In this episode, I share my first-hand experience with the Mitzli hammock, a uniquely designed camping hammock that solves many of the common problems hammock campers face. From setup to comfort and durability, I break down why it’s now my official go-to gear for Speir Outdoors trips, and I close with a reminder of where real peace and safety come from.
In this campfire conversation, I take you through my in-depth review of the Mitzli hammock — a design that eliminates the claustrophobic feel, net-in-your-face annoyance, and cramped sleeping space that turn so many people away from hammock camping. I share how it compares to other hammocks I’ve tried, including $200–$300 models that didn’t deliver, and why the Mitzli’s spacious tent-like interior, quality build, and lifetime warranty won me over. You’ll get all the details on setup, weight, materials, and the rainfly that comes with it.
I also dive into a devotional moment from Psalm 4:8, reminding us that real peace and safety don’t just come from good gear — they come from trusting God, even in life’s most difficult seasons. Whether you’re an experienced camper or just getting started, this episode offers a mix of practical gear advice, personal stories, and encouragement to keep your faith strong in and out of the woods.
hammock with rain fly: https://amzn.to/4fEwpHS
hammock itself: https://amzn.to/45y2XhV
(upbeat music)
Welcome to the Primitive
Camping and Bushcraft Podcast.
I'm your host, Chris Speir.
So here we're gonna talk about gear,
red and the kind of stories
you only get around the fire.
It's all about learning, adapting
and keeping your faith strong.
So whether you're a seasoned outdoorsman
or just looking to unplug and reconnect,
you're in the right place.
So pull up a chair by the
fire and let's get into it.
Well, welcome back to
the fire, my friends.
Today, we're talking about hammocks.
But not just any hammock,
I'm going to share my
experience and thoughts with you
about the Mitzli (Meets-lee).
Yeah, I believe that's right.
It's a weird
pronunciation, it's a weird spelling.
And actually the spelling
is Aztec, I believe it is.
And it's hard for us
English speakers to speak,
but it's Mitzli hammocks.
And it's one of the more unique and
comfortable hammocks
that options that I have
seen for camping or backpacking.
Now, if you're like me,
hammocks aren't just a sleeping option,
they are the way of
life for the outdoors.
Now in my book,
"Primitive Camping in Bushcraft"
on page 96 and 97, I
talk all about hammocks.
That it reads, "I usually
use a hammock when I camp
because of the simplicity and comfort
and I'm not eager to sleep on the ground.
I don't know who is really.
The only problem with the
hammock is finding two trees
that are perfectly spaced apart.
If the trees are too close,
the hammock will sag in the middle,
making for a very
uncomfortable night's sleep.
If the trees are too far apart,
you have to use
extensions or tree straps.
They're often sold
separate from the hammocks
and hang those to be able
to make your hammock higher
because of sagging.
But it will be more comfortable
than if the trees were too close.
Now that's just a little excerpt there.
And I love camping with a hammock.
One, in the South Mississippi,
it is warm most of the year round.
Two, it keeps you up off the ground.
And three, it's just more
comfortable than the ground.
I absolutely, I can't
stand sleeping on the ground.
So, you know, a lot of folks try hammocks
and they give up
because they either don't have
the right one or they don't
know how to set it up right.
They complain that the
net was touching their face
and they felt claustrophobic or cramped
and it wasn't worth the trouble.
So that's where this
Meetsley design really shines.
Let me tell you, for the past two days,
I have been filming a
video on this scene.
Actually longer than two days,
but I have really been
working on this thing
for the past couple of days.
And we're gonna get into all the details
and everything about this.
You know, primitive camping and bushcraft
and going out camping and
stuff is all about being able
to talk about certain
products and stuff like that.
And so I'm not trying
to sell you anything.
Don't get me wrong.
I will let you know if
something comes along
that I feel or I deem
is great value to me,
but I'll let you make the determination
and you decide whether
or not that is something
that you would like because I personally,
I don't feel like I
should be the kind of person
that pushes products on people, you know?
