My first hammock was a 12 foot 1.6 ripstop gathered end. I have taken naps in it before with good results. I have never attempted an overnight in this hammock for a few reasons. The 12 foot length makes it difficult to find appropriately spaced trees sometimes, the 1.6 ripstop just doesn't feel as sturdy (weigh 220lbs), and my little dog likes to hang with me so claws on the thin fabric are a worry.
So, I made a new hammock at 9feet with 1.9 ripstop. It is much easier to find a hanging spot, and this stuff feels like it could withstand a German Shepard. The new hammock isn't quite as wide as the old one, but is much stronger and I feel more confident bouncing and shifting in it. The 1.6 ripstop felt a bit stretchy when I was trying to get comfortable. I have used the new hammock out in the yard to relax and read, but, at the time, I hadn't slept in it.
I wanted to do an overnight in the yard to test the setup and make sure it was comfortable, plus I replaced/upgraded some of my cooking and fire starting gear and wanted to give that a test before taking it on a trip so I could abort to the house in case of disaster. I have been reluctant to do this at my own home since my girlfriend just moved in. I have the combined problem of embarrassment about camping in the yard as an adult, and that draw to the woman sleeping just inside. Plus, I know she wouldn't be able to resist sneaking out to the yard and scaring the **** out of me in the middle of the night. Luckily, I was asked to house sit for some family members Thursday and Friday night so I planned my test to start Friday night after work.
Friday, after work, I set about selecting my camp site. The house I was sitting is on some acreage with a pecan orchard. I found a good pair of trees with no dead branches and nice smooth ground between them (in case I end up on the ground). I set up my hammock like I have many times before and adjusted my ridge line. I made dinner, hung my bug net, read a book until the light faded, and tucked in for the night.
The weather report had said to expect low 60s and clear skies so I had packed a sleeping bag and no tarp. By 2 am, the temp was in the 50's and my head was cold (not as much insulation up there as I used to have) so I stuck my head in my pillow case and was nice and toasty again. However I was not comfortable. I discovered that my hammock is not wide enough for me to lay flat, no matter how much sag I adjusted my ridge line for. It wasn't so bad that I couldn't sleep, but it definitely wasn't the comfort I had associated with the old 12 foot hammock. I went back to sleep.
The next thing I knew, my face was cold. And wet. And I could hear the distinct pitter-patter of rain. I pulled out my phone which told me 4:30am and "CLEAR SKIES", liar. I look at the sky. Bright moon with no clouds. I have no idea where this rain came from. I thought maybe there was a sprinkler system that was set to turn on. (I checked the next day, there isn't a sprinkler system for the orchard plus I was getting wet all the way to the door) I had not bothered to bring my tarp as there was supposed to be no rain, and I don't have a nice sil-nylon or cuban fiber tarp, I have a tarp that was meant to load up with leaves and haul them to the street. I saw no reason to take it with me if it wasn't going to rain. I admitted defeat, gathered my things, and headed for the house. It took me an hour to get back to sleep due to the frustration and the stiff neck and shoulder from the 9 foot hammock.
I will try again, hopefully soon, with my 12 foot hammock and a tarp. I don't trust the 1.6 ripstop as much, but it is a much more comfortable hang and I have slept like a baby every time I took an afternoon nap in it after a day in the yard.
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