• Here ’s our "carb-free "Crib!...features a fully zippered no-see-um bug netting canopy with 70D coated ripstop nylon bottom, along with Easton® 7075-T9 aluminum poles and an internal sleeve that accepts a sleeping pad for added comfort. Also inside are two accessory pockets. Nylon jersey - mesh pole sleeves are positioned on the exterior for convenient set-up and easy zipper use. Crazy UltraLite Tarp is made of 30D silicone coated cordura ripstop. Includes guy lines, stakes, and stuff sack.

Arrival [return to top] The hammock arrived on June 21, 2006. The package was received undamaged. Inside the box I found a plastic bag containing the hammock, fly, and all accessory parts in the stuff sack with a standard folded retail hang tag with information about the different Crazy Crib models and the Limited Lifetime Warranty. Inside the stuff sack were a cardboard-wrapped plastic bag with the stakes and cord, the two 4-section poles, the fly, and the hammock itself, along with a letter-sized sheet of pitching, usage, and care instructions for all models. There were no other contents, and all contents appeared undamaged.

Description [return to top] The Crib LEX Lightweight w/ UltraLite Tarp is the latest entry in Crazy Creek‘s Crazy Crib line of hammocks. The basic models are open, while the LEX models have an integrated bug netting canopy supported by poles, as well as an internal sleeve for a sleeping pad.

Body: The hammock body is about 46 in wide x 104 in long (115 cm x 260 cm), and constructed of a single piece of green 70D coated nylon. Although documentation indicates the nylon is ripstop it does not appear that way to me, plus the body is 2 in (5 cm) wider and 10 in (25 cm) longer than the documentation states. While the extra size should certainly prove comfortable, it also results in a product that would be heavier than designed. Centered on the inside (sleeping) surface of the body is a piece of blue nylon - similar in look and feel to the green nylon of the body - sewn on 3 sides (one end and both long sides) to create a pocket about 24 x 80 in (60 x 200 cm) for a sleeping pad. Since my usual mattress is 20 x 72 x 2½ in thick (50 x 180 x 7 cm), this seems a perfect fit. Each end of the body is folded inward and triple-stitched to create a sleeve about 1¾ in (4 cm) wide for the hanging straps to feed through. These sleeves are reinforced at each end by a black leather-like material about 2 in (5 cm) wide. Two black webbing strips about 1 in wide x 4 in long (2.5 cm x 13 cm) are sewn to each side, each with two grommets to allow attachment of the poles.

Netting: Black no-see-um bug netting is sewn all around the perimeter of the body, with a zipper along the centerline for access, and black jersey-mesh pole sleeves at about the third-points for convenient set-up. The zipper opens all the way to the ends of the body. The zipper has two heads with two tabs each (inside and outside the netting) with a short length of ribbon and a clip on each tab to make them easier to grip. On one, the head, tabs and ribbons are all blue, while all other zipper components are black. The blue zipper opens to the same end as the pad pocket on the body. There are two small mesh accessory pockets, about 6 x 8 in (15 x 20 cm), inside the netting where the pole sleeves meet the body. The pockets are located one on each end and one on each side. In one of the pockets is a small plastic bag containing extra netting for field repairs.

Poles: Two 4-section shock-corded Easton poles are included. These black poles are made from 7079-T9 aluminum, and have grommet-ready tips at each end. When extended and locked into position, the poles measure about 44 in (110 cm) from tip to tip, and have an arch of about 13 in (32 cm) at the center. When collapsed, the poles measure about 14½ in (36 cm) from tip to tip, and have an arch of about 2 in (5 cm) at the center.

Straps: The 1 in (2.5 cm) wide black webbing straps are about 11 ft 2 in (340 cm) long, imprinted with “CRAZY CREEK” in blue, and have a metal (steel?) slider buckle. There is also a drip guard made from lightweight blue nylon on each strap on each side of the body.

Tarp: The blue UltraLite Tarp is made of siliconized 30D ripstop nylon, and measures about 77 in wide x 100 in long (196 cm x 250 cm) with an additional ‘beak’ about 10 in (25 cm) long at each end. There are black webbing tie-outs at all four corners, the middle of each long edge, the middle of each short edge (and the top of each beak), plus two in the middle of each long half that can provide extra head room. Although the documentation indicates that the tarp seams are factory taped (the documentation seems to have been written before the UltraLite tarp came along), and that SEAMGRIP is included, neither of these was the case. My points of concern about leakage are the full-length ridge seam, the tie-outs at the tops of the beaks, and the tie-outs in the middle of the panels.

Stakes: Six aluminum Y-section stakes are included. The stakes measure about 7 in long x ½ in wide (18 cm x 1.5 cm), and are notched at the top to provide a tying point for the cords.

