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Made my first bridge hammock. It is ugly. Don't know if I would take it into the back woods. I ripped out and resewed every seam I think. It was fun and I learned much. As I start thinking about a second, more presentable one, a question on fabric. The current one is made of nylon. It stretches but seems OK to sleep in, even in hot central Florida nights. I am intrigued by polyester but the wife says it will not breath and thinks it would bad choice for our hot humid nights. Any thoughts?
Mark
My first hammock was a type of polyester called sportswear. A little on the heavy side compared to nylon but very soft and comfortable against the skin. New hammock is ripstop nylon and even though lighter it's not as comfortable. Haven't tried it yet but polyester taffeta has been mentioned as a possible hammock material. Even have a polyester suit lining material that I tried but it never laid right. Super light @ 8 oz for an 11' x 5' hammock (that's 225 lbs in an 8 oz hammock!). I've walked thru Hancock's and felt a few fabrics that may get tried someday. some of the poly microfibers might make an excellent indoor winter hammock. Ripping out and resewing is just part of the DIY process for me, I sewed and ripped at least 5 different types of channels in the lining material before giving up on it temporarily. Wife did final show mercy on me and told me for temporary work, sew at the longest stitch setting and when ripping out just break the thread every 2 ft or so and pull the thread. beats the hell out of seam ripping #10 or 12 stitches for 5'. One other thing DIY will only save you money if you get it right the first time, very seldom happens. Oh and all this advice is from someone who has only been at this a year, in a year it will be your turn. Enjoy the Fun, Mark. Gitter done and join us for some of these Florida hangs in the planning. When your on a first name basis with the manager at your local fabric store you've made it.
Polyester is fine for hammocks. It breathes nicely unless it is coated. Coated material of any kind don't breath worth squat. I prefer polyester taffeta to any other fabric I have used. But it is not the best choice for super ultra light. Taffeta is a weave pattern and comes in a variety of weights and materials. Not to dis on the wife... but she's not really accurate in her statement. I like polyester taffeta for breathability better than nylon ripstop any day.
Use extra long stitches _only_ for temporary work. (called a basting stitch.) You can use the same ripping technique described above with shorter stitch lengths and save yourself the hassle of having to resew to the seam or ham for a permanent status.
Thanks for the info. I will stop by JoAnn's this week and look at Taffeta. Looking on the web did not tell me much other than light weight.
Mark, one thing I read early in my DIY hammocking was not to tell the salesperson you were making a hammock, they would try to sell you canvas. This only happened to me at Joanns, if you have a Hancock's close try it also. Seems like a different attitude there,or maybe it's just the stores I'm dealing with. Still looking forward to meeting at the hang.