View Full Version : Hammock length
I'm considering making another hammock. I plan to whip the hammock end instead of teh Speer end knot. I'm 6 feet 2 inches tall. What length would be good. Should I use the equation Speer has in his book? Or should it be shorter than that?
blackbishop351
03-11-2007, 22:55
Mine are 10'...I just kinda winged the length, so I can't really offer any scientific advice :p It's worked well for me so far, though!
titanium_hiker
03-11-2007, 22:58
the knots take up a bit of room- you don't need so much for whipping.
not sure exactly how much you should adjust speer's formula though.
TH
I second the 10' length for the same reason. I made one 14' long for playing around with whipping reasons. I kept adjusting it until 10', and it felt about right.
I planned on 2' + 2" which would have been 7'9" and then said that is pretty close to 8'.
stoikurt
03-12-2007, 08:04
I planned on 2' + 2" which would have been 7'9" and then said that is pretty close to 8'.
That will only give you 1'1" on each end of the hammock. Subtract about 3" off each end for gathering and whipping, now you only have 10" on each end. That doesn't give much room to get on a diagonal but if you like to sleep like a banana it should be OK. The ones I've made are around 10' and have plenty of room. I could probably go to 9' or 9'6" since I am only 5'8" and still be OK, but I like the extra room.
That will only give you 1'1" on each end of the hammock. Subtract about 3" off each end for gathering and whipping, now you only have 10" on each end. That doesn't give much room to get on a diagonal but if you like to sleep like a banana it should be OK. The ones I've made are around 10' and have plenty of room. I could probably go to 9' or 9'6" since I am only 5'8" and still be OK, but I like the extra room.
It seemed to work decently well. I did notice that it was not as easy to lay diagonally, but it worked alright. Well enough IMO.
Just Jeff
03-12-2007, 17:06
I'm under 6' and I'm not really comfortable with 8' between the knots, as Ed's formula would say. I'll probably make the rest of mine 10' long, leaving about 9.5' between the knots. That's just me...some folks are comfortable with much smaller ones. Experiment to find what's most comfortable to you. I'd say to do what HE did - start with a long piece, then just whip it smaller until you get the right length. Then cutoff the excess.
And don't forget that width plays a role, too. I have some narrower ones...down to about 50". Narrow and short is bad. Narrow and long is ok. Wide and long is most comfortable, but heaviest/bulkiest. The most comfortable one I've made so far is 10' long and ~60" wide.
I agree with Jeff on the width. On all of my homemade ones I just cut it to length and leave the width alone. Then again I consider myself a light weight hiker and not an ultra light or that crazy bunch below that. Give me some time though.
FanaticFringer
03-13-2007, 14:56
I agree with Jeff on the width. On all of my homemade ones I just cut it to length and leave the width alone. Then again I consider myself a light weight hiker and not an ultra light or that crazy bunch below that. Give me some time though.
Did you just indirectly call me a weanie?:D
Bird Dog
03-13-2007, 15:07
Im not mentioning any names here, but I was called a gram weenie this weekend and didnt even deserve it. BD
I am a gram weenie, and a cheap *******. lol
Bird Dog
03-13-2007, 15:36
The person who called me a gram weenie during an overnight trip said, and I quote "I dont have enough stuff in my pack". Isnt that the pot calling the kettle black? BD
headchange4u
03-13-2007, 15:46
I have a couple of friends that, once I introduced them to the phrase, now refer to me a "gram weenie" because I tell them ways to lighten there 60 pound packs. "Get rid of the 10 pound tent" I say. "You're a gram weenie." they say and snicker.
I did get them to switch from using one of those large, green Coleman propane canisters with a burner on top to an Pepsi can alcohol stove. They are still carrying a full sized skillet though....
I do try to keep things as light as possible but I still like those few luxury items so I will never be called an Ultralight hiker.
blackbishop351
03-13-2007, 16:09
The person who called me a gram weenie during an overnight trip said, and I quote "I dont have enough stuff in my pack". Isnt that the pot calling the kettle black? BD
That's kind of the opposite, actually...pot and kettle situation would be me calling you a gearhead :D
Bird Dog
03-13-2007, 22:04
That's kind of the opposite, actually...pot and kettle situation would be me calling you a gearhead :D
Okay, okay, okay...I will give you that. BTW, Im PM'n you now about some "gear issues". BD
sparkysko
03-13-2007, 23:34
Gram weenies, heh. I do think some people take it too far. Alot of the 'ultralight' equipment lists I see people have don't include first aid kits, toothbrushes, and misc. I can understand trying to pack light, but the bare minimum is pretty scary and doesn't leave much redundancy :|
I'm with you right now on that. My low 20's base weight puts me right in the middle. It could be less, but certain things for my thru add a little that normally are not on weekend trips.
