Finally retiring my XLC, new Chameleon on its way!

[Chesapeake]

For the past several years my main hammock system has been my XLC. Its purpose was to replace the the HH Expedition with Typhoon fly I had gotten only a few months prior as an upgrade to my first netted hammock : the $35 Equip mosquito hammock from Wal-Mart. The XLC has served me well over the past 5 years , even surviving" the raccoon incident of '15 " lol, but it's finally time to relegate it to backup duty. I had thought of getting another, but now that my youngest daughter has started to like hanging with me I new it wasn't the best for my situation.

See at only 7 years old, she still wants to be so close she's practically in my hammock with me lol. I needed something that allows us to be close, yet also lets me be able to still go solo. The Chameleon fits my needs PERFECTLY...... and for Xmas this year that's exactly what I got as a gift from my Father, Wife and daughters. Yesterday I ordered my new Chameleon : an olive hexon 1.0 with asym net + asym coyote top cover, MSH suspension w/ 8' camo straps & black whoopies, storage pocket and a camo breathalyzer! I also ordered HG's new mesh ridgline loft and branded ground sheet to go with it . Now I can get a double Dutch net , her a Chameleon for her birthday and we can hang together comfortably finally!

As far as tarps go, for solo use I plan on going with either my Old Man Winter or whatever I decide to replace my 12' Chill Gorilla hex with . However, its when we will hang together that I haven't figured out yet. What does everyone else use that hangs in tandem ? I know Dutch has his new tarp that accommodates 2 hammocks. Also, are there any quirks or anything about the Chameleons hang that I need to know? Can't wait until it gets here on Monday! Now, if only the colder weather would just come back i'd be totally set!

[Saltfly]

The chameleon is a great rig. Well built and comfortable. Ridge line length is something I lengthened a bit for my own personal comfort. That opinion will vary from user to user though. You will probably find that the foot end doesn’t need to be as high compared to the head end, as it does on the xlc. Congrats on the new rig, you’re gonna like it.


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[Smckinney0031]

I know that you are an Amazon shopper so you might want to check out the 12x12 gold armor tarp. We use it to hang tandem!!!! It provides plenty of coverage and then some with a dutch spreader bar! The upside is that it is only 30 bucks, the down side is that it is on the heavier side, tho not totally too bad!

[Chesapeake]

Will definitely keep that in mind, thanks guys. I've also got my 10×10 Snugpak tarp, which when pitched as a diamond has a 15' RL. That would give me enough length overhead but not much coverage on the sides. My Old Man Winter works ok when the panel pulls are all out and isn't too too tight inside, but I can't close the doors all the way....... and that's with 2 separate suspensions. Adding the bar would make it almost impossible for sure. My only other tarp is the 12' Chill Gorilla hex, but while long enough probably won't give me enough room or coverage laterally in bad weather. I need to replace it soon though bc it's starting to show signs of wear that will lead to failures unfortunately. I definitely got a ton of use out of it and for the money was a great tarp. It's just not anywhere near the quality of a cottage tarp, but I knew that going in and was ok with it. It served its purpose surprisingly very well though. So maybe I should get another tarp with doors since she won't be hanging with me much if it all in the warmer months when I would use a hex most ? I can just tie the doors back if needed for solo use in nice weather or when it's warm. Then when it's financially feasible I can get another hex. What would you do?

[Dutch]

I bet you can get the old man winter to work. Close the foot end doors and put the hammock close to. Those doors. Then hold the head end open and stake out as far as possible and put it as high as possible.

[Chesapeake]

I bet you can get the old man winter to work. Close the foot end doors and put the hammock close to. Those doors. Then hold the head end open and stake out as far as possible and put it as high as possible.

Excellent, Thanks Dutch. That means I can get a new hex for myself then......decisions, decisions! Lol.

[BananaHammock]

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The teeter effect can be a problem when trying to get in. I did take the extra strap after the beetle buckle to anchor it to a nearby root. When I sat in, it held everything straight without putting any horizontal pressure on the spreader bar so I think that was helpful. Tying on opposite sides of a tree for the foot end is helpful but makes it impossible to use doors effectively. I use the dutchware tarp.

[Chesapeake]

**UPDATE**

It came today and I'm absolutely AMAZED by how comfortable the Hexon 1.0 and lay of the hammock are! Definitely much more stretch than my XLC SL's 1.7oz fabric and feels a lot softer too. I really think I made the right decision so far. I'm having a little bit of an issue getting the guyouts situated since my front yard is on a hill, but other than that it went up with no problems. The breathalyzer is pretty neat and I'm glad I got it as well. Overall my first impressions are very positive and I can't wait to test it out tonight. Unfortunately, it's only gonna be 34° and might rain a little by morning , but I'll take that over 40 or 50° any night that's for sure! Here are some pics of it set up for the first time using the new suspension , -10° 'Bator & 20° Burrow w/ Snugpak pillow. The suspension is soooooo much lighter that the old *** Wal-Mart straps and wooden dowl rod toggles I've been using lol.

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[Chesapeake]

With Old Man Winter in HG Xenon skin and ZQ UQP

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[ravenblack]

Liking your front yard. If I had a front yard like that it would be renamed as the master bedroom.

Your rig doesn't look too shabby either by the way. Very similar to the set-up I have although mine is Hexon 1.6, Asymmetrical Net, plus a Symmetrical Moonlight cover. My HG Econ is a 20F. It's very comfortable, even the 1.6 has much more give in the fabric than my old WBB XLC MkI, and HH Explorers. I generally prefer a firm lay, but for some reason the Chameleon doesn't feel as soft a lay as you would expect once the fabric is under full loaded. Setting up for the right sit height was a bit of an issue until I got used to the amount of sag to expect. And it rides real high under the tarp which again takes a bit of getting used to. Of course those things could just be me being a bit slow.

One thought sprang to mind while reading your op and intended use case. When you buy your daughters hammock are you going to get the standard straps and beetle buckles, or the same whoopy set-up you have?

I opted to stick with the Beetles and straps with mine, because I already had UCR's laying about. My thinking was that I can use one strap on the head of two hammocks with a spreader bar, and the UCR's at the foot ends. I haven't tried a double hang yet though. It's on the cards for this spring, without a double Dutch (I don't have access to spare Chameleon unfortunately so it will be a Dutch/HH combo).

I'm hoping my 12" HG Journey tarp will provide enough coverage for two. I may borrow a DD 4x4 metre to take along just in case the weather is bad and we need extra coverage. Or I could try jerry-rigging my DD 3.5x3.5 metre with the Journey. If I try that I could end up finding some clown riding a unicycle in the corner somewhere...Whoo buddy! Although I'm in the UK so it should be safe to try, as that's a tough ride for Shug to make on one wheel.