View Full Version : USA Made Hammock for a Very Big and Tall Guy... Reccos / Volunteers?
Hello all! As you can tell from the fact this is my first post, I'm a total hammock newb. A group of buddies and I do adventure camping every year, and this year we are doing mountain bike camping... so we all decided to make the switch to hammocks.
The rub for me is that I am 6'7" tall, 370 and have very wide shoulders, and only buy American Made products unless there literally is no other option. Oh, and I have horrible back pain from a spine fracture a few years ago.
The other thing I want is an integrated bug net. Living in the NE, the mosquitoes eat me alive so I know I will need one, and don't want to mess around with a separate item. And finally, ideally, the hammock has the ability to swap out the bug net for a cover, for winter camping. Naturally, we are talking double layer with my weight.
I've been reading and researching for about 3 weeks now, and have narrowed down the list of possible vendors/hammocks to the following:
Hammeck Envy
Dream Hammock Thunderbird
Simply Light Designs Trail Lair
Tree to Tree Switchback
Warbonnet Blackbird XLC.
I've already emailed Hammeck to get their take/quote. Ideally also I would love for the outer layer and cover, if possible, to be camo material... and the inner layer to be some sort of blaze orange.
My questions:
1. If the makers of the above read this, what say ye? Something you think you can make work for me?
2. Did I miss any possible makers that make something like what I am looking for?
3. What suspensions should I be looking at given my size?
4. What am I missing? Remember, I have literally no hammock experience or knowledge outside of my 3 weeks of reading all I could find and watching Shug videos....
Thanks very much in advance for your help, suggestions and ideas!
Hal
meckelangelo
12-26-2014, 10:45
Hey Hal! I saw your email this morning. I'll be catching up on email throughout the day, so you should see a response this afternoon. Thanks!
There is a 1.6 ounce HyperD in Woodland camo that would make a good DL for you: http://ripstopbytheroll.com/products/1-6-oz-hyperd-woodland-camo
It's very strong fabric but only 60 inches wide. Don't now if that would be wide enough but worth a try.
PapaSmurf
12-26-2014, 11:11
Here are a few possibilities:
Going with a double layer of 1.6oz HyperD fabric would work well. You can can choose any width you desire up to 72" wide as well as any color HyperD fabric to create a hammock specifically suited to you.
http://www.dream-hammock.com/order_detail.html?order=1297
99483
http://www.dream-hammock.com/order_detail.html?order=1358
99479 99480
http://www.dream-hammock.com/order_detail.html?order=1214
99485
http://www.dream-hammock.com/order_detail.html?order=1195
99481
http://youtu.be/mscXC1b2F5U
Halmc, if you check out the above post by Papa Smurf from Dream Hammocks, take a look at the camo Thunderbird, order # 1358, it is mine, click on the link and see all the details about it.
I am 422 lbs , 6 ft 2 , and quite wide and this custom made hammock is one sweet piece of gear that will hold me (and you) just fine! it has a removable top cover as well as bug net.
Dream Hammocks make the highest quality of hammock that you can find and Randy (Papa Smurf) is great to work with.
For men of our size i think that this is the very best option available.PERIOD!!
Contact Papa Smurf thru his website and i'm sure you will find what your looking for,,, by the way, i can bounce around in my hammock all day and i know that it's secure enough for me.
OutandBack
12-26-2014, 14:27
Hi HalMc,
Welcome to the forum. There are a few of us Mtn Bike Hangers here on the forum.
Here's some picts of our last mtn bike hang.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/outandback2012/sets/72157644520023844/
I've been mtn hanging since ~06 and built 3 mtn bike for different kind's of trails.
Thank you everyone for the responses. I did get an email from Mr. Meck, and the info above from dream, so I will contact Papa Smurf for a quote and go with one of the two! Thanks so much for the input and all of your help.
OregonBushcraft
12-29-2014, 02:51
Grand Trunk Skeeter Beater Pro. Rated at 400lbs, has bug net, but wouldn't be considered "light". Mine weighs a pound and a half with amsteel chain links and whoopie slings.
But Grand Trunks are not made in the USA, are they? That is a mandatory thing for me.
After some great back and forth with David Meck, who has been fantastic to deal with and very helpful, I think I need to go with Dream.... simply because of the width issue. As I explained to David, I have very wide shoulders (and everything) to the point where I literally take up half the seats on either side of me on a plane if I don't basically fold myself in half. My concern was that 59" might be very constricting for me, and he agreed.
Again, as I explained to him, I have nothing to base this on other than what I read and the life experience of generally finding most things made for normal humans too small for me. I don't fit comfortably in most cars, and many cars I literally don't fit in at all between my leg length and my height and the broadness.
I hate to not be able to get one from David after all the time he spent replying to me, but I will steer folks his way in the future, normal sized ones, for sure.
Papa Smurf, how should I proceed?
I suggest you email randy directly and tell him what you want, just like you were working up an order, he will ask any pertinent questions, then send you a quote. He has done it for me on both of my custom t-birds and is very easy to work with.
You are gonna love your Tbird, tell him you want one like mine, order 1358, but pick your own colors of course!,, you can also put your phone number and a good time to call in your email, sometimes this gets things going faster when you have alot of questions,,, Randy is great and will take the time to answer them all.
By the way, the hammocks are made in Ohio ,,right dab smack in the middle of the USA.
PapaSmurf
12-29-2014, 20:57
Hi HalMc,
Just email me directly and I'd be happy to help in any way I can.
[email protected]
joker52186
12-30-2014, 18:24
Appilcan hammocks are good to
Fancy Ramen
12-31-2014, 13:45
The dream hammock would be an excellent choice.
Phantom Grappler
12-31-2014, 19:28
HalMc
Consider a 12 foot hammock. And maybe 1/8 inch amsteel for whoopie slings, leads and hammock ridge line. You can double up on tree HUGGERS by running them around tree in tandem and then running them both through both loops. This will give a higher margin of safety and twelve footer will give more comfort. All of the above is speculation . Good luck