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  1. #1
    New Member
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    First Underquilt: Wookie vs Normal UQ for DH Darien

    Hello Hammock Forums! I have finally pulled the trigger and ordered my DH Darien. I have my tarp picked out (Warbonnet Minifly) and I have all of my hardware picked out (pretty much all Dutchware Gear). However, I am stuck on choosing a UQ and am hoping you guys might be able to help!

    I really like the idea of the wookie as it saves on weight and is super easy to setup. However, the since the wookie is designed for WBBBXLC, I am nervous about it not fitting well with my Darien (1.6 58" wide).

    A normal UQ would be more versatile (and would save me some money), but I do not think I really need versatility all that much. It also sounds like quite a pain to have to get it adjusted, and then continuously have to adjust it throughout the night.

    Can anyone chime in and give me their opinion? If anyone has experience with using a Wookie with a Darien, I would love to hear it.

  2. #2

    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Kimberley, BC
    Hammock
    Chameleon/TE Happy Medium/SG
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    Thunderfly/UGQ WD
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    Becket
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    189
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    Your thought process is sound. As a new hammocker, the hardest part of getting comfortable is dealing with underquilt adjustments...or that was my experience, anyway.

    I have a 10' Darien (62" wide in the HyperD XL) and recently acquired a Wookie designed for the original Blackbird, which is also 10'. The Wookie works like a champ on the 10' Darien...set it and forget it. No fiddling. No reaching out in the middle of the night to shift things back in place, which can be hard in the Darien with its zipper on only one side.

    No personal experience with this yet, but in theory you should be able to put a Wookie XL designed for the 11' WBBBXLC on an 11' Darien.

  3. #3
    New Member
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    That is great to hear! Did you have to do any size adjustments (i.e. extend it) or anything to get it to fit correctly?

  4. #4

    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Kimberley, BC
    Hammock
    Chameleon/TE Happy Medium/SG
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    Becket
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    No size adjustments on my setup to get it to fit correctly.

    I liked the Wookie so much I tried it on my 11' Chameleon by adding some 6" continuous loops on each end of the Wookis so it could fit the larger hammock. This worked pretty well on that hammock too.

  5. #5
    Senior Member rweb82's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Hammock
    DH Raven/Darien
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    WB Mountainfly
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    Loco Libre/HG/SLD
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    Myerstech/Becket
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    1,578
    FWIW, I've never found the need to adjust my UQ at all during the night. A properly adjusted quilt will stay in place just fine. Because the Darien only has zipper access on one side, I've found it helpful to use the UQ hooks to as added insurance to make sure the UQ stays put, since it would be more difficult to adjust if needed. The UQ hooks work well.

    I have both traditional UQs and a Wooki-style UQ (SLD Trail Winder). Both options are great, and work well. And both have their pros/cons. Yes, the Wooki is quicker to set up, and there's much less fiddling. That said, it does not offer the side insulation of a traditional UQ, and won't trap as much heat inside the hammock as a traditional UQ. Also, if you're an "active" sleeper, you may find that you shift off the insulated area of the Wooki- whereas a traditional UQ will insulate you no matter what direction you lay, or how you position your body at night.

    Of course, the downside of a traditional UQ is the fact that there's a fiddle factor involved until you get proficient with it. And even so, micro-adjustments will be necessary from time to time, depending on how your hammock is hung.

    Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
    Last edited by rweb82; 03-01-2021 at 11:15.

  6. #6
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    That is great! Have you had any issues with shoulder/foot gaps that I keep reading about?

  7. #7
    Senior Member hutzelbein's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Hammock
    WBBB SL 1.7
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    WB Mamajamba
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    WB 0° Wooki +3oz
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    For gathered end hammocks, I have switched to Wookis or Wooki-style underquilts exclusively. I fiddled with many corner-suspended underquilts for 6 years and don't care to ever go back. Just make sure to always start with a long extension on a non-Warbonnet hammock and tighten it gradually, until it fits. Never assume that hammock lengths of different manufacturers are comparable. An 11' Dream Hammock is actually a few inches longer than an 11' Warbonnet.

    Quote Originally Posted by snel6424 View Post
    That is great! Have you had any issues with shoulder/foot gaps that I keep reading about?
    Yes, there are some issues with shoulder/foot gaps. But I solved that easily with re-whipping the foot end of the Wooki. I just took pictures of the whipping process for somebody else and can post them here if you are interested. With the correct whip, I have yet to find a better fitting underquilt.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Cabbo's Avatar
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    Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by hutzelbein View Post
    For gathered end hammocks, I have switched to Wookis or Wooki-style underquilts exclusively. I fiddled with many corner-suspended underquilts for 6 years and don't care to ever go back. Just make sure to always start with a long extension on a non-Warbonnet hammock and tighten it gradually, until it fits. Never assume that hammock lengths of different manufacturers are comparable. An 11' Dream Hammock is actually a few inches longer than an 11' Warbonnet.



    Yes, there are some issues with shoulder/foot gaps. But I solved that easily with re-whipping the foot end of the Wooki. I just took pictures of the whipping process for somebody else and can post them here if you are interested. With the correct whip, I have yet to find a better fitting underquilt.
    hutzelbein: I'd be interested to see this process with whipping and try this technique out on my own Wooki... l may also apply the whipping technique too my trail winder...

    Thank you.

  9. #9
    New Member
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    I would also like to see this process!

  10. #10
    Senior Member hutzelbein's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Hammock
    WBBB SL 1.7
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    I only whip the foot-end of the Wooki. The head-end stays as it is.

    Here is what the foot-end looks like on a new Wooki:



    Take off the rubber band:



    Carefully open the knot in the cord that holds the whip together:



    Pull out the cord:



    Put a knitting needle (or another thin, long item) through the channel to gather the fabric absolutely straight:



    Fix the gathered fabric with one hand and pull out the knitting needle:



    Pull out the sides, that you want to seal better with the hammock. Try to get a nice transition to the straight part:



    Tie off the whip temporarily:



    At this point I hang the Wooki on the head-end, lift up the foot-end and check how the shape looks. I want an even bathtub shape without folds. I usually have to adjust the whip a couple of times until it looks good.

    When the shape looks good, tie off the whip permanently. I tie the long ends loosely together, to prevent them from sticking out from the finished whip:



    Then I fold the fabric knot down towards the inside:



    Do another quarter turn so that the end is hidden:



    Tie it off with a second cord:



    At this point I check the shape of the hanging Wooki again and adjust the whip as necessary. When I'm happy, I tie the whip of permanently.

    Now you can add the rubber band again. I have switched to a loop of strong shock cord:



    I find it easier to use.

    Be aware that you lost a bit of length. I have found, that the quilt fabric lengthens quite a bit with use - so by re-whipping I also tightened up the fit nicely. However, if your Wooki is new and hasn't lengthened, yet, you might add a short cord loop to the end to prevent the rubber band from breaking.

    Hope that helps.

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