So I've taken this Grand Trunk One-Made hammock on every trip I've been on for over a year now so I can safely say I've put it through its paces. Here are my thoughts on it... 'It's great!'
This hammock shines in terms of its size and weight. When its set up, its massive, both long and wide, but packs down really small, smaller than a Nalgene water bottle small. It's super lightweight, made with Grand Trunk's own Trunktech Nylon. The material is breathable, silky and smooth, and with its micro-ripstop construction holds a very impressive 40 lbs of static weight per square inch. In the UK that means 18kg per 2.5cm squared. This is a very strong hammock. Yet its just a little bit bigger than a pair of rolled up hiking socks!
The hammock is cinched at the ends with continuous webbing loops featuring T70 seatbelt automotive-grade seatbelt stitching. Again super strong. And it has a gorgeous lightweight carabiner to attach to your ropes or straps. Finally it is made in the USA and has a lifetime warranty.
The carabiner that hooks to the three straps is lightweight and clearly up to the job. It is certainly the best pack-size-to-hung-size of any hammock I know. Its super-comfy for one to sleep in overnight as you can get really flat, and really cosy for two. But mostly Its ideal for travelling with; the luxury item on my minimal bike touring pack list.
It may seem superfluous, but nothing beats sitting in a hammock while dinner cooks after a long day of cycling, sitting on the floor while dinner cooks after a long day of cycling or walking doesn’t even come close.
The technology utilised by Grand Trunk is spot on: good grade carabiners (much nicer than most carabiners that come with hammocks); continuous loop gathering for increased suspension and ridge-line options; and the fabric they use is great -super strong, soft against the skin and incredibly lightweight. The holy trinity of techy fabric.
Apparently it is tested to hold 40lbs of static weight per square inch (it's American!), which translates to being totally secure for hefty cyclists to jump into - or mum/dad and a couple of kids if you're going camping with your family!
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In fact the only problem with this hammock is the price. The question becomes not is this any good but rather is it worth paying nearly twice as much for as the Therm-a-Rest Slacker Hammock? They are both made in America and the Slacker double is only a bit bigger and heavier. I think the difference mainly comes in the comfort. Therm-a-rest seem to have cut weight by having a hammock that tapers to a point quicker, whereas the Grand Trunk on the other hand is both longer and wider so seems spacious and airy throughout, which makes it preferable for long slumbers where finding that sweet spot for your neck is so critical.
As a personal taste I prefer sleeping against the Grand Trunk fabric, and that extra length makes for a flatter sleeping position – so I’d have to say yes, worth paying the premium for. The few grams of weight and and cubic centimeters of space saving are an added bonus!
Grand Trunk hung, fish on the barbie - perfect
 In summary: Pros: weight, comfort, pack size, lifetime warranty, smooth super-strong material. Cons: price, no tabs to attach an underquilt. Rating: 4.5/5 |
To make it super sweet, use the discount code Hang on checkout to take £5 off straps when bought with any hammock, and for Grand Trunk purchases, use the discount HammockCamper if you are putting together more than 3 items from this collection worth more than £100 to take yourself (or a friend) camping in a hammock to get a whopping 15% off the whole bundle! Our mission is to help more people #GetOutdoorsMore and we want you to get into hammocking that much! Do tag us in photos or send us images of your hammocking adventures.
