Hammocks!

DD frontline Hammock in MC 

Cost £££: 
At £57 it’s not the cheapest hammock out there but It’s a good mid range one with a built in mozzie net which will only cost you a night out down the pub. They also do a military discount for orders over £20 - http://www.ddhammocks.com/product/dd-frontline-hammock-mc?from_cat=27 



Value for money 3: 
There is quite a lot there, and there are more expensive hammocks out there that are almost the same but of a higher price .


Ease of use 3: 
There is quite a lot of buggering about when you first get started but this will get easier the more you use it. Setting up in the dark with no light would be very difficult but if you are in a situation when this might happen then a hammock probably isn’t the best thing to be sleeping in. 


Construction 4 : 
It’s well made but it’s not bomb proof, everything is well made and stitched but this is a civi item and I don’t think it will stand being used for a case vac. 


Allyness 2: 
I’ve given this a high 2 because I can't see your SF types using this outside the jungle to be fair. It’s more you echelon types. But allyness in the eye of the beholder and the looks of amazement I get when setting this up I just say “anyone can live like an animal“. 

  I've been interested in hammocks for a couple of years, but it wasn’t until an exercise in the Spanish Pyrenees that I thought a hammock might be a good idea. Because in a hammock you always sleep on the level, which is near impossible when you have a poncho up on a ski-slope. 

  The next years big exercise was in Estonia, looking at the ground it was wet and boggy and full of mozzies. So I went out and got a DD front line hammock. They are a British company coming from Edinburgh, and it came within a couple of days once I bought it. Once I set it up a few times in my garden I was ready to go. 

  When I got out here and set up everything worked well. The built in mozzie net kept out the biting insects and because of the suspension system the net didn’t collapse on your face. There are small pockets in each corner for stuff, and gear loops as well to hand things like a torch, it is quite roomy on there and feels homie when you're zipped up inside. 

  Because of the mozzie net It does take you a bit longer to get in and out, but it stops you from getting bitten to death and waking up looking like the elephant man. Saying that if I was just using it in the U.K I would probably forgo the mozzie net to save on bulk, and ease of set up.

  Summary:

  A hammock is not the most tactical of things so if you're a tier one operator then a hammock is not for you, but if you're back in echelon it could be for you. I’ve set it up in the back of man trucks, on the side of trucks, inside derelict buildings and between shelves in a store . 


  Once you have sorted out how you like it set up, and every time you sleep in it will be the same regardless of what the ground beneath you. If you're interested in hammocks then do some research, watch videos. You will find yourself getting quite nerdy about it and acquiring other skills like knot tying. It is also good for a life outside the military like wild camping etc. All in all, once it's setup right and you get the “ultimate hang” you get a cracking nights sleep. 

 - Coops

  This Kit Pest Review article was written by Tom Cooper. Hopefully you enjoyed it and if you have any thoughts or comments related to this article then leave a comment! 

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