bigbull, thank you for letting us know you are a smaller person; that makes a difference.
Hammock: Because of your size, The BlackBird will probably be fine, rather than the larger XLC.
One benefit of the XLC, that you'll not have with the Original BlackBird, is that it is reversible. That is, you can have it head left, feet right, or flip it over so it's head right, feet left. Head/foot orientation has never been an issue for me. If I'm tired, ready to go to sleep, I just put myself on whatever diagonal the hammock is cut for (note: many hammocks are symmetrical; not cut for a specific orientation) and Zzzz out. You are saving money and gear weight with the Original BlackBird.
Options: It's been years since I bought mine. At that time, the only option was a single layer or a double layer (DL). A double layer provides a sleeve under the hammock body. If you are not going to use an underquilt, you can put your ground camp pad in the sleeve. If it's an inflatable kind, you don't want to inflate it too much. Its job, at that point, is to provide a barrier to the wind, not lift you off the cold ground. So you want it flexible to better contour with what's in the hammock.
Fabric:
If you go for a double layer, it will have a higher Max Weight rating - which as a smaller person (It's a feature, not a bug), isn't much of a concern. But you can consider a lighter fabric and save some gear weight. Remember that lighter doesn't just mean "lighter"; it also means "more delicate". It's all trade-offs. I used to be concerned about "delicate," but after a few years, it seems that if I treat my gear right, it treats me right.
Setup: The Blackbird has a bungee cord pull-outs on each side near the head end. I've seldom used the one on the non-zipper side. I sometimes stake out the one on the zipper side but these days I think I can hook it to a corner tarp guy-out. It just keeps the bug net a little further from your face.
Other considerations: If you are in the 5'6" or shorter realm, many vendors sell a shorter top quilt that will work fine for you and save more money and gear weight. Same with an underquilt. A 3/4 length under quilt (Like the HG Phoenix rather than the Incubator) might be full-size for you. For me, just the lower part of my legs are not covered but they are tucked into the top quilt. And if they are getting cold, it's easy to put a "sit pad" or some extra clothing by my lower calves for a little extra insulation - but that's usually only needed in a winter environment.
I've acquired many hammocks over the years. The Blackbird was my step-up from a Hennessy Explorer. It's still the one I use the most. I started with a double layer, and a year ago or so I picked up a single layer in a lighter fabric. It has a little more give - like a less firm mattress. But again, at sleep time, my body is not that particular.
