Totally a noob. Haven't been camping in 12 years or so and I hated it. The ground was too hard, too many bugs, rocks, roots etc. I found the forum through a membership on another. So I got to reading. And reading. And then some more reading. Then I looked at hammocks on Amazon. Then in the DIY forum. I told myself "I can do that!"

Never sewn anything but a button on a pair of pants before, and that was a disaster with bleeding fingers & blood on the pants. That button never came off though!
..
So I called Mom; "Hey Mom, can I borrow your sewing machine?"
M; What on Earth for ??!!
Me; I want to sew something.
M; Now what are you making ?!?! (I always have some "project" going on.
Me; Ummmm, a Hammock.
M; A HAMMOCK !!
Me; Yup.
M; You're crazy. You will hurt you back again!
Me; I'm almost Forty. I can do this.I swing by the Parents and pick up the Sewing Machine. It's a 30+ year old Singer. She gave me a quick run through.

Fast forward a few days:
I have my navy blue nylon ripstop from Hancock Fabrics. I have my 1100lb ratchet straps. I have my Paracord (I make bracelets and stuff). I got my steel 1 1/2" rings and Stainless Snap hooks.

I sit down at the dining room table and spend the next 3 hours sewing 3 of the sides of the hammock. It looks like hell. I know this foot thing should be down but I can't figure out how. I get up, go get a cold drink and while I'm standing there looking at this mess I've created I notice the little silver lever on the back. That's when I realize how to make the foot go down. *DING*

I roll the 3 sides I've screwed up to hide the mess. I finish the 4th side. Not half bad for someone who had never put foot to pedal and sewn I say.

I drag it to the bedroom and lay it on the bed. I run my paracord through the channel and pull it tight (Thanks Knotty!!). I wrap the ratchet straps around the flower of ripstop I made with the paracord and tie some "fishermans knots".

I fiddle around with the ratchet straps again to make some "Tree Huggers". Hook my snap hooks up too them. I stand back and admire what I have Made.

A few days pass, and here I am today. Off work and boy do I have plans!!

I'm going to hang in "MY" Hammock this morning.

I was excited. Let it warm up a bit, the winds blowing and I have two perfectly placed trees in the back yard. Out I went....


BAM! It's up!!


It's soooooo comfy!!!


I should have gotten in NOT facing the sun.

And then it hit me.

This thing is COMFY!!!


A little about my hammock:
It's 138.5" long.
58" wide.
And I love it!!

Thanks to all the people that helped me unknowingly.

Mike