I received mine and love it, it's the new version so the stitching problem seems to be solved. Tip 1: Easy solution to the draft from the ends being open. Take the shock cord that is provided, instead of making a loop for connecting to the tree strap, tie one end to the loop then run over or under the end and through the other loop. By having onside on top and the other under and tying the 2 long ends together to go to the tree strap you can get it to seal up the ends a lot better. Tip 2: if you you run a tarp over your hammock with a ridgeline, take a piece of paracord with 2 small carabiners one at each end. Hook it to the ridge line, then when you've zipped up, hook the carabiners to the zipper pulls to keep the cocoon off your face. 1/8 shock cord may be a better option to make sure you don't stress the zipper, but I don't have any lying around
I used mine a few weeks ago for the first time outside and it did pretty good. The first night it was right around 32° and I was warm zipped all the way inside. The second night was colder at around 27° so I added my DIY 3/4 length Snugpak jungle blanket UQ and Snugpak TQ inside and was plenty warm. At temps down to 32° its great on its own, but Speedogomer is right when he said that under 32° its more of an insulated sock. Also, like Speedogomer, to keep it off of my face when zipped up I girth hitched a loop of shock cord to the top zipper pull and then clipped it into a biner on my RL. It pulled it off of my face and was still able to be moved.
All of my gear is ultralight just so I can carry 3, heavy snugpak items haha totally worth it and I love them. But I am biased. I'm always told to look at down but I have tried several down products in 80 percent humidity, rainy Nottinghamshire and a 0 degree down bag performs like a light fleece. I think maybe I need to spend hundreds on hydrophobic coated down but man I really don't think I'll be doing that lol thanks for your little looksee. I love watching people camp in the States. All the trees and the insects and animals are different.
Thank you for your presentation. For me the deal-breaker is the fact that it's quite a heavy and bulky piece of kit, which doesn't appear to have cinch possibilities around the hammock suspension, and yet it's still required to feed the hammock through the ends. This lack of design congruity is the main deterrent. How do you think the cocoon would work with down under-quilts? Would the loft simply be lost?
the down underquilt could easily be put on the outside of the cocoon, and it would stay lofted that way. Even if it was under the cocoon, there seems to be some room there for loft.
+speedogomer Thank you for your very quick reply. I think I would definitely prefer to have a down under-quilt inside any cocoon/pod system to prevent heat-loss through drafts, and I think it might be tricky to get a snug, bum-hugging fit in an outer configuration. I'd like to be able to test the SP cocoon but can't see myself buying one on pure faith (unless I slumped on a real bargain as you did).
+M00nsplitter that's about the only reason I got one, is because of the price, but I'm happy I got it. kind of an interesting piece of gear, even if it is somewhat flawed.
I have the cocoon as well by itself 30F is pushing it I had a 30degree sleeping bag and I was a little cold but I will defiantly get the under quilt and top quilt for this system!!
I’m relatively large size- 49 inch chest, 18 stone, 5” 11”. I find cocoon type sleeping bags a wee cramped and claustrophobic, how do you think this cocoon would be, is it fairly roomy? I’ve got Snugpak’s Elite 3 sleeping bag which is brilliant, as it has an expander panel, though as it’s side zip, not brilliant for hammocks. I want something that will take me down to 0 centigrade/32 F, the cocoon seems to fit the bill- as long as it’s not cramped!😁
I’ve had issues with the same thing on my Snugpak Elite 3 in three different places. I got in touch and they replaced it, they are really good like that (I’m in UK- UK company)
Cool, at least you got one that was better than the original right? I think its pretty neat that they actually !listened to what people were complaining about and fixed the problems. A lot of bigger companies don't do that.
dodgeramguy85 it most likely would, but if you're using a nice down sleeping bag already, maybe the snugpak underblanket would work better for you. It's lighter and smaller, and would insulate you down to about 32 degrees.
I figured the cocoon was better for keeping the heat in.. Im still new to the hanging so havent got to use either.. Size/weight doesnt bother me since we dont do backpacking.. Mostly atv riding trips.. I get cold easily thats why I figured the cocoon was better for me..
dodgeramguy85 the cocoon would work for sure. If you get cold easy, using both the cocoon AND underblanket makes for a really warm night. You could then just use your sleeping bag as a blanket unzipped on top of you (like I did in this video), which is much easier than trying to get into a sleeping bag inside the hammock.
VT Army navy replaced this cocoon for me since the stitching was bad. The new cocoon works just the same. the new one has one of the small webbing loops rip out (bad stitching again) but I was able to see it back up in about 45 seconds so not a big deal. The rest of the new cocoon is built well.
Very good review. Mine ripped the first night on the end. Got mine at the same place you did. Winter here don't think so as you say not by its self. At 32 degrees I was cold I did have my SungPak sleeping bag as back up. After that I was fine. Maybe 45-50 you would be all right if you wanted to carry it.
