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  1. #31
    Senior Member kitsapcowboy's Avatar
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    Lightbulb How I Hang the Blackbird XLC

    After a good number of nights in the XLC, I've developed and refined my protocol for hanging the hammock in a manner that respects its unique idiosyncrasies. I use a three-step adjustment process after hanging the hammock with the foot end approximately 12" higher and with slightly more length on the foot-end suspension.

    1) Adjust the head end length more finely to get a slightly steeper hang angle than the target 25 degrees.

    2) Shorten the foot end to bring the hang angles on both ends to a more shallow 25-degree hang angle, raising or lowering the foot end anchor point if necessary.

    3) Adjust the final sit height on the properly hung hammock (if necessary) by raising or lowering the head and foot ends at their anchor points by an equal amount.



    N.B.: Because of its exaggerated slope from foot to head, the XLC is a bit less well suited than typical gathered-end hammocks for low "storm mode" pitches with small tarps like parallelogram asyms and very narrow hexes, types which still work fine with the XLC for higher fair-weather pitches. Similarly, for full-enclosure modes on winter tarp pitches with the tarp's edges staked close to the ground, the XLC's sit height can be compromised somewhat because the head end can't be hung as close to the tarp ridge line as the foot, even though the shallow hang angle helps to mediate this issue in part. The necessary slope for a comfortable lay in the XLC, which by design helps locate the occupant in a "sweet spot" biased toward the head end, is more pronounced for heavier hangers and less so for lighter ones, leading to a corresponding amplification or attenuation of these foul-weather tarp pitch issues.
    Last edited by kitsapcowboy; 07-04-2017 at 04:24.
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  2. #32
    Senior Member kitsapcowboy's Avatar
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    In February in Western Washington, if the Weather app on your iPhone says "Chance of snow: 0%", what it really means is "Chance of freezing rain: 100%"...

    Freezing rain and tiny hail are precisely what we got overnight with our 33F low, after a widespread winter windstorm with gusts up to 50 mph that knocked out our power for the last 26 hours. It was an opportune time to go out on the property and ride things out camping in the XLC, possibly my current favorite wintertime hammock.

    Paired with 30-degree Loco Libre Gear quilts, my XLC performed admirably during a wild night of late winter weather; even with the top cover fully zipped, I experienced zero condensation issues despite the high ambient humidity. I stayed dry, snug, and comfortable, with the top cover keeping chilly breezes and sideways precipitation well tamed.

    It had been several months since I had taken the XLC out for a spin, and I had forgotten how comfortable it can be once the hang is dialed in. The shelf was employed a great deal to keep a host of winter gear at the ready, and the bungee tie-outs kept everything squared away in the heavy wind, simplifying entry and exit as well.

    This refresher solidifies my understanding of why the innovative XLC remains one of the all-time great camping hammock designs.
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  3. #33
    OlTrailDog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kitsapcowboy View Post
    Thank you, JF. Your data support my pet theory that right-handed hammockers who sleep "goofy" (left lay, versus their handedness) are all talented creative geniuses!
    So, what about ambidextrous hangers that can sleep comfortable any way which? Schizophrenic, perhaps, or only bipolar? .

    I thought I was a left lay, but my DH Raven and WBBB XLC right lay convinced me it didn't make a bit of difference. In fact, my Raven convinced me that I like to lay every which way and then some during the night.

    I bought a WBBB XLC off the FS forum because I wanted to give one a try. Seems some folks luv them some folks don't and I wanted to experience the joy or suffering first hand. It was the most horrible lay imaginable, complete with calf ridge, knee hyper-extension, and ankle knock no matter how I hung and rehung the hammock. In desperation I shortened the ridge line...nope. Then I lengthened the ridge line and, voile, in a miraculous moment it became an exceedingly comfortable hammock. Not as comfortable as a Hammocktent Gamma UL or Beta, but comfortable enough to become a keeper that I use on a regular basis. My conclusion is that the WBBB XLC is a +1 per your review.
    Last edited by OlTrailDog; 02-18-2018 at 18:07.

