Since the first issue of Ranger Magazine, Amazonas hammocks have been accompanying us on our adventures. They don’t have to stay at home in the colder months – with the right accessories, you can hang out in the great outdoors all year round.
The Moskito-Traveller Thermo hammock offers some typical – and proven – features for Amazonas, but also some special features that make it a four-season hammock. The manufacturer’s ultra-light hammocks are characterized by their low weight, a ridiculously small pack size and a high load capacity: they can hold a whopping 200 kilograms, which means that your equipment no longer has to stay on the cold, wet ground.
The mosquito net is practical all year round as it keeps out all the little crawlies. It is stretched high and kept stable with the familiar spreader bars and guy ropes. This means there is plenty of free air inside and sufficient distance from the net. The sewn-on pack sack – converted into an outer pocket – keeps not-so-small items together.
There are now two useful additions to the “thermal hammock”: Any form of insulation is welcome in the cold. The mat has pockets for normal and larger sleeping mats (up to around 198 × 65 centimetres). This is where the self-inflating sleeping pad comes into play. Measuring 183 × 51 × 4 centimetres, it provides the right backing for some people. The screw valve can also be used to regulate the degree of firmness, which is also very practical.
Between the mosquito net and hammock fabric, there is a second surprise: two additional loops hold the Amazonas underquilts in place. In our case, it was the Goose Down Underquilt. With an infinitely adjustable suspension rope, everything is mounted quite quickly. The quilt is said to be comfortable in temperatures as low as minus ten degrees Celsius. When we tried it out in the fall when the cold rain set in, we were already cozy and warm. But what is perhaps even more important for mental relaxation is that the down filling is very soft. However, the quilt is still very durable and the outside is also water-repellent.
To prevent it getting wet from above, we also added the Wing Tarp to the set. The lightweight fabric is specially coated and has a water column of around 3,000 millimetres. The generous shape allows for a number of set-ups, so that all-round weather protection is even possible. Amazonas has thought of everything here too: the guy ropes have the tried-and-tested adjustable carabiner and four pegs are even included, which means it can also be used as a tent-like tarp on the ground.
If you look for disadvantages with this combination, you won’t find them quickly. Of course, you first have to get to grips with the many guy ropes, but this is easy to manage with a little practice or at least a little composure. In return, you have a system with maximum flexibility and can stay outside all year round – at least in our latitudes. There is also nothing to complain about in terms of weight when you consider what you get in return: The hammock comes in at just 650 grams, with each individual part weighing less than a kilo each, making for an all-round package with maximum variability at just over three and a half kilograms.
