Hennessy Hammock Customize your Expedition Zip review

This assessment covers Hennessy Hammock's US “Build Your Own Expedition Zip” offer, product 306421951, not the standard Expedition Zip M16 package. The custom listing starts with the Expedition Zip body and the buyer's choice of TreeHugger webbing; its first step explicitly excludes a rainfly. The model page supplies body details that the custom builder omits. I have not owned, slept in, measured, or tested this hammock; this is a source-based comparison of the maker's current listing, product record, model specifications and setup guidance.

A different package around the Expedition Zip body

The custom builder splits the purchase into stages. First, select a hammock body and one webbing length. Then, if needed, add one of three listed Expedition-compatible rainflies and one of two listed insulation options. The product record preserves three body-plus-webbing SKUs: P16E+P212 with 42-inch straps, P16E+P215 with 72-inch straps and P16E+P219 with 96-inch straps. They are length variants of one hammock-body offer, not three differently sized Expedition bodies.

That first-step boundary matters more than the word “custom.” Standard Expedition Zip M16 is listed with its stock rainfly and fixed 42-inch TreeHugger webbing; the builder's initial custom configuration has no fly. A strap selection does not silently add the standard fly, and choosing a later optional canopy is a separate cart decision. The two offers therefore call for separate package checks even though the named body and its documented limit are the same.

Screened, large-format body with modest published limits

The matching Expedition Zip model page lists 120 by 59 inches of lower fabric, which is a 10-foot body length, along with a manufacturer height limit of 6 feet and a 250-pound hammock-body limit. These are useful eligibility figures if a shopper is comparing declared size and capacity thresholds. They are not clear sleeping-area dimensions, a guarantee of comfortable diagonal lay, an anchor-span measurement, or a rating for the ropes, webbing, tree or complete suspension.

Hennessy describes the Expedition Zip as asymmetrical, with a structural ridgeline, side entry and an attached 30D No-See-Um screen. The side zipper is specified as a heavy-duty double-slider #10 YKK zipper. That makes the body relevant to a shopper who needs mesh as part of the hammock rather than as a separate canopy over an open body. The screen does not solve rain or cold-underbody planning; the custom offer separates those layers.

Webbing length is a site-fit choice, not a capacity upgrade

The builder pairs its 42-inch TreeHugger option with trees up to 14 inches in diameter, 72-inch webbing with trees up to 24 inches, and 96-inch webbing with trees up to 36 inches. These are the manufacturer's stated pairings, not proof that a particular tree is healthy, permitted, correctly positioned or suitable for a complete hang. Longer webbing can be useful where the tree diameter calls for it, but the listing does not turn those three nominal lengths into an adjustable suspension range or a higher load rating.

Hennessy's setup page gives a 12-to-25-foot tree-spacing recommendation for Expedition Asym models and describes its rope-to-webbing lashing. Actual strap height changes with spacing, and the manufacturer instructs users to follow the model setup directions. Check the site, anchor spacing, tree-protection rules and the full component path before treating a selected strap length as a fit decision. The body limit remains 250 pounds regardless of which strap variant is selected.

Rain and insulation need their own plan

The first builder step is a no-fly order. Hennessy lists the Expedition Rainfly 70D Polyester, Hex Rainfly 30D Silnylon and Hex Rainfly 70D Polyester as optional compatible choices, plus the Heat Reflecting Double Bubble Pad and SuperShelter 4-Season Insulation System #1 Zip. The listing establishes intended compatibility, not weather-performance results. A shopper should decide whether a cover is needed for the forecast, inspect the exact chosen canopy and attachment instructions, and plan underbody insulation separately. Neither the mesh nor a rainfly is evidence of warmth.

There is also a source disagreement worth preserving: the M16 model page calls the hammock fabric 70D polyurethane-coated polyester ripstop, while the Hennessy comparison chart labels the Expedition hammock fabric 70D nylon. Without clarification, I would not use a more specific fabric claim to rank durability or weight. The custom product record contains a numeric variant-weight field, but the builder offers no clear carry-weight statement or contents basis; standard M16's packed figure belongs to a different, fly-equipped package and is not transferred here.

Who should compare it, and what to verify

This custom listing is worth comparing if you want the Expedition Zip's screened 10-foot body and the ability to choose same-package webbing length, and you are willing to make an explicit rain-cover and insulation decision. It is less convenient as a one-click shelter package than standard M16 because the builder's first step leaves the fly out. If bottom entry is acceptable or preferred, the separate Expedition Classic is another model and should not be treated as this side-zip configuration.

Before purchase, verify the exact body-plus-webbing SKU in the final cart, confirm the selected 42-, 72- or 96-inch length against the real tree and site rules, and check whether you need to add one of the listed canopies or insulation components. Read the current setup instructions and check every support component independently. The maker's body capacity and its component pairings do not establish the capacity or safety of a complete hang.