new Blackbird XLC concerns/questions

**Kroma** · 01-22-2016, 19:50

Hey all, so I pulled the trigger on a Warbonnet Blackbird XLC earlier in the month and just got it in the mail this week. Had my first chance to test it out today and came away perplexed on a few things...hoping to get some ideas from all the veterans around here.

I'm coming to the XLC from an ENO Doublenest. Only been hammocking for less than a year. I felt the ENO was a bit small for me, I always felt "squeezed" in that hammock, had a hard time getting a good diagonal lay, and had leg hyperextension afterwards. After research I felt that upgrading to an 11ft hammock would be the way to go.

The XLC I ordered is the single layer 1.7 with whoopie sling suspension. Here are my questions/concerns:

1) I like how easy it is to achieve a comfortable diagonal lay in this hammock but I'm concerned because it feels like I run out of fabric for my head...in fact my head almost slips off the edge of the hammock. With bug netting in place my had rests on the bug net but I feel like this is not optimal. Am I supposed to scoot down farther so my feet are all the way into end of the footbox area?

2) I've never used a ridgeline before. I noticed the ridgeline had a great deal of sag in it. Is this ok?

3) This doesn't seem like a good hammock for lounging around camp in as there's not enough fabric to lean back into for support when in sitting position.

I'll just leave it at these 3 things for now...I'm going to keep testing this hammock out over the weekend and maybe I'll add some more to it later. I really do want to like this hammock (not the least of which because of the $210 investment) and I hope I can dial in a comfortable lay where it doesn't feel like my head is about to fall off the hammock.

Thanks for your help

**TFC Rick** · 01-22-2016, 20:13

Hey Kroma, check out Shug's review of the XLC and that should answer most of that for you.

**Kroma** · 01-22-2016, 20:16

I watched it twice before I bought it...I believe I'm a bit taller than the mighty Shugemery too...6'2"

**TFC Rick** · 01-22-2016, 20:34

Indeed you are! I'm the vid he shows a good side sitting position. I was hoping that would help. I have no personal experience with any Warbonnet hammock but a floppy ridge line usually means your suspension isn't set correctly. Perhaps to much of an angle?

**SMJerry** · 01-22-2016, 20:46

OK. I'll give you my 2.5 cents
First I have the XLC and LOVE it.. came to it by way of the BlackBird and before that the Hennessy Expedition.
1. Hang your foot area higher.
2. Make sure you are at the 30* angle on your suspension. This will get your ridge line right.
3. Comfort in lounging? Open the bug net and set back. sit in the middle of the hammock. Try flipping some material back and into the hammock.

I have never had issues with my XLC.. but had lots of practice with the Blackbird.
So far as the head end. I end up real close to the edge also.. hanging the foot end higher and moving my head toward to the center line helps a lot and I still maintain a good (flat) lay.

I hope that helps. "Hang" in there... it takes a little playing with maybe.. you will find that you love it in the end.

**critter man** · 01-22-2016, 22:06

Hey Kroma,
In My experience nothing wrong you just havent got it dailed in yet,what helped me was laying in the hammock and then get out and raise the head end 2" at a time till it was way too high all the time thinking is that better or worse till it got way worse.that alone will help you figure out what works best for you.The ridge line should only be able to be bent just a little bit,if it's sagging a much you need to tighten your suspension till its not so loose with you in it not empty.I had to play with mine a couple of days till, I got it figured out.now it takes no time to dail in and it's awesome.Just take you time aND you will get it.

**Gutyones** · 01-22-2016, 22:26

A few comments that might help.
1. As far as the hang angle, try pointing your thumb straight up and your pointy finger straight out like a gun, the suspension should follow an approximate line from the top of your thumb to the tip of your pointy finger. This angle can vary depending on the distance from your hang points.
2. The ridgeline should have some tension in it but not guitar string tight. I found I had to play with the hang angles and tension of the ridgeline a good bit to find the sweet spot.
3. Don't be afraid to experiment with the suspension tension and keeping the head end slightly lower than the foot end. Sometimes I don't feel like getting out to tweak once I get in but it's worth it to find the sweet spot. It'll get easier.

**KiwiMark** · 01-22-2016, 23:20

Hang angle should be about right when the ridge line is not drooping, but not under tension either. You can adjust suspension then get in hammock and reach up to feel how tight ridge line is.
The foot end should be about 1 to 1.5 foot higher than the head end, but play with that until it all feels right to you.
If your head goes over the edge then you may be at too great an angle, put your feet in the foot box and head on the fabric towards the edge on the other side of the hammock.

I managed to get it about right and I'm a noob.

**Kroma** · 01-23-2016, 01:19

i watched Shug's video on the XLC again and it looks like he has a lot more room for his head than I did for mine. I felt like the hammock was naturally drawing my legs in towards the footbox and so I would straighten my body to align out and be comfortable which would cause my head to be at the very edge of the hammock fabric. Granted, I only had a few minutes to play around with it (4 kids!) so I'm looking forward to really getting to play with it this weekend. Thanks for the ideas.

**MikekiM** · 01-23-2016, 07:51

I have a WBBB, not the XLC.. I am 5'11" @ about 188 on a bad day..just for reference.

Since your XLC is wider than my BB and I don't experience the issues of running out of material at the head end, I'm sure it's just user error.. the good news is you can correct that. As you sit down into the hammock, try to gather some of the material at the zipper edge, behind your knees, so that your butt ends up centered in the width of the hammock without the material bunched up under you. As you shift diagonal you'll have a bit more material to work with at your head and shoulders. Unless you are a giant, you should have plenty and your head shouldn't be off the edge.

Sometimes taco'ng helps spread out all the material in the belly of the hammock. Once your in, grab the two edges and stretch out the fabric under you like you're trying to fold it into a taco.. or, as another visual, think of Count Dracula spreading out his cape and wrapping it around himself.. (visual works for me..)

Also, the idea of hanging your rig with the foot end higher can be counter-intuitive. Take care that you aren't getting in the hammock too far to the head or you'll be deep in the tight end-gathers and won't be able to take advantage of the extra footage you have in the XLC. I tend to sit more towards the foot end and once in, I can't reach the gather at the head end with an outstretched arm.. I my BB is a foot shorter than your XLC.

If you have sag in your RL your suspension is too loose. Tighten up the whoopies a little at a time. Don't over-tighten the head end or you'll undo the good you did by hanging it lower than the foot to begin with. A small adjustment goes a long way, so don't over tighten the whoopies. The 'pistol' move with your thumb and forefinger works well to judge how your suspension is set. Also, how far apart are your trees? I found that when I first started hammocking I was consistently seeking out trees that were too close. I find that eight to ten paces (natural steps) between trees is minimum distance..

As far as sitting... I have no problem there either. I am curious why you don't feel comfortable. Your XLC has a fully removable bug net, while mine gets tied back and out of the way.. so it isn't that. If you're set too steep, as noted above, you'll kind of fall into the depths of the loosely set hammock and that might be uncomfortable. Getting your suspension angle and tension right as others have noted, will help here too. Last thing to fuss with, is the ridgeline, which you didn't have in your ENO. Is that in your way? You could try a removable RL, but I think that's just one more thing for you to fuss with unnecessarily. Get the hang angle and positioning right first and see if that doesn't help with comfort sitting as well.