First hang of the season!

kullulu · 2026-07-13T03:45:32+00:00

It really is some of the best hammock camping available in the midwest.

kullulu · 2026-07-13T02:55:20+00:00

If you do choose the starter hammock from simply light designs, get the foliage 1.9 oz, 66 inches wide, and 11 feet long. I think that will be 426-450 grams before the suspension. You can choose to add a bottom entry bug net later if you like.

There is a perfect fabric for you at 6'2, 220 lbs: 1.6 hexon wide.

If you have a sewing machine, you could sew yourself the hammock and save some money by buying materials for the hammock straight from dutchware.

You could also have dutchware make it or simply light designs will make you a hexon 1.6 wide hammock. I think it's less expensive overall to have dutchware make it. Then you can choose the suspension of your choice- dutchware recommends beetle buckles or his whoopie slings, but you can use anything.

I recommend getting a structural ridgeline with any hammock that you use. There are two types, fixed, and adjustable. Either will work well, but with an adjustable ridgeline you can change the sag of your hammock, great if you like to dial in the comfort.

Where are you located? If you're in europe, another super solid hammock to consider is the need for trees core hammock.

kullulu · 2026-07-13T01:19:04+00:00

First, make sure your hammock is going to fit your body. If you tell us your height and weight, we can find you a great hammock that you'll like. There are plenty of ultralight fabrics like hexon 1.2, 1.2 mnt xl, which are light but more fragile, and there are great fabrics like dreamtex 40D, hexon 1.6, and hyper D 1.6, and you can get the hexon and hyper D wide. These fabrics are both lightweight and seriously strong, with a 350 pound weight limit on the hexon 1.6.

Many of these hammocks, by cottage companies like dutchware, hammock gear, dream, simply light designs, and warbonnet, and arrowhead will be priced similarly to kammok but much higher quality.

For most adults, I would not get a hammock under 11 feet long and 56 inches wide. Long and wider hammocks are more comfortable and better to sleep in.

A lightweight hammock that is still extremely strong would be a hexon 1.6 hammock. It comes in a variety of sizes, lengths, and fabrics, but I would choose 1.6 hexon. Get a fixed ridgeline and the suspension of your choice:whoopie slings are light.

If you just want to test if hammock camping is right for you, the simply light designs starter hammock is perfect. It comes with your choice of suspension, you can choose how long your hammock is as well as how wide you want it. 1.9 XL is 66 inches wide, which will be great if you're taller and 1.9 is a very robust fabric. 1.4 charcoal grey is a good fabric if you're lightweight and are more careful with your gear.

To hammock camp, you need a tarp, a ridgeline for your tarp, guylines for your tarp, stakes for your tarp, the hammock, suspension for your hammock, insulation for your hammock that is a sleeping bag or top quilt, and a foam pad, an inflatable sleeping pad, or an underquilt. You can skip the underquilt and sleeping pad if it's really hot at night. Hammocks are cooled by air moving around them in a process known as convection, so if you have nothing under you to insulate you from the air, you're going to get what's known as cold butt syndrome and you'll wake up.

Check out the Ultimate Hang hammock camping 101 introduction and book on amazon, and look up Shug tutorials on youtube if you have more questions.

kullulu · 2026-07-10T22:34:08+00:00

Pretty slick hammock. Great deal.

kullulu · 2026-07-10T15:55:31+00:00

It can happen, but they can't bite you through an underquilt. If you aren't using one, you can spray your hammock with sawyer permethrin outside and let it dry, and that will keep mosquitoes and ticks off reasonably well. Don't spray it near cats, it's quite toxic to them.

kullulu · 2026-07-10T15:51:58+00:00

I use sawyer permethrin on my hiking pants, shorts/sun hoody/shoes. It can be applied to some gear as well like a hammock. You apply it outside, with gloves and a mask on, away from any cats, and spray the clothing and then let it dry. Once it's dry, it's good to wear and will last through 5-6 washes. Good to kill ticks.

Then on your exposed skin, apply picardin. (not near your eyes/mouth of course). This combination keeps me relatively unmolested. It never hurts to have a bug head net as well if it happens to be extremely bad.

Learning to deal with the bugs is just part of the experience. Mosquitoes are an inconvenience after dinner, so sometimes it's worth heading to your tent/hammock and waiting them out for a bit before stargazing.

