Noob question on suspension hang angle

[danfromnb]

Hey all, sorry to ask this as I'm sure it's been discussed. I've searched and searched on here with different key words but just can't find the answers I'm looking for. (this place is so darn big sometimes)

Anyway what I'm wondering is what the deal is on hanging at 30 degrees versus a flat line. I've always hung my HH with a flat line and found it fine, the other evening I did hang it in my garage at an angle and it was fine too but I just don't know what the fuss it about. The only real relevant thing I found was a chart showing the ratio of the hang angle to load multiplication.

What am I missing here?

[Owl]

If you're hanging a HH, then it's probably got an attached ridgeline, and what you're "hanging flat" is actually hanging the RIDGELINE flat...which actually is setup to keep the "angle" correct in the hammock body itself.

Many of the better quality hammocks today come with a ridgeline...which helps you get that angle right by creating the right amount of sag in the hammock body, by ensuring that the endpoints of the body are the proper distance apart when you hang with the ridgeline pulled relatively taut.

Hammocks WITHOUT a ridgeline are really the ones that you need to make sure that you manually "check the angle" on. Without a ridgeline, it's now more on the user of the hammock to gauge the right amount of sag in the hammock body, rather than have it preset with a ridgeline.

Make sense?

[Grinder]

a side result of a tight hang is that it multiplies the lateral force by many times your weight. Over 1000 ls of force is easily possible.

This "could" result in bringing down a tree on your head. I know it peeled my ring buckles, rated at 850 pounds, one time when I used a ridge line and tried to hoist my butt off the ground without rehanging.

[Shug]

Go with what feels good to you.......
My hangs vary in angle give or take a few %....... though I am never tight on mine.
I don't have a Hennessy so I can't speak for that one.
Shug

[danfromnb]

Thanks for the replies fellas, clear as mud now

[MotoBoss]

Is less angle without being too tight ridgeline (wbbb) make for a "flatter" lie?

[BrianWillan]

Anyway what I'm wondering is what the deal is on hanging at 30 degrees versus a flat line. I've always hung my HH with a flat line and found it fine, the other evening I did hang it in my garage at an angle and it was fine too but I just don't know what the fuss it about. The only real relevant thing I found was a chart showing the ratio of the hang angle to load multiplication.

What am I missing here?

The reason for the recommended 30 degree hang angle is that the force exerted on your hammock suspension is only your body weight. As the suspension angle decreases to 0 degrees (from horizontal) the amount of force on the hammock suspension increases to many times your body weight.

There is a chart that floats around here (that I never seem to find) that shows the amount of force on the suspension given the suspension angle and the body weight of the hanger.

Does this make the mud any clearer?

Cheers

Brian

[weaver2469]

Is less angle without being too tight ridgeline (wbbb) make for a "flatter" lie?

Not necessarily. If it is really tight, there isn't enough "give" in the hammock material to get your body where you want it. I like a decent amount of sag. It allows me to get my body to lie flat.

[Fish<><]

maybe this will help bump the chart...

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...&cutoffdate=-1

[FLRider]

I find it more comfortable in my Explorer to hang a little more than 30 degrees. When I can turn the ridgeline (with me in the hammock) past 90 degrees off of straight with thumb and index finger, that's about where I find the most comfortable hang. If I can turn the ridgeline past 180 degrees, then I'm too loose.

Note that when I do this, I usually clip the asym tie-outs to something at or above the level of the hammock; this helps prevent the bug netting from falling into my face with such a loose hang. Matter of fact, this is one of the best things about the hex tarp--it makes it much easier to clip the tie-outs higher, since I can clip them to the tarp guylines.

As noted above, there's a bonus to ensuring that you don't put too much force on the trees, too.