I am still looking for ways of doing things to cut weight without giving up too much. My setup is usually changing one way or another. More of an evolution than anything.
Yeah, I've often wondered how far is too far. It seems a lot of guys are compromising safety all for the name of uber, ultralight gear. It ain't worth it.
That's one reason I like bicycle touring, the frame of the bike is hauling your gear. And that gear is divided between 4 panniers (saddlebags) instead of one on your back. 2 panniers is plenty for most weekend type bike trips.
I feel safe with my 8lbs.
blackbishop351
03-15-2007, 01:13
I feel safe with my 8lbs.
8 lbs. of WHAT, food?? Geez, man...I think you're in the wrong crowd, here! (j/k) :p
sparkysko
03-15-2007, 05:26
That also reminds me. When I was in the boyscouts in southern california, there was no source of water anywhere we went, so we also had to carry around 1 or 1.5 gallons of water PER day. Hard to be ultralight with 30 pounds of water on you :) . Those 2 liters of water people are also crazy ;)
That also reminds me. When I was in the boyscouts in southern california, there was no source of water anywhere we went, so we also had to carry around 1 or 1.5 gallons of water PER day. Hard to be ultralight with 30 pounds of water on you :) . Those 2 liters of water people are also crazy ;)
I lived in the desert for the last 7 years. I always carried 3L of water. I am trying to break myself of that.
8lbs is actually my heavy weight. I was down to just over 5lbs, but have decided to be a bit more comfortable when sleeping.
blackbishop351
03-15-2007, 08:09
That also reminds me. When I was in the boyscouts in southern california, there was no source of water anywhere we went, so we also had to carry around 1 or 1.5 gallons of water PER day. Hard to be ultralight with 30 pounds of water on you :) . Those 2 liters of water people are also crazy ;)
I'm far from UL, but I usually carry 2L of water at most. Then again, most places I hike have plenty of water available.
I feel safe with my 8lbs.
Feeling safe and being safe are two different things.
Feeling safe and being safe are two different things.
And a person's ability varies from one individual to another.
And a person's ability varies from one individual to another.
Hmm, your Kung Fu is strong.
And a person's ability varies from one individual to another.
Man what are you packing that weighs nothing. Tell me, are you smuggling helium balloons:D
Man what are you packing that weighs nothing. Tell me, are you smuggling helium balloons:D
I have not worked out my new list, but I can give you my old one. This was for desert 3-season, 3-day
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k181/lvleph/gear.jpg
Hmm, your Kung Fu is strong.
I can do it, but I will need an unlimited supply of hot pockes and Xenia tapes.:p
NCPatrick
03-15-2007, 14:10
Hey, would you mind converting this to a plain text format please? It's a little hard to follow this way. Thanks! I can't find the cell with helium balloons in it.
Deleted
Refer back to previous post.
blackbishop351
03-15-2007, 17:59
I can do it, but I will need an unlimited supply of hot pockes and Xenia tapes.:p
Nice movie quote!! :D I LOVE that one too....
"OK, let's just start over. The torque is r x F..."
"Yeah, but the r isn't big enough!"
lol
ScottBeers
12-08-2010, 13:22
I have lost my copy of Ed's book what was the Equation to find length.
Height + 2 foot + one foot or was it one and half for the knot.
I haven't built a hammock in a long time. Ed's formula
height + 2 ft + 28 in + 3in = length of cut fabric
This is for a 200 to 300 lbs person. Make it 24 inches if below this weight and 30 inches if above this weight limit.
As I remember this formula is still too short for comfort for me. I remember just going with 12 feet and being done with it.
JohnSawyer
12-08-2010, 17:32
I used Ed's formula for my first, but altered it for whipped ends instead of knots.
My current one uses Knotty's instructions, and started life as a piece of raw fabric 11'6" long. Very comfortable with lots of sag. I'm 5'11"...
hikelite
12-09-2010, 16:25
I just built a new hammock body this week. I had a 4 yd piece of 1.1 ripstop in my fabric stash, so my hammock ended up being just under 12 ft. I whipped the end with some paracord rather than the knots ala Ed Speer. This hammock replaces the one that did use the knots made from 1.9 ripstop. I measured the old one last night and found out it is ~12ft too. It's actually a couple inches longer than the new one, but the new one is several inches wider. It's roughly 12' x 60". It's soooo comfy! And it weights a lot less. I don't see 1.1 recommended here very often, but I'm not a heavy guy. I tend to hover in the 180s, but will probably hit the 160s on the PCT next year. I'm confident the 1.1 will hold me just fine.