In praise of 10-foot hammocks

**weaver2469** · 05-04-2017, 09:28

I have recently been using an 11 foot Dutch netless for the fall and winter, and find it amazingly comfortable. I am in the market for a new, netted hammock, so I was gravitating toward an 11-foot Raven. I was thinking that it could be my year-round go-to hammock, since I can completely remove the bug net in the winter. (In fact, I have had one in the shopping cart at Dream Hammock for a couple of weeks, but haven't pulled the trigger).

Today, however, I started to re-think the choice. I am going on a trip this summer with a friend who might like to try hammock camping, so I am loaning him a hammock. I set up my Warbonnet Blackbird in the yard for him to try out. It is lightly raining, so I put it under my new (used) Mambajamba tarp. Of course, I couldn't resist getting in for a while myself. I had forgotten what a great hammock this is. I slipped immediately into the sweet spot. It was every bit as comfortable as my 11 foot Dutch. The big thing I noticed right away is how much bigger my 11 foot tarp felt over it. The extra 6 inches on each side that you get with an 11 foot tarp/10 foot hammock set up makes the tarp feel like a palace. I can't imagine getting wet under that tarp, even if it were blowing. Also, my underquilts seem to fit better on the shorter hammock. I haven't quite figured out how to modify my Hammockgear suspensions on my 11 foot hammock. It seems like they are super tight, no matter what I do. I am just a shade under 6'0", and get no calf ridge or other issues with the WBBB. I am now actually considering getting another WBBB, or maybe a Dream Hammock Sparrow for my new netted option. (I love the WBBB, but like the ability to reach out of both sides to adjust the underquilt.) Not sure what the point of this post really is, lol. Just thinking out loud and wondering if anyone else about my size has tried 11-footers and moved back to the 10s. Ugh, too many choices.

**TrailSlug** · 05-04-2017, 09:35

You know the old saying HYOH. Wider and longer doesn't always add up to more comfort in the hammock world but you'd be hard pressed to discern that from reading the post on Hammock Forums. The other nicety is the 10 footer is lighter as well.

**OneClick** · 05-04-2017, 09:39

I find my UQs fit better on the 10' as well. But I think the comfort for me has to do with the fabric type (a little more stretch).

A good apples to apples comparison for me was the Warbonnet Traveler 10' and 11'. I hung them side by side and kept comparing them. The comfort was the same, but the 11' just seemed excessive with more loose fabric/less view. And yes, that extra tarp coverage is always welcome!

**happydensity** · 05-04-2017, 13:11

This a kind of an apples-oranges comparison, as the WBBB and Dutch are very different hammocks. A well-designed asym like the WBBB is going to lay flatter. That being said, A number of over 6-footers have said they like the regular Blackbird just fine.

**brazilianguy** · 05-04-2017, 21:00

Most of my hammocks are 10.5ft for this reason! A little extra size, but still more space under the tarp.
I also feel the UQ fits in better on the 10ft hammocks.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

**Slack Packhiker** · 05-04-2017, 21:49

The WBBB 1.7 SL is so very comfortable and makes an excellent hiking hammock. That's what I use, along with an 11' tarp with doors, creating a wonderful private space that's kept me and my gear dry and protected. Visualizing that set up is a moral booster, and always improved my mood while finishing a hard day's hike. I will be sleeping like a log...

For a while I preferred that hammock over the XLC DL 1.7 for use at home, now I'm not so sure. The smaller and lighter BlackBird (fly...into the night...) is a pound lighter, making it a solid choice for backpacking.

Gotta dash and listen to some Beatles

**ohhellokrollshow** · 05-05-2017, 10:58

Originally Posted by weaver2469

I have recently been using an 11 foot Dutch netless for the fall and winter, and find it amazingly comfortable. I am in the market for a new, netted hammock, so I was gravitating toward an 11-foot Raven. I was thinking that it could be my year-round go-to hammock, since I can completely remove the bug net in the winter. (In fact, I have had one in the shopping cart at Dream Hammock for a couple of weeks, but haven't pulled the trigger).

Today, however, I started to re-think the choice. I am going on a trip this summer with a friend who might like to try hammock camping, so I am loaning him a hammock. I set up my Warbonnet Blackbird in the yard for him to try out. It is lightly raining, so I put it under my new (used) Mambajamba tarp. Of course, I couldn't resist getting in for a while myself. I had forgotten what a great hammock this is. I slipped immediately into the sweet spot. It was every bit as comfortable as my 11 foot Dutch. The big thing I noticed right away is how much bigger my 11 foot tarp felt over it. The extra 6 inches on each side that you get with an 11 foot tarp/10 foot hammock set up makes the tarp feel like a palace. I can't imagine getting wet under that tarp, even if it were blowing. Also, my underquilts seem to fit better on the shorter hammock. I haven't quite figured out how to modify my Hammockgear suspensions on my 11 foot hammock. It seems like they are super tight, no matter what I do. I am just a shade under 6'0", and get no calf ridge or other issues with the WBBB. I am now actually considering getting another WBBB, or maybe a Dream Hammock Sparrow for my new netted option. (I love the WBBB, but like the ability to reach out of both sides to adjust the underquilt.) Not sure what the point of this post really is, lol. Just thinking out loud and wondering if anyone else about my size has tried 11-footers and moved back to the 10s. Ugh, too many choices.

Why not try a Dutch Chameleon instead of WBBB. I'm waiting for them to be available myself. I feel it is a much better value than a blackbird. Everyone is in love with the Blackbird. I tried one once, and it's a nice hammock, but it has a single position lay, no top cover, and has to be double layer to get really good weight capacity. I can get all of that for the price of a tricked out Chameleon.

I also have an 11ft Dutch. I see you point about more tarp coverage with a 10 ft, but the market is shifting to 11ft it seems. Even at 11ft, my Dutch 2.4 hexon hammock is is lighter, far less bulky, and stronger than my 10 ft ENO, and far less bulky than a WBBB. The problem isn't that the hammock is too long. The problem is your tarp is too short.

Just saying.....

**lilbear** · 09-08-2017, 21:45

I'm only 5 ft tall, so I find my 9 footer just fine. There's part of me that toys with the idea of getting a 10 ft hammock, but why fix what's not broken? Love the extra coverage of an 10-11 ft tarp over it too

**cougarmeat** · 09-23-2017, 14:27

I started with an HH Expedition and then moved to a Survivor. It was like going from a sports car to a station wagon. But you know, a station wagon is harder to park. Well, not really harder - more that it takes a bigger space. So it is with the 11 ft hammocks. I'd height challenged too. I've a few 11 ft'ers because everyone says they are better - right? But given the right sag, the shorter, 10 ft, is just fine. The big plus is it gives me more possible tree spacing situations and tarp setup is not as critical.

I like a big tarp, but if pressed for an opinion, I'd use the smallest (shortest) hammock available that did NOT compromise on comfort. For each that's a personal decision. But if you are on the short size, don't be swayed into an 11 ft hammock when a 10 ft'er would be just fine.