1st night in WB BB xlc - rate my setup

[jeepmaxx]

New to camping hammocks and this is my 1st setup. Had a successful 1st night, even managed to avoid the rain. Made a little video of my setup, if anyone would like to take a look and point out mistakes I'm making or have suggestions for improvement I would be grateful. The video is pretty cringy and I might could have said "Umm" a few more hundred times.



Using a WB blackbird XLC and Thunderfly tarp. Made my own ridge line and guy lines for the tarp. Ordered the Hammock with warbonnets becket suspension but later decided to us whoopie slings, so I and using the WB Dynaweave straps with toggles to hang the whoopies, attached to hammock using Dutch Beaner. I figure this gives me the option to remove the Whoopies and use becket hitch if in a place where trees are too close to use the whoopie slings.

Anyway, it all seemed to work but I'm afraid I'm overlooking something. let me know what you think

Thanks

Maxx

[rmcrow2]

Looks like you enjoyed yourself.
Thank you for sharing.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[ylnfrt]

You have a solid kit there and setup looks great. enjoy floating in the clouds.

[Watertooner]

After you spent the night, did you experience any "calf ridge effect"? It's hard to tell from the video because of the tarp covering up the view of the XLC, but it seemed that the foot end of the XLC was not significantly higher than the head end. When I hang my XLC, my feet are higher so that I don't slide towards the foot end and so that I reduce the calf ridge. You have a good-looking rig. Hope you can get out to enjoy it often.

[Shug]

It will only improve and change over time.
Read the set-up instructions from Warbonnet:

Hammock setup
Blackbird, Blackbird XLC, Traveler hammock Setup:

The following describes a detailed setup method that should result in maximum comfort (vs. simply hanging between 2 trees and getting inside, which works also.)

Find 2 trees that are ideally 13-17′ apart. Hang the hammock so that “once occupied” the foot end is about 16″ higher than the head end, and by “end” I mean the end of the fabric, not the attachment point on the tree itself. Since the foot end needs to be significantly higher, the easiest way to achieve this is often to just position the hammock much closer to the foot tree AND attach the webbing to the foot tree at head height or above. Having the head end farther away from it’s tree means it will sink more when you get in and that is usually what you want.

The BB/XLC/Traveler is designed to be laid in “off-center” so that your head is very close to the head end of the hammock while your feet are alot farther away from the foot end. This allows the fabric under your legs to spread out properly when laying on the diagonal. To do this you’ll want to lay so that your eyes are aprox. even with the farthest side tieout (BB or XLC) so that one tieout is even with your eyes and the other is chest level. Once you are laying in this correct spot you will then determine if you want the head/foot end higher or lower. Most people will want it setup so that when your eyes are even with the tieout that you are basically level/horizontal from hips to shoulders, so if your upper body seems too inclined or declined simply move the webbing up or down the tree trunk to adjust.

Shug

[OleManDan]

Not a lot to criticize. Can't tell how far from your hammock your Bear Bag is. I've been criticized for hanging my bag about 100 yards away in a campground. I had to work my way between camp sites to get that far. In a campground I don't listen to most people about hanging bags. IMO: The camper was a Negative Nancy type. If it had been a Ranger, or Camp host, I would listen to them.
IMO: Your photos show you have been studying up on the right way to do things.

[jeepmaxx]

Not a lot to criticize. Can't tell how far from your hammock your Bear Bag is. I've been criticized for hanging my bag about 100 yards away in a campground. I had to work my way between camp sites to get that far. In a campground I don't listen to most people about hanging bags. IMO: The camper was a Negative Nancy type. If it had been a Ranger, or Camp host, I would listen to them.
IMO: Your photos show you have been studying up on the right way to do things.

Yea, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention that. There are no bears in the area that I was in (and I was right next to the RV camping). I did that mostly to test the dutch PCT toggle thing. Plus to keep out mice, raccoon and such. Had I been in the back woods I would have hung further away and higher.

[jeepmaxx]

It will only improve and change over time.
Read the set-up instructions from Warbonnet:

Hammock setup
Blackbird, Blackbird XLC, Traveler hammock Setup:

The following describes a detailed setup method that should result in maximum comfort (vs. simply hanging between 2 trees and getting inside, which works also.)

Find 2 trees that are ideally 13-17′ apart. Hang the hammock so that “once occupied” the foot end is about 16″ higher than the head end, and by “end” I mean the end of the fabric, not the attachment point on the tree itself. Since the foot end needs to be significantly higher, the easiest way to achieve this is often to just position the hammock much closer to the foot tree AND attach the webbing to the foot tree at head height or above. Having the head end farther away from it’s tree means it will sink more when you get in and that is usually what you want.

The BB/XLC/Traveler is designed to be laid in “off-center” so that your head is very close to the head end of the hammock while your feet are alot farther away from the foot end. This allows the fabric under your legs to spread out properly when laying on the diagonal. To do this you’ll want to lay so that your eyes are aprox. even with the farthest side tieout (BB or XLC) so that one tieout is even with your eyes and the other is chest level. Once you are laying in this correct spot you will then determine if you want the head/foot end higher or lower. Most people will want it setup so that when your eyes are even with the tieout that you are basically level/horizontal from hips to shoulders, so if your upper body seems too inclined or declined simply move the webbing up or down the tree trunk to adjust.

Shug

Yea, I have been working on this. The trees I have at home are pushing the limits to being too far apart. Normally real hard to not have a guitar string tight ridge line, Guess I need to get a ladder to get high up the tree!! I was a little higher at the foot end and slept pretty good. There was a bit of calf ridge but nothing that kept me from sleeping. This was a very rushed trip and did not have a lot of time to tinker. So far I'm calling it a success, I slept most the night, did not fall, and so far have not been slammed about the setup! haha!! Thanks for all your videos and for being such a nice part of this community!!

[OleManDan]

Yea, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention that. There are no bears in the area that I was in (and I was right next to the RV camping). I did that mostly to test the dutch PCT toggle thing. Plus to keep out mice, raccoon and such. Had I been in the back woods I would have hung further away and higher.

I think you have a really well thought out set up.