Dangerbird 60 thoughts...

Ok, my Dangerbird 60 arrived today. My color choices were the black body, with green overcover. First pulling it out of the package you can notice right away that the workmanship is great. Perfect seams, hems....all just great. Papasmurf knows his way around a thread injector, no doubts there!

Ok, so here's a review with my limited time in the rig. I logged about an hour or more laying and messing with set up.

All the options are really neat. The view from inside the hammock with the netting closed is very nice and open, moreso than my Blackbird. One thing I noticed is that you want to pull the zippers down on the netting a small distance before you get in the hammock, otherwise you could have trouble reaching up into the end of the hammock to retrieve them. The head end of the hammock contains the overcover, which you can easily reach up and grab the zippers to pull the cover over you. Getting into the hammock was a little strange for me the first time because I needed to avoid the tie outs, but this was really a non-issue. The hammock seems to lay very nicely, and I will tell you why I say "seems to". I tried setting it up with different suspension angles and what not, and tried every body position I could. I could get comfortable, but not that "ready to sleep" comfortable. More like a nap, or read a good book comfortable. After messing with it for a considerable time, I came to the conclusion that I'm jus too tall for it. I'm 6'-6" tall, about 220 pounds. My body just covers too much of the hammocks length, even on the diagonal, for it to be an effective hammock for me to camp in. I was very upset because this is one SWEET hammock! I love the innovations Randy put into it, just so cool. But with all that being said, it's not for me.

There is a plus side to this though. My fiancée, who has been wanting to try a hammock when we backpack, will love this hammock. She hasn't laid in it yet, but I just know she will. She loves the lay of our ENO DN, and the material (which is the same as this Dangerbird). She is only 5'-3" tall, so I know she is going to crawl into this and just love it. I knew going into this purchase that if the hammock didn't work for me, I would have a really cool hammock to give her :)

So, she will give it a whirl tomorrow and let me know what she thinks. If for some unknown reason she doesn't like this thing...then watch the for sale forums fellas.

I want to say thanks again to Randy for the ease of ordering and constant updates. It was a pleasure buying from you and wouldn't hesitate again for a minute. Good luck in the future of DreamHammock!

Yukon

Well, that's disappointing news. :(
Hoping that your fiancée gets along well with it.

That is a good honest review, thanks for not pulling any punches...we can all respect that. I am glad that I upgraded mine to the DB 72 now (I am 6' 2") and want that roomy spacious feeling.

I was kinda hoping that you were going to sell it, My wife is already looking at the DB hammocks and thinking that she will want one. She loves the privacy of the extra overcover so she can change in her hammock in complete privacy. So I actually ordered one for her today. So if you don't want yours - PM me and I am sure we can work something out :)

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Originally Posted by PapaSmurf

Well, that's disappointing news. :(
Hoping that your fiancée gets along well with it.

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Please don't take it as anything against your hammock Randy, I love the hammock design. I have had this problem with many gathered end hammocks, my height just doesn't allow me to get the flattest lay. I think that if I had one about a foot longer and wider it would probably work just fine. I wouldn't be able to use the nice Taffeta fabric though, it would just be too heavy for backpacking, which is my main use for hammocks. I might possibly be sending you another build eventually, with some different fabrics and dimensions. I'll give you a moment to breathe though lol

I'm going to give it another whirl tonight and see if I can't find a sweet spot to work for me, because I really want to be able to camp with this thing. If not, I think it will go up for sale. My fiancee' has expressed that she just likes sleeping next to me in a tent too much, so I'm forced to do that when we go out together. Me sleep in a tent again?? :scared:

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Originally Posted by Yukon

I think that if I had one about a foot longer and wider it would probably work just fine. I wouldn't be able to use the nice Taffeta fabric though, it would just be too heavy for backpacking, which is my main use for hammocks. I might possibly be sending you another build eventually, with some different fabrics and dimensions. I'll give you a moment to breathe though lol

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cough, cough, DangerBrid 72 cough, cough. 6' wide x 11' long. :D

Cheers

Brian

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Originally Posted by BrianWillan

cough, cough, DangerBrid 72 cough, cough. 6' wide x 11' long. :D

Cheers

Brian

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Yes, I contemplated one. With the Taffeta it wouldn't have been something I wanted to take backpacking because of the weight. It sure would be comfy though!

