Trying to love the blackbird.

[BillyBob58]

Quick question: does that advice about having the head end 6''-8'' higher than the foot end apply to WBBB's only?

You probably reversed that by accident, but just in case: You want the head end LOWER than the foot end with MOST non-bridge hammocks. At least most folks seem to prefer that. My first night in a HH ( or any hammock for that matter) I followed HH directions and hung it as level as possible. I spent that night sliding down into the foot section. After that, I hung the foot noticeably higher than the head, with much improved results.

[Shewie]

Still having trouble with ridge line tension, I guess my trees are to far apart.

I reckon that's your problem right there. My basement has a couple of hooks for testing gear on, they're around 14' apart but I can't get them any higher than about 5 1/2'. When I mess around with hammocks down there I know that the ridgeline is going to be much tighter than when I get out in the woods. My angle limit is around 15 degrees otherwise I'm sat on the floor, 14' and a 15* angle means a really tight ridgeline. Give me another couple of feet in height and it's perfect.

[weird1]

Wow 7 and a half feet I will have to carry a step ladder with me lol.

[DemostiX]

I reckon that's your problem right there. My basement has a couple of hooks for testing gear on, they're around 14' apart but I can't get them any higher than about 5 1/2'. When I mess around with hammocks down there I know that the ridgeline is going to be much tighter than when I get out in the woods. My angle limit is around 15 degrees otherwise I'm sat on the floor, 14' and a 15* angle means a really tight ridgeline. Give me another couple of feet in height and it's perfect.

I'm a statistician. I deal in measurement, especially repeated measurement. Trying to follow this thread, I cannot be sure I understand what many posters are saying well enough to repeat the conditions of their hang. No problem with different strokes for different folks. But, there's not much telling here whether that is what holds, or that the same folks aren't sure of what they have done.

I just visited a relative whose basement had just a 5 1/2 foot ceiling. Is that what is going on in the post I quoted? If, for some reason hooks can't go into vertical posts higher than that, when 14 feet apart, then put the hooks in the ceiling joists just 12 feet apart.

Or, set up a true ridge-line and hang your hammock, which is much shorter than 14 feet long, from that structural ridge-line. Or bolt or nail a vertical 2x4 or 2x6 s 2 feet long to the ceiling joists 12 feet apart, and put your eye-hooks in that. Because for sure, there is nothing learned from test-hanging in the basement with conditions that have no bearing on how you will set up outdoors.

[MAD777]

Be very careful in making general, sweeping statements such as what you have above.

In a Bridge hammock it is exactly the opposite, you want the head end about 6" to 8" higher than the foot end. How much exactly depends somewhat on the tree span. In order to avoid making a general statement for all Bridge Hammock users, I should state that this is true for myself and all other Bridge Hammock users that I know personally that use a Bridge Hammock. I recall Pan making the same observation once also.

You're absolutely right, Tiredfeet! I completely forgot about bridge hammocks. The raised feet thing generally applies typical hammocks. Thanks for straightening that out for me.

[DemostiX]

I've had to set the foot end (adjustable webbing) shorter and the head end longer. It also needs to be 8 to 10 inches higher on the foot end (the SRL slope is very noticable). YMMV

.

Now, that is very interesting. And I sure wish this were pursued elsewhere in past discussions. Where was it declared "And thou shalt center your hammock between the trees?"

[Boomer]

Ok not in the foot box any more. Still having trouble with ridge line tension, I guess my trees are to far apart. Will try to correct that tonight. Thanks for all of the help.

weird1, you've got a couple of things going on here to work through. When I hang my WBBB in my shed, I never get a tight ridgeline, because the lines are 13' apart. I cannot get enough distance between the tie-outs and still have enough sag.

When I hang it outside, I sometimes get too taut a ridgeline, because I have the straps too tight. You need to have enough room for the 25* to 30* angle of your straps (and your ridgeline pretty loose to start). When you put your weight in the hammock, it will tighten up the ridgeline. Fiddle with your straps, loosening and tightening them until you can sit and the ridgeline is just tight enough to bend it vertical.

Check out Raul's video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3LD-GMzA5c

[Shug]

My hammock set-ups never seems perfect on a true backpacking trip....I hang mine as well as I can trees depending and because I am tired from a days walking I still feel so comfortable. The more days I am out on a trip....the less I seem to care about a perfect by-the-book mathematical hang.
Glad I am your getting it dialed in!
Shug

[ChrisH]

I'm not a wb groupie....

[Lepmeister]

I have found that my comfort comes with the ridge line being the “right” tension. That is when I’m in my sleeping position I can twist the RL as in Paul’s Vid. From there I have the foot end a little higher so I don’t slide down that end during the night, I also found that sometimes I was not laying with my head close enough towards the zipper and that was not helping.

Getting that ridgeline right I have found see’s me needing the have the straps higher the further the tress are apart, I picture the strap angle of 30 from the head and foot end and extend that to the tree. This lets me know how high the strap will need to be on any two trees.

If you have a backyard spot you can test in, then I would suggest just trying different things and seeing what is comfortable. When you find the sweet spot you will know, its there, just waiting for you to find it.

PS – I have noticed that the higher my feet are the colder they feel…. Circulation?