Yeah, I get paid
commissions here and there
for different things.
But I'm not here for the money.
I'm here for the information, you know?
Information leads to transformation.
Transformation leads to a
better time in the woods.
And so that's the
same way with the Bible.
Are you reading the Bible for information
or are you reading your
Bible for transformation?
So, but I know I used to
be one of those last August
last August I went on a camping trip.
It was so hot, it was like 109 degrees.
It was so hot during the day,
but we were kayaking down the river
and we got to the spot, Dave and I,
and we got to this little spot
and we decided to camp out there.
And so we hung our lay flat hammocks.
And man, let me tell you, I
wanted to love that hammock.
I wanted a real good lay flat hammock.
And we got it set up
and all it did all night
was try to flip me out.
It was, you could not
move in that hammock.
And it was just miserable.
And I kept waking up
every hour on the hour,
claustrophobic, the bug net
was hitting me in the face.
And there was just no wind.
I didn't have any kind of
fan or anything like that
or any, it was just hot and miserable.
I sweat it all night long.
And then about five
o'clock in the morning,
cooled off long enough for me to be cool,
cool as in like cover up with a sheet.
So, but anyway, this meets the hammock,
what makes it different?
So this hammock has a fixed bug net
that creates more of
a tent like interior.
And the way it's built,
the net stays off your face
so you can stretch out without feeling
any kind of claustrophobia
or any kind of crampedness.
And it's got so much room in there.
It's ridiculous.
It's almost like
sleeping on a full size bed.
It comes in two different sizes.
This thing is large.
The large is 106 inches by 55 inches.
And the extra large is 118 by 71.
That thing is huge.
I mean, 72 inches is as tall as me.
I'm 72 inches.
That's six foot.
I mean, come on now.
It's 10 foot by six foot.
Just over 10 foot, eight inches longer.
And 118 inches by 71 inches.
So this is crazy.
So if you want to curl up
small, go with the large.
If you'd like to spread out and lay
kind of diagonally for comfort,
then you go with the extra large.
And what I have is the extra large.
I mean, this dude, let me
tell you about this thing.
It is like laying
down in a full size bed.
I just said that while I
go without the mattress.
It is nice and cool.
And we're going to get
into what it's made with
and all that stuff here shortly.
But it is nice and cool.
It was 98, 99-ish degrees today.
And it was about 90% humidity.
It was supposed to
threaten the rain all day long,
but it never did, but it
was hot and I sweated a lot.
But this thing, I got up
in it and it was amazing.
It was enough room to stay cool.
You're not overly heated.
You're not bunched up.
You're not claustrophobic.
And I know I said that a
couple of times in this.
And when I go back and review it,
I'm going to be like, oh, I said
claustrophobic 100 times.
But dude, claustrophobia when
you're hot really does matter.
So it's built with a
durable parachute nylon
and it's triple stitched.
All the seams are triple stitched.
The netting is fine
enough to keep out no seams.
So that's the claim.
I haven't seen that yet.
I have not used that yet, but it is fine.
It is extremely,
extremely, extremely fine.
This is the finest net I have ever seen
on a bug net for a hammock.
And I mean this, I'm telling you now,
it is almost, it almost
don't even look like a net.
It almost just looks
like sheer see-through,
sheer like clothing.
So the hardware is all solid.
It's got extremely good carabiners.
And the whole thing is,
believe this, watch this now.
Listen to me when I say this.
The whole thing is machine washable.
Are you kidding me?
I mean, really?
Come on, dude.
You could throw your
hammock in the washing machine.
That's crazy.
So here's what gets it.
So I carry, typically
carry a DD three by three tarp
and I carry a separate hammock.
Now for years, I have
used the East Hills Outdoors
and I have used that
thing, the Jungle Explorer.
It was big enough and it was pretty cool,
but it did not do like this one does.
And it has spreader bars,
which opens everything up
kind of like a tent.
