Based on the great ideas you have all given me, I have managed to make a few hammocks. They are working out well, except for a few problems I found last night while attempting an overnight.

The first problem was the wind. I was toasty warm with my sleeping bag hood up and a water-proof picnic blanket under my bag to block the wind. The wind, however, was blowing so hard that it made the side edges of the hammock rustle. I switched my head to the side that was rustling the most and it helped, but when a big gusts came by, the rustling came back. After two hours of hoping the wind would die down, I gave up and came inside <yawn>.

I also noticed that my feet ended up my closer to one end of the hammock than I wanted. It must have been the two slippery materials, because when I tried it with no bag, I stayed where I started. It was not obvious that the hammock was at a slant until the slipping problem. I did not bother to address that problem, but gave up because of the wind noise which kept me from falling asleep. How conscious are you all about getting your hang really even?

If I had a tarp up to block the wind, this may not have happened, although the tarp noise may have been almost as bad. It was a beautiful, clear night, so I did not want a tarp. I wondered if I should guy out the sides of the hammock (like Hennessy does) with shock cord. Does anyone know if this would help?

If it had not been for the noise, I'm sure my first overnight in the backyard would have been pretty good. I'll try again soon.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

-Nancy