The Numbfoot Northern Californian

**PeterQuill790** · 05-03-2018, 15:05

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to introduce myself, as I have been perusing the forums for a little bit now, Plus, I figured now was a good time for some hang advice.

My wife first introduced me to hammock camping, but, at first, I didn't pay much attention to it. Fast forward some years later and my wife bought me a Kammok double to lounge around in during hikes. As someone that has suffered from chronic insomnia for almost a decade, I was astonished at how quick I fell asleep. So after that, I built a turtle-dog stand and decided to try it as my nightly bed. It was amazing, I actually fell asleep. Unfortunately, I injured my back sometime ago and the hammock was definitely making it flare up. After adjusting the hang angle, I couldn't keep my back from hurting. So I did what made the most sense, I followed down the logical path of hammock-type exploration. I tried a Warbonnet BB XLC (double and single), a large mayan hammock, and a Brazilian hammock, all of which made my back pain and foot numbness worse. I tried putting pillows under my knees and adjusting my legs throughout the night, but my back pain lingered, and I could not shake the foot numbness after a nights sleep.

So I bought a bridge hammock at REI. While I know it is not a WB or a JRB, I had an REI coupon and I like their return policy, so I went with the REI quarter dome hammock. Now I have to say, that after spending a couple nights on the bridge hammock, my back pain has definitely resided, but my feet are still numb in the morning. I continue to put pillows under my knees, but without any luck. I am including a couple of pictures so that you can see my hang angle and maybe offer some advice to how I am setting up everything.

Thanks for all of the advice. The forum has undoubtedly guided me down a better path towards getting a good nights sleep once again.

Besides my endeavor for sleep, I am a historian by trade, whose research interests revolve around late-Imperial Russia and transnational radicalism. I also enjoy motorcycles (I currently ride a Harley Dyna), computer games, and a good novel.

See you around!

**bruinfan** · 05-03-2018, 15:15

Great first post. Love your setup. I have a gathered end and so I will let more experienced folks answer the tough questions.

See you in the foothills. I'll look for an orange burrito hanging in the trees.

Take care. Have safe, be fun.

**Carrico** · 05-03-2018, 23:27

I had a pretty good back injury my self about 12 years ago, bulged a disk which keeped making my sacrum get cockeyed and pinch my sciatic nerve wich made my left leg go numb then leave me with the worst charleyhorse when feeling came back. Doc told me it would be surgery or meds possibly both. Anyways I ended up trying a couple chiropractors. It took a couple different ones until I found a real bone cracker, nun of that drop table nonsense;<) it took a couple months of sessions but it really helped my back. Right ok, hammocks :<) oddly enough my hammock really helped my back, just a standard 11' gatherd end. But one thing I did find that helped take pressure off my lower back was to keep the head end almost 2feet lower then the feet end, not sure how that would work on a bridge though. Good luck