Cord: A single piece of black nylon cord about 82 ft (25 m) long is included, along with six slide-tensioners about 1¼ x ¼ in (3 x 1 cm). Instructions indicate that the cord should be cut into the necessary lengths prior to use, with 6-10 ft (180-250 cm) recommended for the ridge tie-outs, and 4-6 ft (120-180 cm) recommended for the others. It is also recommended that only the bottom tie-outs use the slide-tensioners if desired, never the main ridge tie-outs. I cut two lines about 8 ft 3 in (250 cm) for the ridge lines, two lines about 7 ft 3 in (220 cm) for the beak lines, six lines about 5 ft 6 in (170 cm) for the bottom tie-outs, and the remainder into four equal lines about 4 ft 7 in (140 cm) for the lift lines. I burned all the ends when I was done cutting (to prevent fraying), and tied all of the lines to the tarp using bowlines, including the slide-tensioners on all six bottom tie-outs with overhand knots to hold them on. I discovered while adding the slide-tensioners that feeding the cord through the holes is best done before burning the ends of the cord, as the resulting ends may not fit through the holes.

Stuff sack: The blue stuff sack is made from coated ripstop nylon that feels the same weight as the hammock body. It measures about 7½ x 3½ in (19 x 9 cm) and is about 20 in (50 cm) long. It has a black cord and cordlock at the top, and a CRAZY CRIB LEX logo screened on the bottom. It is not seam sealed. The sack is large enough to easily fit the hammock, fly, poles, and stakes, and is a nice size to strap on the outside of my packs, or inside if the rest of my load is small enough.

Overall: Included instructions indicate that the hammock should be hung between trees that are 10-16 ft (305 - 488 cm) apart. Based on my measurements above, I wouldn’t expect to be able to much exceed 17 ft (518 cm), even though the body is longer than stated.

First Impressions [return to top] At first look, the design seemed top-heavy. I realized, however, that my experiences with hammocks to date have all been with those having a single hang-point at each end. The Crazy Creek method of feeding the hanging straps through the ends of the hammock body creates a two-point hang, and should (nearly) eliminate tipping. I am concerned that the strap design may not lend itself well to wrapping the straps around the support trees, which could result in slippage. I will be paying close attention to this.

Field Information [return to top] Our Boy Scout troop camps monthly, generally in the wooded areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and the Pocono Mountains. Almost all of these outings include a minimum of 2 nights of camping, with temperatures expected to be from lows around 45 ºF (7 ºC) to highs around 95 ºF (35 ºC) during the 4-month test period. Elevations will range from sea level to approximately 1,500’ (457 m). Our new Scoutmaster has added monthly hikes to our schedule as well. My wife and I, who between us have 3 ranking boy scouts (ages 15, 15 and 16), are also looking into additional camping without the scouts, and there are possibilities of some AT section hikes (two down – many to go!) in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with my son as he works towards the Hiking Merit Badge. While I am not tall, I am also not a small person, requiring a fair amount of space – read that width – to lie down. I have been told that my snoring is worst when I lay on my back (which is ‘normal’ hammock position), so my fellow campers will certainly be at least as interested as I am to know if I can belly- or side-sleep. I tend to need less insulation than most people I know in colder weather, having used an above-freezing bag down to well below freezing on multiple occasions. I have, however, experienced chills from merely cool weather while hammocking. I have been successfully using my Insulated Air Core mattress along with the Snugpak Softie Merlin 3, and will be using the same mattress while testing the Exped Wallcreeper sleeping bag.

Things I am/will be looking for: Ease/speed of set-up. Can I get it up easily in bad weather? When I’m tired? When it’s dark out (I prefer to know all of my gear by touch)? How long does it take? Pack size/weight. Experience to date tells me that bulk is more of a problem for me to pack than weight, though age continues to creep up on me, so packed size will be fairly important. My current shelter/sleep system is fairly light, so I hope not to increase it too much. Dimensions. Do I fit? Comfortably? With my gear? How large a site do I need? Durability. Are there any significant wear points, especially over time? The spots where poles contact the shelter will be investigated, along with tie-out points, zippers, etc. Waterproofness. I don’t mind being wet during the day, but I prefer that my gear be dry when I use it, particularly while sleeping. Ventilation. Do I need to worry about condensation? Adjustability. How high/low can/must it be pitched? Pads. Which of my pads may be used with the Crib? How easy is it to get them in and out? Is it more comfortable to have the pad in the sleeve, or just inside the hammock? Ground-pitching. What if there are insufficient trees? Can the Crib be pitched as a tent if necessary?

My findings so far: Eack size/weight. It’s almost 2 pounds (~1 kilo) heavier than my current setup, and half again as large when packed, but still smaller than all but my very smallest solo tent. Dimensions. It seems plenty big enough. Ventilation. The entire canopy is mesh, and the fly can be pitched as far above as desired. Adjustability. My experience indicates that the LEX should be hung between knee-high and hip-high.

Things I like [return to top] Complete. Not as prone to tipping as other designs. Things I don't like [return to top] A bit heavy. Tree distance limited to 16 feet (5 meters).

Thank you for your time. Chuck Kime a.k.a. Fuzzy

Reviews > Shelters > Hammocks > Crazy Creek Crib LEX Lightweight > Chuck Kime > Initial Report