Hammock evolution: where's it at?

[djangoslovechild]

Hi,
I'm a newbie and have just had a weekend in my first DIY, based on headchange4u's hennesey clone. Thanks headchange4u: that's an awesome thread!

I had just finished it when I looked at the forums and found the article on making a hammock with a footbox. Doh! That looks awesome too, and who knows how many other great ideas are out there?

What I wanted to ask is what people think is the current state of play in terms of the gathered end hammock that gives the flattest, most comfy lay?

I gather that there are various patent issues for manufacturers meaning that it is hard for any manufacturer to be able to incorporate all of the best innovations into a single hammock, but as DIYers, we can do what we like, right?

So would the dream hammock have a footbox, an adjustable foot support, or an elasticated foot box?
Would it have a shoulder box too?

Would it have a shelf?

I'd like this thread help me, and anybody else looking in, to have a blueprint to design the best hammock that we can.

Thanks in advance

Chris

[Boston]

It really depends on how fancy you want to get. My DIY is basically a rectangle, with a bit of shaping on the end, and gathered with a channel. Super comfortable.

The features you incorporate in your design are basically all personal preference, what you want to try, and how much work you want to put into it. You wont get any consensus on what's "best" because it varies person to person.

If you've already made a Hennessy clone, then I'm sure you can pull off pretty much anything you want to try. A WBBB clone is probably the most common DIY - of the more elaborate hammocks, anyway.

[DuctTape]

Different designs for different people. We are not all the same size or shape, neither are our hammocks and accesories. The "best" is what is best for the individual.

[nothermark]

What they are saying. The innovations as such were the Hennessy enclosed or the Speer open nylon hammock. They were variants of the tropical indian hammocks Everything else is a minor variant except the bridge hammock.

[VictoriaGuy]

What I wanted to ask is what people think is the current state of play in terms of the gathered end hammock that gives the flattest, most comfy lay?

You are restricting the discussion from the get-go (gathered end hammocks), so I don't think you are likely to find your answer about hammock evolution.

Gathered end hammocks are the easiest and cheapest to build, so you'll see more of those discussed, and more of those on the market.

Look at a lot of the pics of folks in their hammocks, and you'll see that they are lying far from flat, but look (and say that they are) pretty comfy.

Like always, the way you frame the question will determine the answers you get!

[VictoriaGuy]

Everything else is a minor variant except the bridge hammock.

Agreed.
I'd include the Ergo ('diagonal suspension') along with the bridge, but it's beyond most folks DIY skills (I've only seen one DIY along the Ergo lines; at some point it just makes sense to cough up the cash and buy rather than DIY ).

[djangoslovechild]

oh, thats interesting.
You see, where I live I only know people who have DD hammocks and so I have never even seen a real hennesey or a blackbird, and from all the talk I got the impression that they would be significantly more comfortable.
I thought that it could be fun to put together the more useful features to build something that even manufacturers wouldn't be allowed to sell.

[djangoslovechild]

Look at a lot of the pics of folks in their hammocks, and you'll see that they are lying far from flat, but look (and say that they are) pretty comfy.

!

Thats interesting. Oh man, i wish there was a hammock scene over here like there seems to be in the states. Thanks.

I wasn't trying to be restrictive in my question, it's just that most of the hammocks that I have been looking at on the forum have had gathered ends and so that seems to be part of the game.

[VictoriaGuy]

I wasn't trying to be restrictive in my question, it's just that most of the hammocks that I have been looking at on the forum have had gathered ends and so that seems to be part of the game.

Chris-
You are absolutely correct.
I've always thought that the simplest system that works well is the best. If you are comfortable in a hammock, and it works with the rest of your gear, then you are 'set' - no need to look further, IMO.
Of course, it's fun to try different gear, thus the collecting/DIY building begins....

I wanted a hammock that would work with my tenting gear (Exped pad, sleeping bag) when kayak camping, and that directed my choice.

If you DO want to experiment, why not cut out a 'body shape' from plywood and hang it in your fabric blank (diagonally?), and start pinning and cutting?
Taking a quick look at the forces involved, it seems to me that in a gathered end hammock, sleeping 'inline' inevitably results in 'banana' lay. Sleeping diagonally (or transversely), you need to use your head and feet to 'push' out the hammock to your full sleeping length. Putting slack into the fabric with a 'box' can give a bit more room for head and feet, but it's tough to equalize the pressures (dreaded 'calf ridge', etc...).

Looking at the suspension lines in the Ergo gives a bit more 'visual clue' to what is going on in an all-fabric hammock. (NB: The Ergo does use an inflated pad to help establish the 'sleeping platform'.)

Post your results here!

[VictoriaGuy]

That's interesting. Oh man, I wish there was a hammock scene over here like there seems to be in the states. Thanks.

When you collect a good fraction of the 'enthusiasts' in one place (here at HF), it may look like a 'scene', but it's not at all commonplace, yet, as far as I can see...but I'm not in the States either.