much fabric is involved, not necessarily the usable space, but we'll get to that.

Packed into its own Pares Compression bag (SMr’s dry bag design), it bundles up into a 14cm (5.5") x 14cm (5.5") x 12cm (4.5") ball, with a long flap suitable to stowing both the accessory straps and the carabiners used to set it up.

Again as in the Nubé the compression bag features webbing that feeds from a single loop, so you have no dangling ends, and the loop itself is an attachment point. It's a very subtle addition and adds a lot of value. Simple a one handed pull on the loop tightened both sides.

 The Pares is recommended for a nominal user weight of 140kg (300lbs) but has a full tested strength of 450kg (1000lbs) so if you're either loaded down with gear when you hit the sack, or are just a big, solid kind of sentient being, you should be ok.

Nearly 50 percent wider than the ultra light xPlor model of the SMr range, this is a more spacious hammock than the others I've used any time recently, if you dont count the purpose built multi-person ones and provided me several comfortable nights sleep out at an event. I'm a tall critter, at 6'4" and my wingspan is almost 6'6", so to have a hammock that I can lay in sideways, couch style and still have room to go, sideways, was a big plus.

One of the things I really liked about the Pares was that those top layers, the light green, not only added padding when gound couch-style, but when laying down longways, curled over forming a cocoon, enveloping me and acting as an extra-bug screening layer. They also added some privacy when I was changing, and also when in bed, doing some reading by Orb-light.

The Pares includes a couple of really interesting features that set it aside from other hammocks I've used: Attached to that outer lip at two points, one at each end, on the right hand side if you're laying in it, are grab handles, which really help getting around within it, by letting you shift up or down in the otherwise silky nylon, as well as getting in and out easily. These are sewn into the well made top seam fairly securely, and I didn't have any concerns hauling myself up and around by it.

The other feature on the body of the hammock worth noting are the two attachment points at the mid-line.

These twin pieces of nylon hardware feature a loop-hole, as well as a webbing-wide hole, and can act as both a gear and accessory hanging points, but also fit the internal clips on the Nubé, inner liner, opening up the Pares from that cocoon effect.

At each end of the hammock is a heavy bundled knot, where all the fabric is drawn, and a loop of cord is exposed. These are where you affix your hammock to whatever you are suspending it from.

Those connection loops will let you fit any kind of attachment, but the Sierra Madre team have their own system. Their EZSlings allow you to easily hang your Pares hammock in less than a minute, or a little longer if you are fitting it with the Nubé as well. These consist of 315cm (10'4") of tubular webbing and high strength cordage with loops at one end, to feed through itself, and to the hammock at the other end. The cord is doubled and has a set of staggered knot to give you graduated attachment points The straps are rated to 450kg (1000lbs) as well, and the pair only weigh 185g (6.5oz).

To round off the package, they also protect the tree from scarring or any other damage that may be caused to a tree by small ropes used to hang your hammock. Looping it through itself makes a really secure hold to whatever you secure it to. I found that those graduated knots really made it difficult to get the hammock to just the right spot, I found. I adjusted it a few times, but had to do some fiddling to make it right, too much sag is too not good in a hammock. Not insurmountable, but annoying. I found myself touching the ground a couple of times until I adjusted it.I could have set it higher, but thats not the point. Still, it's just a matter of adjustment.

SMr also fit out their deluxe package with a couple of wire-gated carabiners to let you have clip on access to both the slings, and the attachment cords for easy, secure set-up and take-down. They themselves have a 22KN axial load rating and up to 2265kg (500lbs). No fear of falling on your ass from that angle, anyway.

One last cool thing with the SMr system, you can sling a second hammock under the first (if you have enough clearance) to create what SMr call Hambunks. This is a cool idea, and probably excellent with kids, but I don't think I'd want to have one of my buddies asses right in my face all night.  Not the way we eat in the field ...

This is a seriously comfortable hammock, and I really enjoy hanging out in it, camping 000

Wish Lust: GO! Outfitters - Go! Hammock

As well as my collection of flashlights, pouches and knives,  I seem to have started collecting a surprising amount of hammocks. Hammocks are great forms of hiking, camping and adventure bedding that have been used for centuries.

