A favorite hammock at last? Maybe! Switchback!

[BillyBob58]

I hate to keep evangelizing this point but I almost gave up hammocking because of calf pressure. Changing hammocks didn’t seem to work (I never tried a bridge) so as a last resort I got a 2.5” thick Exped inflatable downmat 7. Not only did it give me a comfortable night’s sleep but calf pressure was completely eliminated using any hammock I owned (you don’t even have to set them up using proper angles or sag). That only left me with the problem of keeping the pad from shifting around. I was never able to do that by putting the pad in between the layers of a double layer hammock. It still moved all over the place. But you can solve the problem by using a Big Agnes sleeping bag with a pad sleeve on bottom. Or, by my preferred method, of making a short 8” sleeve that goes over the end of the pad and velcros to the bottom of the hammock. Inflatable insulated pads are more expensive and heavier than CCF pads but they are getting down around one pound now and you save in the long run because you can use them with any cheap and nasty hammock you want and still get a good nights' sleep. YMMV.

Well, this still gets us back to bridge hammocks, but I think pads work mighty fine in a dbl layer bridge. And there is something to be said for that approach, even though calf pressure is already not a problem in a bridge, and at least so far in this SB.

[HangingOut]

Sorry, but I guess I am a little confused here. How does anything I said get us back to bridge hammocks? The only thing I said about bridge hammocks is that I have never tried one. My point was that an inflatable pad will eliminate calf pressure in virtually any gathered end hammock. Unless I am missing something.

[Doubletime]

Guess I'm lucky in the sense that the first hammock I bought was a Blackbird XLC and I hang it and sleep (soundly) .

[BillyBob58]

Sorry, but I guess I am a little confused here. How does anything I said get us back to bridge hammocks? The only thing I said about bridge hammocks is that I have never tried one. My point was that an inflatable pad will eliminate calf pressure in virtually any gathered end hammock. Unless I am missing something.

Oh, sorry, poor wording on my part I guess, because I guess that info about how beneficial pads were for you eliminating calf pressure resulted in in me wanting to point back to bridge hammocks. True, you only said you had never used a bridge hammock, and I got your clear point about how a pad(or at least the right pad IMO) will eliminate calf pressure in most any hammock.

I was just adding to that that not only do bridge hammocks have zero calf pressure(or knee extension, or waist twist when side sleeping) to start with, but they almost automatically work superbly with pads in my experience. I personally have not cared much for pads in hammocks with rare exceptions using an SPE in a Speer, and lots of folks positively hate all aspects of a pad in a hammock, at least a gathered hammock. But I have read very few complaints when people used a pad(CCF or inflatable) in a double layer bridge, or sometimes even in a single layer bridge, and a few folks even prefer a pad in a bridge over an UQ, saying it in no way decreases comfort while increasing foot and shoulder room. My main use of pads in a bridge is on summer nights when the temps fall lower than expected, and about 4 AM I have a cold back. The I just slip my torso length 20" wide WM blue pad into the pad pocket, and not only am I more than warm enough, but I never even know the pad is there.

So, sorry, you were not taking us back to bridges, I was. I guess when I said "Well, this still gets us back to bridge hammocks," what I meant was "what I am about to say takes us back to bridge hammocks". Obviously, you were not doing so.

[HangingOut]

No worries, this forum is for the civil exchange of ideas and different experiences/opinions and I think that has definitely taken place here.

Don’t get me wrong, I have had nights in a gathered end hammock without a pad and without calf pressure if it is set-up just right and I am laying and positioned just right. But then you move around a bit and it can ruin your night. I have just come to like how simple and forgiving an inflatable pad deals with this. You can do a bad set-up because of weather or poorly spaced trees and it doesn’t matter. The pad automatically creates a sleeping platform at the right angle (if you have it fixed in place with Velcro) and there is never an issue of calf pressure no matter how you move around at night. Added benefits include downmats being comfortable and warm bottom insulation and give you the option of going to ground if good trees are not available. Like I said, YMMV. Thanks for input.

[DeRozea]

I also have the 2qzq topless mod for the switchback and find the same issue of the Velcro not staying closed at the end. I wouldn't do it again, but to remedy it I just loop cord around it and tie it for extra support.

[2Questions]

Sandykayak, I had that mod on my sb. It was kinda handy but I really did not care for It like I thought I would. Wi th me being as big as I am when I got in somehow tb e velcro never stayed secured. I'm sure it was operator error. But if I ever get anothe one I will leave it as is withour the mod, because if needed I would just flip it over.

I also have the 2qzq topless mod for the switchback and find the same issue of the Velcro not staying closed at the end. I wouldn't do it again, but to remedy it I just loop cord around it and tie it for extra support.

Donna here...
I'm sorry to hear this. We haven't heard of this issue before. I'm not sure why the Velcro wouldn't stay closed...but would like some suggestions on why you think it does, and how it can be remedied for future mods, and yours if possible. Is there a lot of pulling on the netting when in the hammock?

I don't want to hijack this thread, so, if you don't mind using your time...would you PM us with your comments/suggestions. My goal is to figure this out so your hammock can be used without any frustrations.
Thank you!