Tobit tries a DD

[fin]

Alright, she is all set for sleeping in tonight. Ignore the ghetto suspension, these trees are way too far apart but I was able to rig it up so it's comfortable to lay in. I also don't have very much width for the tarp side ties.

Forecast for tonight:

Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

I hope this works for you, I really do. We all need a reliable, comfortable hammock. I'm glad I could help. You are the first person who has taken me up on one of my offers to loan out a hammock, so I really hope that I could help in some small way and that you find something that works for you, even if it isn't this one. But I do hope the DD works out for you. It's a great hammock.

[Tobit]

Weather forecast has improved for this evening: Some clouds. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. 20% chance of precip.

Going to head out to the hammock for the night in a little bit. Added my Gossamer Gear Torso length pad to help give it some structure and minor insulation just in case.

[Tobit]

Well, my sleep last night was a moderate success. Slept from approximately 10:30pm til 4:30am. Waking up around 4:30am is quite ideal when hiking so no complaints here.

I wish the hammock was just a little bit bigger; slightly longer and wider would be nice. I am a side sleeper in a regular bed and this was difficult to do in the DD for me. There is also a fair amount of pressure applied to my feet at the end of the hammock. I was afraid I'd wake up a little sore in my knees and feet as a result but, thankfully, I didn't. However, this may end up working out ok for spring time hanging when the bugs are the worse and I can use my Trek Light Double in late Summer and Fall.

The only real complaint I have is the lack of a closure on the top shell fabric. Sometimes it is a bit difficult to adjust this under you after you get in the hammock.

Think I need to play with it some more before making a final decision but this is very promising still.

[slowhike]

You're probably trying to avoid using a thicker pad (& I can certainly understand that), but if you did try one, it may help w/ the pressure on your heels if you hang them off the end of the mat.
Having some kind of a pillow (air pillow or stuff sack w/ extra clothes?) below my knees when I'm on my back & between my knees when I'm on my side is also helpful.

Also, if you don't want to use more pad, hanging w/ more sag & laying more diagonal may help w/ the leg comfort issue by raising the center & alowing your legs & shoulders to hang a little lower.

[Tobit]

Diagonal in this hammock is unfortunately not possible, there just simply is not enough material for me. I had a fleece blanket in the hammock with me last night, although I did not need it because it was so warm, I did find it under my feet in the morning.

Definitely going to have to play with it some more. Unfortunately, we have thunderstorms coming in tonight and I don't have room to properly hang the tarp for rain protection.

[slowhike]

I would NOT have wanted to get caught out in the middle of no where in what I saw today.
Traffic on I40 came to a complete stop because of the heavy rain & high winds.
Reminded me of a video I saw were some people went under a bridge while a tornado went by & had it on film.
The way my truck was starting to rock w/ the hard, rapid blasts of wind, I was thinking I should get out & find a ditch. I took my seat belt off for a moment, then thought, no, if this truck is going to get picked up, I better have my seat belt on

[Tobit]

The more I play with the DD, the more I like it.

Saggy DD's is no bueno, the hammock definitely prefers to be hung tight as mentioned by others and the DD website. I can also now hang slightly diagonally, relieving stress on my feet. The tricky part with this hammock continues to be how loose the two bottoms are and lack of full closure. It is very easy for the top layer to bunch up under you and, at least for me because I'm so big, it can be difficult to un-bunch from under me once I am in it. I'm getting used to it though, I just had a nice little 45 minute hang while I waited for some showers to pass.

I think I am going out to the woods with it on Thursday.

[slowhike]

Yep, keep experimenting. I think some folks make the mistake of just laying in whatever position seams to come natural when they first get in & never get to the point of learning how you can (to a degree) manipulate the hammock & the way it feels by how you hang it & lay in it.