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Originally Posted by Yukon

My fiancee' has expressed that she just likes sleeping next to me in a tent too much, so I'm forced to do that when we go out together. Me sleep in a tent again?? :scared:

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:rolleyes:

Ain't love grand?

I hear ya on the dimensions. But that's the coolest part about dream hammocks.... The potential for custom work is there. Now that is a luxury.

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Originally Posted by bodhran4me

:rolleyes:

Ain't love grand?

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Tell me bout it. But get this, she tells me to keep the hammock because there are places she wants to camp that we can't use a tent! I about fell over when she said that. I said to her "you have much to learn about all the cool things that come along with hammock camping" :D

TENT! :scared:

Let's see, new hammock - new fiancee, new hammock - new fiancee, new....

OK, what about stick with the fiancee, but invent a hanging tent :thumbup1:

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Originally Posted by MAD777

OK, what about stick with the fiancee, but invent a hanging tent :thumbup1:

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Well, there's "kind of" tents, like a Clark or Chrystalis or that monstrosity tri-hanging forrest killer:
http://www.tentsile.com/

whew! Sometimes I'm just so glad I'm a completely frickin' average height (5' 9.5"). :)

Sometimes I have to stretch to grab something up high, but that's acceptable.

I will be taking the Dangerbird back out into the back yard tonight and giving it another round of tests. I want this thing to work for me, but we shall see. Good news is, my fiancée absolutely loves it :D

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Originally Posted by Yukon

I will be taking the Dangerbird back out into the back yard tonight and giving it another round of tests. I want this thing to work for me, but we shall see. Good news is, my fiancée absolutely loves it :D

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Well there is that. :rolleyes:

And if you need someone else to test it, you know where I am! :D

Just made a video, uploading it to YouTube right now.

I have a different opinion now, I really like this thing. I have no idea what was going on the other night and why I couldn't get a flat lay. Maybe it was too late and I just wasn't doing something right. I have set up my hammocks so many times I can do it with my eyes shut, so maybe I just wasn't thinking straight or what not. Who knows...

I will say that I never disliked the Dangerbird, I just had an issue with it the fiirst night setting it up. My fiancee was in it for about a half hour today and she said again that she really liked it. Though, then she laid in my Blackbird and loved that as well lol

Yukon - have you tried it with your Phoenix UQ yet?

Yukon can we get a link for that video

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Originally Posted by JohnVH

Yukon - have you tried it with your Phoenix UQ yet?

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Yes sir, works great!!

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Originally Posted by jons4real

Yukon can we get a link for that video

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Here is the thread for the VIDEO

I'm glad it worked out for you Yukon. Sounds like a stellar hammock. Those tri hammocks are pretty cool too.

Getting into the hammock was a little strange for me the first time because I needed to avoid the tie outs.

Hi Yukon,
I have the Roaming Gnome and I also had a tough time trying to figure out how to get in and out of the hammock with the pull outs sort of being in the way...so I just use the one up by my shoulder and I don't use the other pull out. Hopefully that will help you and or your fiance' :)

BTW: I love my hammock, so roomy and comfy...Randy does some pretty amazing work!!

Yukon, Just saw this thread and I'm not sure where you are on this now but, I'll bring my DangerBird 72 to NEHHA and you can try it out. I'll be in my ThunderBird so it will be free.

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Originally Posted by JollyGreen

Yukon, Just saw this thread and I'm not sure where you are on this now but, I'll bring my DangerBird 72 to NEHHA and you can try it out. I'll be in my ThunderBird so it will be free.

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Wow, forgot about this thread!

I ended up selling the Dangerbird, but have been considering another one at some point with different materials and the 72 length. Would definitely be interested in checking your DB 72 JollyGreen, thanks :)