First night in a hammock: neck pain and couldn't sleep. What am I doing wrong?

[seaniccus]

I recently bought a Explorer Asym Deluxe for an upcoming bike trip I had -- I was really excited about it. A hammock promised to fix everything I hate about tents -- no complicated set up, no poles, no hard ground... just relaxing, comfortable night's sleep.

It didn't work out that way, and i'm not sure why. I bought a 11-foot hammock (edit: rated for people 7-foot tall and under) for my 6-foot-1-sized body and I just couldn't get comfortable. I mean, getting in and out was kind of hard (getting into the sleeping pad and getting the sunshade pad under me was a challenge of its own), but that wasn't the problem -- I just couldn't fall asleep. I tried multiple angles and sleeping positions (straight doesn't work, but the angle position had me pretty darn flat, but it took awhile to find the sweet spot), but it didn't matter. On my back, on my side, or at a angle between the two, I just wouldn't nod off -- and my neck kind of hurt... I feel like my head was being pushed against the side or bottom of the tent, without much freedom. I tried to pull myself higher or lower in the hammock to fix this, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Maybe I didn't hang it at just the right tension or angle...? ...but if it's that fragile of an operation, maybe it's not the best choice for my cross-country tour. It would certainly save money just to use a tent for this, and then try a hammock again later when I don't need to rely on something so new for so long. (The trip is for about two months and I leave in a couple of weeks).

Any Thoughts?

[Daywalker]

From what i have read your hammock is to small for yur size.

[Brewguy]

hard to say, I find a very thin pillow helps. can you get some pictures of you in it?

[seaniccus]

From what i have read your hammock is to small for yur size.

That's sort of what it felt like, but that can't be right -- it's the largest size hammock they sell: http://hennessyhammock.com/products/...eluxe-asym-zip ...and I'm almost a full foot shorter than the maximum height of 7 feet.

Could I be hanging it in a way that makes it ... shorter? Here's a snap of how it looked last night:

hammock.jpg

Ignore the white line in front, that's a clothesline.

It could just be a bad hang, but it's pretty even on both sides, and I tried to hang it to so the ridge line would be straight. Seemed pretty straight while I was in there, nice and taut.

I hung it in a park a few days earlier and lied down without a pad / bag and it felt okay but I didn't stay in it for long (my back got cold). I guess it could still be too short, it just seems weird that at 6'1" i'm too tall for Hennsey's largest hammock size.

[TrailSlug]

Yea, you need a longer hammock. Life is good in a hammock that fits. Just like shoes.

[seaniccus]

hard to say, I find a very thin pillow helps. can you get some pictures of you in it?

I don't have a good picture of my whole body (it was just me out there) but there's a picture of where my head kind of was if I was trying to lie at the flat angle position:

IMG_20160316_235814.jpg

Yea, you need a longer hammock. Life is good in a hammock that fits. Just like shoes.

Check out the above post -- it's the largest size Hennseey hammock available and rated for someone a full foot above my height. I'm not arguing that you're wrong, here, I mean, I'm asking is that common for even that (the hammock rated for 7-foot people) to feel too short for a six foot person? I honestly don't know. If that's the case, I mean, okay, but I am a little surprised.

[Pyrogen]

My ENO Junglenest was too short, and my pillow was too big. This made sleeping very difficult and I too woke with neck pain. I switched to a minimal travel "U" pillow and an 11' Dutchware Hexon W1.6 coming in at 72" wide and BOY did it make a difference! Much more comfy, easier to sleep, no cramps or stiff necks to report!!

[alifeoutdoors]

Their 7 foot rated hammocks are 130" hammocks so you should be well within proper size at 6'1". I always slept fine in my hennessy being 6 ft tall and only using a 120" model. I would say you need to fiddle more. Granted I never attempted using a pad. I went into their super shelter right off, then on to different hammocks and underquilts. I also didn't sleep well immediately upon first using a hammock I had to adapt to sleeping in something that foreign. I'm now a decade in and sleep like a rock.

[Daywalker]

From what i have read your hammock is to small for your size. look in to a 10'.

[Brewguy]

From what i have read your hammock is to small for your size. look in to a 10'.

His hammock is over 10", rated to a 7 foot tall person.

I think the lay and hang is probably fine, try a thin pillow. I have one thats like an inch or so tall and it works really well.

Also having the foot end a little higher seems to help.