Silnylon Hammock, 1.1 oz, 11' long, 64" wide

[Just Jeff]

So I let it slip that I made a sil hammock before I had the pics up on the website...I'll probably add them this week, but until then I didn't want to hijack the other threads so I'll start one here.

I had lots of sil, and one panel was already cut to 11' by 65". I hemmed it all around, then added channels at the end to use cinches instead of whipping. Final dimensions are probably 64" wide and 10' 9" or so long.

I used random cord for the cinch b/c it's not supporting any weight...I still larkshead the support onto the hammock itself. I went with cinched ends mainly b/c sil is so slippery that I wanted more than a simple rolled hem to keep the support on.

I'm using BPL Air Core Plus for the suspension, and a 100" Spyderline ridgeline.

After laying in it, I realized that 100" isn't long enough for a ridgeline on an 11' hammock, so I just used a double sheetbend on the foot end to take up some space. Right now the extra is just hanging useless off the end, kinda like the tent in my garage. I'll probably end up cutting it and putting a cinch there.

I could just make a longer ridgeline, but this one is plenty comfortable right now, and a longer ridgeline means I'd need a longer tarp.

Since I cinched the ends instead of whipping, the sides are very saggy right now. So saggy that it's pretty easy for my legs to poke over the edge, and probably pretty easy to fall out of. Think of the Blackbird w/o the footbox to help keep your feet in the hammock. I'm deciding what I want to do about that...either sew darts in the edge above my feet, make a BB-style footbox, maybe even out of netting, etc. I actually have some other sneaky plans but I need to prototype them first b/c I'm not sure I can describe them until I play around a bit.

So what's it like laying on silnylon? First of all, I've spent several nights in the Crazy Crib, which is made from coated, non-breathable, waterproof fabric. I never had a condensation issue beyond a normal hammock, which surprised me. So now I think using a sil hammock might be a lighter way to make a warmer hammock, and it would keep body moisture from getting into the underquilt. So I made this one, and have laid in it for a few hours now but haven't slept in it yet. I can sorta feel a difference, but haven't been damp when I got up. The single exception is that once, since the sides are so flappy, I was using it as a pillow while laying on my stomach...so half of my face was flat on the sil. After about 15 minutes that way, I got up and my face was slightly damp. I think part of it was b/c I was breathing on it, too. I'll sleep in it sometime soon and give a more detailed report when I have more info.

It is much more slippery than other hammocks, though. I usually have my bare skin (shirtless and in shorts) when I'm in it right now, so that's not really an issue...but I wonder if it'll be hard to stay in a comfortable position if I'm wearing socks and long johns.

Haven't noticed any undue stretching of the 1.1 oz fabric yet, either. Not like the 1.1 oz DWR I used for another DIY hammock...the stretching on that one caused serious shoulder squeeze and was uncomfortable almost immediately.

Haven't weight it yet or taken any pics, but I'll definitely have that when I put it on the website. More to follow.

[Trout]

I never sleep on my back at home, but my 12' hammock is super comfortable on my back, side, or stomach. Looking forward to the pic's. I'm thinking the long hammocks are akin to the long boards that traditional surfers use.

[Oh-No]

Since I cinched the ends instead of whipping, the sides are very saggy right now.

If (before you cinch) you cut the ends of the fabric into a convex shape, with
both sides ending up about 6" shorter than the fabric length down the center,
you will get the tighter sides you are looking for.
If that doesn't make sense let me know and I'll try & upload a drawing.

[Merganser]

If (before you cinch) you cut the ends of the fabric into a convex shape, with
both sides ending up about 6" shorter than the fabric length down the center,
you will get the tighter sides you are looking for.

I agree that will tighten the sides. Same effect you get with the Spear method of whipping. 6in sounds like a little much though.

[Just Jeff]

I understand what you're saying...I'm just not sure I'm looking for tighter sides. It makes the hammock lay much flatter, hence the Blackbird footbox. Just figuring out how I want to compensate so I can keep that flat lay.

[Knotty]

According to Brandon the footbox does not affect the lay of the hammock. He explained it in someone's thread about a DIY netless Blackbird.

Interesting experiment with the sil. Flys against conventional wisdom but trying different things helps push things forward.

[slowhike]

You could always add a spreader bar to open up those floppy sides

[Just Jeff]

According to Brandon the footbox does not affect the lay of the hammock. He explained it in someone's thread about a DIY netless Blackbird.

Not directly, but if you look where your feet end up in the BB, without the footbox (and the rest of that panel) your feet would likely flop out of the hammock...just like this one. So the footbox keeps everything inside the hammock but "allows" the hammock to keep such a flat lay that the floppy sides allow. It "compensates" for the floppy sides.

The tie-outs help as well, obviously.

[WV]

Before you cut it shorter, can you try it without the ridgeline (or with a longer one)? That extra length might make some difference.

[Oh-No]

6in sounds like a little much though.

Could be. Though when I whip the ends I usually pull the edges about 3"
on each end, for a total of about 6" shortening of each edge. Of course it's an individual preference, and if you cut a convex in the ends, make sure you know what works for you.