Footbox/Shoulderbox hammock

I got some 1.1oz 48" wide material in the mail today and was able to put together the 48 in wide foot box design I have been wanting to try. The main body is 10' x 4', offset by 18 inches. For the foot box, I cut a 30x30x42 right triangle and sewed the short sides to the foot end of the right side long edge, like everyone else has done. I did not use zingit in the long edge. The triangle is sewn in the pointy end of the parallelogram.

With the narrow length of the hammock, it felt like I was falling out of the left side of the hammock. So I cut a second triangle from the material I had left over from forming the parallelogram shape on one end. This triangle long edge is 34 in and the short sides are 22 in long. I sewed the short sides into the center of the left edge, giving my shoulder and left elbow a shoulder box to catch and keep me from falling out of the hammock.

The hammock is single layer and all the long edge seams were stitched with a zigzag stitch to keep from stressing the material.

This seemed to work pretty well. I may shorten the hammock by 6 in before I am done because there seems to be excessive room at the head end of the hammock. It would save a couple ounces to shorten the hammock.

So, am I right in that you made 2 triangular footboxes, such as are used in the WBBB, one larger for the feet and one smaller for the shoulder?

Did adding in the shoulder side triangle make the edge of the hammock more difficult to enter/exit? Is the hammock as comfortable to sit up and lounge in? Did you consider hangnout's Stretchable Footbox as an alternative, assuming you have seen it?

write the reply in Shavian!

As Catavarie noted, hangnout's stretchable footbox has become my favorite hammock design for non-netted hammocks.

I imagine that fixed footboxes on both sides would make entry/exit difficult without stressing the hem on the hammock. Unless of course you enter with a back-flip, 1-1/2 gainer like Shug! :lol:

I had had the same thought a while back, although I wasn't thinking about the parallelogram shape for the body--just a thinner hammock with attached foot/head boxes. I'm interested to see how this does and how comfortable it is.

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Originally Posted by Catavarie

So, am I right in that you made 2 triangular footboxes, such as are used in the WBBB, one larger for the feet and one smaller for the shoulder?

Did adding in the shoulder side triangle make the edge of the hammock more difficult to enter/exit? Is the hammock as comfortable to sit up and lounge in? Did you consider hangnout's Stretchable Footbox as an alternative, assuming you have seen it?

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The smaller shoulder box is not at the end of the hammock, but closer to the middle. Obviously, I need to take a couple photos.... It is small enough that it is easy to sit on.

The strechable footbox looks like a cool idea for those whose feet come out fo the end of the hammock. I really like it a lot, and had not seen the thread previously. My feet do not come out of the end of my ZHammock, and it seems like if they did, the taut edge of the hammock would feel uncomfortable under my ankle tendon. Thanks for pointing the thread out.

BTW, for the footbox design I built, I'm not yet sold on the asymetrical nature of the design. It will take some comparison sleeps to see what works best for me.

Working on a similar one myself. Awesome. Not quite that narrow though.

Risk, I did that same thing a couple of years back and it was very comfortable to lay in, but for regular camping it had a fatal flaw that ended up putting me on the ground for a couple of nights on a hike. I'll try to explain it without boring everyone.

The footbox (or shoulderbox) design shortens the edges of the hammock compared to the body of the hammock. When you get in by sitting down on the shoulder side, there is more stress than normal now being placed on the edge. On the footbox side it doesn't matter as long as you do not get in and out on that side, unless....

But back to the shoulder box. I did two hammocks this way thinking that I must have done something wrong the first time when one failed. Both ended up dying the same way. What eventually happens is that at some point along the hem, a stress fracture perpendicular to the hammock body will happen. Once that happens, it will catastrophically fail across the hammock body. To demonstrate the stress, sit on the hammock sidewise like you would in camp while relaxing and cooking or whatever. You will feel the stress of the hem somewhere under your legs biting slightly into you, for me this was normally in the back of my knees since that is where my legs hung off the side of my hammock. The stress wasn't that great, but over time it added up.

The second hammock I did I did a smaller triangle for the shoulder side, and then took care not to use the hammock for side sitting. It just took longer to fail.

