ENO hammock material?

[BanjoPicker]

Hi. Hammock noob here.

I have been looking at the Dream Hammock website… in particular the various fabric types and the amount of weight they are rated for. I am having a hard time squaring this with the ENO doublenest, which can support 400lbs. As a 6'3, 250 pounder, I want to make sure I'm not going to wake up with my tail on the ground!

Does ENO use some other kind of fabric besides the ripstop nylon that they use at Dream? What gives? From the Dream website, I'm lead to believe that a single layer hammock wouldn't be the best idea for someone my size. But ENO seems to say otherwise. Is ENO full of junk or do they have a cheap miracle fabric?

[SilvrSurfr]

You're only 250? Plenty of fabrics that will hold you up from Dream Hammock, Warbonnet, etc.

ENO is marketing to those who don't know anything about hammocks (that's their market). Specifically, their hammocks with a 400 lb. weight limit are usually marketed for people sleeping together in a hammock (though you have to have a screw loose to try and make THAT work).

[Floridahanger]

They use a heavier fabric that can hold more weight based on their own metrics. The Dream Hammocks are longer(this is good), but also weigh less.

Dream Hammocks and other cottage vendors here are more conservative in their ratings. To me, that gives me more confidence on the product for any given weight or temperature rating. If I got a hammock rated at 250lbs and that was my weight, NO PROBLEMS for me.

Shoot them a message or PM them here. Papa Smurf and Mama Smurf are great folks and make a superior product than the massed produced hammocks, IMO.

**edit**

And I wanted to add, Welcome to the forums.

[PapaSmurf]

Hi. Hammock noob here.

I have been looking at the Dream Hammock website… in particular the various fabric types and the amount of weight they are rated for. I am having a hard time squaring this with the ENO doublenest, which can support 400lbs. As a 6'3, 250 pounder, I want to make sure I'm not going to wake up with my tail on the ground!

Does ENO use some other kind of fabric besides the ripstop nylon that they use at Dream? What gives? From the Dream website, I'm lead to believe that a single layer hammock wouldn't be the best idea for someone my size. But ENO seems to say otherwise. Is ENO full of junk or do they have a cheap miracle fabric?

ENO (and many, many others) use a trilobal nylon fabric that is produced in great quantities from mills in China and Indonesia. Trilobal nylon fiber was first developed (and patented) by Dupont and marketed under the trade name Antron. The triangular shape of the individual fibers is what gives this fabric that glittery, shiny appearance because each side of the fiber reflects light at different angles.

Many fabrics are capable of supporting large amounts of weight and keeping you from crashing to the ground.

We're more about what fabric will provide you a good supportive lay and a comfortable nights sleep. That's why we use a comfort rating instead of a fabric capacity.

[Atlas918]

Hi. Hammock noob here.

I have been looking at the Dream Hammock website… in particular the various fabric types and the amount of weight they are rated for. I am having a hard time squaring this with the ENO doublenest, which can support 400lbs. As a 6'3, 250 pounder, I want to make sure I'm not going to wake up with my tail on the ground!

Does ENO use some other kind of fabric besides the ripstop nylon that they use at Dream? What gives? From the Dream website, I'm lead to believe that a single layer hammock wouldn't be the best idea for someone my size. But ENO seems to say otherwise. Is ENO full of junk or do they have a cheap miracle fabric?

Your best bet would be to email dream hammock directly, and ask them the questions.

You'll find that a lot of the cottage vendors have amazing customer service. They actually look forward to your emails, and in my experiences, love talking shop, because they're gear geeks just like the rest of us :P

[BanjoPicker]

Hey Papa Smurf. Thanks for weighing in personally! I know that you are a busy man, but I would like to ask a question or two. Oh… and the DH website is awesome by the way. Best I have seen in the hammock world!

I am interested in a single layer 11' Freebird if it can work for me. The 1.9oz ripstop has a comfort rating of 250, which is my exact weight. I don't like the idea of being right at the limit. I also am not sure what the "safety limit" is… in other words, how likely would it be to break under load?

I also saw that you have heaver/stronger fabrics (2.7oz MARPAT pattern), but my concern there is it is not ripstop. One knick and it is all over.

Do you think a single layer could work for me and if so, what would be my best bet? I would be using it for backpacking, so I want something lightweight, but I also want it to be reliable.

Thanks!

-Matt

[PapaSmurf]

...but my concern there is it is not ripstop. One knick and it is all over.
When the fabric is under a heavy stress (like in a hammock), the ripstop pattern does pretty much nothing to prevent a tear from growing. It is definitely true that the ripstop threads will limit damage in other uses (packs, pants, shirts, etc). In a hammock, a bad tear will only stop when your butt hits the ground.

You could certainly use a 1.9oz ripstop fabric at 250lbs. You may begin to feel a loss of flatness and the hammock may feel kinda springy or stretchy. I would suggest you look closely at the 1.6oz HyperD fabrics. I'm 260ish and I spend many nights in a single layer of this stuff. The 1.6 HyperD gives me plenty of support and just a slight bit of stretch. I've got a comfort rating of 280lbs on this fabric, but have loaded it with well over 400lbs with no issues at all.

If I can be of any help at all, a better way to contact me is via our website at http://www.dream-hammock.com/contact.html or via email here [email protected] (http://www.dream-hammock.com/contact.html)

Thanks
Randy

[BanjoPicker]

You could certainly use a 1.9oz ripstop fabric at 250lbs. You may begin to feel a loss of flatness and the hammock may feel kinda springy or stretchy. I would suggest you look closely at the 1.6oz HyperD fabrics. I'm 260ish and I spend many nights in a single layer of this stuff. The 1.6 HyperD gives me plenty of support and just a slight bit of stretch. I've got a comfort rating of 280lbs on this fabric, but have loaded it with well over 400lbs with no issues at all.


Great. Thanks for the info!

-Matt

[Floridahanger]

I love me some Smurfs.

My hammock has a little stretch. Just a little bit. I love it because I can settle into my hammock. Others don't like stretchiness. It's up to you.
Good luck and happy hanging.