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First 2 nights in my WBXLC, 3-Season Yeti & Mamba XL Topquilt - here's my review...
I was finally able to spend a couple of nights in my new WBXLC, 3-Season Yeti and Mamba XL top quilt. Here are a few pictures from my trip (taken from Nordhouse Dunes, Manistee National Forest, Michigan)...
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Last year, I went camping with a standard Warbonnet Blackbird and my experience wasn't the best. The hammock was too small for me AND I had no topquilt or underquilt, which left me uncomfortable and cold (even at 60 degrees), with some pretty terrible nights of sleeping, and gave me a grossly skewed perspective on what hammock camping was all about. I was almost ready to give up, but with the suggestions I found here on these forums, I decided to give it one more good shot once I actually had the right equipment.
WOW am I glad I did.
During these 2 nights on my trip (pictured above), I literally slept better than I have over the past 2 years. The WBXLC is an EXCELLENT hammock. Very well-designed and comfortable. I did feel a bit of "shoulder squeeze" (I am 6'2, 215 lbs & broad shouldered) a couple of times throughout the night, but I was able to shake this off by simply readjusting my position in the hammock. Otherwise, both nights were virtually perfect (which is more than I can say about my mattress at home).
The Yeti underquilt... Wow, just wow - I'm not sure how I ever survived without this. The temperature dropped to around 50 degrees during each night, which would have been pretty uncomfortable had I been without it. The Yeti made it a completely different experience. I will never leave for a hammock trip without it - it is an absolute MUST.
Before I bought my Mamba XL, I spent a lot of time in these forums trying to research all the best top quilts out there. I eventually decided to go with the Mamba XL because it seemed to fit exactly what I was looking for, and I couldn't find any negative reviews anywhere. Again, WOW - this thing is an amazing piece of work. I was shocked at how light it was AND comfortable it made me (a different universe compared to my old Eureka sleeping bag). It really does work quite nicely with the Yeti under quilt. Between the two, I was never even remotely cold during the night.
Seriously - the XLC, Yeti & Mamba are a KILLER combo. Each of these items bring a game-changing level of quality and craftmanship to the camping experience, and each item is worth every penny. I was hesitant to spend $285 on the Mamba (it just seemed like a lot to pay for what I perceived to be an unzippable sleeping bag), but now that I've experienced what it brings to the table, I would do it over again in a heartbeat.
To the folks at Warbonnet - GREAT job. Keep up the good work. You have completely reversed my previous (and misguided) perceptions on hammock camping.
