Jacks ‘R’ Better (JRB) Hammock Down Nest
I spent a significant portion of this year experimenting with different insulation options for my Hennessy Hammock in order to extend it’s season for optimal use into the early spring and late fall, and I must confess that I fell in love with the JRB Nest, Down Under Quilt, shown here on my Hennessy Asym in the Adirondacks.
First off, Jacks ‘R’ Better (JRB) is an cottage industry, aftermarket manufacturer and retailer, for Hennessey Hammock products. They also manufacture and sell other great gear for ultralighters, which is definitely worth a look. The Nest is an 800+ fill down quilt, with DWR, that fits under your hammock and provides much needed insulation on your back when the temperature gets colder. The quilt weights 20oz, but compresses down quite nicely in your pack. Like the Hennessey, it has a birth canal style opening that mates with the hammocks entrance, and Velco strips which attach to the Velcro strips on the hammock itself, which makes it possible for you to easily slip out during the night for a pee.
The nest attaches to the hammock using mini carabiners and line that JRB calls a suspension kit and weights 1.0 oz. If you choose you can guy line out the nests sides, but this is not necessary, and you will stay warmer if you don’t because the edges of the quilt will come up higher on the hammocks sides. Using the nest, it is possible to not bring along a sleeping bag and just use a top quilt. I haven’t tried that option yet myself, but it is a viable alternative for saving weight.
Priced at $295, the nest is a sizeable investment. But I found that using the quilt eliminates the need for all of the new underlayers that Hennessey came out with this past year (and which does not stay in place), and the need for any other homemade pads or emergency blanket gizmos you can think of. I sleep like a baby when I use my JRB nest and highly, gushingly recommend it if you are a Hammock enthusiast.
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I have used the J&B nest with my Hennessy Hammock for nearly 3 years now. From weekend campouts to longer ventures in the Boundary Waters I have never slept better. It is a dear price to pay for the quilt, but it is a good investment, nay, a great investment if you like sleeping through the night in a world of comfort. Skip the double latte and save the pennies to buy one. You will not regret it.
I say retrofit you own. Seattle fabric has some awesome options for fabric as well as some other online companies. A few hundred for a commercial sewing unit, materials and you break even, or even come out ahead, plus you have the pride of knowing what went in to it. Just my 2 Cents.