How flat and diagonal in a Speer?

[OldnSlow]

I have looked on the Speer web site, and it seems that people are sleeping fairly in line in them. How flat does one actually get, and how much of a diagonal? This may be a dumb question, and I will apologize in advance, as I have only slept in a HH Safari, and a DD hammock.

John

[Knotty]

Not much room for a diagonal lie in a Speer. At least not for my six foot two inches.

The Speer is nicely constructed and very simple but I can't get comfortable in it. It's just too short.

[MedicineMan]

and I'm doing fine with a speer at almost 6'1"...yes it does look like a 'straight' sleep, and it is relative to HHs and WBs but you can get on the diagonal -how much depends on you. I sleep fine in any hammock but it took a bit of coaxing with a bridge, speaking of, if a fetal sleep is what you do then it too will be modded in a speer and big time modded in a bridge...but all in all any of the above and other like SwitchBack, CrazyCreek,Eno and so on are better than rock and root sleep.

[OldnSlow]

Thanks to both of you for replying. I absolutely second the any hammock is better than rocks and roots! I will start down the road to rack and ruin, by buying and/or making a Speer (I am getting the material thru the group order) to go along with my HH safari, and either the DD or Claytor. Should that be enough options? Not close to some of the real collectors, but its a start.

[Knotty]

I just made my own Speer type gathered end hammock and it's very comfortable but the key is it's much longer than a Speer. Used two layers of 1.1oz ripstop bought from Scott Littlefield in the first group buy. Finished length is about eleven and a half feet. Gathered the ends using the Warbonnet method.

[OldnSlow]

Thanks, Knotty. I will keep that in mind...the longer hammock, and different end. What length did you start out with? If I remember correctly, doesn't the warbird channel and tied end to give that "mushroom" looking end not use much length, unlike the overhand knot of the actual Speer?

[Frawg]

I think it's very much a YMMV thing. At 6'2" I'm comfortable enough on a slight diagonal in a 9' end-gathered hammock, or a slightly shorter end-channel one, when the width is at least 48" -- and usually around 50 - 52". I imagine it's more Spartan than most would care for.

[OldnSlow]

When I think of it, I slept fine in the DD hammock, which is a 8'9" channel end hammock, which is 54" wide. I am 6'2", and 270 lbs. I guess I sleep similarly to you, Frawg.