Shorter Body Length equal Shorter Hammock?

[aclawrence]

Hey guys I joined the forum a while back and drop by every now and then to read whats going on in the Hammock world. I love to get outdoors. I hunt, fish, hike, camp or anything of that nature. As of now I'm still a ground dweller. I already have a tent and a nice Exped sleeping mat so thats what I use when I spend the night outdoors. I'm still collecting all the gear and gadgets that you would use either way and I'm starting to get caught up with all the essentials. I am very interested in trying hammock camping. The actual hammocks are not too expensive but I'm sure I will want to get a top quilt, underquilt, and a good tarp too once I get into it, and well that won't be so cheap. Any way I know I can use my sleeping bag and pad and all that stuff until I can really switch over.

So my question is, would a shorter hammock be just as good for a shorter person? From what I've read on here it looks like the length of the hammock greatly influences the comfort level. I am 5'4" so I imagine the shorter hammocks would be fine but would a longer hammock be extra good or more gooder? Do the longer hammocks restrict your options for tarps? I think I saw where the snipe is about a foot longer than most and most hammocks are in the ten or eleven foot range. Sorry if these questions are boring. I figured it was time for me to get on here and actually post something.
Thanks,
Andrew

[Brute1100]

I am 5'10" and I use one of the shorter hammock on the market comfortably... So while longer usually equals more comfort, you can get away with a shorter one...

One thing you could do is make a table cloth hammock, and you could adjust the length with the whipping/knots and see what "too short" feels like to you...

[JohnSawyer]

a short hammock isn't uncomfortable, IMHO... but longer ones are VERY comfortable... you eliminate some issues like calf ridges with a longer hammock.

Another trick is the recent thread on mini end-channel spreaders that spreads the whipping out, making the hammock lay like a longer hammock...
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=52094

Personally? I LOVE my 11' hammock... I'm 6'. If you really are concerned about weight, take a look at Sgt Rock's Ghost Hammock...
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ighlight=ghost

It's shorter and narrower, saving significant weight...

[stalker42]

Interesting question though... Is more comfortable a certain percentage over your height? I am sure that there are diminishing returns. For instance a 6 foot person would not notice much differance between say a 12 foot and an 18 foot hammock. So if the sweet spot is say 20% longer than the body<a totaly made up percentage with not one iota of truth> then a 5 foot body would be equally comfortable in a shorter hammock as long as it was 20% longer then his body.

[Sidewinder]

I'm short. Longer hammocks are much more comfortable fo me. I go 11' yeah it takes a little more tarp to cover it but not much more. I also have shorter hammocks that work fine for me too, I use these for short trips or when I want to go as lite as possible.

Also I move around a lot when I sleep so the longer hammock have lots of room for me to roll around in. They are easier for me to find the sweet spot and give me a flatter lay.

S

[Catavarie]

Last week I would have said that a bigger hammock (Longer and wider) was more comfortable. But last night I spent my first night in a small 9'x4.5' hammock and it was just as (maybe even more) comfortable as my longer and wider hammocks. I had absolutely zero calf ridge and I didn't have to wrestle to keep my TQ in like I feared I would. I have a theory as to why it was so comfortable, but I'll save that for another thread so as not to derail this one. Point being pick up a bit of fabric suitable for a hammock body and try different lengths and widths to find what works best for you.

[bear bag hanger]

I think the rule of thumb is 18 inches above and below you. For you, at 5.5 ft (rounding up from 5' 4"), that would be about a nine foot hammock (unless DIY, I doubt you'll find many 8.33 foot hammocks around). You should be comfortable, but, all else being equal, you'll be more comfortable in a ten or eleven foot hammock. But the longer hammocks will be heavier and so your comfort level while hiking, may be less.

The real question should be if you'll be comfortable enough in the shorter nine ft hammock, to that I'd say yes.

[adkphoto]

That's a great question. I'm short too (5'6"). My first hammocks were about 9 1/2' long and I find them to be comfortable. However, the hammocks I like the most are 10' long. So, yes: shorter hammocks are good. Longer hammocks are more gooder Ten foot hammocks should easily fit under all, except the smallest of, tarps.

David

[aclawrence]

Thanks for the input! I was looking at the darien hammocks the other day and they had ten and eleven lengths and I thought, dang, which would one I buy if I had to pick one. So I have turned to the infinite wisdom of the Hammock forum to guide me in my quest for knowledge. Lol. I was also wondering if you were to take the comfort element out of the equation, in comparing say a nine or ten foot hammock to an eleven or twelve foot hammock are there any notable advantages to a shorter hammock? Thanks for all the response. Maybe I'll find a Hammock to put on my Christmas list.

[HURTHEART]

I am 63 inches tall. I started out with a HH Explorer Zip Dlx. Last Fall I won a HyperLite, the smaller hammock is so much easier to get in and out of. It feels better, not so enclosed. I recently bought a larger hammock, with the bottom entry, I wanted to know if the bottom entry would be easier to use. It is easier for me to climb out of sort of. I can not see anything but the sky when I am in it, I do not think I like it at all.

I have a lot of pain from assorted injuries, I toss and turn a lot in the night, because I get too sore staying in the same position. I have not found any difference in my moving around space. I guess because I am short, length does not matter, except keeping my warm thing in the proper position.