Ridgeline Help i must be doing something wrong

**CrazyChris** · 02-22-2015, 17:15

so ive made a ridge line and i wanted it to be structural but as i lay or sit in my hammock the ridgeline sags creates about a foot or more of catenary (sag in the line) i am just trying to get a consistent hang What am i doing wrong

**rog97** · 02-22-2015, 17:54

Your ridge line should be around 83% of your hammock length. If you are set at that and have sag in the ridge line you need to adjust your suspension tighter to reduce the sag in the hammock (the ridge line will tighten up)

**CrazyChris** · 02-22-2015, 18:00

Originally Posted by rog97

Your ridge line should be around 83% of your hammock length. If you are set at that and have sag in the ridge line you need to adjust your suspension tighter to reduce the sag in the hammock (the ridge line will tighten up)

Thanks for the quick response! I have set my ridgeline at 83% of my hammock length. I have also tried tightening my suspension but alas still sag. How tight are you talking should my suspension be almost parallel with flat ground?

**rog97** · 02-22-2015, 18:07

Suspension should be at a 30 deg angle. This may help
http://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/

**Monkeyboy42** · 02-22-2015, 18:13

Originally Posted by CrazyChris

Thanks for the quick response! I have set my ridgeline at 83% of my hammock length. I have also tried tightening my suspension but alas still sag. How tight are you talking should my suspension be almost parallel with flat ground?

Suspension should be set at 30 degrees to ground. It usually drops to 45 after you get in.

What is your ridgeline and suspension made out of. Are you getting stretch? Unless you're using low to no stretch rope and straps you may be stretching. Nylon rope can stretch like a rubber band. It seems like a lot of stretch though.

I was using a "low stretch" poly system at first, and was finding that I had to pull things tighter than 30 degrees. I switched to amsteel and it was all better.
Weight also plays a role with the stretching. The heavier you are the more stretch you can get.

**CrazyChris** · 02-22-2015, 18:35

The line is amsteel and i feel the calculator doesn't really help because in the forest I'm not going to have it and I'm not going to know how far apart my trees are. That being said if i have a 30degree from tree to sling my 83% ridgeline should be tight? Correct?

**FJRpilot** · 02-22-2015, 20:23

So, measure your normal stride, pace off the distance between hanging trees and you will be close enough to determine the height to start at... It's really not hard..

**Ujjc001** · 02-22-2015, 20:42

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...d.php?t=101230 I had the same problem and found that I needed more space from tree to tree

**rog97** · 02-22-2015, 21:16

A couple things that affect things, distance between trees,how high up the trees you connect your suspension. The calculator can give you a feel for these. In the woods just step off the distance to get trees that are about the correct distance ( I try to stay between 13-18 feet and set my straps about 6 foot up the tree), once set up use your thumb and index finger along the suspension (thumb parallel to tree index finger parallel to ground) and adjust suspension so it touches both your thumb and finger this will get you close to 30 deg. At this point if the ridge line is slack with the hammock weighted just snug up the suspension a little.

**DanglingModifier** · 02-22-2015, 22:54

I think the advice to tighten the suspension is sound. That might also require attachment points further away from each other.

My experience has been that when the hammock is properly hung the ridgeline gets a bit more taut when you get in, versus less taut. That's been the most comfortable recipe for me anyway.