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  1. #1
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    Question Bought a UL, but am I too big for it?

    Hi all,

    I have had my UL for a half year or so and bought it specifically because it was so cheap and to test the waters for camping with it. I brought it on a backpacking trip and was able to set it up and sleep in it for two nights, but it wasn't particularly comfortable. I found this forum/site after the fact and have gone to the local park and set it up a couple times following the guides on here. Both times I was marginally more comfortable than the camping trip. Am I doing something wrong, or am I just too tall for this hammock to work for me.

    I'm 6'4", 170lbs so I know that I'm not near the weight limit, but i can tell that my height is possibly an issue. I have laid in the hammock diagonally and noticed that it doesn't help. As I said I followed the instructions when hanging my hammock and I noticed that after sitting in it for ~20-30 minutes I was nearly touching the ground! Here are the pictures that I took of the setup when I was there last time, notice that the ties are at ~6ft high:



    The trees are ~17 feet apart, just a couple feet further than recommended



    This is how I attached the UL to the ties.



    Another Angle



    How it's around the tree. You can see that I had to shorten it over time, after the hammock started to sink to the ground.

    Does anyone have suggestions for me? Any better/more suitable hammocks for me? I'd love to have one that has a mosquito net/cover for rain as well...\

    Thanks for reading and helping!

  2. #2
    Senior Member Yojimbo's Avatar
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    I've been using my son's GTUL lately and not had an issue with sagging (5'9" #225) these hammocks are not known for great comfort due to their smaller size. My ENO DoubleNest is much more comfortable due to its extra width and length.

    The sag issue may be coming from your straps. Nylon stretches while Polyester doesn't.
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  3. #3
    Senior Member SteelerNation's Avatar
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    I'm only 5' 7" and I find a significant comfort difference between a 10' and 11' hammock. The 11' hammock gives me a significantly flatter lie. I imagine at your height that it would be even more important.

    SN
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Artjrk View Post
    The sag issue may be coming from your straps. Nylon stretches while Polyester doesn't.
    Thanks for the response Artjrk, Can you point me in the direction where I can research some good polyester straps or how to diy some polyester straps? Are Polyester straps generally lighter than nylon, because I noticed that these nylon straps are quite heavy for backpacking purposes...

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteelerNation View Post
    I'm only 5' 7" and I find a significant comfort difference between a 10' and 11' hammock. The 11' hammock gives me a significantly flatter lie. I imagine at your height that it would be even more important.

    SN
    Exactly my thoughts! This UL is only 9.5 ft in length as well...

  6. #6
    Senior Member te-wa's Avatar
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    https://www.strapworks.com/Lightweig...ene_p/lwp1.htm

    you might as well experiment with much more sag, that hammock looks way too tight. give it more of a banana shape!

    it is a short hammock. the difference between it and the warbonnet traveller of mine is huge. the cost is much less, of course.

    *edit: for any hammock you choose, get a set of whoopie slings. this will allow you to fine-tune the sag, as i can tell from the pics youre limited to the distance between trees to get a right sag, and whoopies will help greatly

  7. #7
    Senior Member Cali's Avatar
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    You can get straps at Harbor Freight, pair of 12' for about $5. They are yellow 1" wide and I think they call them cinch straps. You can then use the Marlin Spike Hitch (toggle) to attach hammock to Straps and you are good. Easy Peasy, and inexpensive!!!
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  8. #8
    Senior Member Throkda's Avatar
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    Like they said, the straps stretching is probably most of the problem. I'm also 6'4", with that exact model of GTUL (same color, even).

    I've been able to take short naps in it, but it's definitely not my go-to hammock to sleep overnight in. I usually just have it along for a quick-to-setup rest break when hiking. A longer and wider hammock will make a significant difference, comfort-wise, when you're ready to invest in it. If you're not ready to shell out the big dough yet, a Skeeter-Beeter Pro will have plenty of room for you, at about $60.00.

    Another potential issue is that the trees are a bit far apart for that length of hammock. I've found that when I hang it from trees 15 or more feet apart, I have to tension it quite a bit just to not have it touch the ground when I initially get in (and I don't have straps that sag -- this is just with adding mass to the equation and the slight stretching of the hammock body itself) -- either that, or hang the straps really high (usually around 7 or 8 feet). I actually have better luck for comfort in it on my back porch, which has posts only about 12 feet apart. Try a shorter distance, with the straps hung about level with your eye or just above the top of your head -- this will give you a decent amount of sag.

    For overnight sleeping times, though, I'd still suggest upgrading to something a little bigger.
    "Can't we all just live in trees and hammocks?"
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  9. #9
    Senior Member dejoha's Avatar
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    Judging by your photo, I would shorten the distance between your anchors and/or get a ridgeline. This will help prevent the "canoe" effect that can make hammocks uncomfortable. I also find that pitching the GTUL at 20° or so makes for a flatter lay. Since the hammock is narrower and shorter, you can't really get an exaggerated diagonal lay, but you also don't want to sleep inline either.

    Try the Hammock Hang Calculator to test different hang variables.

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