  4. #34
    Senior Member kitsapcowboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OlTrailDog View Post
    I thought I was a left lay, but my DH Raven and WBBB XLC right lay convinced me it didn't make a bit of difference. In fact, my Raven convinced me that I like to lay every which way and then some during the night.

    I bought a WBBB XLC off the FS forum because I wanted to give one a try. Seems some folks luv them some folks don't and I wanted to experience the joy or suffering first hand. It was the most horrible lay imaginable, complete with calf ridge and ankle knock no matter how I hung and rehung the hammock. In desperation I shortened the ridge line...nope. Then I lengthened the ridge line and, voile, in a miraculous moment it became an exceedingly comfortable hammock...My conclusion is that the WBBB XLC is a +1 per your review.
    I hear you; you're right that if the XLC has an Achilles' heel (other than the Gen 1 top cover blocking your ability to look out on one side completely), it is its mandate that you must pick a lay direction and stick with it (except when going netless in "Traveler" mode). When I first started looking at serious camping hammocks -- before the advent of your Raven, mind you -- I absolutely lusted after the Dream Hammock Darien. I even got a chance to see one in person before I had made my decision and was absolutely blown away by its dedication to detail, customizability, and craftsmanship. However, while I had an inkling, I was still too new and unsophisticated in my hammocking to feel secure in committing to a dedicated lay direction, so I wound up purchasing the ingenious ambidirectional SLD Trail Lair, which uses a hex-shaped net to facilitate proper diagonal lay in either direction. For some reason I thought I might want the ability to switch lay direction, even if it was because I might loan the hammock out some time. I still love the Trail Lair, but after just one or two trips in the backcountry with it I realized that, while I appreciated the ability to enter and exit on either side of the hammock depending upon where and how I set up camp, I am a 100% left-lay hanger. Right lay feels really wrong to me now. -- like underwear-on-backwards wrong. The Dutchware Chameleon struck my fancy fully because, while fully creating a crisp asymmetrical directional profile with the net/cover attached, Dutch's proprietary reversible zipper technology imbues the Chameleon with the ability to accommodate both left and right lay, albeit by requiring the net/cover to be unzipped, flipped, and reinstalled; regardless, this flexibility with minimal compomise remains the best of both worlds as far as I am concerned. That said, then the Raven brought on-the-fly switching back to the forefront of desired features, and today both Dream Hammock and Dutch are offering options or components geared toward allowing hangers to flip-flop direction on demand with little or no modification to the set-up (SLD style). While I don't personally see the need for more convertibility than what the Chameleon offers with the standard bug net, it's wonderful that the cottage vendors continue to innovate and keep every type of hanger happy.

    The other important consideration I think I've gleaned from hanging in the direction-dedicated Warbonnet XLC is that, while generous in its 63" width (in standard fabrics anyway), the cut and the specificity of the hang with the net/cover in place do not really promote the occupant adopting a really radical, aggressively oblique diagonal lay. Properly hung with its shallow hang angle and foot-high bias, the Warbonnet wants you to put your feet in the footbox (where the triangle is added to the top half) and your head/shoulder right where the tie-out is located on the opposite side. At 6'2", I find the XLC particularly comfortable because I happen to gravitate toward a very moderate diagonal lay that is well suited toward the shape the hammock wants to adopt.
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  5. #35
    OlTrailDog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kitsapcowboy View Post
    ... the ingenious ambidirectional SLD Trail Lair, which uses a hex-shaped net to facilitate proper diagonal lay in either direction.
    ... then the Raven brought on-the-fly switching ...
    ... I find the XLC particularly comfortable because I happen to gravitate toward a very moderate diagonal lay that is well suited toward the shape the hammock wants to adopt.
    I didn't know if it was just me, but yes!, I too noticed how economical it is to achieve a comfortable diagonal in the WBBB XLC. I sit down, pivot in, put my feet...right there in the foot box..., lay back, and presto I'm in a shallow diagonal with no CR, no KH, and roomy enough that my ankle are happy. Super easy to get in and get out too. Plus the gear shelf!

