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  1. #11
    Senior Member stoikurt's Avatar
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    When I first get in my HH I relax a little while on my back. But I can't sleep on my back so I usually sleep on my side, mostly my left side. Since I got my JRB Nest and have broader insulation below I'm able to use my sleeping bag as a quilt a little easier. Using it as a quilt allows me to spread my legs out a little more and pull my knees up some. Much more comfy.

    On some of the colder nights lately I keep telling my wife I'm going to sleep out (you know...testing). If I don't she gets disappointed. Hmmm, I think it has something to do with snoring. Don't know what her problem is, it doesn't bother me.
    Stoikurt
    "Work to Live...Don't Live to Work!"

  2. #12
    slowhike's Avatar
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    i know what you mean... my snoring doesnt bother me in the least
    as far as laying on the diagonal, i hardly do.
    i'm one of those that likes the hammock stretched a little tighter (less sag).
    plus i use one of the thicker air mats... exped DAM when it's cold & the big agness insulated air core when it's warm. i only partly inflate the pad so it conforms to me, no matter if i'm on my back or on my side.
    i also use something as a pillow under my knees when i'm on my back & between my knees when i'm on my side.
    i'd like to get some one to use a 2x4 or something as a strait edge some time & take pictures to see just how close to flat i am.
    i believe it's pretty close. BTW... i would only let someone i trust take a 2x4 to me
    i also believe that the way a hammock is gathered & tied will make a difference in how flat you can lay. if there is a lot of slack in the middle, it allows your feet & head to drop lower. no?
    I too will something make and joy in it's making

  3. #13
    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    I guess I'm just never going to understand the diagonal hype. Why would you want to lay flat? To me, the U shape is just more natural and that's the reason I like my hammocks so much more than my bed or sleeping on the ground. Having my head, butt, and feet at the same level just doesn't FEEL right.
    "Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson

  4. #14
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dingus Khan View Post
    Yes! I agree!! That first early morning stretch is the best and comfiest! They 45* thing is really comfy, kind of side, kind of back, legs and arms all over the place.

    The ONLY thing I don't enjoy is having my feet above my head in the am, it tends to be chillier (less circulation; - as a ground pounder I fixed it by pitching on a slight incline, head at the top). ........... I have tried tying the HH a bit higher at the head end, but physics takes over and I end up simply sliding further towards the foot again. NOTE - this is not a serious problem, just another kink to work out ..................
    Whoo Hoo!!
    Dingus, that was the exact same problem I had on my 1st night hammocking--- I would wake up during the night having slipped down to the foot end of the hammock much further than I had intended. This was with the hammock pitched perfectly level as close as I was able to tell, with confirmation from some friends. From my years of tent camping, I knew I didn't want the foot higher than the head! I didn't want my head downhill, so I was very careful to get a level pitch. So the next night I pitched with the foot end several inches higher than the head, and that was the end of that problem. I have experimented and I now set it even a bit higher than that night, on the foot end.

    The other thing I have recently realized is, it seems that I am better able to get flater and more comfortable with more room on the foot end/less sleeping bag side compression, if I get pretty far up in the head end of the hammock(HHULAS Explorer with SS). When I sit back and pull my feet into the hammock, I grab the sides and scoot up a foot or so, then get a little diagonal. Then, with the foot pitched higher than the head, I stay in place, my feet don't seem so high above my head , my knees don't seem as hyperextended and in need of a pad under them, and there is more room for my feet and sleeping bag on the right side of the hammock. Side positions seem a little easier to pull off, also. This seems to work somewhat with my Speer also.

    This is a recent discovery and I'm still experimenting with it. Does any one here have any experience/opinions on this "scoot pretty far to the head of the hammock" concept?
    Bill
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 02-08-2007 at 21:11.

  5. #15
    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Dingus, that was the exact same problem I had on my 1st night hammocking--- I would wake up during the night having slipped down to the foot end of the hammock much further than I had intended. This was with the hammock pitched perfectly level as close as I was able to tell, with confirmation from some friends. From my years of tent camping, I knew I didn't want the foot higher than the head! I didn't want my head downhill, so I was very careful to get a level pitch. So the next night I pitched with the foot end several inches higher than the head, and that was the end of that problem. I have experimented and I now set it even a bit higher than that night, on the foot end.

    The other thing I have recently realized is, it seems that I am better able to get flat and more comfortable with more room on the foot end/less sleeping bag side compression, if I get pretty far up in the head end of the hammock(HHULAS Explorer with SS). When I sit back and pull my feet into the hammock, I grab the sides and scoot up a foot or so, then get a little diagonal. Then, with the foot higher than the head, I stay in place, my feet don't seem so high above my head , my knees don't seem as hyperextended and in need of a pad under them, and there is more room for my feet on the right side of the hammock. Side positions seem a little easier to pull off, also. This seems to work somewhat with my Speer also.

    This is a recent discovery and I'm still experimenting with it. Does any one here have any experience/opinions on this "scoot pretty far to the head of the hammock" concept?
    Bill
    I definitely don't like having my feet above my head, but sliding during the night is a problem too. I wrestled with this for a while, then came to exactly the same solution you did. I think the reason it works is that - especially with the HH - the center is whipped tight, kind of like Jeff's "W" whipping. This leaves depressions on either side of center. When you scoot up some and then slide your butt to one side, you're putting your butt in the pocket and the higher center keeps you from sliding back down. Just an idea. I can't come up with a better explanation
    "Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson

  6. #16
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackbishop351 View Post
    .... When you scoot up some and then slide your butt to one side, you're putting your butt in the pocket and the higher center keeps you from sliding back down. Just an idea. I can't come up with a better explanation
    Sounds reasonable to me!

  7. #17
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    I like to have the hammock relative flat. That way I can lay flat on my side, or I can lay with my back and neck straight and then elevate my feet with some gear. Comfortable for me.
    Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
    The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".

  8. #18
    Senior Member Grinder's Avatar
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    The Diagonal Thang

    To talk about this, you have to separate Hennessy from all others.

    Hennessy is designed "Aysm" so you just are diagonal, whether or not you know it.
    I think. I've never laid in a Hennessy and only seen one in the flesh once.


    In a conventional hammock, the two extremes are:

    1. Tight as you can get it. In my experience, it's like sleeping in a straight jacket. the physics of the suspension forces you into a banana shape on your back.

    2 loose as you can get it. this would put you in the same situation, but at 90 degrees to the hanging axis. I've never actually done this.

    The optimum position is one where you can lay flat enough (never completely flat) to get comfortable. Hammock person ,Sandy Kramer, who grew up in Guatamala, sleeping in hammocks. helped me find the way. She is the one who led me to "more sag until it is good" And "bigger is better for comfort".

    I have found that 30 degrees angle on the support rope (or the first portion of the hammock itself, if you use a ridge line) gives me the best comfort. I can move around during the night with out major effort. I can sleep on my side or back. There is a bit too much bend to lay on my stomach comfortably.


    My hammock is 4 yards long, minus knot and hem.

    HTH

    Tom

  9. #19
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    That's pretty long. 12' before knots. My last one is 10' and it feels about right for me at 6'4". How long is it set up?

    I need to revisit the homemade asym or HH knockoff idea.
    Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
    The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".

  10. #20
    Senior Member Ewker's Avatar
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    never expected this many responses.

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