VT army navy was really great about giving me a replacement. Did you have the ends secured to the hammock or hanging loose? I've heard a lot of people tie the ends to their suspension, and then get in their hammock, the hammock sags and rips the tie points at the end.
My wife sewed things up for me. I now hang mine from my ridge line not tight just sung enough to pull it up to my hammock. I did have it tied to my suspension . I still think its worth having. I wonder if you were to use the cocoon and the under quilt under quilt being on the out side if that wouldn't make it some what better
If you used regular cord or string, that would be why it ripped. The cocoon can't bear any weight or stress on it at all, and needs to hang loose, with the hammock bearing 100% of your weight. If you use shock cord on the ends to secure it, then it can stretch without tearing out the loops.
Are you using one of the Snugpak hammocks as well? I really love all of my Snugpak items, Bunker, Jungle blanket, Camp towel and other various items. I'm looking into getting my first hammock, and really want a Snugpak, but I'm coming across too many bad/poor reviews on the two Snugpak hammocks quality... Which makes me sad lol
Gotcha. My buddy just invested in a Hennessy Hammock. I was over his place a few nights ago, checking it over. That thing is an absolute BEAST! I guess for $270 it better right? LoL
Good idea. I was kinda nervous about having a knife so close to it when I had to cut them off lol. Also, when I talked to the director of marketing for Snugpak he told me that the UQ and possibly TQ will be going through a similar redesign/ upgrade soon. Let's hope they make the UQ suspension better and lighter and give the TQ more of a traditional shape with a deeper + snap closed footbox and getting rid of the wings. He asked for some pics of how I suspended my UQ so they could see how its done by most people instead of how they recommend. They might not have the best insulation, but for the price its great and always does what I need it to do. And any company that listens to customer feedback and then institutes changes to their products based on actual customer concerns, gets an A+ in my book.
Like you, I wanna use my Snugpak UQ with the Cocoon. I just received mine yesterday and its upgraded a lot. I posted a write up with pics on HF yesterday titled "Snugpak Cocoon = IMPRESSED. It seems as tho a lot of the problems have been fixed. How did you hang the two together? Did you put the UQ inside or outside the Cocoon? I really like mine and can't wait to use it this winter. The upgraded and redesigned cocoon seems like a great piece of gear now regardless of the weight and size. If its cold enough to use, I doubt I'll be hiking long enough for its size and weight to matter much anyway. Great vid brother....
I saw your write up on the forums, looks like they've definitely improved it. I received a replacement for the one in this video, and that one had a few changes but not like yours.
Well sir after watching again you cleared my question up. This is my first year hammock camping in the winter also. I think I will buy the sungpak under quilt have the top quilt. Whatever I do for next winter still the sungpak under quilt would be good for mid spring or early fall for me
I checked out Vermont Army Navy. The current price is $59.95 but it was going to be over $18 for the cheapest shipping option. Bummer. It's $69.50 on Amazon with free Prime shipping. Been hoping to find it on sale though. Strong work getting this for $40!
i bought snugpak 45* compression sack. wasn't near what I thought. even with a bag liner and down foot warmer, my feet were freezing in 45* weather in the Medicine Bow Routte mountains. . not too impressed with snugpak. On a positive note, I survived and had a fantastic time. Just had to suffer with a little less sleep. I wouldn't suggest taking your hammock to these parts as the pine beetle has ravaged the timber and its hard to find a decent spot to hang a hammock.
These are defective as far as the stitching goes. I bought one, the strap loops ripped out the first time I used it. Returned it and got another one and had the exact same problem. Barely pulled on one of the loops and it came right out. I did a review on my channel about it and contacted Snugpak and I'm hoping to hear back from them this week to see how they're going to resolve this problem.
I contacted VT army navy and they sent me a replacement. no stitching issues with the new one. There are a few changes to the new one. the logo is screen printed now, not stitched, and the draft baffle over the zipper seems more robust.
I received mine and love it, it's the new version so the stitching problem seems to be solved.
Tip 1: Easy solution to the draft from the ends being open. Take the shock cord that is provided, instead of making a loop for connecting to the tree strap, tie one end to the loop then run over or under the end and through the other loop. By having onside on top and the other under and tying the 2 long ends together to go to the tree strap you can get it to seal up the ends a lot better.
Tip 2: if you you run a tarp over your hammock with a ridgeline, take a piece of paracord with 2 small carabiners one at each end. Hook it to the ridge line, then when you've zipped up, hook the carabiners to the zipper pulls to keep the cocoon off your face. 1/8 shock cord may be a better option to make sure you don't stress the zipper, but I don't have any lying around
Bravo! That other stuff means nothing without this kind of information. Thanks!
Definitely getting that cocoon. I heard they did some upgrades to it.
