Hello,
Byer of Maine is releasing a new hammock this march called the kakoon hammock. It looks pretty cool. I have also launched a free newsletter for my website www.campinghammockreviews.com. It is a monthly newsletter that will highlight upcoming products, reviews, tips and more. Here is a link to the first issue on the kakoon hammock Kakoon Hammock. Let me know what you think and subscribe if you are interested in getting this newsletter each month, spam free. Newsletter Subscription
Not impressed with the new Byer. Sorry.
BF
really... what is it that you don't like about it?
The main reason I am a fan is because it gives new users of camping hammocks an affordable package that is half decent. Then they can decide whether or not hammock camping is for them. It is also a new gateway hammock, once they get this and see what they like and dislike they can start getting into the whole obsession
$45 really isn't a bad price for an entry level hammock. I paid about $30 for my original Moskito hammock from Byer's back in '05. I bought it for the exact reason you stated this new one is decent: to see if I would like hammock camping before putting more money into it.
The problems I had with Byer's camping hammocks were that it was just another mediocre "made in China" product pumped out to feed the masses. Nothing terribly wrong with that, I'm all for free enterprise. However, the quality was lacking as well.
Within a short amount of time the netting started coming apart, right at the netting suspension seams, like the makers didn't bother to backstitch to lock in the stitching. So the whole thing just started falling apart at a rapid rate.
You know what they say, you get what you pay for.Still, if they stick with the $45 price tag and the product is halfway decent, they might possibly give the Skeeter Beater ($80) a run for its money.
I do find it a little sad that a company which prides itself of being in Maine so much that it incorporated the state into its business name outsources its production to offshore production facilities in China rather than make use of its own abundant source of local seamstresses.
Besides Massachusetts and New York, Maine was once one of the busiest textile fabrication centers in the USA and now it's a poor state whose companies would rather outsource their production than provide local jobs and support the local economy. <stepping off the soapbox>
Greetings!
Dan with Byer of Maine graciously sent me a warranty replacement for my old Moskito hammock, but upgraded it to the new Kakoon Moskito hammock at no extra charge. I wanted to give Dan a huge "thank you" for that!
I've finally got a day off tomorrow (Sunday) and I've been sitting on this new hammock for a week now itching to hang it up and take some pictures. I'll write a more thorough review on it, but my initial impression is that it's a super good buy for what you get for a mere $55. Though it's certainly not as good as some of the set ups costing around $200, it's certainly better than many I've seen for sale in the $80+ range!
As an introductory hammock for someone just getting into hammock camping who doesn't want to spend a million bucks trying it out--but doesn't want a complete piece of worthless crap either--this looks to be the perfect netted hammock to fit that bill.
I'll write up something more thorough and take plenty of detailed pictures of the hammock all set up so you can see for yourselves.
Sounds like great customer service, I really wish I had a grownup version of the original miskito hammock. I love the material and the weight of that hammock.
Give me more darkness said the blind man,
Give me more folly said the fool,
Give me stone silence said the deaf man,
I didn't believe Sunday School.
Phil Keaggy
I love the design of the bug net. But 84 inches sounds waaaay to short for most people (even me!) Hope it works out for you, Wildewudu.
"Pips"
Mountains have a dreamy way
Of folding up a noisy day
In quiet covers, cool and gray.
---Leigh Buckner Hanes
Surely, God could have made a better way to sleep.
Surely, God never did.
I bought a Moskito hammock (small one with rope ends) in early 2005 as something to get me into hammocking to see if I'd like it. It quickly fell apart and had only a 7' long bed. Since then, I've been making my own. Lately, my DIY hammocks have been around 11' long by 5' or so wide.
Your measurement of 84" is incorrect. The new Byer hammock, the "Kakoon", is 108" long (9') by 54" wide. This is the one I was sent and it has eliminated the PITA rope ends and made it a standard gathered-ended hammock.
For the new hammocker, this one is being sold at a great price with a few more features than the competition, such as the bugnet spreader poles. The part that failed on me originally--on the original Moskito hammock---were the bugnet support tabs, which were made of netting on the original. This one they've added more layers of netting to reinforce the stitching and are using elastic pull tabs instead. The new design is much stronger, which is a huge plus.
I'm going to hang it up today and take some pictures and see what I think about it in action, though I don't see why it wouldn't meet my basic expectations since it is long enough to fit the average person, the width should be allow to get a flat lay in it, and the bugnet problems have been resolved.
Originally Posted by Pipsissewa
I love the design of the bug net. But 84 inches sounds waaaay to short for most people (even me!) Hope it works out for you, Wildewudu.
It would appear that this new hammock is the grown up version...the original was super tiny...a 7' long bed and pretty narrow. This new one is 9' long and eliminates those annoying corded ends; I would always get those tangled when I owned the original Moskito!
Since I make my own customized hammocks, I may be passing this one on to my 9 year old or use as a loaner when I've got a few extra hangers around.
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