People who snore always fall asleep first...

People who snore always fall asleep first. What really matters after a long day of adventure happens after the campfire burns down and everyone heads to their respective tents. Those who wake up the next morning after a great night’s sleep are ready to challenge the dawn. This is a lesson that was leaned on a multi-state bicycle ride. A bad night sleep leads to a bad day that spirals into another bad night and so on and so forth. For this reason I went ahead and purchased the #1 air mattress out there. Four inches of soft cushion to make the night go gently. A purchase that I have yet to regret, but lately it has stayed rolled up along with my tent unused and unneeded. Replaced by a hammock, but not just any hammock, the Eagle Nest Outfitters Hammock is like saying the Sage One is just a fly rod.. Nestled between two trees with the rain fly strung up I have yet to have a bad night’s sleep in reality I have had nothing but amazing restful sleeps.

Welcome Home

The complete package weights in at fewer than four pounds included the double nest hammock, the straps and the rain fly. Packing down to the size of a loaf of bread this entire kit weights less then my tent and sleeping mattress combo while taking up less than half the space in my pack. Now how well does it work and that’s a good question, twice in the last few months I have been fishing at high mountain lakes where the campgrounds were still trapped under a layer of snow. Howling wind along with cold spring rain and yet I slept toasty and dry. What else is there to say, Works for me.

Path to Riches

There are a couple of nice features that I am not sure if their use was the intention of ENO but what the heck. The hammock come in its own stuff sack that is sewn on to the hammock. Located on one side at the middle of the hammock this pouch becomes a great place at night to stash your headlamp and in my case my glasses. Awful nice to know when needed that they are right there safe and easily accessible. This pouch has a snap buckle strap, handy when the hammock is packed inside to attach it to your gear. But I found an additional use as when the hammock was set up pillow and sleeping bag laying in it that it was easy to wrap up the hammock and use the strap to hold it all together until bed time. Why you ask? A good wind could turn the hammock into a sail and dump your empty sleeping bag on the ground, once wrapped and snapped that mother nature dirty trick isn't going to happen.

Ready to challenge the dawn...

One other item that I found useful was the small mat I normally use when changing into my chest waders, it now has double duty for putting it on the ground next to the hammock this allows you to take off your shoes and not bring dirty feet into the hammock and sleeping bag...

So a buddy asked me where I caught all these fish I told him it was a secret lake and if I told him where I would have to kill him. He said no problem just tell my wife instead.

Gorge Fly Shop Contributor
Christian Ellison

"Fly Fish the World with Us"