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Warbonnet Blackbird
March 5, 2009
With my acquisition of a touring bike last spring I began to get a lot more interested in long term travel on a bike as well as overnight trips. With this is mind I planned a trip to Mexico and Central America for this past winter. Due to an injury those plans needed to be changed. I did however get the chance to use the Blackbird hammock by Warbonnet. Now you may be thinking what does a hammock have to do with cycling or travel for that matter. As you will read below, The Warbonnet Blackbird is one of the best items I have used for touring.
The first thing that you will notice about the Blackbird is its size. It weighs in at only 2.35 pounds and measures ~12.5x7x7 inches when in it's stuff sack. These weights include all strapping and the stuff sack! Although it does not come with a compression stuff sack, it is highly compressable, which can reduce the length by at least another 2.5 inches. So in terms of size, this is a light and compact way to sleep while touring.
Once out of the stuff sack the hammock extends to 120" long and 72" wide, with the adjustable webbing extending much further. My first thoughts were that this looked a little complicated, but first time up, and only a quick glance at the instructions, and I had it up in 3 minutes. It basically involves running the webbing around a tree on each end, snugging it up, and snuggining up two side lines, and you are done. This can easily be set up in under 2 minutes if need be.
The hammock I have is a double layer on the bottom, this will allow a thin pad to be used while in the hammock. This is more for warmth than anything else. I however have not found this necessary at all. This keeps the weight down for me, as well as adds to the simplicity of it all. With the hammock all set up and no insulation pad needed it is just a matter of climbing in and laying down. The first couple of tries were a little awkward, but I easy became comfortable with getting in and out of the hammock.
Once in and zipped it is actually very spacious. I am 6'1 and 200 lbs and I felt like I had lots of room. There is even a small shelf inside that can hold your books, flashlight and other things. With ample mesh there is a great flow of fresh air and there is a great sense of freedom hanging in a hammock.
Now most of you are probably thinking, I have never heard of Warbonnet before. Well that is because Warbonnet is currently a one man operation. What is nice about this is that there is that Brandon makes them all in the U.S.A. and the quality is high. We are talking about a 2.35 lbs hammock holding a 200 lbs guy with no problem. Brandon is also great for answering any and all questions you might have. Small business are great that way.
This hammock has changed the way I think about touring on a bicycle. Short overnight trips are now ultralite and extended trips can now be that way too. I will be doing at least a half dozen short trips this summer and this will be what I set up everynight. A great hammock.
Price: $160 USD (although there are a few different options that affect price)
Details: Compact, lightweight, and durable hammock
Pros: Small, light, fast set-up and take down
Cons: No compression stuff sack
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Warbonnet