Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Pro Hammock - Long Term Review

This was my first hammock purchase, and it came highly recommended by someone I met while shopping for backpacking supplies. I've since bought (or won) 3 more hammocks and we've even built a "hammock hang" in our back yard. While I've not actually taken it camping yet, I have slept in it multiple times in the yard and I've been quite pleased with it so far.

Specs:

• Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Pro
• 10'6" x 5'
• 26.45 oz
• 400 lb capacity
• Lifetime warranty

                       

Features I Love:

• This hammock feels huge. No issues with sleeping on the diagonal or rolling around at night.
• The parachute nylon is rugged yet breathable.
• The stitching is holding up well and the zippers are smooth and easy to use.
• It's wonderfully bug free.
• Hanging ropes are included.
• The stuff sack has a mesh section to allow air flow making it less likely to mildew if the hammock is damp when packed.

Things I Don't Love:

• The mosquito netting is very fine and soft and easily snagged or ripped. Even the carabiners and melted ends of the included hang ropes can cause snags.
• The netting suspension shock cord is a giant pain. It's thin and way too long, plus it came knotted on both ends. It's constantly a tangled mess and I have to keep trying to come up with creative ways to hang it.
• It's huge. It packs so much larger and heavier than my ENO Double Nest!
• I wish it had an interior pocket for a phone, wallet, etc.
• The colors. Olive and Khaki, Navy and Forest, or Camoflage - seriously, Ugh.

 Other Notes:

• I've found that as a side sleeper with hip issues, I've had to hang it much flatter and tighter than normally recommended to keep my hips from fallling asleep.
• With a 50 degree sleeping bag as an interior liner and a self-inflating sleeping pad as a base, I've found it completely comfortable to sleep in as low as 40 degrees with just a fleece blanket on top.

 Long Term Updates:

• I had my seamstress make DIY under and top quilts with a pair of Costco Double Black Diamond Down Throws, and I'm now toasty to 45 degrees without having to fight with a pad and sleeping bag. A second layer of unaltered throws (one between the hammock and underquilt, and one over the top quilt) has me quite warm as low as 37 (and probably lower, but I haven't tested that yet).
• I've learned the secret of the 30 degree hang, and now have zero issues with hip, back, or shoulder pain.
• The stupid bug net shock cord disintegrated after the first year, so I replaced it with standard cord. This turned out to be a bad decision, as the shock cord gave the bug net some give, and without that give, the hangers have begun pulling out of the their anchors and ripping the bug net. It's currently holding up with Gorilla Tape, but it's sucky that the net is that fragile.
• On that note, the bug net also now has multiple holes in it, also patched and holding with Gorilla Tape.

Overall, I'm still pleased with it, even for backpacking, but I'm disappointed in the bug net's glaring design flaws.

Cstomer Service/Warranty Update:

I was searching websites to see if there was a better option than the Skeeter Beeter Pro that was still affordable. During this search, I stumbled across Grand Trunk's warranty repair/replacement policy. Even though my hammock was over 2 years old, I figured "what the heck" and I filled out their online warranty form and sent a picture as requested. I then waitied for an email with return/repair directions or a shipping label. Instead, a week later, a brand new hammock arrived in my mailbox. No email, no shipping label, no directions, nothing - just an invoice showing no charge, warranty replacement. Holy WOW!! I am so impressed by this!

I also ordered their new Skeeter Beeter, the XT. I will be reviewing that next year when I've had a chance to use it a few times.