Hammock newbee can't find a good hang - HELP!

[ruby9c]

My husband and I are trying to use our hammocks indoors. We're having trouble finding a good hang height/distance and we're not sure what we are doing wrong. Any useful suggestions would be appreciated!

We have an ENO double nest and a mayan. We used the ultimate hang calculator, double checked our measurements and hung the hammocks. But, they hung almost straight, with very little sag. We have since adjusted them as low as we can without sleeping on the floor, but they are not comfortable at all. The center ridge of the hammocks are tighter and finding a comfortable position is difficult, if we even can. We've been adjusting them for about a week, and in that time I only made it a full night in the hammock, and even then I was waking up every few hours to find a comfortable position. There are so many pressure points and the hammock is so rigid it's nothing like I read sleeping in a hammock would be like.

We don't want to have to drill more holes in the walls, but I don't know if we need a higher hang or if we need to go farther with the hang points.

They are hung 6 ft high - 12 ft apart. That's what was the hang calculator said would be right for the ENO double nest. I had been using an ENO single nest, but needed a larger hammock and got a Mayan. The website said it should be hung 6ft high and 12 ft apart (it is 14 ft long) but its only slightly more comfortable than the ENO.

I've read on here that some people have mayans hung only 10ft apart - I'm wondering how to calculate if mine needs to be higher or longer in attachment points.

I have pictures of how both are currently hung. Is the sag enough? It looks like other pictures I've seen of correctly hung hammocks, but maybe not.

[OutandBack]

My guess is you are not laying diaginal enough and experiencing calf ridge pressure.

[brino]

Looks like there is plenty of sag to me ... that may change once they are loaded tho.
Also, are you laying diagonally, this makes a huge difference? Assuming you are laying diagonally.... I would try adding an adjustable structural ridge line. This would help keep the sag more constant as well as let you dial in exactly how much sag you need. Just use a low stretch cordage and put a fixed loop on one end and use a taut line hitch on the other for the adjusting. I've done this with several hammocks and it really helps.

[Thumbs]

Be sure you are measuring from the gather, not from the suspension, for the calculator.
In the pic, it looks like you may have more sag than needed.

As the others have said, getting the diagonal just right is the key. For me, on most gathered end hammocks, it is about 10º from a straight lay.

[ruby9c]

Thanks for the responses! Yes, we're laying at a diagonal - but that's hard to get right. What I find comfortable to fall asleep with, leaves me with leg pain after a few hours, even with a pillow under my knees. I feel like i'm fighting to keep my legs up (I say up since the hammock doesn't go flat - legs and upper body are angled up) and that gets uncomfortable.

I'll keep playing with finding the right diagonal and will look into doing a adjustable structural ridge line - I've never heard of that.

[Nodust]

The sag looks like enough. Maybe too much.

Try adjusting so the foot end is closer to the wall than the head. This will make it appear that the foot end is higher. My tablecloth hammock in my room is set up like this. The wall brackets had to be in in a certain place. Limiting the heights I could play with. The foot gathered end is almost touching the wall bracket. The head end is 5' away.

[brino]

Generally I need to make sure the head end is a couple of inches lower than the foot end ... but that's in the Blackbird. I have no experience with ENO

[OutandBack]

Thanks for the responses! Yes, we're laying at a diagonal - but that's hard to get right. What I find comfortable to fall asleep with, leaves me with leg pain after a few hours, even with a pillow under my knees. I feel like i'm fighting to keep my legs up (I say up since the hammock doesn't go flat - legs and upper body are angled up) and that gets uncomfortable.

I'll keep playing with finding the right diagonal and will look into doing a adjustable structural ridge line - I've never heard of that.

I think most of us are looking at your picts and not really seeing anything wrong with the way you have them hung.
Maybe a few picts with you or the hubby in the hammock that might show the issues you are having.

[SpitballJedi]

I just made this post in another thread about side sleeping, but it may be useful here too.

As I make tweaks to my indoor hang, I'm noticing a few things. The calf ridge, even slight and/or when using a pillow, makes me more prone to wanting to sleep on my side. A couple of nights ago, I lowered the head end about 6" and it helped some, but was still there. Then today, I lowered the angle of the hanging angle of the foot end to maybe about 20-25 degrees to horizontal and the head end is closer to 30 or a little less. Before, both ends were about 45 degrees. My sag is now about 83.6% instead of 83%. These tweaks made a significant difference. I will sleep in it tonight for the real test, but there seems to be virtually no calf ridge. What little there is seems to be more about the back of the knee or a little higher.

Being a noob, indoor hanging is a very enlightening experience and I can see changes I will be making on the trail. I'm still bouncing back and forth from the bed and hammock because I still have the habit of sleeping on my side and it has just been too uncomfortable to do so in my hammock. But the new adjustments make even my side more comfy.

I hope this is helpful

[sidneyhornblower]

The sag looks like enough. Maybe too much.

I agree. I think there's too much sag. Can you move the ends farther apart? Not higher, just farther apart.
Caveat: I have zero experience with Eno hammocks.