Relationship between hammock length, width, and ridgeline.

[fugalster]

I know the general rules for a "standard" hammock: longer is generally better, ridgeline is about 83% of hammock length, width is whatever the fabric stock width is minus hem allowance.

But what about when one strays from "standard"? Does a wider body allow for shorter length? What about the golden 83%? Does that change with a 72" wide fabric vs the more common 58"?

My goal is to make as short of a ridgeline as possible while still providing a comfortable lay. The reason is because I want to make a rigid spreader bar to hold the ends apart, and the propensity for the bar to buckle is related to the bar length squared, so a small reduction in length can result in a big reduction in strength/weight requirements. I don't want the complications of a perpendicular hammock like the Amok or hammocktent (extra webbing/obscene number of cords), though the fact that they exist says you can get comfortable deviations from "standard."

Anybody have any insight on this?

[sqidmark]

This summer I made a wide hammock out of W1.6 with the hope of being able to go shorter so we could use a shorter tarp. Didn't work out that way at all. I sewed channels but I whipped one end to various lengths from 10' to it's full 11'9". Did the same with 58 inchers. Bottom line, no matter what the width, 11' is our minimum comfort length. We slept at the various lengths, not merely jump in/out and reset. We're only 5'4" and have various physical ailments that no doubt affect our judgement. We found no benefit for us with the wider fabric, but we could easily see how taller folks could.

Another time, we spent a few hours testing the extremes of ridgeline lengths with adjustable ridgelines. As I recall we went as far as 8" to both sides of 83%. 4" in either direction did not make any significant difference, but 6" was definitely too much. We determined that 83% is close enough for us.

[hutzelbein]

In my experience, width is useless if the hammock is too short. The sides will be forced up, like a bathtub, and you won't be able to lie diagonally. That's probably why many short hammocks are very narrow (e.g. DD and Claytor hammocks).

For me, the 83% rule only applies to ~11' hammocks. With longer hammocks, a shorter ridgeline is often more comfortable. Shorter hammocks benefit from a longer ridgeline. Once you go really short, you have to ditch the ridgeline completely, because in order to get a somewhat flat lay, it has to be so long that it's in your face.

The 30° hang angle changes as well, of course. Look at the long Brazilian hammocks: some are hung with 45° and more. Then look at DD and the likes: they are hung with a very shallow angle.