Why buy an expensive hammock?

[OG Honey Badger]

So I recently got into hammock camping and wanted to go relatively cheap to see if I was going to actually like it. Well short story.....i did, a lot. So I upgraded my quilts and tarp.

I was going to get a nicer hammock as well. All my upgrades are coming from cottage vendors for mutliple reasons of which i wont detail here. So I was thinking of getting the chameleon by Dutch. I looked at the stats and its heavier and seems to be the sameish material as my simple outdoor vitals hammock i bough on sale for cheap. Before i spend more money, which im not apposed to, I am curious what makes that hammock better than what I have.

This might be better served in dutchs forum but I wanted to keep it generic. Why did you buy your hammock? What makes it worth the extra? Would you do it again given the new stuff out there?

[MAD777]

Well my opinion is, for a simple gathered end Hammock and separate bug net like a Fronkey Style, you can buy the material from a vendor and sew it or buy it directly for a very reasonable price.

There are more expensive hammocks, but those hammocks offer versatility in their options. For instance, a zip-out bug net and/or winter cover that can be completely removed or left on. Or non-conventional hammocks like warbonnet blackbird. And now, we have hammocks with built-in insulation.

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[Tikker]

Why did you buy your hammock? What makes it worth the extra? Would you do it again given the new stuff out there?

I spent the $$ on an Amok Draumr because I need to be able to sleep on my stomach at some point thru the night. I can not fall asleep on my back

the Draumr also looks super cool, and I'd absolutely buy it again

it got me back into camping

[Halfed]

A cheap car takes you everywhere, an expensive car also does that but it will give you more comfort, new features, safety and so on...

[TominMN]

I agree with MAD777. A simple, yet quality, hammock can be quite reasonably priced. You'll probably end up with a superior product by either purchasing just the fabric (and making your own) or buying from a cottage vendor. It's when you start adding features that the price starts to escalate.

A hammock like a Chameleon (and others) has a bunch of added features AND allows for adding pieces as you see fit, either initially or down the road.

Having choice of fabric and length is huge as you go forward. Determining lay direction and whether you want an integrated bug net are things to think about up front.

[chapinb]

Making a comfortable hammock is not hard, it's actually pretty simple.
But you dont know what your really doing or how nice it can be till you see it. That's part of the worth.
Not to mention nicer fabric, better stitching, more modular.... list goes on.

It all translates to better sleep.

If money is an object, get the limited edition 1.7 netless hammock. At 30 bucks it's almost as cheap as a DIY but will let you really experience a proper gathered end hammock.

As far as the weights the odv are narrow hammocks, esp the solo/solo plus. They are also short, with the exception of the double. Much less fabric equals less weight. It's also means a poor, banana shaped lay. A 11' long by 7' wide hammock let's you sleep diagonal, and flat.

You, my new hanger, thing you have it good. Wait till you get a real hammock and really see the light.

[Brooklyn]

Like most things, you get what you pay for. It's up to you to decide what's important to you, what you're comfortable paying and finally, if the product you purchase is worth the money (to you).

[Just Bill]

Simple answer for spending money period: What is your problem?
If you don't have a problem, then no amount of money you spend will solve it.
If you have a problem... some problems cost more to fix than others.

Why buy a hammock at all? A $20 foam pad works for some... if you live in the piney woods you could scrape up some pine needles for free each night.
Course I own several expensive sleeping pads because I don't find those to be a good solution... but when I was younger and broke both solutions worked fine too.
Now I find the hammock more pleasant... and those expensive pads don't do the job.... my problems changed, so did my solutions and my budget.

Some of the expense is related to those 'multiple reasons of which I won't detail here' when it comes to buying cottage in general.

More specifically- at the core of a gathered end is the fabric. That takes money to source, and even times develop for hammocks. Takes some time to talk with you and sort out what fabric is right for you. Those things cost some money for the vendor, and thus for you the customer. If you happen to be super comfy on plain jane ripstop or whatever fabric your el cheapo of choice is made from... then good for you. If not, you're paying for some expertise and upgraded material to give you something better for you that does in my opinion have tangible value.

As a bit of gathered end skeptic in general... I think that the highest tangible value that justifies cottage hammocks is the simple ability to properly select material appropriate to your height, weight and needs.
So the simplest reason not to buy a $30 cheapie vs a $60 netless is the quality(and quantity) of the most important component. With rare exception; a gathered end is just a big hunk of fabric. If you buy a big hunk of fabric that doesn't work for you... then any amount of money you spent is wasted. In this case that $30 extra you may spend is typically saving you from tossing the first $30 in the trash and very good value.

If you value things like color, customization, quilt hooks, tie-outs, or other little details... only you can evaluate what dollar amount those add.
I don't use tie outs... some won't hang without them. Some would only buy a hammock in Crimson Red with blue stitches... some folks figure they are all the same color with my eyes closed.
Those are things that are really only justified for you personally and it's hard to say they have hard dollar value... though it's not hard to add up the labor costs and hardware if needed when discussing them.

