Hey guys,
I've seen several posts about NX-150's and 250's and thought it would be a good time to talk about my experience with the TX-150 I purchased around August. I bought this hammock as a winter hammock, where previously I used my WBBB and a Superfly, now I use this and replaced the superfly with a Hammock Gear cuben fiber tarp with out doors (love it too!). I never liked tarp doors, they always got in the way, and I always felt like I would be much happier with just a cover over the bugnet.
First I'll start with the bad news: Weight! But if you own or are considering an NX, that's nothing new, weighs about the same. I will say that when comparing to a 1 man tent its still in the same ball park, but when compared to my WBBB the difference is about 1 lb and for an UL / SUL hiker, that's a lot.
Pro's-
-Weather Shield- its awesome and believe it eliminates the need for a tarp w/ doors in windy conditions, so if you're comparing something like the superfly to the big mamba jamba, saves you about 6 oz out of that 1 lb premium you're carrying. Also, the area around your head unzips too, unlike the NX which helps keep the condensation down if you're using the weather shield.
-Pockets, and this is something you should consider if you're looking at the NX series. It has 4 pockets, 2 at the head, and 2 at the foot. I really like this b/c one the pockets are awesome for staying organized, and two they are spaced perfectly to put a 3/4 underquilt there and still retain the use / insulation of the pockets. I used my flamethrower UQ (16 oz) and it fit perfectly (if even a tad longer than needed) between the pockets and still got the benefit of a full UQ when stuffing the two end pockets with all my gear (compared to me taking the JRB no Sniveller, saves 6 oz).
-Lastly, compared to the WBBB, I love having a bugnet that I can completely unzip, didn't think it was a big deal when i got the WB, but coming from an ENO, it was something I really missed.
Overall, I gave the NX a hard look but after doing the homework I figured I typically don't carry enough gear to pack out all 6 pockets to realize the insulation benefits, and that they would have made the hammock too warm for the hot summers here in the southeast. When they offered the TX, I was one of the first people to order one, and have been very happy with it. For summer use I would still prefer something lighter, but for late fall, winter, and spring I feel the penalty is minimal and well worth it for the benefits provided.
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