UK Hammocks "Hammock Chair"
I first heard about this Hammock Chair from my mate on YouTube 51Foxy. I had heard about something before from one of the other YT personalities being involved but never paid much attention to it. I know how to make a Bushcraft chair with a tripod and piece of sacking or alternative cloth, but when I saw Foxy demonstrating this in one of his videos, I really started to take an interest. Now I am not one for just getting kit for kits sake, it has to be useful for me, fit my kit philosophy of being able to add value to my time out in the woods, and be great value for money. This is one of those items that I just know I am goiing to enjoy, and not just in the woods, but when I go on holiday, weekends away, fishing trips with my dad and my brother, I can just see loads of times when I will want to use it!
Lets have a look at some of the features that make this a bit special for me. I will state right here and now that I asked for the same features that Foxy had made on his chair, except that mine is not double skinned, so he takes all the credit:
Lets have a look at some of the features that make this a bit special for me. I will state right here and now that I asked for the same features that Foxy had made on his chair, except that mine is not double skinned, so he takes all the credit:
Materials:
The Hammock chair is made out of a rip-stop nylon material in a sort of goldy/browny colour, which, while not OD or foliage green, I think nicely compliments a woodland setting. It comes with either amsteel or paracord cordage for attaching to your chosen anchor points, and is double/triple stitched. The material itself seems to be quite durable. I have chosen to remove the amsteel at the bottom of the Hammock Chair, instead replacing it with a standard tree hugger off another hammock. Not only does this give me the additional comfort factor of wider tape material underneath, and supporting, my legs when I elevate them from the floor, but its also means that I have an additional tree hugger for my sleeping hammock if something unexpected should happen to one of them. Multipurpose change made there me thinks!
Additional items:
The price you pay is for a hammock chair and the basic cordage to get you started. Apart from a couple of trees spaced apart suitable for hanging, you will also need to look at a couple of additional items to aid in setting up. Tree huggers are an option, assuming you wont be using the ones from your existing full length hammock. See above for the reasoning behind using tree huggers. Climbing grade carabiners are also a good idea for attaching the amsteel or paracord at the top of the chair to the tree hugger, unless of course you choose to use knot combinations. The chair is comfortable enough as it is, but extras like a blow up pillow, or using your wool blanket placed under the Hammock Chair can make a difference to already sublime comfort levels. A small tarp is a good idea if inclement weather conditions are a possibility...I am using the existing military poncho that I carry anyway as a tarp as it has grommets, and already is being used as my primary rain protection anyway. Also, recently I have started playing with the mylar backed, hooded emergency blanket as well for colder weather conditions, in the hope that the mylar will reflect my body temperature back down on to me, or the heat from a fire for example. I have also added a couple of 'clingons' to my kit (black plastic things in the pic above attached to the carabiner) to enable me to adjust the set up as and when required, outside of the capabilities of just the grommets.
Alternative configurations:
As well as the more popular set up, where the head end is tied higher than the feet end so that Hammock Chair looks, feels and performs like a normal recliner, you can just tie each end level with the other and sit 'bench' style in the middle. It can be used to store gear and equipment off the floor under your normal hammock, or indeed above it if that how you want it. I suppose the Hammock Chair could also be made into a carry system if needs be! The great thing about having it made with a wider channel at the bottom as well, is that it means it can be made into an A frame chair, by making a tripod or bipod, and sliding a branch through the bottom wide channel, as you would expect to see in a more traditional Bushcraft Chair set up.
Final thoughts:
There is no doubting the Hammock Chairs popularity. Its great value for money, which is a refreshing change these days where new outdoors gear is concerned, and the fact of the matter is, its a comfortable bit of kit, ideal for when you are out in the woods relaxing by the camp fire. Indeed ideal for where ever you can find two stable fixing points to hang it from! I did pay an additional £12 for the two carabiners, but these alone are usually far more expensive than that, and its always useful to have two additional climbing grade carabiners right? you just never know when you may need to abseil down a cliff face in an emergency situation! I can see this being a staple piece of equipment for me in future for sure, as regular an item on the kit list as the brew kit. Thanks Foxy for the review and for convincing me this was a worthwhile purchase!