After the initial value of quality fabric in a good length and width for you... provided the vendor is solid in execution... the money beyond that is really only to meet your needs.
Dutch still sells netless hammocks for good reason. There is nothing requiring you to automatically jump to the Chameleon.

Something like the chameleon... you're paying for flexibility.
Do you even need a bugnet... nothing lighter than not carrying one.
Zip it off says the next guy and it will get lighter... but you still have to pay for the zipper and carry the half on the hammock that remains.
Zippers are heavy. The little bits and tie-outs add up. Every customer has to balance those things in thier own mind. They are not good or bad... just items on your personal pros vs cons list.

If you love having one hammock that can do it all, with the option to double it up, put on a net, flip on a cover, zip in some storage or spice up the old hammock with a printed net or cover down the line... then each of those things add value for you and justify the cost. Designing and coordinating all that stuff has prototype costs, development, and lots of switching gears for production. Those things are real costs built into each unit sold.

If you could give a crap about any of that... no need to pay for it.

It's like anything else... the more you want... the more it costs.
If you're willing to buy a table cloth blank and tie a knot in it... it cost $12.
If nothing works for you and you need one of my high end bridges... they cost $400.

Some see my bridges and say I have to have one because I have a problem.
Some are curious, find out how much it costs and realize they don't have a problem.
Many of them joke... My (driver, fishing rod, gun, knife, or whatever) cost me $1000 so a $400 hammock isn't the end of the world.

Some kid living in his mom's basement rolling stuff off a Chinese line at 500 units a pop with kickstarter funds can offer you something cheaper... and there will always be a market for it.
There are a several apples and oranges things you can argue... but if you get in it and it works for you... do you care? Unless you are willing to consider those reasons you want to buy from a cottage vendor then you're never going to be able to crunch enough numbers to justify the costs of that choice by directly comparing specs. Ask a camping stove vendor to justify their $40 stove they paid to develop when the factory they hired will sell it direct for $10... and you get the idea. In that case it is literally apples to apples... you're just cutting out all the development, testing, and marketing overhead it took to develop the stove in the first place.

Overall... for specialty gear for a specialty hobby... I find that cottage hammock vendors generally undercharge or are at worst fairly priced.
A good sleeping pad or mummy bag is $200. A quality backpack $200. A good tent at least that. Go to something specialized, even off the shelf/mass produced and it will double or triple.

It's all relative... I think the only problem facing hammock vendors is the dearth of cheapie knock-offs flooding the market as well as the rise of internet savvy kids with great websites, an ali-baba contact, and great social media who have never even seen a sewing machine in person. Hard to compete with that basically zero overhead model for a cottage guy... but again... a 20 year old kid can sleep anywhere in anything anytime. They are not going to be able to understand why you have an issue with their hammock or would want anything more. Even if they did... that pattern isn't sitting in the factory catalog to order. And that is where the cottage guy comes in and earns his money.

[SilvrSurfr]

I'm not a huge fan of expensive, integrated-bugnet hammocks. I really prefer simple, gathered-end hammocks like the Dutch Netless or HG Netless and a Fronkey bugnet.

However, I'm definitely not a fan of hammocks like Outdoor Vitals sells. I've spent some time on their website and viewed their YouTube videos, and I feel they really don't know much about hammocks.Their Solo Hammock looks like a basic ENO knockoff, but even ENO doesn't make their hammocks 4 ft. wide. That sounds very uncomfortable.

[Phantom Grappler]

I sleep in a hammock for comfort...otherwise I’d sleep on the ground like when I was a Scout.
Generally hammocks that are longer and wider, are more comfortable than hammocks that are shorter and more narrow. Short and or narrow hammocks generally have given less comfort by:
Banana lay—will not give a good diagonal lay, you are curled like a banana.
And CRP Calf Ridge Pressure—all gathered end hammocks can cause CRP, BUT this is more common and more pronounced in shorter hammocks.
Foot Scrunch—your foot closest to edge is bent inward at your ankle—any hammock that is more narrow is more prone to Foot Scrunch. This can be alleviated by lying more in line with hammock and less on a diagonal. But you were lying diagonal for a reason—to get a flatter more comfortable lay.

Our cottage vendors are hammock campers and have worked hard to make their hammocks very comfortable and well worth their cost. Hey, I started in an ENO, and it’s a good starter hammock. My custom 12x6 hammock is a step up in comfort above my 11x5 hammock, which is in turn a step above comfort of my ENO double nest.
To each his own, YMMV, and there is nothing wrong with you enjoying the hammock you got.
Just remember lots of these on line hammock stores LIE about their hammocks actual dimensions—they might say 10 and a half but are only 9 and a half—maybe they include their rope knotted on the end as part of length.

Good luck in your search for hammock nirvana