REI's new gathered end hammock - what do you want to know?

[ccolclou]

How rigid is the face bar? How small does it pack down? If this is designed for a central lay (which nothing wrong with that if it's comfortable), does it work well with a pad? I would think you would be less likely to slide off a pad if that were the case.

[dakotaross]

...If this is designed for a central lay (which nothing wrong with that if it's comfortable), does it work well with a pad? I would think you would be less likely to slide off a pad if that were the case.

Don't know if you noticed in the pics, but it seems to be exclusively for pads. It has pad straps on the inside and it has a small gear hammock below. I'm sure one could use with an UQ, just wonder what the effect of having those pad straps on the inside would be. Also, seems clear by the pad strap placement that its a straight line lay.

[KBr00ks]

REI is not bad for a lot of things. My local one has a true trail rat on staff -- he's a thru-hike veteran who goes by his trail name, and gives honest advice. He actually steered me away from the dehydrated food selection at the store and clued me in to making my own, years ago. Their bike shop has also had honest-to-goodness bike people on staff (at least some of the time).

I pick things up there every once in a while, like energy food, a cheap flint striker (to try that lighting method for the first time), a wool Buff. But I mostly hit up the garage sales, which can be a good source of bargains, if you don't mind crowds.

BUT -- my gosh, this hammock looks silly. Will be interested to see your review, MM. I and others have complained about it before, but REI really doesn't seem too clued in to proper hammock use.

[snwcmpr]

SALES, SALES, SALES, - Profit.
REI has changed. It is OK now, but not what it was even 10 years ago.
There are usually at least one or two good knowledgeable sales people, but it may take a while to find out who they are.
It used to be just the opposite, someone there that did not know.

The straps are not covered?
Is it a flat lay if the pad is filled more than one would fill a pad in a bridge?

I suspect that we are not the target buyer.
200 is a high price in my book.

Ken in NC

[Mogollon Monster]

Good stuff everyone. I'll try and address as many of these questions as possible.

[OlTrailDog]

Personally, I have respect and support for REI. I have been a member since '69 and can tell you my number, 134901, off the top of my head...but not my DL anymore. They were started and managed by a number of dedicated serious outdoor enthusiasts such as Jim Whitaker and brought good outdoor equipment at a reasonable price.

Times have changed and so has the market place. They have to remain competitive with a multitude of internet businesses and marketplaces, e.g. ebay and Amazon, as well as countless outdoor start ups that come and go. In the effort to remain competitive, they have branched out into city storefronts usually in cities with that have an outdoor ethic or enthusiast citizenry. Now it seems they carry more trendy clothing lines that probably have the best profit margin when compared to outdoor gear and specialty clothing. All off the top of my head thinking, that is to say, I really don't know squat for sure.

Frankly, I usually do not do much business at REI since I typically find better deals in the used market or inventory liquidation sites like Sierra Trading Post. But I am happy to see them in my community and since they were a huge source of quality gear and clothing when I was younger. Plus, they tend to be involved in the community, environmental issues, and have a variety of classes they teach too.

[SlowBro]

I agree with OlTrailDog. I too joined REI back in '69 when they were one of the few mail order outdoor gear providers in the country. They have a long history of land stewardship and activity in the community. That said, since I've gone Ultralight I find I don't shop with them as much.

As far as this hammock of theirs, it will be interesting to see the review. Much heavier than I would want to carry at 4 lb 6 oz for the hammock, minimal tarp and companion underquilt, but my sense of what is heavy is admittedly skewed. but that banana lay is the weirdest thing.

[Kroma]

Here’s my question maybe you can answer in the review. Why would anyone want a 45 ounce hammock?

[TxAggie]

You would think living in a large metro area like Washington, DC that there would be a plethora of options for Gear. Unfortunately, there aren’t. REI seems to still be the best game in town, and yes they aren’t exactly tailored to the ultralight crowd, and many of their customers are yuppie campers, I still like their overall business practices and corporate philosophy. I honestly love the fact they are closed on Black Friday. And I’ve heard bits and pieces of how they treat their employees overall, which seems very good.

Yeah, their prices are high, but that’s not unexpected given their generous return policy.

As to the Hammock: I’m very surprised at how they seem to have missed the mark on both of these systems.


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[snwcmpr]

Generous return policy is gone. One year now.