    I didn't know that about the SLD Trail Lair. I actually spent some time there last evening and this morning configuring up a TL as a light weight SL backpacking GE. A thread about their gear hammock led me there and I got carried away. I've read good things about the TL and will probably need to give one a go one of these days. The other prime alternative for a light weight backpacking GE being the Darien.

    I actually let my Raven go last week to fund a Sparrow when I learned you could get a symmetrical top versus a dedicated lay. I've been coveting a Sparrow for a while and wanted to give one a try and that pushed me over the edge. Who knows, life probably won't be complete until I've slept in a Chameleon too.

  6. #36

    Join Date
    Nov 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by kitsapcowboy View Post
    After a good number of nights in the XLC, I've developed and refined my protocol for hanging the hammock in a manner that respects its unique idiosyncrasies. I use a three-step adjustment process after hanging the hammock with the foot end approximately 12" higher and with slightly more length on the foot-end suspension.

    1) Adjust the head end length more finely to get a slightly steeper hang angle than the target 25 degrees.

    2) Shorten the foot end to bring the hang angles on both ends to a more shallow 25-degree hang angle, raising or lowering the foot end anchor point if necessary.

    3) Adjust the final sit height on the properly hung hammock (if necessary) by raising or lowering the head and foot ends at their anchor points by an equal amount.
    I've had good success hanging my XLC in the wild, but I never really thought through the process in a step-by-step fashion. I always eventually get a good hang, but some nights take more adjustments than others because I don't have a replicable process. I'll try these steps the next time I'm out simply to force myself to develop a thinking person's process rather than a rookie's spaghetti-on-the-wall attempts.
    The game is the best teacher.

  7. #37
    Senior Member Dublinlin's Avatar
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    Oct 2012
    Location
    SW Missouri
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    Quote Originally Posted by kitsapcowboy View Post
    I hear you; you're right that if the XLC has an Achilles' heel (other than the Gen 1 top cover blocking your ability to look out on one side completely), it is its mandate that you must pick a lay direction and stick with it (except when going netless in "Traveler" mode). When I first started looking at serious camping hammocks -- before the advent of your Raven, mind you -- I absolutely lusted after the Dream Hammock Darien. I even got a chance to see one in person before I had made my decision and was absolutely blown away by its dedication to detail, customizability, and craftsmanship. However, while I had an inkling, I was still too new and unsophisticated in my hammocking to feel secure in committing to a dedicated lay direction, so I wound up purchasing the ingenious ambidirectional SLD Trail Lair, which uses a hex-shaped net to facilitate proper diagonal lay in either direction. For some reason I thought I might want the ability to switch lay direction, even if it was because I might loan the hammock out some time. I still love the Trail Lair, but after just one or two trips in the backcountry with it I realized that, while I appreciated the ability to enter and exit on either side of the hammock depending upon where and how I set up camp, I am a 100% left-lay hanger. Right lay feels really wrong to me now. -- like underwear-on-backwards wrong. The Dutchware Chameleon struck my fancy fully because, while fully creating a crisp asymmetrical directional profile with the net/cover attached, Dutch's proprietary reversible zipper technology imbues the Chameleon with the ability to accommodate both left and right lay, albeit by requiring the net/cover to be unzipped, flipped, and reinstalled; regardless, this flexibility with minimal compomise remains the best of both worlds as far as I am concerned. That said, then the Raven brought on-the-fly switching back to the forefront of desired features, and today both Dream Hammock and Dutch are offering options or components geared toward allowing hangers to flip-flop direction on demand with little or no modification to the set-up (SLD style). While I don't personally see the need for more convertibility than what the Chameleon offers with the standard bug net, it's wonderful that the cottage vendors continue to innovate and keep every type of hanger happy.

