Grand Trunk Trunktech Hammock review

REVIEW – Can a hammock be on an EDC list? I would have said no, but the Trunktech Hammock by Grand Trunk might just find a spot in your pack if hanging around is in your list of daily activities.

What is it?

It’s a hammock that aims to change your preconceptions of the category by packing small, weighing little and surprising you with its versatility.

What’s in the box?

  • Trunktech hammock
  • 2 carabiners
  • Quick instruction card

Hardware specs

  • Material: Proprietary 40D 1.1 oz Diamond Ripstop Nylon
  • Capacity: 500 lbs
  • Weight: 11.7 oz
  • Unfolded Dimensions: 11′ x 4’10”
  • They also make a double: 15.5 oz | 11′ x 6’6″

Design and features

It’s clear when you pick this up for the first time that this is not your grandfather’s hammock. It’s crazy light and stuffs into a storage bag that’s permanently attached meaning you can’t lose it.

There’s a webbing handle across the bottom of the bag that you can use to lash it to the outside of your pack should there not be enough room inside (unlikely). There’s also plenty of room with the hammock fully stored anyway so you can fit the additional ropes you’ll want for hanging around.

The hanging ends show that the hammock is actually a rectangle with the webbing running through a channel that bunches each of the ends up in a way that lets the hammock really form that pocket for your body. For strength, the channel is triple-stitched and the webbing is box stitched.

Setup

Grand Trunk has made the setup as simple as it gets. Un-cinch the back and un-stuff the hammock which already has the carabiners attached. From there, you’re looking for the right pair of trees or anchor points. The only thing to provide beyond that is your own cord/rope for anchoring to trees/branches. We cut a pair of 6′ ropes which also fit into the storage bag.

If you want some hanging solutions that are pre-thought out for the purpose, Grand Trunk (I’ll refer to them as GT going forward) also makes a few of those including straps and tree protector slings.

Performance

What are the key metrics in determining a good hammock? It likely depends on the hammock as well as what you wanted a hammock for in the first place. Would this one work on a hammock stand in your back yard? Sure, but that would definitely sell this one short, and big hammocks designed for a solitary location probably have some upsides as a result.

The fact that this GT hammock is not designed to be stationary is the point. The fabric is a ripstop nylon that’s buttery soft and super durable as well as breathable which just makes for good lounging. GT has designed the hammock to support up to 500 lbs which goes to show just how strong this material is. Keep in mind that weight limit assumes you’re using quality ropes or webbing to hang it.

I tossed the hammock to my son halfway through his final exam week of senior year in high school. I got these photos back that afternoon following an AP Calc test. Definitely a good way to kick back.

You can see that based on the available trees, he chose to suspend from the horizontal branches which made for a more U-shaped hang. You’d definitely want to string around trunks horizontally for a more laid out position.

The Trunktech shines when it comes to packing. It just stuffs back into the attached storage pouch, and is smaller than a typical reusable water bottle and would easily double as a pillow should the need arise.

As for colors and options, we received the Teal/Turquoise in their single size. There’s also a double size and 5 additional colors to choose from not to mention plenty of other hammocks, products and accessories on GT’s site.

What I like

  • Ultra light and small
  • Easy to deploy and store
  • Comfortable strong fabric

What needs to be improved

  • Nothing

Final thoughts

So if you’re looking for an EDC hammock, you’ve found it. Light, small, soft and strong. It’ll fit in your pack or even lash to your belt for those impromptu hangs that you know you want to take. It’s definitely in my son’s pack for the summer.

Price: $59.95 ($69.95 for Double)
Where to buy: Grand Trunk and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Grand Trunk.

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Grand Trunk Trunktech Hammock review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 16, 2019 at 9:31 am.

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ORICO 4 Port Clip-Type USB 3.0 Hub review

REVIEW – Our family has a shared Mac Mini tucked behind a monitor. Unfortunately, plugging in USB accessories can be a little tricky when you hide the CPU, but the ORICO 4 Port USB 3.0 Clip-Type hub could solve just that.

What is it?

The ORICO 4-Port USB 3.0 Clip-Type hub does just what it says, allowing you to add four USB ports to the edge of a monitor or the edge of a desk.

What’s in the box?

  • USB hub
  • USB-A to USB-A cable

Hardware specs

  • Four USB 3.0 ports
  • Clamp opens between 10 mm to 33 mm

Design and features

The hub’s exterior construction appears to be aluminum. A tiny hole on the front panel hides a blue LED. On the rear is the USB port that connects to your computer, and the set screw.

Setup

There’s not a whole lot to it: Simply unpack and plug in the provided cable…

…and clamp to the edge of a monitor. Here’s the product under a 20″ LCD monitor.

If you look closely you can see the blue LED on the front panel. Doesn’t quite cover the DELL logo, but that’s OK.

What I like

  • Sturdy, sleek design
  • LED isn’t too bright

What needs to be improved

  • I wish it came in black as an option.
  • Not powered (see note below)

Final thoughts

Despite the color mismatch, the ORICO 4 Port USB 3.0 Clip-Type Hub installed easily. A powered version is also available.

Price: $21.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by ORICO.

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ORICO 4 Port Clip-Type USB 3.0 Hub review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 16, 2019 at 8:30 am.

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Solar powered gadgets, 3D printers, PaMu Slide earbuds, and more – Weekly roundup

NEWS – Did you read all our news, articles, and reviews this week? Not sure? No worries, here’s the full listing of everything we posted in the last seven days. Enjoy!

