I've been reviewing Dutch's offerings, and I'd like to give my thoughts on the existing suspension packages he's got available. Please take the time to disabuse me of any false notions (you know you want to!) I may have; I have no experience with any of the Dutchware products.
Dutch Buckle
+ More stable than a toggle
+ The "Dutch Bow Tie" is awesome
Dutch Clip
+ Light weight
+ Slim profile
Dutch Hook
+ Light weight
+ Binds to suspension rather than hammock
Dutch Cinch Buckle
+ Adjustable suspension bound to tree straps, so it's an "all in one" solution
Versatility
From a versatility perspective, I like the Dutch Cinch Buckle. While other suspension options require that you make decisions on the size of your tree straps (and who wants to risk being short, or be bothered to carry extenders?), this thing is one huge tree strap. And unlike the triangles that the stapped Warbonnet suspension comes with, the cinch buckle should be fairly easy to loosen under a "my stuff is in the hammock but I'm not" load.
The Dutch Hook suspension forces you to wrap multiple times around smaller trees, because the length of the tree hugger itself isn't adjustable.
The Dutch Buckle suspension seems marginally more difficult to adjust than a standard marlin spike hitch, but has the benefit of being solidly coupled to the tree huggers. It's also probably more secure than a toggle, and less prone to misuse. It's use (like the MSH+toggle) is predicated on coupling the whoopie suspension to the hammock itself, leading to a less modular design (at least when we're talking about grabbing gear and going).
Available Options and Weight
While it's not an option on the site, I think I'd like to see the Dutch Cinch Buckle suspension with amsteel loops sporting Dutch Hooks on them. This would decouple the hammock from the suspension, and allow for more "mix and match". The downside of the Dutch Cinch Buckle suspension is the weight: 9.2oz. The lightest of the systems (the Dutch Hook) is only 4.4oz. Mass is also a concern, given packability.
After working through my thoughts here, I'm not really sure which of the three I'd select:
* I like the versatility of the Cinch Buckle, but dislike it's weight and bulk
* I like the weight and bulk of the Hook, but dislike the restrictive nature of the huggers
* I like the packability of the Dutch Buckle Bow Tie, but I'm not sold on the "let's couple the suspension directly to the hammock" idea.
I think a little extra hassle and reduction in site selection may be worth shaving off half the weight and bulk of the Cinch Buckle suspension.
Have I left some salient points of out my analysis? Got anything to add?
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