You put this tent bar in
there, tent stake in there
and it's kind of arched
and it locks in on each side
and then it just balloons out.
And that way you have
plenty, plenty, plenty of room.
And I think we'll get
into it here in a minute,
but it is for up to 600 pounds
is what they're claiming this thing.
I haven't tested that theory out
because I don't wanna put
three people up inside of a,
three 200 pound people up
inside this thing to find out.
But if it's an extra,
extra large hammock,
it should be able to
take care of two adults.
So you and your significant other.
So the thing about the
weight is it's 2.7 pounds
for the large and 3.2
pounds for the extra large.
And that's totally
reasonable for, you know,
if you're hiking or
backpacking or whatnot.
And are you tossing it
into a boat or canoe or kayak
or something of the such, you know,
it packs down pretty
small to not be a burden.
Now, the only thing that
I've found the drawback is that
the aluminum bars or the
aluminum stakes, not stakes,
tent poles, the aluminum poles,
which fluff it out for
the bird net, bird net.
I just saw a bird fly by for the bug net.
That is, the package
is gonna be that long.
And so we're talking, it's
about 14 inches, all right.
So it does make it maybe 12 to 14 inches,
but it does make it kind of long.
Cause you could
possibly fold it down smaller
if it was not been for those poles.
But it's still not that bad
because I could still get it
fit inside my Rothko European rucksack.
And I have used this
rucksack now for many trips.
And I'm telling you right now, this is,
I love this backpack.
I love the backpack.
I have had several
backpacks and who to thunk,
who to thunk that I would have now size
from a 75 liter backpack all the way down
to a 30 liter backpack.
And then had enough, you know,
when you first start
out bigger is better.
Whenever you, you know, what's his name?
Morse Kohanski said it the best.
He said that the more you
know, the less you carry.
And that is so true when you're out there
in the great outdoors
practicing your bushcraft,
your survival, you know,
your primitive camping,
the more you know, the less you carry.
And that's so true.
I got my backpack down to 19 pounds.
I can still whittle
some weight off of it.
But some of the
things that I got in there
are convenience items that I
want just to have, you know,
that I want to, you
know, they're like toys.
And, you know, I want
them just to do them.
So, but at 3.2 pounds, the
thing does not weigh bad.
It's not bad at all.
My other hammock was
right at four pounds,
four point four pounds,
eight ounces, I believe.
Four and a half pounds, actually.
So this is lighter, but I did not weigh,
I did not weigh the rainfly.
I did not weigh the rainfly.
Shame on me for doing that.
So that's, this weight
is totally reasonable
for backpacking or tossing into a canoe
or some other conveyance when
you head out into the woods.
Now set up is straightforward.
It's got carabiners,
it's got tree straps,
and you're done.
That's it.
And I'll just say that
you feed those little bars
right through, it looks just like a tent.
You feed that little bar
right through that little hole,
that, well, what do you call that?
That sleeve.
It's a sleeve.
You feed that little pole
right through that sleeve,
and then you lock it in on one side,
and you lock it in on the other.
Now, I'm not going to
talk about tree protection.
I get so many
comments on my YouTube pages
and my TikTok pages and all
my pages that they're like,
oh, you're going to kill that tree.
That strap's going to kill that tree.
And I'm like, dude,
are you kidding me, man?
Are you kidding me?
Yeah, let's not go there.
All right.
So I'm not going to talk about that.
Just get your straps on a
solid tree and you're good to go.
It's an easy system,
and it all packs away
without wrestling very much.
Now, let's talk about the
rain fly, the tarp, the cover.
This thing that comes with it,
this tarp is comparable to the Double D
3x3 in build quality.
It has built-in ridgelines.
It has a built-in ridgeline,
and it's got grommets, sewn-in grommets,
and everything for the ridgeline,
specifically sewn-in to be a ridgeline.
And you've seen this kind
of stuff before probably.
So the only thing I did not like about it
was the fact that they gave you some of
those little plastic,
kind of looked like at the
ends of a tarp or a tent,
whenever they give you
those little guy outlines,
the tensioners.
