I personally dont like the bottom entry on the hennessey AT ALL. I like being able to unzip the netting on my Blackbird and reach out, to get something out of my pack, or to fire up my stove. There are few things as awesome as reaching out of the hammock to boil water for my morning coffee, without ever getting out of my sleeping bag. Try to do that with the HH bottom entry velcro slot.


That said, some people do love the bottom entry - especially people who feel unstable in a hammock, or people with mobility issues.

The only things you really need to hammock camp are the hammock, tarp, and some insulation. The other stuff is just convenient accessories, and you will figure out what you want after you've done it a few times. Just like any other kind of camping, your setup will evolve as you tweak things.

My advice is to pick up a warbonnet hammock (I'm completely biased, obviously), and a decent sized tarp (I hate the tiny diamond tarps they include with hennesseys), and a cheap foam sleeping mat from walmart (which you probably already have). Once you've spent a few nights in that setup, you'll be able to decide what you do and dont like... that's when the other fun stuff starts coming in...

Ridgeline pockets, underquilts, different tarp tensioning systems, pillows, swapping out stuff sacks, etc etc etc... those little things are fun to tinker with, but the important stuff won't change much. I'm also assuming you have the normal stuff you'd need to pitch a tarp, since you've got tents - guylines, stakes, etc.