I keep an eye out for hammock projects on Kickstarter too, because I like to support makers, and I am always on the lookout for new designs and models. One such that is coming up is the Go! Hammock:

At 480g (17 oz) its a lighter hammock than several of the other I have and yet it measures 3.3m (132") long by a rather staggering 1.7m (70") wide. That extra width eliminates uncomfortable pressure points by distributing the user's body weight more evenly than traditional hammocks. Its generous size allows freedom to move around and makes it easy find lots of comfortable positions, even for side sleepers. In order to reduce the curved body position that's associated with hammocks, Go! Hammock is cut to allow the user to lay at a diagonal angle.

To deal with the large amounts of fabric that large hammocks like this can sometimes have overhanging the sides, the designers have added  removable fabric tensioners that pull the loose fabric out of the way. The tensioners make folds in the fabric, giving the hammock its unique shape. I am really keen to see how this looks and feels in person.
Another feature of the Go! hammock are a set of optional tree straps with cinch buckles.  These add only 300g (10.5oz).  Each 1" wide strap is 4.5m (15') long to make it easy to find a place to set up your hammock, just by looping the strap through itself and tensioning the cinch buckle. Its a clever way around the attachment point issue hammock users come up agaisnt.


The tree straps and cinch buckles and the Go! Hammock will all fit into the integrated stuff sack.

The last optional feature is the Ridgeline cord. In order for a hammock to be as comfortable as possible, it must be set up with a certain amount of sag. The Ridgeline feeds through the attachment cords at the ends of the hammock and sets the sag of the hammock for maximum comfort every time. It would also make a great place to hang gear, such as lights, socks, a mosquito net or even  to support a rainfly or tarp when hammock camping.

I'm looking forwards to see how the Kickstarter campaign runs, and hopefully I'll be able to add a Go! Hammock to my collection,  and fit out the whole family for off-the-ground sleeping and relaxing. Swinging safe above the grasping fingers of the zombie hoards, or just away from creepy-crawlies.

Review: Sierra Madre Research - Nube hammock tent

I have been waiting to get a good set up to take pictures of this next piece I wanted to share with you all..

Quite some time ago I backed a Kickstarter project for what  I thought was a pretty far out idea. A tent for a hammock. I love hammocks, you may recall I have several already, from the vast 5 person Hummingbird Mega-hammock to the pocket sized adventure ready Eagles Nest Outfitters hammock.

The folks at Sierra Madre Research came up with an answer to a question that has been posed by hammock lovers: how do you get tent like comfort in a hammock?

This is the Nubé.

The Nubé (pronounced "new-bay" for those who don't know how to pronounce the squiggles) is more than just a hammock shelter like a tarp or other top-cover, it’s a more like a safe haven for you and your gear wherever you are. Regular tents are subject to ground water, lumpy terrain, and all kinds of ground critters.

The Nubé is a complete hammock shelter,  which not only acts as a very broad rain cover, is fully enclosed with mesh side, protecting protecting you from insects, snakes and facehuggers. It keeps you and your gear elevated and protected, letting you hang out in comfort.

The Nubé is designed to be compatible with any camping hammock system and does itself not bear any weight. It attaches to and is suspended by your hammock suspension system, which in turn bears your weight and the gear stowed in the underslung Gear Stash below.

At the top of the Nubé is made from a 40 Denier nylon rip stop with 2 coats of silicone on the top and bottom of the fabric. The corners of the rain-shield hosts the Sky Hooks, a pair of reinforced webbing straps connect to 3mm Dyneema cordage (with easy-spot reflective tracers in the weave). These attach to hammock suspension system and are held taught by it.












At six points around the base of the cover, 2mm Dynema cords attached to similar webbing straps (which all also bear reflective flashings).

The cords tied down to the very nice aluminium mini-star picket with eyelets to feed the cords through, so you don't loose them when you're well off-grid somewhere. The tie-downs are notched to facilitate better attachment.

These come in a pouch that attaches to the tent pouch. This is probably the least elegant part of this system. The tie down cords wrap around the webbing, and are kept in place when in storage by a very clever hook and loop flap built into the webbing.


The Nubé fits around the hammock and completely encloses it, and works its way up the attachment system cords at both ends, and has Verso Closure Sleeves an elastic drawstring sphincter, with a cord-lock. These seal down around the main cords and not only block the rain, but also keep out bugs and all manner of creepy invaders.

The whole Nubé weighs  1.2kg (2lbs 10oz) and when fully set up is 3.6 - 3.9m (12 - 13') depending on how far the end Closure Sleeves are set up.

