Warbonnet Blackbird review

[BestUsernameInTheWorld]

A little bit of a background first, I'm a novice when it comes to hammock camping. I decided to give it a try since I cannot get a good night's sleep in a tent. My first camping hammock was from a vendor on Amazon. I returned it within a week. And that's all I'll say about that. I decided to give the Warbonnet Blackbird a try because a YouTuber I watched absolutely raved about it, and I've heard nothing but good things about it.

So I ordered a blue, single layer, bb with polyester webbing and buckles. I didn't want to bother with a double layer because I wasn't going to mess around with sleeping pads.

Before I get to the review, I wanted to give a small shout-out to Ryan for the excellent customer service. As mentioned in another thread, the hammock was backordered even though it was listed as "in stock" on the website. Ryan apologized for the mistake and sent it via priority express free of charge. That is great customer service!

So I received the hammock and it took me a bit of practice to get it just right. But once I dialed in the angle and tension, I was blown away by how comfortable the blackbird is. I have terrible insomnia. I thrash around, I'm woken up by the smallest noises (thermostat clicking, house settling, etc.), and I simple cannot get my mind to shut down. But I've spent several nights in the blackbird and I've gotten better sleep in it than I have in years. The "foot box" does a lot for my comfort. It gently cradles my feet without confining them one bit and the storage shelf is a very convenient addition for stowing my cell phone, shoes, and wallet. Even though the fabric is single layer, it still feels very strong. I can tell I would have to be very careless in order to damage it. But the strength does not come at the cost of comfort. The fabric feels substantial, yet "soft" for lack of a better word. It doesn't stretch, but it feels like it almost molds to my form. (It's hard to describe, if I haven't confused you already.)

Set up is easy. I love how I can leave the blackbird in its sack even while I am strapping it to the tree. I don't have to worry about dragging it across leaves and sticks. And that's another thing I love: the stuff sack is actually made to fit the hammock! I cannot tell you how refreshing that is. Other products just about need a hydraulic press in order to jam the product back in.

The clips supplied with the shock cord guylines feel a bit flimsy, but they can easily be replaced with a few mini carabiners, so that's not a big deal.

All in all, I love my purchase and I've become an instant Warbonnet fan. I already placed an order for a wookie underquilt and look forward to seeing what other innovations the guys at Warbonnet come up with.



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[OneClick]

It's the hammock that started everything for me back in 2012. But by no means a "starter" hammock. It's still the king of hammocks IMO. L'originale. Still no reason to change for me.

Kinda weird seeing one of the "color" blackbirds after being so used to the earth tones. Very nice blue color there!

[BestUsernameInTheWorld]

It's the hammock that started everything for me back in 2012. But by no means a "starter" hammock. It's still the king of hammocks IMO. L'originale. Still no reason to change for me.

Kinda weird seeing one of the "color" blackbirds after being so used to the earth tones. Very nice blue color there!

I figured if I wanted to try out hammock camping, I'd better get a good hammock, rather than have my experience tarnished by a bad one, haha. And yeah I didn't see many blues either. I figured, "Why not?" It'll make it easier to spot in the woods. Should I wander away from the campsite and get lost.

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[bigdisgrace]

Yer preachin' to the choir my friend. When it comes to our cottage vendor$ or Amazon, buy once cry once.

[blackmagic]

You're going to be spoiled by the Wooki. It goes on the Blackbird so easily, and it stays put much better. No untangling shock cords, no fussing with suspensions. The only downside to the Wooki is that you can't vent it: it's either on or off.

[TrailSlug]

Kinda weird seeing one of the "color" blackbirds after being so used to the earth tones. Very nice blue color there!

I agree. That blue really looks good and I'd love a bit of color but I do not see mine ever wearing out

[HandyRandy]

The only downside to the Wooki is that you can't vent it: it's either on or off.

There are a few ways to do it. It usually involves just dropping the foot end just a couple inches or less. I just removed the rubber band and clip and tied some shock cord to the quilt. Then added a line loc to the hammock loop. Works great. When shortened up, it’s just as snug as with the band. In the pic below it is in a partial vented length setting. I got that line loc with a loop of webbing sewn on from Zpacks.

[Shug]

You're going to be spoiled by the Wooki. It goes on the Blackbird so easily, and it stays put much better. No untangling shock cords, no fussing with suspensions. The only downside to the Wooki is that you can't vent it: it's either on or off.

Oh but...the Wooki can be vented. If you want to see I do show in the video below at 6:23 in.
Carry forth,
Shug

[BestUsernameInTheWorld]

You're going to be spoiled by the Wooki. It goes on the Blackbird so easily, and it stays put much better. No untangling shock cords, no fussing with suspensions. The only downside to the Wooki is that you can't vent it: it's either on or off.

Just received it today and tried it out. I've never tried down products before, I'm blown away by the immediate difference this is making.

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[Immortalviking]

Just received it today and tried it out. I've never tried down products before, I'm blown away by the immediate difference this is making.

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Mind blowing isn't it.
My UQ is my favorite piece of kit.