Advice for beginner WBBB XLC setup

I have a some money to spend, and a birthday coming up, so I'm getting together my first backpacking setup put together and decided to go with a hammock for shelter. I'm almost positive I"ll get a Warbonnet Blackbird XLC, but wanted some advice first.

I only plan on doing 3 season camping to start the first year or two, but the majority of trips will be in the summer or early fall (September). For temperature reference I live in NJ and plan on going out around here, NY, and PA to start out.

Aside from the WBBB I'm going to need a tarp, and some sort of quilt. This is where i need help since I only have enough for the hammock, and maybe $200 more to spend. Some questions:

1) Do I splurge on a Superfly tarp, and cheap out on an overquilt/sleeping bag? Or do I go mid-range on both?
2) Do I even need an underquilt at this point if the lowest temp I'll probably see this year and next is 40-ish degrees? Will a cheap pad or reflector be good enough?

Any other noob advice is welcome as I've never even tested out a hammock at this point. Am I rushing this? I figure if I'm going to go for it and have the dough I might as well get one of the best, right?

Besides buying used, you need at least $100 for a synthetic underquilt from Arrowhead Equipment...to mention one vendor. You can use a sleeping bag on top if you have one. By the way, yes you need an underquilt usually below 70.

You could get a cheap tarp if you only need rain coverage and upgrade that later. Even a blue Walmart tarp will work for now.

Watch the For Sale section for some good deals.

Ditto on a Jarbrige 3S UQ from Arrowhead...about $115 with shipping. If you are not in a hurry, they do go on sale a few times a year.

The Superfly is a great tarp and you will not go wrong getting one.

You will still need a TQ unless you have a really lite weight sleeping bag.

Once you get your gear....test it under controlled conditions like your backyard so you know how well it works together.

I started out this year a lot like you. Just enough for my WBBB xlc and figured I could save enough to pick up a tarp for the rainy season Now and get my quilts before its cold outside. I used a thermal blanket between the layers and was bearable not comfy down to around 55 degrees this early spring with a good fleece blanket. I recently got an under quilt and it has made a world of difference and sleep from dusk to dawn and personally the best investment so far. I think if I had to skimp it would be on the tarp. If you do get a tarp be sure to seam seal it if it has tie outs sewn in. If you decide to get a pad make sure it is a closed cell. Hope this helps. Also there is a lot of DIYers on here and If you can sew that skill can save you a ton of money on your gear, truly a great resource.

+1 on the underquilt. You can focus on the underquilt and then a decent tarp.

Warbonnet's gonna hate me, but, I'd skip the premium hammock for now. Insulation and weather protection are your most important priorities right now. Get a good UQ and tarp. Get started with an inexpensive hammock. WB traveler, any of Dutch's offerings, Simply light designs are a few that come to mind.

When I was getting started the WB Blackbird seemed to be THE hammock to have. I've been through quite a few, gone from attached bugnets to a Fronkey and only now, quite a few years later, am I convinced I may need a WBBB.

Thanks all for the helpful replies and advice. I must say that spending $65 for a WB Traveler XL vs. $210 for the BB XLC is very tempting. I would be worried about mosquitos though, as they do have a strong presence in some areas in NJ during the summer months. Would I need a separate bug net to protect myself? Any recommendations?

I will definitely focus on the underquilt and probably wait on getting the Superfly, as well, as I think I can get away with a cheap tarp for rain protection. This could help "spread the wealth" on some other gear, like a decent sleeping bag and pack.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mikegryo

I would be worried about mosquitos though, as they do have a strong presence in some areas in NJ during the summer months. Would I need a separate bug net to protect myself? Any recommendations?

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Most people will recommend this. I bought one a few weeks ago and will be testing it out this weekend.
https://www.dutchwaregear.com/fronkey-style-bugnet.html

Well, you can save some money on the tarp without any real sacrifice by emailing Mountain Wilderness Gear. He's having a sale that ends today, but you can get the equivalent of a 12' superfly out of 1.1 silpoly g2 for $85.

Mountain Wilderness <[email protected]>

That would get you a great tarp and allow you to put extra cash into bottom insulation where you'll really see some return on the extra investment. IMHO and HYOH

My first hammock was a WBBB XLC - I did a ton of research, lurked here for months and read everything I could find, and was convinced that it was the way to go - I ponied up the cash, got the hammock, and I loved it - but I hadn't tried to sleep a whole night in it and truth be told, I didn't know what to look for or look out for with regards to that - I built a turtledog stand, set it up in my bedroom, and prepared to spend the night - I was in for a real suprise - as cool as the hammock was, and it was cool, I couldn't sleep through the night - there was a terrible calf ridge and my knees were hyper extended and hurt like hell after a couple of hours - I didn't know that it was called a calf ridge at the time but there it was - I fiddled and futzed with the suspension, wiggled around in the hammock but I just couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep for ore than an hour or so - I tried several nights with the same issue - I looked in the forums and found that some people had the same issue - Now don't get me wrong, I think the XLC is awesome - the quality was obvious, the customer service was fantastic, and I really liked the shelf - it just wouldn't fit me -

My point is, just like some others have said, you will need some form of under and top quilt - you might want to experiment with some of the less expensive offerings out there until you are sure exactly what you want - I ended up with a used Hammeck Netty that I really really like and it fits me like a glove - it seems like a lot of folks go through a lot of rigs before they settle on the one that suits them -

It also might be important to mention that the fabric has a lot to do with the fit as well - some of the fabrics stretch more than others and some are softer while some are prone to static electricity, especially if you live in one of the dryer climates -

Good Luck!