The Nubé sits at 2.7m (9') wide, not counting the tie down cords. That is a lot of umbrella coverage, which really impressed me.

And then you need to see the INSIDE of the tent.
The mesh bug-shield is fully integrated with the cover and zippers shut, along the whole length of one side. There are toggles spaced along the opposite wall allow you to tuck it all away as needed.

There are lots of internal features inside the shelter as well. On both sides there are two triangular pockets which both also feature gear clips at the bottom. The height achievable from the ground is based basically only restricted by where you have slung your hammock, but I have found that I can stand up fairly comfortably stand (at 6'4") in the shelter at the height I like slinging my hammock. There is even room to sling a SECOND hammock, forming what Sierra Madre call a HamBunk, (seen here in green and orange).

The base of the  shelter is where the Gear Stash is located, made of 70 Denier nylon with a rip stop weave (with a PU coating of 1200mm) along the very bottom of the mesh lined bottom half and it is almost long enough to act as a mini hammock all on its own (it's certainly big enough for Tactical Baby, now 3, to lay in happily).

 The Gear Stash has it's own suspension cord, and a cinch closure as well, which keeps it off the ground and secured. As the Nubé is not designed to be weight bearing, the fact that the Gear Stash has it's own cords means that you can really load it up.

I was really impressed with every aspect of the Nubé (apart from the peg bag, but I also cant think of a better way to store them, so I won't complain too loudly).

The Gear Stash is quite spacious, and I can imagine you being able to fit a bunch of stuff down there, it's long and narrow, so a big wide pack like an MALICE 2 pack might spill over the sides, but it can certainly take a number of narrower packs, like the Platatac Nomad covert, and the Mystery Ranch 1Day Assault Pack easily enough, even togther.

One of the really cool things the Sierra Madre team have thought to add are a number of QR 2d barcode links to "how-to" for each of the features on YouTube. I found this really useful (and thankfully when I set it up for the first time I was in a service area), and the tabs themselveswere of a long lasting plastic, so hopeully they will last for next time I am caught scratching my head lookign at a web of parts.

That said the Nubé was remarkably intuitive to set up, but with so many features, its worth doing your research and learning how to use it most effectively. All the Seirra Madre products are fitted with compression sacks, and even these had had a lot of thought out into them.

The Nubé sack features four tightening points, but these are made with two U-shaped loops of webbing, so you have no loose trailing ends, and a carry handle built in. It packs down to 25 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm (10" x 6" x 6") and is a neat little ball.

Everything about this system was really well thought out, and I'm really looking forwards to my next outdoor sleeping experience (post-apocalyptic LRP "After The Fall").


The Nubé is constructed by skilled hands in SMR's manufacturing facility SMR ILLUMINATE in Managua, Nicaragua. They also do humanitarian work, it gives me a good feeling to know that not only did I back the creation of a cool product, but the people that do it go on to make the world more robust.

Stay tuned for reviews on their other components to the Nubé system:

• The Pares Hammock, the purpose built, deluxe platform to base the Nubé around.
• The xPlor hammock, the base level hammock, perfect to add to build the HamBunk twin system.
• The Nubé Floor is an accessory that gives you the ability to set up your Nubé as a ground shelter, without trees.
• The Nubé Winter Barrier is an accessory that gives your Nubé 4th season protection. 

Review: Hummingbird - Mega hammock

Summer has arrived here in Melbourne ( don't let the rain and storms fool you) and I have broken the hammocks out, because in the afternoon and evenings, our house retains the heat and radiates like an oven.

I've covered hammocks before, with the Eagles Nest single hiking hammock, but I found an excellent Kickstarter for a mega hammock, to suit my burgeoning family needs. The good folks at Hummingbird Hammocks pitched a "Mega Hammock" and successfully funded.

The mega hammock is designed to hold three to five people, and is rated to carry 450kg (1000lbs). I like to sling it in my back yard, and have taken it camping (although we didn't find a good place to set it up, so haven't had the pleasure of sleeping in it, in the wild).  It measures 5.5m x 2.4m (18' x 8) and spreads out nicely.

Three distinct panels are sewn together to form the body of the hammock, and Hummingbird are proud to say that they use construction techniques borrowed from the Parachute Industry Association, and materials that are likewise parachute grade.

