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  1. #1
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    hammock as indoor bed

    I need to get a new bed, and I haven't had much luck. I have severe allergies, and most mattresses either make me sick or are very $$$$. I have a small hammock stand w/ hammock, and its fairly comfortable. Its just not quite big enough for me to sleep in as a bed. I'm 5'1" and its about 42" x 77". This is kind of like what I have. Its ok to relax in, but the material shifts and its not 100% comfortable all the time.

    One of my biggest concerns with using a hammock is its stability. I'm going to have a pretty major surgery on my wrist, and I don't want to jostle it or wind up grabbing with it and causing problems. I'm also going to need to sleep with it elevated. Is it possible to manage this in a hammock, or should I look elsewhere?

    Is there such a thing as an organic/green/no chemical hammock? Like I said, I have some pretty major allergies and can't tolerate anything with any kind of fire retardant or chemical smell to it.

    Is there anything else I should know?

  2. #2
    Senior Member BigE94's Avatar
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    Welcome to the forum. Head over to the new members section and introduce yourself.

    What you are suggesting is very common here. Lots of folks have made their hammock a full time go to at night.

    My first thought for a (green) hammock would be something like a cotton Mayan hammock. What kind of hammock are you using now? I would also suggest ditching the stand and mounting some wall anchors if that is possible. I have a stand just like that and have never had anything but problems out of it. It's too short and too loose to get a good lay.

    None of my hammocks bought or made have a chemical smell to them. Some folks are more sensitive than others though. Might I suggest ordering a sample pack or two from Ripstop By The Roll? I would hop on their site and have a live chat. Explain your issue and see what they suggest. Sample packs consist 4 fabrics of your choice and only sets you back 5.50. Once a working fabric has been identified one of the cottage makers here can make you a hammock. out of said material.

    Hammock = Huge savings over a new bed, washable, more comfortable (IMHO) and will last for years.
    I would rather be in the woods... my dog would rather be in the pool. My wife thinks we are both nuts.

  3. #3
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    Thanks BigE94. I'm hoping to find something pre-made that I can buy. I've torn some ligaments in my dominant hand, so I'm not at all up to sewing.

    The hammock I have now is a synthetic grey mesh fabric. I can't seem to find its bag, so I don't know who made it. We've had it for a very long time.

    I'm not 100% sure how to make wall anchors work in my bedroom, since its pretty small and the walls are taken up by storage.

  4. #4
    Senior Member danah.'s Avatar
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    I'm currently using a Warbonnet Ridge Runner bridge hammock as every night sleeping set up. You can easily set up a pillow for hand elevation. You can see a video on the Warbonnet site as to how to get in ans out of the bridge. It's perfectly stable if you can put a hand on the bridge webbing on each side as you roll in. Again I refer you to Brandon's video for the Ridge Runner.
    It may work well for you.
    Perhaps you can find another place in your home with about a fifteen foot span where you'd have access to the walls for stud finding or window structure to use solid anchors or strong eyescrews to allow the hang.
    I find I use both under quilt and top quilt and keep the room cold. Sleep well.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Monkeyboy42's Avatar
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    Generally good advice here so far. You can buy premade Brazilian and Mayan hammocks in cotton. They can give a good diagnol lay. My first backpacking hammock was a short Brazilian, and it had as flat of a lay as many longer gathered end hammocks.

    You are going to need 10'-11' of clear space to hang it. It can be either wall to wall, or a stand. A stand for a 77" hammock really isn't going to work. There's really no way around that... Do you have a friend that's more handy that can help you mount hanging points?

    You can sleep in a hammock without jostling a wrist. You can even keep it elevated by sleeping with it above your head if you can sleep that way. You could also stuff a pillow in next to you to put it on.

    Getting in may be more tricky. It can be done one handed, but is definitely easier with two. With a gathered end I normally spread it open, and holding with both hands before sitting. Once I am sitting it's fine. Getting out I have done one handed many times.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    I've been sleeping full-time in a hammock for about 6 months now, it's very comfortable.

    As long as you can still use your injured arm to nudge fabric toward or away from you (non-weight bearing), you should have no problem at all getting into a hammock. Getting out could be a bit more of a problem -- I know I always use both hands to pull myself upright in the morning, I've never tried to do it with one arm. Speaking of which, it would be a lot easier to maneuver around in a hammock if it's made from nylon or something similar, rather than cotton. You may want to contact some of the popular hammock vendors to see if they'll send you a sample of their fabric. (DutchWare Gear is a very popular vendor, though personally I love the 5 O'Clock Shadow I got from Bearded Hanger.)

    A lot of the stands you can get online or at places like REI aren't going to give you a very comfortable lay. The exceptions would be some of the enormous 14' long ones, and the Tato Gear stand that Dutch sells. If you can have anchors installed on your walls, that would be the most economical way to do it. It doesn't take a lot of wall space -- if you've got 2 clear spots that are at least 10' apart either across the room or diagonally across a corner, that would do it. And wall studs right next to windows and doors are often ideal.

    Also, since you say you're in the Frozen North, you'll probably want to look into getting or making an underquilt, unless you keep your home very warm and/or you've got heat source right next to the hammock. Trying to maneuver a camping pad in a hammock with a bum arm is going to be close to impossible. I remember seeing a youtube video that showed a wool blanket being rigged as an underquilt using just a couple of knots. This might be the video, but youtube is blocked on the computer I'm using.
    Last edited by akaCat; 12-08-2016 at 07:48.

  7. #7
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    Thanks everyone.

    My bedroom is shaped really weird. The door is in one corner and the closet runs almost the whole length of one wall. I don't think I can set one anchor point 9" off one wall and then run the hammock & anchor lines to the opposite wall, which is 15.5' away. Going parallel to the closet, wouldn't work since I'd run into it trying to get from one side to the other. Like I said, weird room. I totally understand that the stand I have is too small. I'd get another stand, but I think a stand is my only option. I'd also like to be able to take it with me on the road, since I've had some major reactions to hotel beds.

    This might sound weird, but could I use something like this IN the hammock for warmth? My bedroom is normally pretty cool, no matter what.

    Is there any consensus on what type of hammock is best for a side sleeper? I normally sleep on my side or in the fetal position. Its all a matter of what position I can relax in best. Making sure my spine is aligned is important, since I've had back and neck injuries (plus shoulder and hip issues too).

  8. #8
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    I started indoor hammock sleeping using a short hammock (GT Ultralight) and a stand similar to what you have. I'm 5'4" and the setup worked great for me. I then bought a longer hammock, but the stand wasn't long enough to accomodate it.

    I've built a couple of different styles of hammock stands (all used indoors) and the one I like best is the Spurtle stand. Easy to construct, small footprint, portable. You could make the legs 6 ft. tall, or so, and not be worried about bumping your head into it.

    I haven't slept on a mattress in two years, but when I did, I was a side sleeper. I assumed it'd be the same in a hammock, but I discovered that I fall asleep on my back in a hammock and generally wake up that way, still on my back.

    For an UQ when sleeping indoors, I've used a PLUQ (summer only), Eno Ember 2, and an AHE New River. (Thermostat set to 60F overnight.) There's a thread about using tarp clips and shock cord to hang most types of insulation (fleece blanket, Costco throw, etc) underneath you.
    Find your inner hammock.

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