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Three years in this Etrol hammock, and man do I have opinions. Given that I gave it three years, the Etrol must not be bad, right? Right! To the Pros and Cons list!
- Pros
- $36.99 – Okay. That’s run-of-the-mill for a decent entry level hammock, right? What if I told you that also came with daisy chain straps for the easiest hang setup? And ropes, if that’s your game. And a built in ridge line. And mosquito net.
- Accessories! On top of the aforementioned features, it comes with a stuff sack, elastic guy lines, stakes that have lasted 3 years and high winds, and heavyweight carabiners (I swapped for aluminum for weight).
- Mosquito net! The Etrol comes with zip-up integrated mosquito net which can be tucked away in integrated storage pouch when not in use. I don’t use the pouch myself, I zip it half open and lean against the bunched-up net for great back support.
- Durable. I hell tested this hammock leaving it set up in the backyard all winter long through storms, wind, and record rains here in the Atlanta area. Half of that time it was covered with an Gold Armour 10×10 tarp in A-frame mode, while the Etrol was totally exposed for the latter about two months. The hammock even came loose from its guy lines (flooding softened the ground and popped my 8″ Y stakes) and I watched it flail around in the wind all night during a spring wind storm (I was in the house, not in the hammock). All of that hell testing was on top of 3 years backpacking with this hammock and taking it out to lounge in the back yard. Here two weeks ago, it finally busted the stitching at the zipper.
- Cons
- Manufacturing Unknown. I couldn’t find their manufacturing location on their site or with more than a cursory Googlin’. This necessarily isn’t a bad thing if they have a good product, but I encourage folks to support local businesses whenever possible.
- A section of stitching about an inch long broke. After 3 years of holding up my 250lbs body (rated for 440lbs per Amazon) and the hell I put it through, this is more of a pro than a con.
This is going to be a short post because not much more need be said. The Etrol is a great starter hammock. Does it have the great lay and features of my Warbonnet Blackbird XLC? Honestly, the lay is pretty darn good and I’d say 85% of the features. If you have the cash and want a even better hammock, get a Warbonnet or Hennesy. If you’re just starting out hammocking or you’re on a budget, the Etrol 2 in 1 has my recommendation. Baby Atlas also approves.