And they wanted you to use that to
tension the tarp up with.
And I'm like, no.
So what I did is I put a
overhand loop knot on one side,
and I went around the
tree and used the toggle.
Then I made a prusik knot
for both ends of the fly,
and a prusik loop, I'm sorry,
and then put the toggle
through there and tightened it up.
And then on the other
end, I used a trucker hitch,
and it seemed to work
out perfectly fine for me.
And the video is gonna
come up in the next few days
or something like that.
Or by the time this podcast hits,
it would have already been
out for a couple of days.
But when you're out there in the woods
and you're setting this dude up,
it is almost the right, the same quality
as the DD three by three.
The only, I'd say not
downfall, but the only difference,
let's say, the
difference is the coverage.
It is not a full three
meters by three meters,
and it is kind of octagon type shaped.
It does have a zipper
portion in the middle
where you can flip a
fly up over the top of it,
and it will latch to the ridge line.
And then you can get in
and out of your hammock
as you please there,
or you can just leave it the way it is.
And it does have a rain zipper over that.
And I was hoping it would rain today,
that way I could test
this dude out completely.
I wanted to test it
out, put it up, set it up,
set it out, hold nine yards,
see what it did in the
rain, but it did not rain.
So I got the hammock still setting up.
And I set it up here at
Kent, what the heck, yesterday.
And I was like, no,
that's not a good enough video.
I want to set up the entire thing.
So I shot the whole thing.
I got halfway through,
I spent hours recording this thing,
and my microphone come
unplugged halfway through.
So I'm gonna have to
do some voiceover work
and stuff like that.
So it's not, it is what it is.
If stuff like that didn't happen to me,
we would not have a Spear Outdoors
or Primitive Camp in
the Bushcraft Podcast
or any of that, because
that is the story of my life.
This kind of stuff happens
all day, every single day.
Now,
the Mitzley is one of those hammocks
you could live out of for several days
without feeling like
you're sacrificing comfort.
Because I literally felt
like I was laying flat.
I'm going to be giving
this a good camping trip
and trying it out for a couple of days.
And I will let you know,
but I already emailed
the company and said,
hey, I love this hammock.
And I am gonna be using this hammock
as my official hammock for all of my
Spear Outdoors videos.
So it's gonna be
ingrained in all my videos
from here on out, because I mean,
for the price, you can't beat it.
This hammock is $69 on
Amazon with the rainfly.
$69.
Now I have in my position
some $200 to $300 hammocks
that were sent to me for
videos that I'm sorry or horrible.
I cannot sleep in them.
And I'm talking, we're
talking top of the line hammocks,
top quality hammocks.
And some of these are
featured on big name TV shows,
big name survival people use them.
And I cannot stand these hammocks.
I can't do it.
So, and this, that is
everything about gear and equipment.
What works for you
probably won't work for me.
And what works for me is
not gonna work for you.
There's a happy medium in there.
And that's why we're all different.
If we were all the same,
what kind of a boring life would this be?
And how rich would all the,
all the outdoor brand companies be?
Because we would all buy the same thing.
It would be a monopoly.
So I have some two,
between two and $300 hammocks.
Dave can vouch because he's got one too.
And they are not.
And I'm sorry, but they are
not the best hammock there.
Yeah, they are, I know.
So I'm in a tent by
some no-seams out here
and some skeeter bugs, but that's okay.
The show must go on.
So when you're laying in your hammock
and you got your net all zipped up
and you feel secure,
you ain't got no bugs.
You don't have any worries.
It's just you and the
great outdoors, the quiet.
That completely reminds me
of Psalm four verse eight.
"In peace, I will lie
down and sleep for you alone,
"Lord, make me dwell in safety."
Out here in the woods,
you realize that safety doesn't just come
from a well-built
hammock or a good bug netting.
Those things help,
but real peace comes from trusting
that God is watching over you.
