Dixie’s trying Warbonnet

[SilvrSurfr]

You can watch thousands of YouTube videos of people doing reviews of gear, and you immediately know if someone is lazy. Dixie is lazy - her first experience with hammocks was a polycro tarp painter's sheet and an ENO. Never slept in a hammock before, knew nothing about hammocks, but that didn't stop her from doing a YouTube video on "Why I switched from a hammock to a tent." Don't bother watching that video - it's a waste of time.

Now the unboxing video. She clearly still doesn't know anything about hammocks because she did not want to do any research. She wasn't looking for the best hammock setup - she was looking for the easiest. She did not want to do any research, which is why she chose to get everything from one vendor. No research required!

Dixie clearly knows nothing about knots but decided on a becket hitch suspension. You can see she has no idea how it works as she falls on her butt from improperly tying the becket hitch.

I haven't watched any of Dixie's other videos; just these two. What I see is somebody I would not in a million years listen to, talking about something she knows nothing about and has no intention of investing the time to learn about. Maybe you're a Dixie fan, but whatever she has to say about hammocks is pretty useless because she hasn't done any research, and will probably never do any research. Go to a group hang? Nope. Join Hammock Forums? Nope. Make a YouTube video you can share with your Instagram and YouTube fans? Yes!

If you want to get advice on hammocks from people who know nothing about hammocks, go on Reddit or Facebook.

[Singlespeed]

You can watch thousands of YouTube videos of people doing reviews of gear, and you immediately know if someone is lazy. Dixie is lazy.

I'd venture impulsive rather than lazy

Researching hammocks is an absolute nightmare, even here you can get a dozen conflicting opinions on whats the best setup, when there's likely no "best", as there's pros and cons to most variations. Tweeking the pros in your favour is only something that you can work on from your own experiences.
As a starting from scratch setup, could she have got much better that was guaranteed to all work together?

The fact that this>> is a #1 choice from one of the top 5 Google searches show how much crap info there is
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[Five Tango]

Since Dixie has walked Thousands of miles in all kinds of weather and taken physical risks in sketchy stream crossings etc,I would have a hard time calling her lazy.The good news is that she has finally tried a quality hammock.Everybody has a learning curve and she is no exception.Maybe she will stay with hammocks,maybe not.It's her choice but having her give one an honest try has got to be good for every vendor out there.

[OneClick]

Well, I don't watch because I'm very offended by her name. But she's gonna have to change it soon so maybe I'll come around.

The Dixie Chicks are now called The Chicks: The former Dixie Chicks announced they will now be known as The Chicks, dropping the reference to the pre-Civil War South from the group's name.

[ravenblack]

Aye, free speech is such a burden isn't it?

Burden? The point of free speech is more about allowing folk to express themselves and their views, so that others may draw their own conclusions and form opinions after weeding out the chaff. Given long enough the real intent and motivation of individuals exposes them for what they really are all about.

You can watch thousands of YouTube videos of people doing reviews of gear, and you immediately know if someone is lazy. Dixie is lazy - her first experience with hammocks was a polycro tarp painter's sheet and an ENO. Never slept in a hammock before, knew nothing about hammocks, but that didn't stop her from doing a YouTube video on "Why I switched from a hammock to a tent." Don't bother watching that video - it's a waste of time.

I doubt she was or will be the first person to make a mistake buying gear when they start out in a new hobby or in pursuit of an interest. The thing is most of us keep our mistakes to ourselves.

How is consuming information a waste of time? Surely it's best to gather as much information as possible (good or bad) prior to forming a valid opinion?

Now the unboxing video. She clearly still doesn't know anything about hammocks because she did not want to do any research. She wasn't looking for the best hammock setup - she was looking for the easiest. She did not want to do any research, which is why she chose to get everything from one vendor. No research required!

She obviously did some research if she selected a WBB as it's probably one of the top five hammocks out there. Are you insinuating that her choice was pure luck?

From listening to what she says in the video she pretty much says she wanted an easy entry into hammocks. She also explains why and provides examples using the WB website. What may seem lazy to you may seem logical and sensible to others. There are plenty of members here who are knowledgable on the subject, and have WB rigs which include similar component choices from the WB catalogue. Are they all lazy and misinformed?

My rig is a mishmash of gear cobbled together from various vendors offerings, and it's no better or worse than the rig she has put together. I made some purchasing mistakes along the way. Mistakes I could have avoided if I followed a similar path to hers.

Unlike with her first attempt (which was also her first real hiking experience by the way) she is well equipped to have a good experience this time around. It's a little premature judging her at this early stage imho.

Dixie clearly knows nothing about knots but decided on a becket hitch suspension. You can see she has no idea how it works as she falls on her butt from improperly tying the becket hitch.

She obviously did some research in order to decide on the becket hitch. Belts and buckles would have been the obvious choice for many in her situation, and probably the advice she would receive from many members here. She obviously wants to cut some weight so the becket was no doubt an informed decision on her part.

She makes it clear that she isn't a expert on hammocks. She also explained her reasoning for buying a WB rig, she even goes as far as using the becket hitch information on the WB site as an example.

There is a learning curve and making mistakes is part of that leaning curve. She made a mistake tying the becket hitch and chose to use the footage. No doubt she learned more from the knot failing than she did from the times she got it right. Maybe there is something to the old adage?

I haven't watched any of Dixie's other videos; just these two. What I see is somebody I would not in a million years listen to, talking about something she knows nothing about and has no intention of investing the time to learn about. Maybe you're a Dixie fan, but whatever she has to say about hammocks is pretty useless because she hasn't done any research, and will probably never do any research. Go to a group hang? Nope. Join Hammock Forums? Nope. Make a YouTube video you can share with your Instagram and YouTube fans? Yes!

