Help designing indoor hammock bed

[Kal_Torak]

I'm looking for a bit of input on designing an indoor hammock bed.
Growing up out in the boonies in my teens, I had a chance to build a hammock bed out of a giant 30' x 60' weather tarp, folded up and hung in an area about 12' x 18'. Slept in it for about a year, and it is still, to my perhaps rose tinted memory, the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. A decade later, I'm interested in building another, though with more conventional materials and methods.


Key constraints:
Needs to fit in a room about 10' x 15'.
Hammock body: about 84" wide by 102" long. (7'x10', might change)
4 corner suspension; not the 2 point gathered suspension.
Needs to bear at least 400lb.

Secondary constraints:
Prefer non-shiny, "quiet" fabric, not a loud crinkly type.


The idea is similar to these example images here (except larger):
(prefer less sag than this one)


(the tautness is close to what I'm looking for here):



Questions:
What material:
I've looked at the material at www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com, but I just don't have enough experience to make knowledgeable decisions.
Given the width and height, I'm thinking the heavier material, like the 2.2 plain weave nylon. However, stretch is going to be a big issue with these dimensions and weight requirements. (I would prefer not the crinkle taffeta, since it looks noisy/shiny.

Actual construction:
I'm assuming I'll want a double layer of whatever material I use.
Would you just hem the edges in that case, or run through the center also?
Also, with the extra width, I'll have to splice two pieces together, what's the best practice for that?
The biggest issue I expect will be attaching the suspension to the hammock body.
Grommets in an extra heavy hem?
Or some type of tube hemmed along all 4 side, and support rope threaded through?

Thanks for any input!

[Junebugdawn]

Well, I have 3 crinkle taffeta hammocks and the material is not loud. It is quiet and soft. Others have said that it is made softer by washing. I would not exclude the crinkle taffeta tablecloths myself, but that's just me. The "crinkle" refers to the texture, not that it makes a crinkly sound.

[mrmike65]

If I were tackling this project, I would break it down into two parts: the suspension/base layer and the sleeping layer.

For the suspension/base layer, I would look at a setup like a 4-way bridge (without the bars) using a double layer of 1.9 ripstop nylon. The 4-way bridge means using an 8-point anchor system with catenary cuts on all four sides of the double-layers to add the tension to maintain relative flatness.

For the sleeping layer, I would look at using an Egyptian cotton duvet (800+ thread count) over a down futon. Attach the duvet to the base layer with snap hooks.

[hutzelbein]

If it's for indoor use only, I would go with natural fabrics like canvas. I don't think using fabrics commonly used for camping hammocks really makes sense here. They don't feel as nice on the skin as e.g. cotton, and they won't be as durable since for camping hammocks it's all about the minimal weight. However, I haven't tried my hand on making my own canvas hammock, yet.

[ataris121]

I would second the canvas and the futon mattress. a double layer of canvas should be strong enough. sewn in a x shape with sme reenforcment in the corners and a grommet kit.

[oldgringo]

No grommets. None. Canvas with webbing on hem, forming loops at each corner.

Great thread...watching with interest.

Coming back to this...I'm picturing a canvas tarp. We know how to build tarps.