What was your biggest improvement in comfort after leaving the ground?

[Bic]

When I used gathered end hammocks the biggest gain in comfort for me was rolling a sit pad and putting it under my knees. But the greatest gain in overall comfort has come from switching to a bridge hammock.

[David.ramblinrose]

One of the biggest improvement was leaving the ground itself. With that came better sleep, no tossing n turning, no pressure points. A lot of rocks in Maine - its nice to look down on them.

[jcnick34]

Best part, by far, is no aching hips and shoulders in the morning. No feeling the twigs and rocks and bumps from under the tent. After that, adding a small pillow under the knees to keep from over extending them was a huge improvement.

Downsides: No golden retriever curling up alongside to keep me extra warm.

[jcnick34]

Speaking of down sides to hammocking.... other than missing my warm dogs at night.... does anybody want to share what they see as a "minus" to hammocking?

[Chard]

+1 on all responses

• Biggest improvement was actually being able to sleep in comfort, night after night.
• Second biggest improvement was my 3+ season DIY underquilt (snug as a bug)
• Third was installing my DIY #4mod side zipper on my stock Hennessy (allowing easy call-of-nature egress - Stock bottom-entry Hennessy with tight underquilt almost equaled wet bed!! - I almost pulled out my knife to cut may way out through the bug netting)
• Fourth was adding DIY Griz-beaks to my tarp to seal out the weather (often only use one on the windward side)

[sturgeon]

1. The big knee pillow/bolster has dramatically improved my sleep.

I always woke up multiple times with discomfort caused by pressure on the soles, and sides and heels of my feet--its just not natural to have pressure there. I fill a stuff sack with every soft item i have and then raise the knees and "de-pressurize" the feet.

2. Using "Breatherights" nasal strips when I sleep in the hammock (and at home) has made a big difference, too. Less snoring, more oxygen.

3. Under Quilt Protector. Made a big difference in warmth.

[Peter_pan]

Simply being off the ground in a hammock is truely a blessing... in so many ways cited in preveous posts.

But... IMHO...

Biggest improvement after that is hammock camping 12 months a year...Doing so required solving the "Bridge freezes before road and so does your bottom and sides in a hammock" problem... This was made possible 9+ years ago with the first under quilt... The Nest.

Pan

[Edie]

Sleeping all night without pain, setting up and taking down camp without having to worry about getting the dirt and leaves off your tent. Nothing touches the ground. : )

[Barefoot Child]

1. Getting off of the cold, wet and uncomfortable ground and then sleeping like a baby.

2. Under quilts.

3. The great people I have had the pleasure of meeting in person and talking within a group of like minded people on this forum.

[MrClean417]

Two problems I've had

1. sore shoulders. This is part my fault and part of Rotator Cuff surgery. It's also one reason I got out of a bed. In a bed I sleep on my side, swapping between sides when the pain wakes me up, which is constant. Solution for aches in a hammock turned out to be stretching excercises. It doesn't take much. At times I will favor a slight tilt when sleeping and that takes care of any shoulder squeeze for me.

2. Leg cramps. I get leg cramps fairly consistently. Just had one last week in fact. This happens mostly when I get cold so when the temp is low, wow! I use flannel PJ bottoms in winter and when the temp fell last week. Another thing, which I did right off, was a pillow to make sure I didn't hyper extend my knees but even with them crooked a bit, them muscles will go to cramping fierce. Hitting the treadmill helped after the initial cramps us older folks get. I added Magnesium and Potassium to my diet at night but I haven't seen much improvement with that. So I still get the occasional cramp but keeping my legs warm seems to be most of the key. I also spend more time at night, if I wake, folding a leg at a time, slowly stretching those muscles. If I can, when I wake, I tend to do that first. If I wake up with a cramp, it's basically try not to scream time, hold the leg straight till the cramp diminishes and then get out, stand and walk it out. All a real pain if you've woken up due to bladder pressure.
Majority of the time though, I wake up, rotate my joints listening to the ankles, knees and hips pop, sometimes even toes. Roll Stretch my hole body looking pretty much like a butterfly coming out of it's chrysalis, and slink out of the hammock. For the last 4 years before going to the hammock I would instead roll to the side that didn't hurt the most, roll up and try to stretch and bend my body till I could walk. Now I try to hold my self awake and upright as I stumble, half asleep, to the bathroom.

Pain, just something that sneaks up on you, it's why they make them little blue all day pills.