Whether you're out under the stars,
you're in a tent in a hammock
or walking through the hardest moments
of your life, knowing that
God is there watching over you
and leading you is the
best part of the whole thing.
And like I kind of
touched on the other day,
my wife and I are, we're walking through
some very difficult,
difficult, difficult circumstances.
And it is very hard
for us to walk through
and it is very easy for
us to throw in the tension
and the towel, it is
very easy for us to look
at each other and get
aggravated with each other.
But we can't do that.
We have to trust that God is in charge,
that God is in control.
And through the
circumstances, through the situations,
we do see his hand in it.
His hand has been in it all
the way from the beginning.
It's just hard to
understand different things.
And once it's all said and done
and you're able to look
back, you'll be like, wow.
How did that work out like that?
And that's how we're looking at it.
We're gonna get there and
eventually I'll be to the point
where I could divulge the
entire thing, maybe, maybe not.
(laughs) So if you've been on
the fence about hammies,
the Mitzley M-I-Z-T-L-I is worth a look.
I promise you, it is worth the look.
It's not the cheapest, but
it's not the most expensive,
but it is built to last and
it solves a lot of the problems
that people have when
they go hammock camping.
Now, I also emailed them and said,
do you have an underquilt?
If they had an underquilt for
this thing, let me tell you,
this hammock is a game
changer for the price.
So, I am a firm believer that
you can get good quality gear
for a decent price.
And if you do, then if
something happens to it,
you will spend the same amount of money
for the same piece of gear
over and over and over and over.
Morin knife, I got the
Garber, it's 67 or 70 bucks.
It is a good piece of gear.
BPS knives, $35.
It is a good knife.
Tony Powers has a Bobcat model
that I purchased for 120 bucks.
It is an amazing knife.
It is handmade, he made
it and I bought it from him
for $120 and it is my
number one go-to knife.
But for years I used the Morin knife
because it was cheap
and because it was replaceable.
And for years I've used the BPS knife.
I remember when the BPS
knife first showed up,
I was like, man, this
is an awesome knife.
And then I remember
whenever I skinned my first hog
with the BPS knife and I
said that I will never skin
an animal without that knife again,
because that was,
typically any knife I've ever used,
skinning a hog went dull before I got
done skinning a hog.
And this knife held its edge
through the whole time skinning that hog.
But my point is if you
find gear that works for you
that is relatively cheap, inexpensive,
and is easily to be
replaced if something happens,
it is worth it.
If you go and spend four
or $500, oh, oh, oh, oh,
let me back up.
For $69, did I mention
that this hammock comes
and the fly comes
with a lifetime warranty?
Yes, sir, it comes
with a lifetime warranty.
That blew my mind.
So for $69, this thing has won me over
and it has a lifetime warranty.
I mean, come on, man, for a $69 hammock,
you cannot beat that.
You can't beat that.
So if you've been on
the fence about hammocks,
the Mitzley MIZ-TLI is
definitely 100% worth the look.
It's not the cheapest, but
it's not the most expensive,
but it is built to last and
it solves a lot of the problems
that people have when
they go hammock camping.
And remember, just like
you need the right shelter
in the woods, you need the
right foundation in life.
There's no better
foundation than trusting
the one who gives real peace and safety.
So that's it for today's
campfire talk down here
at Camp What the Heck.
And drop your hammock setup
and your tips in the comments.
Head on over to
Primitive Camping in Bushcraft,
the group on Facebook.
Join the group and get
into the discussion with us.
And as always, in all of your ways,
acknowledge him and he
will direct your path.
Thanks for sitting
around the fire with me today.
If this episode gave you
something to think about,
if it helped you feel a
little bit more prepared
or it even stirred your faith a tiny bit,
go ahead and share it with someone else
who might need it as well.
We don't go camping
to run away from life.
We come out here to
slow down and recharge.
So grab another log,
throw it on the fire,
and remember this, in all
your ways, acknowledge him
and he will direct your path.
I'll see you next time.
God bless you.