Now for the unless, I've changed my Ghost to work more like the UK Hammock Woodsman X. With that I can let the footbox go completely out of the hammock until I am ready to go to bed. I didn't do a shoulderbox the same way because I came to the conclusion I personally did not need it. If you were to do something like that on the shoulder side, it might prevent problems, but getting the tension right after you are in the hammock may be tricky.

I came to the conclusion with my cuben fiber ghost that if I were to do a CF hammock like that again, I would keep the adjustable foot box as designed. And I would do a Knotty stretch side on the shoulder side to give better sleeper/gear retention in the hammock. My 1.1 ghost doesn't feel like it needs this to me. The knotty stretch side doesn't change the lay of the hammock, but it does change the shape of the sides to make you feel more secure in the hammock. And since it has a stretch to the side and many, many people are using it successfully, I think it could stand up to long term use.

Hope that wasn't too boring.

Here is a video demonstrating part of what I am talking about:

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Originally Posted by SGT Rock

Now for the unless, I've changed my Ghost to work more like the UK Hammock Woodsman X. With that I can let the footbox go completely out of the hammock until I am ready to go to bed. I didn't do a shoulderbox the same way because I came to the conclusion I personally did not need it. If you were to do something like that on the shoulder side, it might prevent problems, but getting the tension right after you are in the hammock may be tricky.

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Not boring and the video that follows your post makes it very clear. I like the idea!

I am suspicious that the footbox design will fail over time too - especially with 1.1 oz ripstop and my 199 pounds (and dropping). I have only had one hammock fail catastrophically, and that was where some velcro had abraded the material on an edge. It is good to have input on the failure. I may just order up another swatch of 9x4 ripstop and see how light that hammock can get.

I am getting jealous of your cuban tarp. My light tarp is about 12 oz. I think that a 5x11 tarp made of Cuban may be in my future.

I'll follow your directions for taping up the tarp when I try it out.

I guess the materials will cost about $120?

The thought on the footbox failure is the reason i put zingit in both sides. Two years more than 100 nights and no failures

Probably closer to $250 when you factor in tape, primer, lines, etc.

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Originally Posted by TZBrown

The thought on the footbox failure is the reason i put zingit in both sides. Two years more than 100 nights and no failures

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How are you using it? Sewn into the hem perimiter?

What if you used shock cord in the footbox and shoulderbox, but tied it into the hammock using zing-it through the side channels of the hammock on each side of the box? I believe WV does something like that for his stretch side hammock, except the shock cord is used to form the box from the extra material instead of for an added footbox and shoulderbox.

I saw one other shoulder/foot box hammock... I think it was Bankheadboy... he ended up sewing in a zipper as the bathtub shape was so pronounced, he couldn't get OUT of the hammock! :lol:

Knotty's stretch side modification is quite light... http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=29560
most people use shock cord that is over-rated, but I find that really light shock cord (1/32?) works well enough. I plan on using that in my Ghost hammock I want to make... I also plan on integrating a HUG bugnet or a Sgt. Rock winter hug as a sewn-in option... (read: Lighter) Heck, I have multiple hammocks anyway... might as well have a few more purpose-built hammocks.

RE: Failure: I've hung oh, 20+ times in a single 1.1 hammock (with footbox) and I'm 210lbs nekkid... so... 215 in the hammock.. never had a problem, fabric shows zero signs of stress. I doubt you will ever fail at sub-200 pounds... except for that footbox adding stress on the edges...

John

If you only do a footbox on one side and don't get in and out on that side much or at all, your hammock should last forever.

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Originally Posted by SGT Rock

How are you using it? Sewn into the hem perimiter?

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It has locked brummels at each end included in the whipping knots

In the first minute of the video it is shown. In video 1 and 2 is the construction info

That may work for a footbox/shoulderbox combo hammock.

I just resurrected what I considered a failed hammock. A while back we had a group purchase of some ACU cammo 1.1 which turned out to be more like 1.0 maybe. I made a Ghost with it which was too stretchy to be successful. Last night I resurrected it with a hem cord similar to what TZBrown is using except this one has nanoseeum curtains for the footbox and shoulderbox. They can also unhook like my current Ghost, so you can let the stress off when they are not in use. I've only done some test hangs so far but it might work. Time will tell :cool:

Thanks for the great ideas.

