I'm trying to understand what makes one hammock more comfortable than another. With a mattress, some have springs, foam, air, etc. they can come with pillowtops or other accessories, but with Hammocks, pardon my ignorance, they are a "sheet" of fabric stretched between 2 trees that you lay diagonal on. So what makes a Blackbird more or less comfy than a HH, or is it literally just a personal decision?
Thanks. I wanna make sure I have as informed a decision as I can.
B/c I have waaay to many hobbies (just ask spkldoe) and so most of my equipment is a compromise. All serviceable, but not exactly ideal. Sure makes looking for a better compromise fun though.
montani semper liberi
I wish I had a cabin on the top of some big hill
I'd build a fire every evening and listen to the whipporwill
Eat my food out of a garden and drink my whiskey from a still
Darrell Scott I Wish
Originally Posted by gargoyle
I'd have 643, but I ran out of orange juice
Lots of things. Whipping, fabric weight, cut of fabric, shape created by tie-outs or footboxes or both. Then there are the features like ridgelines, shelves, pockets, zippers, bugnets. Then you've got the end user's own criteria like weight, ease of set-up, bottom/side entry, etc.
Not really possible to make a list of 'this hammock is better because'. There are just too many variables and personal preferences. It's a difficult thing to find 'the' hammock for you and your style. As Angrysparrow said, a lot of it is just collecting to find the best fit.
Trust nobody!
There are some design and construction differences, some subtle and others obvious. I based my initial purchase on the recommendations of other users (WBBB). The only other hammock from a different maker that I have tried (so far) was a Switchback (well-made, but heavier/bulkier and less comfortable for me than my WBBB). I have a new "Grizz Bridge" received a few days ago that is waiting for its initial trials.
"The more I carry the happier I am in camp; the less I carry the happier I am getting there" - Sgt. Rock
Thanks everyone! I think I understand. Like most things, you gotta try it out to see if it "fits" you. This is why I never buy anything on line...
I confess.
In part it prolly is whimsy tho thoroughly disguised as logic (maybe not so disguised).
"There's no accounting for other people's taste in love, fiction and huntin' dogs." ---Mark Twain
Yeah, that is a tricky one. You really don't know how that hammock will work for you until you try it out for a few nights. And it doesn't matter how many people rave about a certain hammock brand- it may not be the one for you.
Some of us have learned that the hard way, and have a accumulated a lot of hammocks.
Some of us either just plain enjoy trying out (or collecting) a bunch of hammocks, or even making them to try out different ideas. It's a passion, a hobby, and often, an addiction.
The way I figure it, there could be worse things to focus on
So many hammocks, so little time. That's why it's great to go to a hang. There will be a variety of hammocks and most everyone lets you try them out. The Jacks will let you sleep in their JRB bridge hammocks overnight if you come to the MAHHA in October. 3 hours from Philly.
Exercise, eat right, die anyway -- Country Roads bumper sticker
Fall seven times, standup eight. -- Japanese Proverb
Go to a hang if you can and see, touch, feel and use different styles of hammocks. You will learn a ton. And as to the passion, hobby, and often addiction, I tell my wonderful wife, "At least it's not NASCAR." To which she gives praise and thanks.Yeah, that is a tricky one. You really don't know how that hammock will work for you until you try it out for a few nights. And it doesn't matter how many people rave about a certain hammock brand- it may not be the one for you.
Some of us have learned that the hard way, and have a accumulated a lot of hammocks.
Some of us either just plain enjoy trying out (or collecting) a bunch of hammocks, or even making them to try out different ideas. It's a passion, a hobby, and often, an addiction.
The way I figure it, there could be worse things to focus on
“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
When I discovered this place my first reaction was "a forum for hammocks? really?" but then I thought about my other hobbies and applied the same reasoning. Everything is more than the sum of their parts. Is a hammock a sheet of material between two trees the way a car is just 4 wheels and an engine or a watch is two hands and some gears? You get the picture.
Buying online is a necessity for me because the things related to my various hobbies are not available locally. I always buy products to try them out and then sell them if I don't like them or don't use them. Yeah I take a bit of a hit because I usually sell for less than I bought but its a small price to pay to actually get my hands on stuff to play with and try out. You can always buy used stuff off other forum members to save a little money as well.
Last edited by Bubba; 07-13-2010 at 19:01.
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