Careful, all this talking about finger guns is going to get this thread shutdown;<)
Careful, all this talking about finger guns is going to get this thread shutdown;<)
By all means, let's argue about whether or not a hammock will hurt a tree. All the while ignoring the fact that there is an island of garbage the size of Texas floating in the Pacific ocean. Or how about the fact that over 75% of the world's nuclear reactors are leaking...
So back to the RL length discussion. All finger guns aside, I used the UH Calculator yesterday to hang my finished DIY 11' hammock, 108" fixed RL. Based on the input, I was told to set the anchors at about 6.5' high.
Doing this, my RL was all sorts of droopy. After some trial and error, I managed to get the RL somewhat balanced, but it then dropped when I got in.
What's this talk about the 90 degree test? How's that work?
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Same here..Originally Posted by skyjacker
Though I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said I never used the app in my iphone.
Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
Bob's brother-in-law
Just guessing here--it's the blind leading the blind.
If your ridgeline is too loose or droopy--shorten your suspension a little on both ends of hammock--and if it's too tight maybe loosen or lengthen you suspensions a little.
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I see we are back into the fruit salad hang. The ridge line 83% and the 30 degree hang angle are two different answers to two different problems.
The 30 degree deal is about force put on the trees. Essentially the flatter the hammock the more force is exerted on the anchor points. At 30 degrees the force equals the weight of the person in the hammock. Nothing to do with comfort.
The 83% ridge line is all about comfort. At that length ridge line the slack in the hammock will be about right for most people to have a comfortable nights sleep. The two finger twist test or watching something drop as you get in are tools some folks seem to need. Your body will tell you if it is happy or not. That is the real test.
The bottom line is to hang flat enough to keep some tension on the ridge line when laying in the hammock. It does not need to be guitar string tight but does not want to flop in your face. Making the suspension tighter than that increases the force on the anchor points and the suspension. Go by the ridge line and accept the angle that gives you some ridge line tension. Just don't go gorilla on the ropes as all it does is break things.
YMMV
HYOH
Free advice worth what you paid for it. ;-)
Yes, and no. They may be separate issues, but they are connected. A ridgeline set at 83% will be appropriately taut with a hang angle at ~30 degrees.
I prefer a ridgeline set to about 86% on my current hammock and so I need to have a hang angle of slightly less than 30 degrees to keep the ridgeline taut and keep my sag where I like it.
<edit> after re-reading... I guess you said the same thing. I just wanted to point out that the two aren't completely separate issues.
Yes and no...again...lol all of these things vary depending on the amount and distribution of weight being held by the hammock. As an example, some people hang their pack from their suspension, this alters the weight and distribution, making the end with the pack on it dip closer to the tree. which in turn alters the way the hammock and everything in it hangs. This means that it'll be necessary to compensate for things like that.
For comfort, I generally don't use the 30° rule, I go by how the hammock sags. To lay at an angle the sides need to be floppy enough. If you look at Shug's videos you can see how much of an angle from the centerline he lays at. I don't lay at nearly as extreme an angle. I generally get in and lay along the centerline, then scoot my feet over until my heels drop into the sag and the backs of my knees are supported by the "calf ridge"... Usually only about 6-12 inches from centerline.
I used to use ridgeline on my hammock but I don't bother with it any more except on my Bug-net. People have come up with all sorts of ways to make adjusting your hang easy, and learning to do buries with Amsteel and knots and rope work in general opens up all sorts of doors in this direction. It's like being able to make your own hardware for any need you might discover in the field, light weight, and no forge, welder, or mining necessary.
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You mean I don't have to mine for naturally occurring Amsteel and Dutch Bling?? But that just takes all the fun out of it for me!!
Another +1. And I still don't understand a ridgeline. After going without it, it's so much more comfortable just lying flat and not having a cord force my hammock into a banana shape. I find the UQ fits better as well, since it's also not forced into that shape.
I don't use an SRL either. I guess if i were to use a bugnet I'd have to, but I do just fine without most times. YMMV!
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