If you weren't so hasty/lazy in forming your opinions and took some time to watch more of her videos maybe you would realise how misinformed your opinion is.

You seem to be expressing a very biased 'opinion' filled with emotion, rather than rational thought. Maybe hammocks are some sort of precious icon for elitists, who need to be fully initiated into the secrete art/mysteries/religion, before they can express their opinions, or share their experiences? If that's the case I never got the memo, and didn't realise we had a priestly class among us.

Afaik she doesn't claim to be an elder of the hammock cult. She is a hiker and that is what her channel is all about. She has 389 videos with 40 million views and 275k subs. She has accomplished some pretty serious hikes, and shared her journey, knowledge and experiences along the way. Based on that it would seem reasonable to accept that she has something to bring to the table.

For the record I'm not a 'Fan' nor a 'White Knight' I'm from the UK and not a through hiker. I'm not subbed to her channel or anyone else's for that matter. I'm aware of her material because it pops up from time to time. Would I take advice from her, no, would I totally disregard her opinions, no...I just throw it all into the mix and then form my own opinion. I don't distrust her opinions and respect the fact that she has accomplished some epic hikes. My interests are more from a bush craft perspective so she doesn't really tick any boxes. Survival Lilly gets similar treatment within the bush craft community, mostly unfounded imho, and I'm not a fan of her either, but that doesn't prevent me from respecting her opinions even though I don't agree with every thing she says.

I'm a great fan of free speech and the sharing of knowledge no matter where it comes from. With a little discernment and basic grammar and logic it's a simple process determining who has a valid opinion or not, without the need to be told what to think by others who do not display a very rational thought process.

If you want to get advice on hammocks from people who know nothing about hammocks, go on Reddit or Facebook.

Are you claiming/insinuating that no one on Reddit or Facebook knows anything about hammocks? That's a pretty bold statement to make and I doubt you could substantiate your claim, as it's not based on reality. I think you may find there are forum members who are also members of Reddit and Facebook. It's an emotive statement and gross generalisation at best.

Call me crazy, but for me hammocks are just a bit of kit that serve a purpose in a practical application. I'm not really a cult following kind of guy...in fact I find that mentality quite disturbing. What happened to the HYOH mantra/ethos?

[Rex Clifton]

I posted something this morning that was bounced by the mods. I’m bummed about it cause it was one of my best posts ever (I know what you’re thinking, that’s a pretty low bar!). In any case, I am disengaging from this conversation and will no longer comment about Dixie, her hammock skills (or lack thereof) or anything about her or her YouTube channel. Good day to all!


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[rweb82]

So when a member here posts that they just purchased a complete hammock setup from Warbonnet, they're met with praise on making an excellent choice from a reputable cottage vendor. But when Dixie does it, she's "lazy."

Secondly, everyone here has made at least a mistake or two when starting out with hammocks- whether it's purchasing bad gear, or incorrectly using gear. I've mis-tied knots, put my UQ on backwards, etc... but I don't think that makes me "lazy." Human, yes...lazy, no. Dixie has something that most of us don't- a large YouTube following. I don't watch all of her videos; but I have watched enough to know that she does know what she is talking about the vast majority of the time. And in the event where she is making a video on something that is new to her, she admits that she is a novice. She is not trying to fool anyone.

I believe her goal is to invite her viewers into her experience, and bring them along for the ride. That is why she not only shows her successes, but also her failures. Kudos to her for not editing out her "human" moments. Personally, I could not care less whether or not she sticks with hammocks. She's doing her thing, and we will all continue to do our thing. If you like her, watch her vids. If not, don't watch. Not everything requires commentary from the peanut gallery.

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[TallPaul]

Folks - let’s keep this thread respectful. This is a good thread and I don’t want to have to lock it.

Good reminder from our Terms of Service

“It's often easy to get frustrated over someone's post and type a quick reply to "set them straight." If the original post is out of line and the follow-up is calm and respectful, then it is appropriate for well-established members to help newbies learn our norms. However, we will not show a lack of respect for each other. Disagreement is fine; disrespectful behavior is not. Please make it easier on the community and police your own posts. Since intent is hard to gauge on the internet, please start by giving the benefit of the doubt if the post is not clearly offensive. “

[sidneyhornblower]

Since Dixie has walked Thousands of miles in all kinds of weather and taken physical risks in sketchy stream crossings etc,I would have a hard time calling her lazy.The good news is that she has finally tried a quality hammock.Everybody has a learning curve and she is no exception.Maybe she will stay with hammocks,maybe not.It's her choice but having her give one an honest try has got to be good for every vendor out there.

Excellent points. She's far from lazy. Her Warbonnet hammock video tells a good story; it's the story of what one newbie's experiences are trying to decide on a hammock purchase. She defined her criteria and described her reasoning for the purchase. Somebody with more experience might do it differently, but her depiction of the shopping/buying process of someone with limited knowledge of what she's getting into is well done, presented efficiently in her chosen video format and relates the story she wants to tell to her audience.

As a story teller, Dixie gets high marks. Producing the amount of video that she has over the years with a fairly consistent quality of content cannot be done without a good bit of work. Those of us who have made a video or two over the years for YouTube know how frustratingly difficult it can be to make a watchable video.

[Tevye]

I've found Dixie to be very thorough. I haven't watched her Warbonnet video because I just don't care really. Might watch it in the future, just haven't been motivated yet. She does a good job and whether I agree or not with whatever she said, I am sure it was well reasoned.

Man, some people get so uptight. Ironic on a hammock forum.