The Grand Trunk Double Hammock
Design: High strength, mildew-resistant with triple-stitched seams and nautical-grade hanging carabiners
Material: parachute nylon (many options available)
Weight: 20 oz.
MSRP: $64.99
Summertime is made for lounging outdoors, but winter still offers the opportunity to get a good night’s sleep in a hammock with the right gear. Here in the great state of Colorado, we need to take advantage of every opportunity we get to play outside. That is what I did last weekend. Specifically, I chilled in a hammock from Grand Trunk Inc., a company from Skokie, IL. that makes hammocks for adventurous entrepreneurs, backpacking gurus, mountaineers, and those alike.
What makes Grand Trunk hammocks unique? To start, the hammocks are lightweight and packable. The double model, which sells for $64.99, packs into a small Nerf football-sized stuff sack, and it weighs a little over 1 pound, making it a justifiable luxury on a backpacking adventure or lazy day in the mountains.
All Grand Trunk hammocks (http://www.grandtrunkgoods.com) are made with lightweight parachute nylon. The fabric is light and adequately breathable on those hot summer days in the sun. A great extra is the triple stitched seams and mildew resistant fabric. On my recent trip, it got down to 20-degrees in the evening. I used a 15 degree Marmot bag with a Gortex shell for the outside water proofing and wind protection. The Grand Trunk remained comfortable for me throughout the evening in the cold alongside a nice toasty fire.
Setup is extremely easy. All you need to do is find two trees about 15 feet apart, secure a line, and clip in the included carabineers on the Grand Trunk hammock. The fabric swath hangs slight and thin alone, but with the Double Trunk it’s about 6.5 feet wide and 10.5 feet long, providing ample room for two while lying down or sitting. The weight limit is 400 pounds, so two double heavy drops are not recommended.
Add the $19.95 TreeSling system — essentially two pieces of daisy-chained nylon cord — for a quicker setup. With these hammock-specific straps, you girth hitch a tree and clip the carabineer from the hammock into the appropriate daisy-chain webbing loop with little adjustment required.
I can generally slap the Grand Trunk hammock between too trees with the TreeSling system in about 30 seconds or so once taken out of my pack. Take down is just as simple in reverse.
Grand Trunk makes several hammock versions, including double-wide models, rain-ready tarp setups, a sleeping bag system rated at 32 degrees, and a hammock shelter system draped with bug netting for deep-woods and jungle environs. Prices range from $64.99 to $149.99.
Beyond simple relaxation, Grand Trunk hammocks can be employed as your primary backwoods sleep system even replacing a tent in some circumstances.
As a lightweight and packable solution, the Grand Trunk swinging sleeper will undoubtedly find its way into my backpack this summer on the trail. All hammocks are “SUPER portable, comfy, easy to set up and dissemble”. You can choose from a variety of colors and patterns including tie dye, Prints, and a multiple of color combinations.
Time to enjoy a beer. Drew out—
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Grand Trunk Double Hammock for free from Grand Trunk Inc. as coordinated by Deep Creek Public Relations in consideration for review publication.
