Straps vs Whoopies?

[floridave]

I ordered a Blackbird XLC with Edge tarp on the 11th, anxiously awaiting a shipping notice. This is my first top quality hammock, I currently have a short Yukon Outfitters Mosquito Hammock, ( which I think is super for the money, if it was only a couple feet longer). I ordered then cancelled a Hennessy, just decided to get this one and be done with it.

In the meantime, I'm second guessing my suspension choice. I ordered with the standard straps, because they look SO simple to use and I'm pretty much a newbie with hammocks. Much of my use with the hammock will be bikepacking( single track trails or dirt roads), and I don't usually stop till after dark, when I'm very tired, and rarely would be in the same place more than just the night.

Typically it's just , find a place, hang the hammock, sleep. Then up, breakfast and back on the bike. I was thinking the standard straps would be the simpler way to go when it's night, I'm exhausted. Though the whoopies likely pack much smaller and are a little lighter. If I do any other types of hammock camping, it's by motorcycle or kayak, I don't do any backpacking, at least not right now.

Are the straps sufficient or does everyone get whoopies, or replace those straps with something else?

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

[koaloha05]

Personal choice. Since pack volume and mass are not #1 on the list give the straps a few uses before making a switch to whoopies. Personally use whoopies. One time gram weenie. Pseudo gram weenie today. Still factor in mass and volume. But not at the expense of safety, functional connivence and comfort. Otherwise would be back to the biv, too thin ground pad and quilt.

[Rob3E]

Personal choice. Since pack volume and mass are not #1 on the list give the straps a few uses before making a switch to whoopies.

+1 Straps vs. Whoopies is likely well debated on other parts of the forum as well, given that it's not really a Warbonnet-specific issue.

I started out with a Hennessy with stock suspension. The first time out, I strung up the Hennessy using their method, and said, "There has got to be a better way." I think that's what led me to this forum. Which led me to making a set of whoopie slings. While they were far and away better than the stock set up, I still found them a little fiddly. There's a trick to adjusting the hang without removing the hammock that, for me, seemed unwieldy. I would grab the hammock under my arm to unweight the line, then use both hands to get the sling sliding freely. It worked. It was light. It was for more adjustable than the stock set up, but there times when I was ready to crawl into the hammock but instead I was out there fussing with the slings, struggling to get them unweighted enough to slide. I don't want to imply that they're tricky to use. It's just that I could see where a full strap solution might be easier. And, like you, I'm generally on a bike. The grams and minimal amount of pack space saved did not mean much to me.

Maybe two months ago I ordered a strap system for my Hennessy and converted it. I only got to set it up once, but I was very happy with it. Very easy to use. When I had to replace my Hennessy, I got the BBXLC and went for the straps. I've only spent one weekend in that, so far, but I still like the strap set up better for ease of use. Also for making is very unlikely that I'll leave my tree straps behind (which I've done). I have no regrets.

To my mind, whoopie slings are pretty impressive for how the work and how adjustable they are and how much weight they carry with a relatively small amount of material, but the only real advantage over straps, when you're using them, is that they weigh a tiny bit less and they take up a little less room. The amounts are small enough that, while they might be important to a backpacker, I don't even notice the difference when packing my bike. Try what you have, and see if you want to change, but I'm pretty happy with my straps.

[OneClick]

Straps are roughly 3.5oz heavier when comparing a complete setup. That's going to depend on actual materials and types used, but in general, 3.5oz.

Weight: I'm always trying to cut weight, but the simplicity and ease of the straps always stuck with me. I'm not switching for that small gain.

Volume: Regarding volume in my pack, if I ever struggle to fit a strap suspension in my pack, but whoopies slide right in easily...I have bigger problems like a pack that's grossly overstuffed and about to explode. I never see that happening; that's like saying you could fit a racquetball, but not a tennis ball.

[TallPaul]

Straps are the workhorses... nothing really sexy about them and less fun to say..but man I love the simplicity and having a contained system.
I say don't change the order and give them a shot. I did the same and still use my straps.

[floridave]

Thanks for the confirmation guys.


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[Deadwood]

Straps are a no brainer. Even I can use them.

[rallywagon]

The straps are so fast and simple. They allow fitting in between closer trees than possible with whoopies. Unless you really start counting your grams, you will like the straps.

Scott

[gr00manji]

The straps can be made shorter and longer than the whoopies which gives you more hang options and they are easier to set up. I recently did some hanging with a friend who thru hiked the AT and she made the excellent point that when it is pouring rain, you're cold and exhausted, the last thing you want to do is fidget with adjusting the whoopies or spend extra time finding correctly spaced trees. So I'd go with the straps, especially since you're not worried about the extra grams

[gunner76]

Add a pair of Dutch Clips ( Aluminum or Ti ) to the straps and you have a fast easy setup and as the Dutch Clips stay on the straps and the straps stay on the hammock you can not loose or forget them.

I would also get a pair of the Dutch Ti Cinch Buckles and replace the stock Warbonnet buckles as the cinch buckles are way easier to use.