    The other important consideration I think I've gleaned from hanging in the direction-dedicated Warbonnet XLC is that, while generous in its 63" width (in standard fabrics anyway), the cut and the specificity of the hang with the net/cover in place do not really promote the occupant adopting a really radical, aggressively oblique diagonal lay. Properly hung with its shallow hang angle and foot-high bias, the Warbonnet wants you to put your feet in the footbox (where the triangle is added to the top half) and your head/shoulder right where the tie-out is located on the opposite side. At 6'2", I find the XLC particularly comfortable because I happen to gravitate toward a very moderate diagonal lay that is well suited toward the shape the hammock wants to adopt.

    Seems to me I remember Brandon saying that the newest itineration of the XLC can be set up either right lay or left lay, just by flipping the hammock body inside out (and I would guess the net/top cover inside out as well). Also you can now enter/exit from both sides. It’s also sweet that the UQP zips onto the top cover...ala sock style without forfeiting the shelf! I have the newer style and have gotten to use it several time now and it has edged out my Trail Lair, which had edged out my older XLC most of last summer. So far I’ve only used the XLC for winter hanging and (I know the gram counters will be horrified) each time I’ve used both the bug net and the winter top cover together...bug net zipped to my XLC with winter top cover zipped to the UQP...rather than just “floating” my XLC loose inside the shell formed by top cover zipped to UQP.

    I do like that the components can now be bought separately any time. Made it more affordable, allowing me to buy just the top cover and UQP first (using my old XLC inside) and later getting the new XLC, too. I like that each component can now be purchased individually one at a time. I also really like being able to unzip the XLC from either side. I do use that feature and it was one of the things that I’ve always liked a lot about my Trail Lair. It’s sweet that the XLC offers that, too, now!
    Last edited by Dublinlin; 02-18-2018 at 23:08.

  8. #38
    Senior Member kitsapcowboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dublinlin View Post
    Seems to me I remember Brandon saying that the newest itineration of the XLC can be set up either right lay or left lay, just by flipping the hammock body inside out (and I would guess the net/top cover inside out as well). Also you can now enter/exit from both sides. It’s also sweet that the UQP zips onto the top cover...ala sock style without forfeiting the shelf! I have the newer style and have gotten to use it several time now and it has edged out my Trail Lair, which had edged out my older XLC most of last summer. So far I’ve only used the XLC for winter hanging and (I know the gram counters will be horrified) each time I’ve used both the bug net and the winter top cover together...bug net zipped to my XLC with winter top cover zipped to the UQP...rather than just “floating” my XLC loose inside the shell formed by top cover zipped to UQP.

    I do like that the components can now be bought separately any time. Made it more affordable, allowing me to buy just the top cover and UQP first (using my old XLC inside) and later getting the new XLC, too. I like that each component can now be purchased individually one at a time. I also really like being able to unzip the XLC from either side. I do use that feature and it was one of the things that I’ve always liked a lot about my Trail Lair. It’s sweet that the XLC offers that, too, now!
    That is some very impressive versatility. The newest version of the XLC has got a host of new features added to those of the classic first-generation hammock reviewed here. It seems like Brandon really outdid himself in addressing many of the limiting factors of the original; it sounds like he is continuing to innovate and improve upon a design that was already hard to beat.

    Do you think Brandon should send me a complete next-generation XLC system in Bushwack camo so I can update this review?
    Last edited by kitsapcowboy; 02-19-2018 at 03:57.
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  9. #39
    Senior Member Dublinlin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kitsapcowboy View Post
    That is some very impressive versatility. The newest version of the XLC has got a host of new features added to those of the classic first-generation hammock reviewed here. It seems like Brandon really outdid himself in addressing many of the limiting factors of the original; it sounds like he is continuing to innovate and improve upon a design that was already hard to beat.

    Do you think Brandon should send me a complete next-generation XLC system in Bushwack camo so I can update this review?
    I definitely think Brandon should send you out a new generation XLC hammock, Top Cover, Wooki, and UQP to review, in Bushwhack, of course!

  10. #40
    OlTrailDog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dublinlin View Post
    I definitely think Brandon should send you out a new generation XLC hammock, Top Cover, Wooki, and UQP to review, in Bushwhack, of course!
    What??? No bushwack camo Superfly and camo pillow???

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