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Originally Posted by SGT Rock

I just resurrected what I considered a failed hammock.

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Never say DIE!

No wait.... you're gonna DIE! :lol:

Just a video I made for HOI who is working on something similar simultaneously. We are bouncing ideas off each other, so this isn't a full demo or how to do video. Just me showing him what I've got so far. It also isn't public on my channel:

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Originally Posted by mad777

never say die!

No wait.... You're gonna die! :lol:

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i'm gonna die!

I made a hammock using this "clip in" footbox idea awhile back but abandoned it because I was afraid the stress on the hem would fail. I had stitching pulling out and fabric separating. However, the addition of Zing-it (or similar) reinforcement in the hem may solve that problem!

Oh I really like that a lot

One more to build :lol:

The adjustable strings help compensate for the increased stretch of the fabric. One of my favorite features is the extra low weight, which is currently less than 6 ounces.

Mine is of the same fabric, and I thought it a bit to light so I did a DL, but still weighs only about 9 I think.

The dl really stiffened it up as far as stretch, the inner layer is on a slight bias which changed it a huge amount

I use a double layer of this same fabric for a winter hammock with the option for pads if necessary. And I just made two more doubles in this fabric for raffle prizes in next week's Florida Hang. I like it as a double layer.

Just tweaked it down to 5.33 ounces.

Tweaked a little more and it's down around 5.10 ounces. I hope I haven't gone too light on some components. What I find interesting is I'm about within 1 ounce of where my cuben hammock was before it failed.

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Originally Posted by Dave-O

What if you used shock cord in the footbox and shoulderbox, but tied it into the hammock using zing-it through the side channels of the hammock on each side of the box? I believe WV does something like that for his stretch side hammock, except the shock cord is used to form the box from the extra material instead of for an added footbox and shoulderbox.

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If this is possible, can it be done on any hammock? I have a lot of extra fabric on my Eno Dn.

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Originally Posted by Hototo

If this is possible, can it be done on any hammock? I have a lot of extra fabric on my Eno Dn.

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It might be difficult to do on an existing hammock because the cord would need to exist at each end of the hammock, so you'd need to work that into the hammock. Knotty's Stretch-Side Hammock Mod might be easier to do on an existing hammock.

I'm currently working on a hammock to try and demonstrate my idea (though it will only have a footbox). My sewing skills aren't great so it's taking me a little longer than I would like. I'll post pictures when I finish.

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Originally Posted by Hototo

If this is possible, can it be done on any hammock? I have a lot of extra fabric on my Eno Dn.

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I believe WV's hammock follows hangnout's footbox design. If so, yes, this can easily be done on an existing hammock. Also, the beauty of that design is that it doesn't put any undo stress on the edge of the hammock. Therefore no Zing-it is needed in the hem!

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Originally Posted by JohnSawyer

Knotty's stretch side modification is quite light... http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=29560
most people use shock cord that is over-rated, but I find that really light shock cord (1/32?) works well enough. I plan on using that in my Ghost hammock I want to make... I also plan on integrating a HUG bugnet or a Sgt. Rock winter hug as a sewn-in option... (read: Lighter) Heck, I have multiple hammocks anyway... might as well have a few more purpose-built hammocks.

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1/32 shock cord works well for the knotty mod? Where did you find that stuff?

I once saw some really thin shock cord at Joanne's but I don't remember it's diameter. I got some 1/16 from one of the cottage vendors here. Do you think the 1/32 would perform as well or should I not mind the extra grams of the 1/16 shock cord?

I'm also considering using shock cord for a foot box on a hammock. I wonder if 1/32 would work on that as well...

The really thin stuff at Joann's iswhat I was referring to... they also sell heavier stuff by the yard. It us white, but I like it better than the black stuff I have purchased elsewhere as it stretches more.. it's cheap, too...

Just for full disclosure, I think I implied that I used the ultra thin stuff in a stretch side... I.didn't... but I found that the really thin stuff works very well in places I and others normally use heavier cord...

John