First time hangin' results...

Hello all,

I've been lurking here for a month or so. My wife and I are avid campers but I've recently been having trouble sleeping in a tent on the ground/cot/air mattress, etc. She got me a Byer Mosquito hammock for Father's Day and last night I decided to sleep outside in the backyard and give it a try.

The asym design is pretty comfortable. I found myself relaxing almost immediately but unable to fall asleep. I finally found a fairly comfortable position and began to drift off. But again I woke up. I'm naturally a side sleeper so I tried getting into a side (almost fetal) position which sorta worked and was adequately comfortable.

Are there any hammocks out there that are particularly well suited for side sleepers?

Also, I went to bed in shorts and t-shirt. Daily temp here in central Ohio was 85 yesterday but the low dropped to mid/low 60's. By 2:30a my bottom side was quite cold and decided to go to bed and warm up. I ended up sleeping the rest of the night inside.

So, I need a solution to two things: possibly a better side-sleeping hammock (if one exists) and a way to stay warm. Bulk and weight are highly important so any solution will need to take that into consideration.

I've done some searching here and there are quite a few "expensive" options. I'd like to stay on the cheap side until I have confidence that the system as a whole will be compact, comfortable, and warm.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated

Thanks,

HangR18

Most people need some sort of bottom insulation under ~70F...even just a single windproof layer can help. For ~65F it might be worth rigging up a simple poncho under there as an underquilt, just to see if you like hammocks.

• Cheap, but still pretty comfortable - get a camping pad from Walmart and a SPE from www.speerhammocks.com
• Expensive, but much more comfortable IMO - full-length underquilt from www.jacksrbetter.com or www.speerhammocks.com
• Lightweight and mid-cost, a bit more fiddle-factor in the hammock - half-underquilt from www.warbonnetoutdoors.net or a te-wa from mikeinfhaz on this site

Re: side-sleeping, a JRB Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock is the flattest lay from head to toe, but it's hard to pull my knees up when I'm on my side in there. If you hang the hammock right you can probably find your sweet spot where you can go fetal or whatever...just need to play around with the sag until you find it. The Byer isn't actually an asym hammock but you still lay diagonally in it. Same with the Hennessy line...only the bug net is actually shaped asymmetrically. The Warbonnet Blackbird has a footbox added that makes your sleeping surface asym, and much flatter.

FWIW, it often takes a few nights in the hammock of laying there comfortable enough to fall asleep but people can't quite doze off. It's a new foreign environment to get used to. I still do that on my first night out...but still end up getting more sleep than on the ground and feel a lot better when I wake up. So give it several nights as you get used to sleeping in a hammock and learn all the little tricks that will keep you comfortable. It's worth it! :jj:

Welcome aboard!!

You can sleep on your side in most hammocks. At least the ones I have been in: Bayer, Skeeter beater (regular), Grand Trunk Hybrid, Hennessy, JRB Bridge, etc.

The CRITICAL thing in hanging is the sag of the hammock. And this is different for every hammock AND user, so you will likely need to experiment & adjust. A “structural ridgeline” will help with this adjustment. I start out with a ridgeline nearly as long as the hammock*, then tie it to the hammock, & shorten it in 1 – 2 inch increments till I am comfortable**. Each time you shorten the ridgeline you are increasing the sag of your hammock. With the Bayer, tie the ridgeline to the hanging loops at the end of the strings.

For more info on keeping warm, do a search her for: Underquilts, Pads, Quilts, Keeping warm, etc. There is “Tons” of info on that.

FWIW: I slept outside last night in tee & shorts, all night. No quilts, just my hammock sock for keeping the chill off, got down to 68 here in SW OhiO

Also see PM.

*With the Bayer you will have A LOT of stretch, so even once you find the “sweet spot” you may still need to adjust.

** Each adjustment when I was starting was 1” – 2” per night. I now pretty much know what sag I like & can usually make the final adjustment after about 1 – 2 nights, & will / can adjust 1’ – 2’ at a time if need be..

Get a cup of coffee or some other libation and get a comfy chair and dig in on this forum. Really read a lot until your head is full ......
Then practice and persevere ...

The hammock quest does take some time to find the right fit for you.
My DIY whipped end hammock from JustJeffs site is real comfy on my side.
So is the Warbonnet BlackBird if you are one who does not sew.
Insulation .... I agree with JustJeff ... a Speer SPE and pad of some sort ... that will lead to experimentation as well .... will keep you warm.
Fear not ... the pad situation is not bad. I used that method for a long time and had no complaints. I was always more comfy and well rested in my hammock that on the ground.
Be patient and the rewards will rest you wel in the piney woods!
Shug