Looking for first hammock

[beef1020]

New member here looking for a first hammock. My main priorities are weight and comfort, so I have some questions about size of hammock and type of material. I am 5'6" and weight 160 lbs. Should I be looking for a 10' or 11' hammock. Can I go with Hexon 1.0, or 1.1 nylong ripstop. Is the comfort of Argon worth the weight increase?

I am between the warbonnet blackbird, the dutchware chameleon, and the simply light trail lair. Any thought on these three. I like the footbox on the blackbird conceptually, but I have never tied any of these so I don't know the practical benefit. Thanks for the feedback.

[Tikker]

I am between the warbonnet blackbird, the dutchware chameleon, and the simply light trail lair. Any thought on these three.

all 3 are great choices

I also really like www.littleshopofhammocks.com the warrior specifically. It's somewhere between the chameleon and the SLD Trail lair, but there's not a bad choice in the list to be honest

[Phantom Grappler]

I'd choose 11 over 10---that extra length gives comfort and less chance of calfridge pressure. I've not tried a hammock with foot box--maybe that makes up some for length when there isn't much length?
Good luck
If you get hammock bug real good--
You might end up with three hammocks...


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[hutzelbein]

In my experience, the comfort of a hammock depends mostly on the fabric used. And comfort is very individual. I'm only 130lbs, but I can't sleep in a 1.0oz Hexon single layer hammock. It's too stretchy for me. Same goes for 1.6oz Hexon and 1.6oz Argon. Since you don't seem to have any experience, I would recommend buying a simple no-net hammock made from the fabric you are interested in first, before spending a lot of money on an integrated hammock. That way you can find out what you like without spending a fortune.

[Mittagsfrost]

I'd follow Hutzelbein's advice.
BTW, I love the stretchiness of the fabrics she can't sleep in. People are different and each of us has to find out her/his personal preferences.

[Peppy]

I totally agree with trying a netless first to get the fabric right. If you require a topcover, Chameleon, Blackbird XLC, or Dream Hammocks are amazing choices. They, of course, would be good choices net only as well, but the Trail Lair is incredible for an integrated net. The Chamelon is super modular and you can add what you want, when you want. The Blackbird is one of the most recommended hammocks I've seen (but have no experience with one). Dream Hammocks are truly custom. Salad Trail Lair is custom and ships fast. I see no bad answer!

[Hike Monkey]

I am almost exactly your size and I love my WB Blackbird. I went with the 1.1 double layer just for the extra support and the option to use a pad if I wanted.

[Brad32825]

In my experience, the comfort of a hammock depends mostly on the fabric used. And comfort is very individual. I'm only 130lbs, but I can't sleep in a 1.0oz Hexon single layer hammock. It's too stretchy for me. Same goes for 1.6oz Hexon and 1.6oz Argon. Since you don't seem to have any experience, I would recommend buying a simple no-net hammock made from the fabric you are interested in first, before spending a lot of money on an integrated hammock. That way you can find out what you like without spending a fortune.

If you decide to go this route, Dutchware gear has great net less hammocks around $42! You can get it in any fabric, weight you want.

[Macgyver938]

I'm 6'2" 225 lbs and started with the blackbird xlc 1.7 dl...then progressed to the warbonnet ridge runner dl and used pads at first. Then went back to blackbird xlc with under quilt and top quilt. To me, the gathered end style was more roomy. When I got in on Dutch's chameleon kickstarter and opted for the wide 1.6 hexon version, I haven't looked back. In fact, since then I've purchased a 1.6 wide netless in the hexon...will probably diy some d-rings for peak bags. I loved the shelves of the warbonnets, but the peak bags dutch has for the chameleon work just as well.

[sidneyhornblower]

I'd second hutzelbein's advice if you're unsure about fabrics. A netless hammock with suspension won't set you back a whole lot. If you like it, it could become the core of the system you build by adding a tarp, bugnet and insulation. If you don't like the fabric, you can use the suspension and try a different hammock fabric. If you can sew or know someone who does, buying the fabric and making your own is even cheaper.

As for length, I'm 5'9" about your weight and I prefer an 11 foot hammock in 1.6 argon, but I've never tried anything in a lighter fabric. I do know that I don't like heavier fabrics that are firmer. They end up feeling too firm for me, but I've never tried anything in the 1.1 or 1.0 range. Only possible advantage I can see in a 10 foot hammock is that the tarp could also be proportionally smaller and maybe shave some grams if that's a concern.

Welcome to the forums.