My first homade hammock

[Mule]

I followed Just Jeffs Hennessy clone using whipped ends recipe with help from Headchange4u also. It is heavy, made from Polyester, about 29 ounces and it is a full 12 feet long. I can almost lie on my stomach.
Frankly, I like the way my Claytor feels better, this feels like a HH for sure, but in the Claytor I have to put something under my knees. Not in this new one. I am really laying pretty flat and it could even tip I think, there is such a rise in the center of the hammock. See attached pictures.
Now I am going to make one with the Speer Tie method.
Mule

[FanaticFringer]

Looking good skskinner. Just got thru hanging indoors myself.

[Youngblood]

Those 12 footers will spoil you, your point of reference has been elongated.

[Mule]

Those 12 footers will spoil you, your point of reference has been elongated.

Youngblood, Do you have a 12 footer?

[Youngblood]

Youngblood, Do you have a 12 footer?

Yes... sort off. I have one that is made out of a twelve foot piece of 5 foot wide 1.9 oz rip stop nylon with DWR. It is a little over 11 feet as a hammock but I call it a twelve footer because I like the sound of that better. I use it for a backyard hammock... my backpacking hammocks don't seem quite so comfy after I have used it. lol

The stretch of the hammock material plays a big part because one of the things you want is to reduce pressure points by having the material gently caress a wide area along your backside rather than be concentrated at the low points along your backside... you don't want to lay on a flat piece of plywood.

Another thing you will find that will affect the comfort of backpacking hammocks is the width, up to a certain point. There is some solid geometry going on involving the length, width, and sag angle. The width can be more in proportion to the length for a particular sag angle than you can make use of by laying on. Bugnets also can effect the lay of a hammock in that they can introduce a combined girth that restricts how much of a diagonal you can lay comfortable on. In many cases attaching a bugnet makes the hammock feel shorter.

I have a different hammock knot I have used for the last year or so after much prodding from Ralph on the Yahoo Hammock Camping Group... a slippery double sheet bend. I was surprised at how well that simple knot works, I had read in the past where a sheet bend wasn't a strong knot but obviously it depends on what you are tying off to and with what. It holds so well with what I have used for suspension line that I suspect that if you tied the suspension lines between two trucks and stressed tested them that the hammock fabric would rip or a suspension line would break before one of the knots slipped. I have used 3/8" hollow-core braided polypropylene rope and 1" wide polypropylene webbing. You don't depend on hemming the fabric for it to hold, although I still hem the fabric. With the slip loop it is easy to untie and I sometimes do that to play with pulling the edges or center of the hammock without even untying the suspension line from the tree. My best guess is that it uses about 9 inches less fabric overall than Ed's overhand knot for tying both ends of 5 foot wide 1.9 oz RSN. It has a nice overall appearance when the knot is finished too. I don't see any reason to not use that knot, at least for the suspension lines I have used. It is easy enough to try if you are in the process of making a hammock and easy to undo if you decide it isn't for you.

Hammock engineering is fun, interesting, and something we all can do. It doesn't take specialized tools or materials you can't obtain, glad you are enjoying it.

[Mule]

Yes... sort off. I have one that is made out of a twelve foot piece of 5 foot wide 1.9 oz rip stop nylon with DWR. It is a little over 11 feet as a hammock but I call it a twelve footer because I like the sound of that better. I use it for a backyard hammock... my backpacking hammocks don't seem quite so comfy after I have used it. lol

The stretch of the hammock material plays a big part because one of the things you want is to reduce pressure points by having the material gently caress a wide area along your backside rather than be concentrated at the low points along your backside... you don't want to lay on a flat piece of plywood.

Another thing you will find that will affect the comfort of backpacking hammocks is the width, up to a certain point. There is some solid geometry going on involving the length, width, and sag angle. The width can be more in proportion to the length for a particular sag angle than you can make use of by laying on. Bugnets also can effect the lay of a hammock in that they can introduce a combined girth that restricts how much of a diagonal you can lay comfortable on. In many cases attaching a bugnet makes the hammock feel shorter.

I have a different hammock knot I have used for the last year or so after much prodding from Ralph on the Yahoo Hammock Camping Group... a slippery double sheet bend. I was surprised at how well that simple knot works, I had read in the past where a sheet bend wasn't a strong knot but obviously it depends on what you are tying off to and with what. It holds so well with what I have used for suspension line that I suspect that if you tied the suspension lines between two trucks and stressed tested them that the hammock fabric would rip or a suspension line would break before one of the knots slipped. I have used 3/8" hollow-core braided polypropylene rope and 1" wide polypropylene webbing. You don't depend on hemming the fabric for it to hold, although I still hem the fabric. With the slip loop it is easy to untie and I sometimes do that to play with pulling the edges or center of the hammock without even untying the suspension line from the tree. My best guess is that it uses about 9 inches less fabric overall than Ed's overhand knot for tying both ends of 5 foot wide 1.9 oz RSN. It has a nice overall appearance when the knot is finished too. I don't see any reason to not use that knot, at least for the suspension lines I have used. It is easy enough to try if you are in the process of making a hammock and easy to undo if you decide it isn't for you.

Hammock engineering is fun, interesting, and something we all can do. It doesn't take specialized tools or materials you can't obtain, glad you are enjoying it.

Thanks for all the great information. I just took off the whipping and tied it Ed style, it was a cinch, pun. It also lays great, no hard board effect but I can go diagonal and get plenty flat. Much more comfortable in my opinion. I am going to look up the slippery double sheet bend. Now are you saying you use it INSTEAD OF the overhand knot that Ed uses, or just for the suspension?
I am a bit paranoid about knots right now so I am using figure nines on my suspension at the moment. Thanks again, Mule

[Nest]

Those 12 footers will spoil you, your point of reference has been elongated.

How many people said "That's what she said" in their mind when they read that?

[hangnout]

While you are trying different methods WBG had one I used. If you sewed a hem in the end just run a small string through the hem then pull it tight. It will bring the material up evenly then all you need to do is pull out the long ends. This controls how floppy the sides are. Just use wire ties until you find the length you like. I found I could lay asym just like the HH but also could find good spots for laying on my side etc. I like this method better than the HH style.

[Mule]

While you are trying different methods WBG had one I used. If you sewed a hem in the end just run a small string through the hem then pull it tight. It will bring the material up evenly then all you need to do is pull out the long ends. This controls how floppy the sides are. Just use wire ties until you find the length you like. I found I could lay asym just like the HH but also could find good spots for laying on my side etc. I like this method better than the HH style.

HangnOut,
That does sound like a good method. Actually, it came out 12 feet long because I made it to be tied but wanted to try the whipping to give it an HH feel. I think I am going to remove the whipping and tie it like a Speer. I really don't care for the big rise in the middle the HH has.
I used wire ties on this one too, then wrapped like Just Jeff suggested too. He says wire ties are enough and I would tend to agree, but didn't want to bust my $%& on the garage floor. When I get done the hammock will be only ten feet long if I tie it.
Thanks for the suggestions. Mule

[Nest]

So, for how little you've laid in it so far, do you notice a difference in the material. I've wondered how polyester feels. Softer, make any noise, breathe better, get colder underneath sooner, things like that.