MC Hammie Hammock by Wildish
The MC Hammie was funded through Kickstarter in the tail end of 2017. I finally got my hands on a sample earlier in 2018. The main premise behind the MC Hammie is all about having a multi-fuctional shelter, so they designed it to work not only as a hammock, but also as a tarp (it’s water resistant), a couch (check out the video), a beach blanket, and more.
The main design differentiator of the MC Hammie is that each side of the hammock has a sewn channel that is reinforced and load bearing. This allows the hammock to be gathered on the long OR short ends. A seatbelt-weight strap is threaded through each channel and has loops sewn on each end. Wiregate carabiners are clipped on each end of each strap, for a total of eight hardware devices. The straps run loose through the channels so the fabric can slide or be gathered, or the straps removed completely for washing or maintenance. It’s very similar to the Ar*Ya hammock in this way.
Another nice touch on the MC Hammock is that about 80% of the hammock is a single panel. To get the full seven feet (2.1 m) width, a small second panel is stitched to one side. This allows for a more comfortable lay in hammock mode.
While the hammock comes with these four straps, they aren’t really designed to be used as tree straps (although you could make it work). It’s highly-recommended to buy daisy chain straps (Wildish sells their “Freedom” straps for this purpose) to make set-up much easier. The Freedom straps are nothing out of the ordinary daisy chain webbing. If anything, they are a little short (only 8 ft / 2.4 m each), and have 15 connection points on each strap and are rated at only 200 lbs (91 kg). The short length is actually a good match for the hammock since much of the suspension length actually comes from the channel webbing.
In my testing, I found the strap system a bit cumbersome, especially for short hangs. Wildish spins their marketing to say that the main challenge with hammocks is finding “trees too far apart or too small.” This may be true in some city parks or on campus, but out in the woods, finding trees far apart is less an issue. The MC Hammie actually works better when the trees are at least 15 to 20 feet apart. Short hangs — anything less than 15 feet — and the end straps don’t provide great ways of shortening to make set up easier. I do a lot of my testing indoors and I had to shorten the straps significantly in order to get my 12 foot span to work.
I’m not a fan of putting hammocks on the ground simply because I’ve poked holes and ripped fabric in the past. If you want to place the MC Hammie on the ground, I recommend caution. Check the ground for rocks, thorns, sharp shells, and other damaging debris.
Besides the hammock mode, I was most interested in the famed couch mode. Simply put, you hang the hammock like a sail, connecting the straps threaded through the long edges to tree straps on either side — a high side and a low side. This creates a long bucket set that can be shared with a few people (can also be used as a privacy screen). Setup for couch mode requires four daisy chain style straps. It takes practice to make this mode work. In my case, we had some challenges with the height, which caused the seat to have a stiff back and be very uncomfortable. Even when adjusted, the bucket seat puts pressure under your legs and can cut circulation, so be careful. It’s not as cozy for me as the regular lounger mode (see page 169 in my book), but to each their own.
The other unique attribute for the MC Hammie are the prints. Wildish says they only print 300 hand-numbered editions of each style. It’s a nice snub to the mass-produced hammocks that litter the shelves on Amazon, but it may mean that your favorite design isn’t available for a while (or ever). Just keep your eyes out for what’s coming up.
Recommendations and Review
I think an v2 of the MC Hammie would include flat daisy chain webbing in the hammock channels instead of simple webbing, making connecting to short areas easier and negate the need for buying an extra set (or two!) of daisy chain straps. Just remove one pair from the side channels not used and make the hammock truly multi-purpose and self contained. No need to buy extra straps!
| Criteria | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension and Anchor System | ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ △ | The included webbing is more than enough to hang the hammock, if you can figure out how to adjust it. |
| Construction and Craftsmanship | ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ △ | Good craftsmanship. A few loose strands. Robust webbing, corner reinforcements, and sewing. |
| Modularity | ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ | The side channels make this hammock very modular. |
| Aesthetics | ▲ ▲ ▲ △ △ | A variety of styles available, but on a limited basis. |
| Price and Value | ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ △ | A good price for all the hardware and webbing that is included. |
- Manufacturer: Wildish, made in China
- MSRP: US$119 (hammock + channel straps + 8 carabiners)
Available Features and Specifications
- 10 × 7 ft (3 × 2.1 m) diamond ripstop nylon
- Teflon EcoElite DWR coating
- Machine washable (remove carabiners prior)
- Attached stuff sack
- 34 ft (10.3 m) of built in straps
- 8 – wiregate carabiners
- 8 – aluminum tent stakes
- 2 – 6 ft (1.8 m) of reflective cord
Disclosure of material connection: The author (Derek Hansen) was provided with a free sample from the manufacturer for testing and evaluation purposes. The comments in this post (written & spoken) are of my own opinion, which I formed after personally handling the gear.
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