I used mine a few weeks ago for the first time outside and it did pretty good. The first night it was right around 32° and I was warm zipped all the way inside. The second night was colder at around 27° so I added my DIY 3/4 length Snugpak jungle blanket UQ and Snugpak TQ inside and was plenty warm. At temps down to 32° its great on its own, but Speedogomer is right when he said that under 32° its more of an insulated sock. Also, like Speedogomer, to keep it off of my face when zipped up I girth hitched a loop of shock cord to the top zipper pull and then clipped it into a biner on my RL. It pulled it off of my face and was still able to be moved.
All of my gear is ultralight just so I can carry 3, heavy snugpak items haha totally worth it and I love them. But I am biased. I'm always told to look at down but I have tried several down products in 80 percent humidity, rainy Nottinghamshire and a 0 degree down bag performs like a light fleece. I think maybe I need to spend hundreds on hydrophobic coated down but man I really don't think I'll be doing that lol thanks for your little looksee. I love watching people camp in the States. All the trees and the insects and animals are different.
Thanks for the review!
Just bought one, Looking forward to it
Thank you for your presentation. For me the deal-breaker is the fact that it's quite a heavy and bulky piece of kit, which doesn't appear to have cinch possibilities around the hammock suspension, and yet it's still required to feed the hammock through the ends. This lack of design congruity is the main deterrent.
How do you think the cocoon would work with down under-quilts? Would the loft simply be lost?
the down underquilt could easily be put on the outside of the cocoon, and it would stay lofted that way.
Even if it was under the cocoon, there seems to be some room there for loft.
+speedogomer Thank you for your very quick reply.
I think I would definitely prefer to have a down under-quilt inside any cocoon/pod system to prevent heat-loss through drafts, and I think it might be tricky to get a snug, bum-hugging fit in an outer configuration.
I'd like to be able to test the SP cocoon but can't see myself buying one on pure faith (unless I slumped on a real bargain as you did).
+M00nsplitter that's about the only reason I got one, is because of the price, but I'm happy I got it. kind of an interesting piece of gear, even if it is somewhat flawed.
I have the cocoon as well by itself 30F is pushing it I had a 30degree sleeping bag and I was a little cold but I will defiantly get the under quilt and top quilt for this system!!
I appreciate this review.
I’m relatively large size- 49 inch chest, 18 stone, 5” 11”. I find cocoon type sleeping bags a wee cramped and claustrophobic, how do you think this cocoon would be, is it fairly roomy? I’ve got Snugpak’s Elite 3 sleeping bag which is brilliant, as it has an expander panel, though as it’s side zip, not brilliant for hammocks. I want something that will take me down to 0 centigrade/32 F, the cocoon seems to fit the bill- as long as it’s not cramped!😁
I’ve had issues with the same thing on my Snugpak Elite 3 in three different places. I got in touch and they replaced it, they are really good like that (I’m in UK- UK company)
Cool, at least you got one that was better than the original right? I think its pretty neat that they actually !listened to what people were complaining about and fixed the problems. A lot of bigger companies don't do that.
Thinking about using this with my down sleeping bag.. Should handle keeping my backside from getting cold in 30ish degrees correct?
dodgeramguy85 it most likely would, but if you're using a nice down sleeping bag already, maybe the snugpak underblanket would work better for you. It's lighter and smaller, and would insulate you down to about 32 degrees.
I figured the cocoon was better for keeping the heat in.. Im still new to the hanging so havent got to use either.. Size/weight doesnt bother me since we dont do backpacking.. Mostly atv riding trips.. I get cold easily thats why I figured the cocoon was better for me..
dodgeramguy85 the cocoon would work for sure. If you get cold easy, using both the cocoon AND underblanket makes for a really warm night. You could then just use your sleeping bag as a blanket unzipped on top of you (like I did in this video), which is much easier than trying to get into a sleeping bag inside the hammock.
Very nice. How has this held up?
VT Army navy replaced this cocoon for me since the stitching was bad. The new cocoon works just the same. the new one has one of the small webbing loops rip out (bad stitching again) but I was able to see it back up in about 45 seconds so not a big deal. The rest of the new cocoon is built well.
Very good review. Mine ripped the first night on the end. Got mine at the same place you did. Winter here don't think so as you say not by its self. At 32 degrees I was cold I did have my SungPak sleeping bag as back up. After that I was fine. Maybe 45-50 you would be all right if you wanted to carry it.
VT army navy was really great about giving me a replacement.
Did you have the ends secured to the hammock or hanging loose? I've heard a lot of people tie the ends to their suspension, and then get in their hammock, the hammock sags and rips the tie points at the end.