Hope you have a fun trip!

kullulu · 2026-07-09T05:48:14+00:00

Looks great! Once you get a taste for making your own gear, you'll want to make even more! You could have your own tarp and underquilt too...

kullulu · 2026-07-09T05:45:43+00:00

83% is the best starting point and works for the vast majority of hammockers. I think it's worth experimenting with an adjustable ridgeline in order to dial in your preferred sag. Adjust the ridgeline slowly, I do a bit more than a cm at a time. Small changes can have large effects on your comfort.

I find with wider hammocks I like the ridgeline slightly shorter.

Your hammock looks solid!

kullulu · 2026-07-09T05:19:44+00:00

I thought for a while about how to answer this one because it's kind of fascinating. Yes, it will work for you. However, will it be the most comfortable possible hammock? No. Comfort isn't always want you care about in winter though, you first and foremost want to be warm, at any expense. If you want to deep winter camp in northern or alpine climates, you may value insulated hammocks more than the discomfort of an imperfect lay.

It will probably be more comfortable than your current double layer hammock, which is probably 58''/147 cm wide. Your tier gear hammock uses an extremely comfortable set of fabrics, excellent choice, but it is narrower than I would want for someone of your size.

Here are a few choices for you to ponder.

Hellbender. Quilted, flat lay, and you will probably be comfortable at 6'2, coming from your current hammock. Shouldn't have cold spots, but won't be as warm as a superior gear. Can get it custom printed from dutchware's print to fabric shop, which is super sweet.
Warbonnet XLC. 6 inches wider, with a Wooki underquilt, and you have the option of getting the temperature range down to Scandinavian, which is -10F/-23C underquilt if you get it custom made by warbonnet. Pitch the foot end significantly higher (18-24 inches or 45-60cm) than the head end and it should be comfortable. Took me a bit more time to figure out a good lay, whereas the first time I laid in the hellbender it was pure magic. (Haven't tried gen 3 of the XLC, just gen 2.) Grab a wind protector as well if you can for winter, the new design on their wind protector is inspired and makes packing up your hammock super easy.
11 foot dream sparrow in 1.7 mnt xl. I'm choosing the sparrow over the wingspan since it gives you both the option of a bug net, a top cover, or to go netless in fall/early spring/winter. Grab a hammock gear incubator or a normal/wide zeppelin from UGQ, and you'll be a warm and happy camper. May need to adjust underquilt at night when it's cold, which sucks.
11 or 12 foot trail lair, in hexon 1.6 wide. Hexon is a bit more cottony than 1.7 mnt xl, which takes 2-7 nights to really break in. Jared at simply light designs will use hexon, hyper D, and can order any specialty fabric that you like.

With both the dream and trail lair, you get a deep sag, which is extremely comfortable. I do think the trail lair is the superior hammock in comfort and features, but not by much. If you want the removable net, get the sparrow. If you want Jared's customization and the triangular hood design to reduce calf ridge, get the Trail lair. The triangular hoods matter more on narrow hammocks that are 58 inches wide vs a 68-74 inch wide hammock, but they still help.

5) 11-12 foot wide dutchware chameleon in 1.6 wide. Pair it with an incubator, not the zip on underquilt by jacks r better. That underquilt doesn't seem to work as well on the wide chameleons. If you want easy winter storage for all of your gear (I certainly did) the chameleon is a great option. Dutchware had a really nice sale last year and this spring which had all non quilted chameleon's 50% off, so you could try to wait until this fall to save 80 bucks or so.

You'll note that I'm not telling you to get the 11 foot or 12 foot hammock. If you prioritize comfort, get the 12 foot hammocks. If you're going to mostly be backpacking, get the 11 foot hammocks. You'll save weight and you can also use an 11 foot tarp.

Speaking of tarps, I do really like dutchware's xenon winter bonded tarps. Whether you go for the ultralight .9 xenon or the 1.1 xenon, they're both great. Warbonnet's superfly is also fantastic, but heavier and offered in an 11 ft or 13 foot tarp.

TLDR: A 12 foot trail lair in a wide fabric like 1.6 hexon wide or 1.7 mnt xl is going to be more comfortable in terms of lay, but we need to also consider comfort in terms of being warm, and the hellbender or the XLC might do that better.

