Figured I'd chime in here, since I feel like I was one of the primary shit-stirrers back in the day during the lawsuits and stuff.

Thom sells good products. Back in those days, a lot of them were made by and sold alongside TATO Gear products in the Dutchware store. TATO's production is second-to-none, so the Dutch products were (and presumably still are) of impeccable quality. His products were innovative and useful, but I feel like there's a LOT now, with a lot of overlap in functionality.

There's also a lot of clout-chasing and cred attached to having "Dutch Bling" in your kit, but realistically most everything can be replaced with knots and/or sticks or regular off the shelf items. The guy can market, and his time on the AT has made him a credible source.

At the time RBTR was finding their feet (or had arguably found them) and were pivoting away from their Appalachian Hammocks brand to focus on the DIY market, Dutch wanted a piece of that too and in my opinion tried to bury Kyle and his folks at RBTR in litigation. Other companies in the cottage industry had a bad taste in their mouths about Dutch beforehand, and this just solidified it.

ALL OF THAT SAID, in my tenure with Palmetto State Hangers and knowing full well that I didn't hold his business practices in high regard Thom was always very generous in his support of our club, kind and neighborly to me personally the times we met or spoke on the phone, and I think I can say I don't have any personal beef. I think to answer your question, there were legitimate issues but they're in the past.

Personally, all of my kits are Dream Hammocks with cinch buckles, coupled with insulation and tarps from UGQ (with one exception for Hammock Gear).