Hennessy Hammock Safari Deluxe Asym Classic

Ideal for those who have struggled with sleeping on the ground. The Hennessy Safari is made for those of us that are on the larger side. Perfect for rough or uneven terrain. Bottom entrance and sewn in netting makes this hammock stand out from the rest.

I recommend this hammock for beginners to seasoned hikers. The ease of setup is great and Hennessy has great "How to Videos."

This hammock is designed and built with the hiker in mind. Versatile, quick to set up, strong, bug proof, and large rain protection footprint.

Highlights: Easy Enter Bottom, Diagonal sleeping design for excellent comfort, Waterproof, Bugproof, Quick setup, Complete System Design.

The Safari Deluxe is the biggest and longest hammock Hennessy makes. It is rated for anyone up to 7' tall and 350 lbs. I am 6' 5" and 250 lbs. I had plenty of room inside the hammock and the hammock was not strained under my weight. While inside the hammock it did not feel flimsy or weak.

Inside the hammock has a ridge line that can be used for hanging a light or any small items of gear. It also includes a mesh pouch that is connected the ridge line for loose items. I also tied my boots to the ridge line and then pushed them to the very end of the hammock. As I leaned back the Velcro opening closed and my boots hung on the outside of the hammock, but still under the rain tarp. 

Setting up the hammock for the first time took me 15 minutes. The majority of this time was understanding how to tie off the hammock to the tree and attaching the rain fly. After the first setup, I was able to set up the hammock in 3 minutes or less. Snake Skins are a must for quick dry setups. I did not use any quick setup hardware. They are not needed. Hennessy recommends a type of figure 8 knot that I used and it is all you need.

I added two Snakeskins to my setup. One for the hammock and one for the rain tarp.  Snake skins are basically two long sleeves that slide over the hammock, one from each end. These Snake skins are designed by Hennessy for their hammock and make setup and tear down easy. They also protect your hammock and give you some rain protection when setting up and tearing down in the rain.

I listed three negatives: weight, limited colors, and desert limitations. The limited colors are not a big deal with me and I prefer the OD green. However I do see an advantage to having colors that stand out in the woods, and possible reflective tab options.   

As with any hammock, desert setups can be limited. I stated limited, not impossible. The Hennessy can be converted into a makeshift ground tent. Although this is not optimality what it was designed for, it would work in pinch. The Asym Zip would be better suited for emergency ground setup, due to the need to enter though the bottom of the Asym Classic.

Weight. Advertised weight was 3 lbs 14 oz. My actual weight was 3 lbs 12.5 oz. (better than advertised). I added the snake skins which brought my actual weight with stuff sack to 4 lb 10 oz. I have done a lot of hiking and have moved my gear more toward the ultralight side. My one-man tent with pad comes in at 3 lbs 2 oz.

Having said that, Hennessy offers two ultralight systems that are 1 lb 12 oz and 1 lb 15 oz. They also have two other models that would have been OK for me, the 300-lb model was 3 lb 3oz, and the 250-lb model was 2 lb 12 oz. Even though this was a negative point with me, Hennessy has many more models that can accommodate the ultralight hikers, or those of you that are blessed with a little less weight.

Below are a few pictures from my last hike using the Hennessy Safari. This site as not suited for tents, but perfect for a hammock. 

About the reviewer:

6' 5"   250 lbs  45 yrs. 

Prior US Army, 10 years, Infantry. (11C)   Korea, Germany, TN, KS, GA,

Working on completing all 800 miles of the Great Smoky National Forest