Hey all, I’ve recently been thinking about buying a new hammock with a detachable zippered bug net. The three I’m trying to decide between are the Warbonnet BB XLC, the Hammock Gear Zippered Hammock, and the Dutchware Chameleon. Do y’all have any suggestions/recommendations/complaints about any of the 3? To me it looks like the only differences are the price and the shelf in the XLC but I haven’t seen any in person so I’m not 100% sure.
I've been happy with both my WB Eldorado (BB XLC minus the shelf) and DW Half-zipped (similar to the Chameleon). Haven't seen a HG hammock.
- There are differences in setup between the WB and DW, but I've found both comfortable. I tried setting up the WB like I did my DW and had calf ridge issues. Followed the guidance on the WB site...it was spot on.
- I prefer Dutch's Hexon 1.6 over the 70D nylon of the WB (would like to try the 40D Dream-Tex), but it's not that big a deal to me.
- The XLC has that storage shelf, in the Chameleon you'll need to add a storage option.
- I think the DW is lighter than the WB (the Eldorado stuff sack doubles as ridgeline storage), but if you start adding the Chameleon add-ons it'll probably weigh more.
- I have the HG Phoenix underquilt and I prefer the DW with pack hooks over the WB with no pack hooks. The UQ stays in place pretty well on the WB, but I do find myself having to adjust it more (comes off my outside shoulder). The Wooki/Yeti UQs solve that problem, but I had the Phoenix prior to getting the WB. I have some grosgrain and pack hooks. I could just sew one on and solve the problem.
- I prefer the bug net pull outs on the WB over the hammock body pullouts on the DW. Much better keeping the net off my face.
- I like the footbox design with the WB bug net. I dunno if the Chameleon replicates it, but my Half-zipped doesn't.
- The Chameleon has the option of a symmetrical bugnet. I'm leaning towards getting a symmetrical hammock because I flop around when I sleep, switching lay directions. I have the older model Half-Zipped which is right lay The newer model Half-Zipped is symmetrical. The BB XLC is asymmetrical only.
Thanks for the reply! I had forgotten about the WB until pretty recently and it looks like it might be the better option of the 3. The HG one seems like it’s just HG’s version of the chameleon
you may also want consider dream hammock's sparrow.
I have the sparrow and the original blackbird and find both very comfortable.
also HG's bugnet is not completely removable if that matters to you
There's magic in the woods,
if you know where to look for it.-Pete's Dragon
Thank you. Are there any notable differences that the DHS has over the others?
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dream hammocks is more customizable that all the others (ie: fabric type, color, length, width, amsteel color, thread color, pretty much everything is customizable)Originally Posted by Hypnos
There's magic in the woods,
if you know where to look for it.-Pete's Dragon
The chameleon has a toothed zipper, the others are coiled. Dream hammock seems to offer the most choice of fabrics as well. Can't really go wrong though. I vote get a dream hammock and while it's being made get a fronkey net and make like a magillian gathered end hammocks diy.
What would the difference between the types of zippers be?
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From what I've been reading on a thread from gearmaker.org, coiled zippers are generally stronger because they have more surface area in the connection between both sides of the zipper. But they jam up a lot easier from dirt. It's also "self healing" in that if you rip it open or it skips a tooth, the next time you open and close it it will reset itself to a proper position. Toothed zippers (often called Vision zippers apparently) are often seen in jackets and are less susceptible to dirt clogging the teeth but the teeth can break and if they do the zipper is done for. I think the appeal of using a Vision zipper on the chameleon is that it is possible to reverse the net and get an opposite lay if the net is asymmetrical. I don't believe it's possible with a coiled zipper but I could be wrong.
Cool, you learn something new every day!
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