Their mega hammock is made out of 1.9oz polyurethane coated ripstop nylon, which is incredibly strong (rated at about 100lbs per square inch.) The edges of the hammock have type 17 nylon webbing sewn in and used for the attachment points to the four corners. This webbing is rated for 1100kg (2500lbs), will not stretch, and is low bulk. The fabric has a lot of give, and the edge seams and the three panel seams are sewn such that you get uniform "give" throughout.

All the stitching is done on an industrial sewing machine using size 69 bonded nylon thread, which along with everything else used to make the hammocks is very strong and is the very same thread used on parachutes.

They offer several different colours, but I jumped at the coyote-brown option, whcih also goes some way to cover up any goopy-hands stains that my minions may present.

In additiontothe webbing loops in the corners, Hummingbird supply soft link attachments instead of traditional carabiners. These are apparently used widely in skydiving today as a means of connecting the parachute lines to the jumper. They contain no hard parts, are stronger than a carabiner of similar size, weigh next to nothing, and are impossible to cross load.

A simple length of high strength cord, with a loop at either end, one end having a tab of webbing sewn in.  You loop it through itself twice, and you have a light, secure and bomb-proof anchor connector. I have lengths of 2" webbing that I use as my attachment to the steel beams, concrete pillars and roofing beams that I sling mine off. I figure the 5500lbs breaking load the webbing means I don't have to worry where I sling this. Perfect for the rafters of an abandoned warehouse, or between Ewok trees.

The hammock comes with its own stuff-sack, and packs down into a small-pillow or sleeping bag sized bundle. It was quite an investment, but thus far, if nothing but the joy of my littles ones is a measure, it's been fully worth it. Having a portable, hardy betting option is nothing to be sniffed at either, and there are many situations where I would want to bunk-down well off ground level.

Especially if I need to watch out for stobor.

The Hummingbird Mega hammock certainly is big, and quite comfortable with a number of people in it. Be sure to sling it high enough to be off the ground when loaded up, but not so high as to be impossible to get in or out comfortably.

Review: Eagles Nest Outfitters - DoubleNest hammock

 Summertime brings hot winds and hot houses here in Melbourne, and having some options to escape the heat are always welcome.

Several years ago, in the lead up to a camping expedition, my partner Anstia gave me a hammock, which I have subsequently set up in my back yard for when the weather is good.

I've enjoyed hammocks whenever I've had the chance to make use of one, but until now, had never owned a production one myself.

This particular model is the charmingly named Double Nest by Eagles Nest Outfitters.

Made of a breathable, quick drying nylon and constructed with heavy duty triple stitched seams, this is a sturdy piece, even for all its light weight material.


This model has a carrying capacity of 180kg (400lbs) and is designed to accommodate two people.

When set up, it measures 2.85m x 1.85m (9' 4" x 6' 2") which gives plenty of space to stretch out, even for a long body like me, and the width has made it possible for me to swing happily, even with one or two of the offspring in with me. I can well imagine being able to squeeze another adult sized person in with me, or if I were fully kitted out, give myself a place to get some rest.

When folded up, the hammock stows in its own sewn-in stuff sack, with a built-in compression strap,
and packs down to a 10cm diameter, 12 cm high bundle (4" x 5")and weighs only 565g (20 oz). This is small enough that it can sit in almost any bag, and even a few larger pouches (like the Tactical Tailor Joey hydration pouch) with ease.

The hammock comes with sturdy rope loops at each end, and a carabiner attached on to those. Eagles Nest Outfitters offers a range of lashing straps, and attachment kits, but I simply use regular poly rope.

At home I have it secured it to my verandah's steel superstructure, mounted very low so Tactical baby and Triceratops Girl can clamber into it unassisted. Out in the field, I would use reclaimed seat-belt webbing (as it would give good surface connection to trees, rocks and the like, without the rough treatment rope might give tree bark). You can see here that being a double sized hammock, there was plenty of material to wrap myself with, when in it myself.

The trick is to be sure that the attachment method is safe and secure, and fit to bear the load you are intending to suspend. Given a second line, and a poncho, it would be possible to easily make a rain shelter, as well as a bug-screen, with some mesh, which would also ball up into a tiny space. Perfect for catching some rack time, especially in inclement conditions, post disaster when regular accommodation becomes unavailable.

I've often though that being able to sleep safe, dry and secure is a luxury that everyone should work towards, and if you are able to do so, sleeping up off the ground is always my preference.