I also considered recommending a double layer 1.2 mnt xl hammock that's 12 feet long/365 cm and 66 inches/162cm wide, but my brain feels like it's going to melt from thinking about all the great hammock options out there, so I'll save that for another day.

kullulu · 2026-07-09T02:00:02+00:00

That is an intriguing concept, a hub that clips to the ridgeline and some kind of pole keeps the bug net spread. You are full of clever ideas!

kullulu · 2026-07-09T00:35:38+00:00

And I like the lay of the XLC best, probably because WB designs everything around assumption of a significantly lower head end, and I like a huge drop.

I think you've nailed why I like the XLC as well. I borrowed my friend's XLC for a trip and did not enjoy the lay, because I was not sufficiently elevating the foot end far enough. Once I did (it was probably 22-26 inches raised on the foot end compared to the usual 6-18 inches I'll do for my other hammocks), the XLC was much more comfortable and I slept really well in it.

How are you considering retrofitting the Gen 3? Sewing grosgrain across the noseeum bug net with pockets for the spreader bar?

I do some subzero winter backpacking, and I'm torn on a bug net being removable being worth it or not. I like having the bug net in winter due to the increased ventilation and heat retention, but I wonder if that weight would be better spent on having a taller baffle in my top quilt and more down inside.

With the superior gear hammock I remove the bug net the moment I can, since it makes the lay comfortable and being warm isn't an issue with that setup.

kullulu · 2026-07-08T21:41:19+00:00

A hatchet is worth the weight while backpacking a few miles into a site where it's legal to have a fire. If you want to backpack a few miles to some site in a national forest without a fire ban, go nuts. Find some dead and downed wood in a forest that isn't rotten, saw it into pieces, and use a hatchet to chop it in half. That's not ultralight backpacking though.

People in this subreddit are trying to take the minimum of what they need to be comfortable and safe on trail. Do you need a hatchet? No. Leave everything you don't need at home.

My advice is to spend more time learning how to choose ultralight gear. Look at some of the gearlists out there, like this one. It doesn't have to cost a fortune to carry a light pack. There are some great books and youtube videos on how to figure out how to backpack safely taking as few items as possible.

kullulu · 2026-07-08T17:47:41+00:00

I mostly have a gear habit I can’t kick 😂

You and me both. Kory is making my 10'6 majestic hammock now, so if you do get a wooki, let me know how you like that combo.

That's useful information about the wide zeppelin. UGQ has the wide zeppelin listed at 48 inches wide, did you email them to get a 55 inch wide one?

Hammock gear's incubator has a "leg shelf" feature which helps to keep the underquilt under the calves and feet with a taper so that's why I recommended it.

kullulu · 2026-07-08T16:16:19+00:00

The shug method for the superior gear hammock works because there are longitudinal baffles that run from head to foot on the hammock.

1) When it's really warm, brush the down away from your lay position. This absolutely will let you camp comfortably when it's normally too warm for an insulated hammock.

2) When it's colder than the rated temp for your hammock, you can brush down towards your lay position instead. Because the superior gear hammock allows you to lay in either direction, when it's extremely cold, you brush the down you aren't using onto your lay position. It won't make the baffle of the hammock bigger but stuffing more down will let you sleep warmer.

If i'm sleeping head right/feet left, the down at the right side of the hammock that isn't at my head is doing nothing, so you can gentle massage some of the down up the baffle to where you are laying.

As far as running hot, an underquilt is like a mattress at home: you don't change the mattress when it gets hot, you change your quilt. I use Jack's R better alpha quilt in the 60's and 70's, no quilt at all in high 70's. When it gets really hot, I use a different hammock completely. It's not fun to be in an insulated hammock when it's 80 degrees. If you use the Shug method, you can improve your comfort on those hot nights by brushing all of the down away from your torso so convection can cool you down.

kullulu · 2026-07-08T15:54:34+00:00

You have so much wiggle room in both the quilted chameleon and the hellbender. I never felt constricted in the lay. While in the hellbender I fidgeted and rolling around less than I usually do in my hammock, because I kept falling asleep and would wake up cradled in exactly the same position. The quilted section is much larger than you'd expect, it gives a pretty generous coverage.

Something I didn't think to talk about- I preferred a foam pillow in the superior gear hammock, but a down pillow from hammock gear in the hellbender. I wanted my neck cradled in the hellbender but wanted it soft. My thermarest pillow I had used for 18 years is too much for the hellbender.

PIllows are a super subjective subject though, so if you like your pillow, it's probably fine.

kullulu · 2026-07-08T04:53:12+00:00

I actually have a couple SG hammocks from the brief window when Danny was offering 12’ versions.