ARTICLES

REVIEWS

NEWS

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Solar powered gadgets, 3D printers, PaMu Slide earbuds, and more – Weekly roundup originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 15, 2019 at 7:59 pm.

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How to Fix Left Mouse Button Not Working on Windows 10

Almost everyone on a computer uses the left mouse button as the primary button. It’s with the left button that you do things such as open files, folders, drag, and drop, etc. When all of a sudden the left mouse button stops working, you could have a major problem on your hands. It’s always a good idea to start with the most basic possible fixes, as sometimes that’s all it takes. Starting off with the essential repairs also saves you valuable time, since they are quick and easy to perform. Related: Headphones Not Working in Windows 10? Here Are Some Fixes The Basics The very… Read more

Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair review

REVIEW – We keep hearing that sitting is the new smoking when it comes to activities that can be damaging/fatal to your health. I can’t really disagree that sitting all day is bad for me, but I’ve tried several standing desks over the years and can’t seem to work as well as I can while sitting at a desk.

If I’m going to sit, I want to sit on a chair that doesn’t contribute even more problems to the activity of sitting. I don’t want the chair to make my posture worse, back pain worse, etc. So with that in mind, let’s check out the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair.

What is it?

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair is an office chair that has been designed to make the action of sitting better for your body by improving posture and comfort.

What’s in the box?

  • All the parts needed to assemble the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair
  • Hardware screws, washers, and 2 Allen wrenches
  • Assembly instructions

Assembly

Assembling the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair is not difficult and you will not need any extra tools as they are included with the hardware. You will need about 30 minutes to go through the steps which are clearly outlined in the included instructions.

The first step has you put the wheels/castors into the heavy metal (not ACDC) chair base. I always find this part the most difficult part of any chair assembly because you have to press the wheels into slots which takes more hand strength than I usually have. Having said that, I was able to seat each wheel in place with fewer swear words than normal.

After the wheels have been attached, the next step is to set the hydraulic piston thingy in the center of the base. This step takes no effort at all.

Then you have to place the seat on the piston. With this step, it is helpful to have someone hold the base while you place the chair on top. I didn’t have anyone to help me on the day I assembled the chair so it did take a little effort but it wasn’t too hard.

After the seat is seated, the back of the chair is positioned so that you can attach it to the seat with 4 screws that require the included Allen wrench to tighten them. Again, this isn’t difficult to do alone, but having another person around to hold things while you try to get the screws lined up helps a lot. Another thing that would help a lot would be longer Allen wrenches. The back of the armrests get in the way so that you can’t tighten the screws without reseating the wrench multiple times.

After the back of the chair is attached to the seat, there is a plastic piece that has to be attached to cover the screws.

Then the adjustable headrest is attached with 2 more screws and you’re done!

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair is attractive with the black leather material on the padded back and seat cushion. But as you can see, the backrest of my chair is slightly deformed in the center due to having rested over the chair’s wheelbase while packaged in the shipping box. I thought this “dent” would eventually go away on its own, but after a week, it is still there. I’m hoping it will disappear after some time.

Design and features

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair has quite a few adjustment points. First of all, the back of the chair has 3 depth positions that can be changed by twisting the oval knob on each side. Doing so will move the back of the chair towards the front of the seat cushion or back of the seat cushion by 2 inches in either direction.



The armrests can be raised, lowered 2 inches, slid forwards or backward 2 inches, and pivoted outwards, and inwards.

The padded headrest can also be raised and lowered 2 inches and pivoted forwards and backward. The whole chair can also be raised and lowered using the piston. At the lowest height, the seat cushion is 18 inches from the floor and at the highest height, it can be 21 inches from the floor. I’m 5’6″ tall and even at the highest seat height, my feet can still be placed flat on the floor so I’m not sure how a really tall person would feel about this chair.

All of the settings/adjustments that I’ve told you about so far can be found on most office chairs. But where the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair is different is that the backrest and the seat cushion swing independently. Check out this 20-second video to see what I mean.

Is it comfortable?

You betcha! The leather covering is soft, smooth, and feels great. The seat cushion is firm but comfortable, as is the chair back. I like that it has built-in lumbar support which is important if you have lower back issues.

The independent pivot of the back and seat felt weird when I first started using the chair, but now I really like it.

According to Eureka Ergonomic:

This chair is the only chair in the world where the center of rotation (CR-1) of the chair is approximate to that of natural human seated posture. This provides natural human motion when you are seated, allowing you to work in comfort, while reducing the stress on your back, neck, legs, and hips.

What I like

  • Comfortable
  • Easy to assemble
  • 30-day money back guarantee
  • 3-year warranty

What needs to be improved

  • Armrests are too easy to slide forward and backward
  • Seat may not raise high enough for tall people

Final thoughts

The Executive Swing office chair from Eureka Ergonomic Is the nicest office chair that I’ve reviewed in my over 2 decades reviewing products. I can’t tell if it’s improving my posture, but I can say that it is comfortable to sit in for long review writing sessions. If I can be productive without my bum, my back, or my legs bothering me, then that’s all I care about.

Price: $499.00 for the leather version reviewed here and $399.00 for the cloth version
Where to buy: Eureka Ergonomics and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Eureka Ergonomics.

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Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 15, 2019 at 12:45 pm.

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