I'm not a regular user here. I check in from time to time, but hammocks are just one little part of what I do. Anyway....
I have an ENO Bug Guardian that I absolutely love. Recently, I was given a sum of money and tasked with outfitting my best friend with a light survival pack of my own design, and upgrading his hammock gear.
For that, I purchased and installed a complete whoopie sling set, and ordered him an ENO bug guardian like mine. Yay! All done! Right?
WRONG!
When we did our shake out of his new gear last weekend, we found a nasty surprise. It appears that ENO, in their infinite wisdom, decided it was a good idea to COMPLETELY mess up one of their best products.
My friend fit fine in mine. But when we set HIS up, it appeared to be shorter and narrower. The lines that keep the bugnet in place were no longer there, and the simple cordlocks were replaced by a PATHETIC AND USELESS "cord squeezer" thing....Something I'd expect to find on a Walmart product.
So he slept in it and was totally bunched up. The ends of the hammock protruded from the bug net, and the ends didn't cinch worth a crap.
The ONLY explanation I can come up with is they did this to make production cheaper. But two of the changes would have very very minimal effect on the bottom line. How much money does 7 feet of cord and two plastic cord locks REALLY cost?
I am SOOOOOO disappointed beyond words. We aren't hammock ninjas like most everyone here. We don't have a $300 sewing machine, and a spare bedroom full of bulk no-see-um mesh and sil-ny, nor the skills to put it together. We aren't looking to fork out the money you guys do for a Hennessy or Warbonnet. I'm happy with my Doublenest and those great Walmart hammocks. But unless there is one I am unaware of, there isn't a competitor equivalent of the ENO Bug Guardian.
SO....Any suggestions from the Hammock Gods? Alternatives, or someplace that might have 2011 Bug Guardians in stock?
And did the guy at ENO responsible get fired? If not, he should have.
Thanks...
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