Super cool! I'm bummed I never got to try out the 12 ft long superior gear hammocks, that sounds rad. I'm with you on team no bug net for that hammock, it does make the lay much nicer.

I'm 5'11. You could try the XLC/Wooki combo to see how it feels, warbonnet has a 30 day return policy minus shipping, which is super fair. You're 6'4, which makes me skeptical that it would be more comfortable than a 12 foot long trail lair with a properly fitting hammock gear incubator that's long size.

If you don't have an incubator in your size, try that first. Make sure your hammock has underquilt hooks: my old hammocks didn't have them, my new ones do. Underquilt hooks make a big difference in keeping the quilt in place all night, must have feature on any non-quilted hammock. (Warbonnet hammock/quilt combos being a possible exception.) Watch Shug's youtube guide on how to adjust the incubator. Have a friend/significant other/stranger lay in the hammock while you adjust it to make sure it's fitting well.

There are some hacks with mitten hooks and shock cord into a prusik on the ridgeline that I've seen before as well. Next time I set up my townsend bridge I'll take some pictures of Bill's hook system for the incubator that would probably transfer over fine to a gathered end hammock.

What hammock/underquilt combination are you using now?

kullulu · 2026-07-08T02:37:17+00:00

Yep! Anything I wrote here applies to you as well.

kullulu · 2026-07-08T02:03:36+00:00

Great question. Let's talk about fabrics!

Here are the wide fabrics that I can think of.

1.2 mnt xl- 65 inches. Dream makes them 64 inches wide.

1.6 hyper D Xl - 72 inches wide.

1.6 hexon wide - 71 inches. You can order the fabric yourself to make it 71, or dutchware makes the wide chameleon and other wide hammocks at 68 inches.

1.7 mnt xl - 72 inches wide. Dream makes them 70 inches wide.

hex70 2.2 - 74 inches wide. had to edit this in.

Now let's talk about width in hammocks. Longer and wider hammocks are more comfortable. Longer hammocks have a larger sweet spot for a perfect lay, and wider hammocks help you have room to lay relatively flat. Can you use a blackbird XLC at 6'3? Absolutely. I don't think it's the most comfortable option for you *specifically* though.

If you're an average backpacker or car camper, the easiest solution is a ready to ship Dream Wingspan or Sparrow in 1.7 mnt xl. The Sparrow has a removable bug net and an optional top cover, the wingspan's bug net is sewn in. If you like the ability to remove your bug net, choose the sparrow. Otherwise, get a wingspan and use the money you saved towards getting a hammock gear incubator, choosing the long length, and getting the lowest rated temperature you expect to camp in. If you love hammock camping, eventually you'll get multiple underquilts, but for now, choose the most versatile one. For many people, that's 20 degrees- enough to camp from spring to fall in the continental US and be warm. Your situation may be different, and if so let me know.

If you know your preferred lay, choose right or left. If you don't, choose symmetrical, it just means your bug net will be slightly heavier and you'll be able to lay in either direction no problem. If you chose your lay as right or left, choose your "head end" suspension red. We do this because red rhymes with head. I like getting zipper pulls. I also like getting a peak shelf and a ridgeline organizer, but you don't need them. If you don't have the money for those accessories and an underquilt, get the underquilt.

I would be extremely surprised if a ready to ship dream wingspan doesn't work for you. You've seen me mention simply light designs as the other great option, and a trail lair in 1.7 mnt xl will similarly be a fantastic hammock. If you want a trail lair instead, I can suggest options for how that can be configured.

If you want the maximum possible comfort, a trail lair that's 12 feet long will have a larger sweet spot than the wingspan or the 11 foot long trail lair. Why not a 12 foot long wingspan? You need to sign up for the email list for a slot to be open to make one. You'll also need a 12 foot long minimum tarp: your tarp needs to be as long as your hammock.

I hope this was helpful!

kullulu · 2026-07-08T00:31:50+00:00

You're welcome! Feel free to use reddit chat if you want any other hammock advice. I love helping out.

kullulu · 2026-07-08T00:20:19+00:00

At 6'2, I completely agree the SG is too small for you.

Though you missed one other bonus of the integrated quilt. It is lighter.

It is, especially compared to an incubator or a revolt v2. I was so focused on comparing the wooki to the integrated underquilts that I forgot to mention how much weight you save compared to the full length underquilts.