My wife sewed things up for me. I now hang mine from my ridge line not tight just sung enough to pull it up to my hammock. I did have it tied to my suspension . I still think its worth having. I wonder if you were to use the cocoon and the under quilt under quilt being on the out side if that wouldn't make it some what better
If you used regular cord or string, that would be why it ripped. The cocoon can't bear any weight or stress on it at all, and needs to hang loose, with the hammock bearing 100% of your weight. If you use shock cord on the ends to secure it, then it can stretch without tearing out the loops.
That's what I did but not now
Are you using one of the Snugpak hammocks as well? I really love all of my Snugpak items, Bunker, Jungle blanket, Camp towel and other various items. I'm looking into getting my first hammock, and really want a Snugpak, but I'm coming across too many bad/poor reviews on the two Snugpak hammocks quality... Which makes me sad lol
No, it's not a Snugpak hammock, it's a Yukon Double hammock.
Gotcha. My buddy just invested in a Hennessy Hammock. I was over his place a few nights ago, checking it over. That thing is an absolute BEAST! I guess for $270 it better right? LoL
Also, zip ties around the ends closed them up snug around my hammock and kept the draft out...
Marshall Moore I used mini carabiners to do about the same thing.
Good idea. I was kinda nervous about having a knife so close to it when I had to cut them off lol. Also, when I talked to the director of marketing for Snugpak he told me that the UQ and possibly TQ will be going through a similar redesign/ upgrade soon. Let's hope they make the UQ suspension better and lighter and give the TQ more of a traditional shape with a deeper + snap closed footbox and getting rid of the wings. He asked for some pics of how I suspended my UQ so they could see how its done by most people instead of how they recommend. They might not have the best insulation, but for the price its great and always does what I need it to do. And any company that listens to customer feedback and then institutes changes to their products based on actual customer concerns, gets an A+ in my book.
Like you, I wanna use my Snugpak UQ with the Cocoon. I just received mine yesterday and its upgraded a lot. I posted a write up with pics on HF yesterday titled "Snugpak Cocoon = IMPRESSED. It seems as tho a lot of the problems have been fixed. How did you hang the two together? Did you put the UQ inside or outside the Cocoon? I really like mine and can't wait to use it this winter. The upgraded and redesigned cocoon seems like a great piece of gear now regardless of the weight and size. If its cold enough to use, I doubt I'll be hiking long enough for its size and weight to matter much anyway. Great vid brother....
I saw your write up on the forums, looks like they've definitely improved it. I received a replacement for the one in this video, and that one had a few changes but not like yours.
Nice job on the video. Did you feel any wind coming through the cocoon material or only through the holes at each end?
I didn't feel any wind through the sides, and even the holes at the end only had a little airflow. The wind was pretty crazy that night too.
+speedogomer Sweet. Thanks for the review and reply.
Well sir after watching again you cleared my question up. This is my first year hammock camping in the winter also. I think I will buy the sungpak under quilt have the top quilt. Whatever I do for next winter still the sungpak under quilt would be good for mid spring or early fall for me
the under quilt fits perfect under the cocoon. I've used another under quilt with it as well, and put it on the outside, and that also worked fine.
Thanks I do like that cocoon been using it on my ENO but it should fit most any hammock
I checked out Vermont Army Navy. The current price is $59.95 but it was going to be over $18 for the cheapest shipping option. Bummer. It's $69.50 on Amazon with free Prime shipping. Been hoping to find it on sale though. Strong work getting this for $40!
So it works.... if you have a 20F bad for an overquilt, a hat, and a puff jacket.... kinda defeats the purpose of the cocoon design doesn't it?
where can I buy one of those ????
The Dackster they're sold on Amazon.com, you can also buy they from VT Army Navy online.
+Speedogomer ok cool
thanks for the quick reply
i bought snugpak 45* compression sack. wasn't near what I thought. even with a bag liner and down foot warmer, my feet were freezing in 45* weather in the Medicine Bow Routte mountains. . not too impressed with snugpak. On a positive note, I survived and had a fantastic time. Just had to suffer with a little less sleep. I wouldn't suggest taking your hammock to these parts as the pine beetle has ravaged the timber and its hard to find a decent spot to hang a hammock.
there's been a lot of complaints about snugpak stitching on all of their products. good stuff though.
Wesley Guseman mine was replaced, the new one had one small issue too but no big deal. I've heard they've fixed the problems since.
These are defective as far as the stitching goes. I bought one, the strap loops ripped out the first time I used it. Returned it and got another one and had the exact same problem. Barely pulled on one of the loops and it came right out. I did a review on my channel about it and contacted Snugpak and I'm hoping to hear back from them this week to see how they're going to resolve this problem.
I agree, after my trip I found 2 more areas with bad stitching.
+Leo Hardesty Very same thing here
I contacted VT army navy and they sent me a replacement. no stitching issues with the new one. There are a few changes to the new one. the logo is screen printed now, not stitched, and the draft baffle over the zipper seems more robust.