Heavy Duty setup

[Norseman7088]

Sounds like your best bet would be going to a group hang and try out a couple of different systems. It doesn't matter how a hammock LOOKS - but only how it FEELS. You might be surprised if you have never tried a proper hammock. Also you might want to say good-bye to old sleeping habits. Most people find that they don't apply to hammocks, because they are so different from a bed. For example I'm a side-sleeper in bed, but I didn't have much of a problem with switching to back-sleeping in the hammock.

If you can't wrap your head around to adjusting, you might want to stay away from hammocks. You could still get off the ground with a portaledge or something like a Tentsile. If weight is not an issue, consider carrying a frame to go easy on the trees. With a shallow hang angle, the forces increase quickly - see e.g. here.


By the way, that Treeboat Hammock looks like it creates more of a banana-shaped lay than any of my hammocks. The thing is, in a sufficiently long and wide gathered end hammock you never lie inline, but rather diagonally. That way you lie a lot flatter than is shown in the Treeboat pictures.

The tree boat isn’t exactly what I have in mind, but it’s closer than a bunched up single line Hammock. The diagonal lay doesn’t look even remotely comfortable. But your right I could try it and see.

[Norseman7088]

I don't think ratchet strapping the hell out of a hammock is a good idea, especially since you're a big dude - the forces exerted upon the trees are enormous if you're not hanging at an angle. And getting a hammock super tight like that is going to sleep like crap anyway, because it's not designed for that. The reason ridgelines are built into good hammocks is to intentionally keep the sag which lets people lay pretty flat diagonally across the bottom of the sag.

In your situation, I'd think a bridge hammock is what you're after. They're flatter. REI, Jacks R Better, Warbonnet, and HammockTent make them. They lay very flat and are closer to a "tree cot" than gathered end hammocks. They can be a little more tippy than gathered end. HammockTent gets around that by having the suspension on the sides instead of the ends, but they are expensive and not compatible with all tarps.

Tentsile uses ratchet straps, that’s where I got the idea from? Thanks I’ll look up some of your suggestions.

[MeisterGrimbart]

What hutzelbein says - the diagonal lay in a long hammock with some considerable slack is extremely comfortable. I, too, am a side sleeper in bed and on the ground, and in both cases I toss and turn the whole night. In a tent or under a tarp I am usually done sleeping very early in the morning, because my bones are hurting and I am uncomfortable, even with an air pad (although for being able to go to the ground unexpectedly, I recently bought a used TAR Neoair Xlite short, and that one does feel quite nice so far).

Basically, on the ground, these days, I sleep like a baby. Every hour or so I wake up and cry.

Anyway, when I first tried a cheap, really even too small gathered end hammock, even only with foam pad and a sleeping bag, I could sleep the whole night through, hardly ever move. Of course I don't really know, because I hardly ever wake up during the night, but when I wake up, I lay just as I did when I fell asleep. And I am very well rested in the morning.

I now have the "parachute silk" hammock by Ticket to the Moon, a double. Those are 295 cm long (the fabric) and 200 cm wide (116 x 79 inches), which later I cut narrower to 160 cm (63 inches), because the sides were hanging in my face, doing no good for the weight and bulk.

One thing I need to be completely comfortable in a hammock like that is a horseshoe-shaped neck pillow, which are sometimes sold as travel pillow for airflight and such. No pillow or a normal pillow makes my neck hurt after a while. So you might also look into that.

I am about your weight but slightly shorter, and I have never felt insecure in the hammock, or feared the system would break and dump me to the ground. Not sure, but I believe these hammocks are rated to people up to 200 kg, which would be ... let's see ... 440 pounds. No worries there.

Apparently, when people string up hammocks to tight, with too little sag, the hammock becomes tippy and can turn over and dump you. Or at least it can feel that way.

So, even if it seems counter-intuitive, a properly sagging hammock that is long enough to lay in it on a slight diagonal is very safe and comfortable, and it does not make you lay like a banana.

If you don't have opportunity to try one out until then, you can try out mine in Sept/Oct, later this year.

[Norseman7088]

I wonder if I bought a popular hammock style with the diagonal lay? And didn’t like it? Could I sell it easily?

[QFT]

Yes, easily, especially if it's from a cottage vendor like Dutchware / Warbonnet / etc

Check out the F/S/T forums on here for proof

[cmoulder]

For all that effort, why not just use a cot with legs? Is it a height (off the ground) issue?

[Draketake]

For all that effort, why not just use a cot with legs? Is it a height (off the ground) issue?

This.

Look at the Camptime Roll-A-Cot. They are actually made in Washington State to boot. Great Company. Super nice owners with exceptional customer service. I have two. I use them a lot. Originally designed for river guides and hunting outfitters.

BTW welcome.

[OlTrailDog]

We use high lines to tie up stock at night, so I have that covered, and won’t damage trees.

I looked at the tentsile but that negates the stove.

I really like using a portable electric fence to keep the horses, or a horse, in. Let the mules roam. Perhaps using hobbles on suspect individuals whose trustworthiness is in question. I've used high lines, pickets, and hobbles but I do like the electric fence a lot. Oh, and bells...love the sound of the bells as they fade off into the distance...silence.

[QFT]

Tentsile uses ratchet straps, that’s where I got the idea from? Thanks I’ll look up some of your suggestions.

Check out this calculator - change the hang angle from 30 degrees to 5, and look at the difference at "Shear Force" against each tree. At 260lb and 30 degree hang, it's 225lb against each tree. At 5 degrees (like you'd get with a ratchet strap), it's 1490lb pulling against the tree. I'm not saying you can't do ratchet straps, and that some companies might use it, I'm just saying I wouldn't and it's a lot more force to worry about.

https://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/

[Norseman7088]

Check out this calculator - change the hang angle from 30 degrees to 5, and look at the difference at "Shear Force" against each tree. At 260lb and 30 degree hang, it's 225lb against each tree. At 5 degrees (like you'd get with a ratchet strap), it's 1490lb pulling against the tree. I'm not saying you can't do ratchet straps, and that some companies might use it, I'm just saying I wouldn't and it's a lot more force to worry about.

https://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/

Tentsile uses three trees to anchor. But they also make tents for multiple occupants. And they use ratchet straps ratchet tight to trees. To create a flat lay. Obviously out west here you don’t want to choose dead lodge pole or something similar. I wouldn’t camp in a burn anyhow for fear of blow downs. But we have a lot of thick sturdy Doug fir and Ponderosa pine trees.

https://youtu.be/nHLVxpyAvs8

https://youtu.be/JbBHNGnC8LM