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  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Elk River, Mn
    Posts
    4

    Biggest differences in cheap vs expensive hammocks?

    As a 6'3 man I am looking for a new hammock. My wife found 20$ 10' hammocks at a local hardware store and it seems decent (gotta swap out the suspension). But I have been looking at the dutchware chamelions for a while. They are pretty spendy. I am trying to understand what I would be getting for the extra 160$ (I already have the suspension)
    We mostly hammock when car camping so weight isn't as much of an issue.

    Current suspension on my existing 9ft cheapie that I would move over. Amsteel continuous loops. Amsteel Ridgeline. Whoopie slings.

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  2. #2
    New Member Hanging Grizzly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Rome, GA
    Hammock
    Dutchware Chamelieon
    Tarp
    ENO Profly
    Insulation
    Nothing yet
    Suspension
    Dutchware Beetles
    Posts
    36
    I have a Chameleon now with the beetle buckle suspension. I also have my ENO double nest that was my starter hammock. My ENO had the factory gathered end ropes traded out for some whoopie slings, and I had the Atlas straps.

    The biggest difference for me is ease of setup and adjustability, and the chameleon seems to lay better to me, but it’s a single (I’m only 5’10”, so the double nest was always a little too big for me). I spent the money on the chameleon specifically because of the ability to customize my fabric (I’m a hot sleeper, and camp in hotter weather more than cold), and for the modularity of the design. I never liked the ENO bug net setup, you either had it on the whole time, or you didn’t. It couldn’t be gotten out of the way for a casual hang. The chameleon comes with a ridge line, so it’s pretty easy to get it set up to just the right hang. I ordered the beetle buckle suspension with Dutch clips, so it’s easier to get it around a tree and ready to hang.

    Honestly, a lot of what you pay for in any of the cottage vendors is handmade production rather than a factory full of people who don’t really care about anything other than a paycheck. I’m in the market for a new tarp, and I’ll definitely be getting one either from Dutch or Warbonnet because they are more innovative in that arena than ENO.


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  3. #3
    New Member
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    Jun 2018
    Location
    Elk River, Mn
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    4
    Thank you for taking the time to reply. so its more like a handmade craftsman quality car vs an assembly line and quality varies much more on the assembly line.

  4. #4
    New Member Hanging Grizzly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Rome, GA
    Hammock
    Dutchware Chamelieon
    Tarp
    ENO Profly
    Insulation
    Nothing yet
    Suspension
    Dutchware Beetles
    Posts
    36
    That has been my impression. You are also paying a little bit for the innovation of the product. Nobody else has the little whiz bang gizmos that Dutch has, and he has a right to recoup some of his development costs in a slightly higher priced product, especially if people are lining up to buy his stuff. I also have a Dutch zing it tarp line with his fancy gizmos that makes setting up my tarp ridiculously easy, and I can get it perfectly centered over my hammock.


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  5. #5
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Denton NC
    Hammock
    WildernessLogics 12x6
    Tarp
    HG cuben 13ridge12
    Insulation
    TopQuiltUnderQuilt
    Suspension
    S and D
    Posts
    4,925
    Most hammocks sold at Walmart, Cabellas, REI, Bass Pro Shop etc are short in length. There are more than a few hammock campers who are comfortable and happy with their short hammocks. This is often compounded by some of these short hammocks being six inches shorter than advertised. In my opinion these short hammocks are less comfortable for overnight sleeping than a larger hammock made by our fantastic cottage vendors. I recommend for your comfort a gathered end hammock no smaller than 11x5

    You are free to choose any hammock, rigging and accessories and no one will fault you for your choices.

    I started with an ENO double nest
    Went to 11x5 gathered end hammock and noticed a great increase in comfort.
    Later went to 12x6 gathered end hammock and noticed another increase in comfort.
    12x6 ain’t for everybody, but a great many hammock campers have 11x5 as their go2hammock!

  6. #6
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Elk River, Mn
    Posts
    4
    Are there any 11x5 in a cheap fabric to try out? Id love to try to go more cheaply at first as my wife isn't sold on it. She's shorter so the cheap hammocks just work for her. She doesn't understand why I can't go cheap
    She found a black Friday Menards guidesman for 10$. It's probably around 9.5 feet.

    I am mostly comfortable in hers . But not sure I would want to sleep a night in it. So an 11 footer would probably be ideal for me.

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  7. #7
    Member unionmanbirch's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Rockland, MA
    Hammock
    Chameleon, SLD Voyageur
    Tarp
    Superfly
    Insulation
    HG, Trailwinder
    Suspension
    Cinch buckles
    Posts
    81
    Ripstop by the Roll still has a few Appalachian Hammocks in stock for $25 if you aren't too concerned about color and can add continuous loops. I bought one in December and took it out camping for a couple nights last month. Very comfortable.
    https://ripstopbytheroll.com/product...31277315686448

  8. #8
    donig's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Richmond, VA
    Hammock
    Dutchware Chameleon
    Tarp
    WL Oldman Winter
    Insulation
    WL Downy Goodness
    Suspension
    Cinch Bugs
    Posts
    417
    Images
    1
    You could try one from the clearance at Ripstopbytheroll - https://ripstopbytheroll.com/product...31277315686448

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  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Sarasota Florida
    Hammock
    Warbonnet ridgerunner/ chameleon
    Tarp
    WB Thunderfly
    Insulation
    Synthetic UQ
    Suspension
    Dutch beetles
    Posts
    357
    Quote Originally Posted by rocketman110 View Post
    Are there any 11x5 in a cheap fabric to try out? Id love to try to go more cheaply at first as my wife isn't sold on it. She's shorter so the cheap hammocks just work for her. She doesn't understand why I can't go cheap
    She found a black Friday Menards guidesman for 10$. It's probably around 9.5 feet.

    I am mostly comfortable in hers . But not sure I would want to sleep a night in it. So an 11 footer would probably be ideal for me.

    Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk
    https://dutchwaregear.com/product/11...fabric-layer-1

    42$ is pretty inexpensive for a great hammock. Another 15$ gets you a wide hammock that is really awesome. The difference between this hammock and an eno is night and day


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  10. #10
    Senior Member jeff-oh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    US- Ohio
    Hammock
    Dutch 12' Netless
    Tarp
    ProVenture Nylon
    Insulation
    HG Incubator
    Suspension
    Humming Bird style
    Posts
    1,023
    Images
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by rocketman110 View Post
    Are there any 11x5 in a cheap fabric to try out? Id love to try to go more cheaply at first as my wife isn't sold on it. She's shorter so the cheap hammocks just work for her. She doesn't understand why I can't go cheap
    She found a black Friday Menards guidesman for 10$. It's probably around 9.5 feet.

    I am mostly comfortable in hers . But not sure I would want to sleep a night in it. So an 11 footer would probably be ideal for me.
    I'm 6"6' avoid anything under 3m or 118" like the Covid. I found some 320cm (10.5') cheap hammocks and found them just fine and I use them regularly. My camping hammock is a Dutch 11' hammock and I am debating the 12'.

    the biggest difference in the chameleon and a generic hammock is also the bug net zippered covering. For a gathered end hammock you can also look at Dutch's 12 foot GE hammock at $45 or still available is he had his 11 foot x 68" wide 1.7 Hexon hammock for $30.

    Also, the ridge Outdoor Gear launched an 11' * 58" netted hammock this spring that got good reviews. Most "complaints" were about wanting to upgrade ridgeline and CL's for Amsteel. Runs just shy of $50.00.
    Pinnacles_orange.jpg
    Last edited by jeff-oh; 07-21-2020 at 14:31.

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