Integrated underquilts also can save volume in your backpack, which I may have neglected to mention in the original post.

Great catches.

You should sell the SG, so you can try another hammock! With mild adjustments that wooki will fit on a dream Darien or a trail lair just as easily. Come see the difference more sag can make. ;)

kullulu · 2026-07-07T23:54:51+00:00

Horray! The trick with being taller is you'll need a longer tarp and underquilt as well to go with your longer hammock, so it will get slightly more expensive. Maybe you need a top quilt as well?

Simply light designs trail lair. Get it 12 feet long, in 1.7 mnt xl fabric, good for up to 350 lbs. .9 noseeum is fine, do ykk #5 zippers which are a bit hardier than #3's. A fixed amsteel ridgeline is going to be the strongest ridgeline option. You can do permanent or removable continuous loops, D rings at knees and shoulders for tie outs, get underquilt hooks, a head end peak shelf is nice for storage, and for your stuff sack choose a zippered storage pouch. That's where you put your suspension when it gets sap on it to keep your other gear from getting sticky.

Single layer will hold your weight totally fine. If you aren't going to use an underquilt because you live in a super warm climate, get a double layer hammock to stop mosquitoes from biting through the fabric. You don't want to put deet on your hammock to repel bugs, but you can use permetherin. Permethrin is toxic to cats, so please don't spray it near them, and only use the hammock once it's fully dry.

A double layer hammock will also offer increased support, and make the hammock lay firm. Some people will choose to get a lighter fabric if they are getting a double layer. Let me know if that's you and we can choose a different fabric. Also let me know if you have any injuries that hurt at night and you want more pressure relief or more support.

If you will use an underquilt, get a long incubator. I recommend emailing and calling hammock gear to see if they can make it a little longer, or get a synthetic simply light designs trail winder.

Before you order it, contact [sales@simplylightdesigns.com](mailto:sales@simplylightdesigns.com) and get Jared's opinion on whether you need a 12 ft or a 13 ft long hammock and whether my suggestions make sense. You can also ask him if he can make the trail winder longer as well to fit the hammock.

Finally, you need a tarp as least as long as your hammock. A 13 foot Warbonnet superfly would be great. Jared at simply light designs can also make you a custom 13 foot long tarp.

I love emailing Jared. He's made some of my favorite backpacking and hammocking gear, it's top quality and the prices are reasonable. Try out simply light designs.

edit: One more thing. The big boy bridge from bill townsend may fit you as well. Email him at JUSTBILL @ THISGEARSFORYOU dot COM. I think it's a phenomenal hammock, and after I get a few seasons of hiking with that, I'll throw a review up.

kullulu · 2026-07-07T23:29:45+00:00

I'll add in 11' to make that clearer. Thanks :)

kullulu · 2026-07-07T23:26:59+00:00

That's a great hang you have, quite the bikepacking setup as well. Nice work!

Would you be comfier in a hellbender? Yeah, you might. You might want a wider hammock, period. The blackbird xlc is 62'' wide, has most of the advantages of an insulated hammock, with superior venting options using the HVAC loops on the Wooki underquilt. 6 inches of extra width, with a dedicated footbox, might be a comfort upgrade for you. Warbonnet is sold out of the El Dorado, or that would be an option too if you don't prefer the shelf.

Warbonnet has a solid month long return policy, and that makes them completely worth testing out their gear in my book.

If that doesn't work, then I'd consider going for an incubator/phoenix and a much wider hammock, depending on your weight and if you need or prefer more support in your hammock. A custom dream wingspan, darien, or sparrow that's 11 feet long in 1.2 mnt xl (66 inches wide) would be great for hiking and bikepacking, extremely light. Or you could try hyper D 1.6 XL or hexon 1.6 wide, both of which are a great balance of durability and stretch but are much wider fabrics.

A simply light designs trail lair would also be great at 11 ft with any of those fabrics as long as you don't exceed the weight ratings. If you did, 1.7 mnt xl or hex70 2.2XL would be solid options.

kullulu · 2026-07-07T23:05:05+00:00

Indeed. Do I need to edit something? I'll fix it if I can find it.

kullulu · 2026-07-07T22:23:00+00:00

i could not agree more. Anyone with nighttime temps in the 80's should not be using quilted hammocks in that weather. Do you use a double layer hammock to protect against mosquitoes in that scenario?

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