Wow. The Hammock Vendors are dropping like flies...

**silentorpheus** · 07-06-2019, 13:04

Originally Posted by HillbillyHanger

Her quilts are so well made and valued, that few people sell them. When they do post them, they go quickly. I agree that she was not a huge shop, but even Hang N Out acknowledged in one of their sales videos that they were a small shop and catered to a small customer base. As far having their own forum, that's not really a good judge of the quality of the product that a vendor has. Case in point, Katabatic quilts is one of the premier quilt manufacturers and yet somehow they don't have their own forum either.

Aside from simply making a well made, quality quilt, Leigh Lo was experimenting with some cool ideas, mixing insulations in various zones of the quilt to accomplish different goals. It would have been interesting to see where she took things, had she continued.

I never owned one, but always thought they looked top notch, and have considered grabbing one when/if they show up on the for sale forum more than once.

**HillbillyHanger** · 07-06-2019, 13:09

I agree with you Silentorpheus. I think she was starting to develop some ideas that would have been interesting to play out. And hey, I think she has/had a pretty good field tester in Hang N Out. Love to watch some of his old trip reports/sales videos on Youtube.

**silentorpheus** · 07-06-2019, 13:14

Originally Posted by HillbillyHanger

I agree with you Silentorpheus. I think she was starting to develop some ideas that would have been interesting to play out. And hey, I think she has/had a pretty good field tester in Hang N Out. Love to watch some of his old trip reports/sales videos on Youtube.

True

He had some great ideas too, with various gadgets for bridge hammocks, and he was experimenting with top closure bug nets as well. I enjoyed his older videos, and he shared some expertise via PM when I was working on some DIY stuff years ago. Good people.

**Trecker8** · 07-06-2019, 15:28

Let's hope.

**BillyBob58** · 07-06-2019, 16:40

I started to put this in a new thread, dedicated to Ed Speer. But I guess I'll just put it here as the idea of paying much attention to such a "relic" was ridiculed with a story about someone showing up at a group hang pretending to be Ed Speer with some autographed books(for sale?). But notice in this video, several of our current major gear manufacturers giving absolute praise to the pioneer Ed Speer and his Snugfit design. The seem to think that he was way ahead of his time and it has probably never quite been matched and certainly never exceeded.

But, I must add one person of hammock history that was not mentioned : Youngblood. He worked with Speer and was the primary designer of the Snugfit as well as the SPE, a really useful help when trying to use pads in GE hammocks. For those interested in some pioneering hammock history, here you go, from 2 years ago, some of our current major vendors discussing the one guy who maybe did more for hammock camping than anyone else:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsnPltnUjKw

**GilligansWorld** · 07-06-2019, 16:58

Originally Posted by BillyBob58

I started to put this in a new thread, dedicated to Ed Speer. But I guess I'll just put it here as the idea of paying much attention to such a "relic" was ridiculed with a story about someone showing up at a group hang pretending to be Ed Speer with some autographed books(for sale?). But notice in this video, several of out current major gear manufacturers giving absoute praise to the pioneer Ed Speer and his Snugfit design. The seem to think that it has probably never quite been matched and certainly never exceeded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsnPltnUjKw

I don't think they were ridiculing Ed Speer - Rather the opposite - I believe that was a well-placed compliment. I mean if he wasn't so famous who in the right mind would think of imitating him let alone buying a bunch of the books and autographing them.
I took this to be the highest praise of Ed spear and his Craft and the Hammock industry.

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**BillyBob58** · 07-06-2019, 20:56

Originally Posted by GilligansWorld

I don't think they were ridiculing Ed Speer - Rather the opposite - I believe that was a well-placed compliment. I mean if he wasn't so famous who in the right mind would think of imitating him let alone buying a bunch of the books and autographing them.
I took this to be the highest praise of Ed spear and his Craft and the Hammock industry.

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GW, are you talking about in the video I linked to, where UGQ and several other well known vendors are discussing the Speer Snugfit? If so, I agree there was no ridicule or snide remarks, nothing but praise for how far ahead Speer was from every one else. And possibly has not been matched yet, certainly not exceeded.

Or are you talking about the story told earlier in this thread? Where this was said: "I remember back in 2011 at Fall MAHHA, there was a guy who posed as Ed Speer - even brought books to sign. It was funny as heck, but Speer was already a relic of the past, and not many got the joke."? I took that as a put down, or ridicule, but maybe I was wrong?

**mychal** · 07-06-2019, 21:05

Originally Posted by BillyBob58

GW, are you talking about in the video I linked to, where UGQ and several other well known vendors are discussing the Speer Snugfit? If so, I agree there was no ridicule or snide remarks, nothing but praise for how far ahead Speer was from every one else. And possibly has not been matched yet, certainly not exceeded.

Or are you talking about the story told earlier in this thread? Where this was said: "I remember back in 2011 at Fall MAHHA, there was a guy who posed as Ed Speer - even brought books to sign. It was funny as heck, but Speer was already a relic of the past, and not many got the joke."? I took that as a put down, or ridicule, but maybe I was wrong?

He's talking about SS's comment in a post above about a past hammock hang where something impersonated ES.

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**BillyBob58** · 07-06-2019, 21:20

Originally Posted by mychal

He's talking about SS's comment in a post above about a past hammock hang where something impersonated ES.

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OK. In that case, I did not take that as praise of Ed Speer, more the opposite. Did I read it wrong? If so, my bad.

**GilligansWorld** · 07-06-2019, 21:29

Originally Posted by BillyBob58

Or are you talking about the story told earlier in this thread? Where this was said: "I remember back in 2011 at Fall MAHHA, there was a guy who posed as Ed Speer - even brought books to sign. It was funny as heck, but Speer was already a relic of the past, and not many got the joke."? I took that as a put down, or ridicule, but maybe I was wrong?

I guess both but the story in the thread I didn't take as a put down as they even joked that the dude had the b***s to impersonate Ed Speer and respected his Reputation enough that they brought books for this impersonator to sign - I took this to mean you could buy these books at an inflated price at the group hang since it had Ed's signature on it or at least people would think that.
So no I thought everything was A compliment sorry - Just one guys opinion.

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