hammock design

[peterb]

Hi to all... I have made my first ever hammock and it works (thank god,lol).
but i dont think the setup is quite right, i found that it does not hug me very well, its tight under my back but loose on the sides. is this common. any tips on setup. . thx

[funbun]

When you say tight on your back, does it hurt or uncomfortable on the bottom?

[lvleph]

It depends on the type of end gathering method. I used the HH-style roll and I don't get too much of a hug. A lot of people don't want it pressing against their sides. The very side will be a little flappy. You could add tie outs to pull them away from you.

EDIT: I guess I might have misunderstood what you meant by hug. Are you referring to the way it cradles your back, or your sides? Also, what are the dimensions?

[headchange4u]

Check out Jeff's site for a couple different whipping techniques. The standard whipping method will take the slack out of the sides.

http://tothewoods.net/HomemadeHammock.html

[saimyoji]

I've been experimenting with whipping over the winter...find that, when making a test hammock, not cinching the side material gives you a better diagonal sleeping configuration. The sides are floppy if you lay right in the middle, but if you shift diagonally, the sides hug you, you get a 'flatter' sleeping platform, and a better night's rest.

[Coffee]

That is really common when you gather hammock. Pull the edges about 2-3" more than the middle. This will tighten up the sides. You might have to do this a few times to get the feel right. Too much with make the hammock uncomfortable and hard to use.

As someone else said, Jeff's site has some good info on this.

[Just Jeff]

My experience matches saimyoji's - I just let it flop, but when I get diagonal it doesn't flop onto my face or anything.

Also, hanging with more sag can make the edges floppier. Hang it straighter and the edges will tighten...but it'll restrict how diagonal you can get. Just play around with it and you'll figure out what sag/floppy side combo works for you. That's the great thing about homemade gear - you customize it to fit exactly what you like.