A few questions and observations after sleeping iin a hammock for the first week...

[joe_guilbeau]

Did I miss the ridgeline tension? Also I personally cannot sleep with elevated legs, has to be elevated torso. Your mileage may differ.

[TheKiltedWolf]

Did I miss the ridgeline tension? Also I personally cannot sleep with elevated legs, has to be elevated torso. Your mileage may differ.

I have one that is built into the OneWind, I have it set to be tight but I have not measured it. I will tonight and report.

[st4hangin]

I have one that is built into the OneWind, I have it set to be tight but I have not measured it. I will tonight and report.

use this its a good starting point so ride line should be around 114"

[TheKiltedWolf]

use this its a good starting point so ride line should be around 114"

I measured last night and the ridgeline is at 117". I will measure out the straps tonight. See if I am at or close to the diagram.

[cougarmeat]

TheKiltedWolf - don't let the cart push the horse. Those measurements are strong suggestions but not RULES. The first question is, "Are you comfortable? The second question is, "Can you be more comfortable?" Yes, there are some physical restraints - as you get smaller than a 30° hang angle you are putting more stress on the hammock and/or suspension -depending on whether you use a structural ridgeline. But those numbers are "... in general ..." They give you a starting point, not an absolute goal.

Note that the ridgeline doesn't have to be "structural". You could use a light cord of the proper length attached to your hammock ends with something like a small S-biner. You'd set up your hang so that the ridgeline is just taut, then remove it so it doesn't take any more stress. So it's a very long measuring stick, Its job is to let you know when your hang angle what you like.

If the ridgeline is made with a stronger cord, like 1.75mm or 2mm Amsteel, it is considered structural. With that, you can hang at a shallower angle and your hammock will have the same sag. You still exert more stress on the suspension, but the hammock is relatively protected.

For me, the decision was about when to measure - should I measure the distance between the hammock ends when I'm in or out of the hammock? Practicality answered that. I found I couldn't be in two places at once. So I taut my ridgeline to be the desired length when I wasn't in the hammock. If someone is with you to help, they can measure the end-to-end distance when you are in the hammock and you'd use that length for your ridgeline. I'd imagine the ridgeline length, whether you are in or out of the hammock, would be in or out of the hammock would be about the same.

Those numbers give you a starting point to find your comfort setup, comfort is the goal, not exactly matching calculator measurements - though they might be perfect for you.

[snakebit]

First and foremost, welcome to the wonderful world of hammock camping. I share a similar story to you and I hope the hammock will be as much of a game changer for you as it was for me.

I bought my Warbonnet BB 13 years ago with the intention of hiking the AT, but shortly after hurt my knee and scrapped the AT. The hammock was barely used during the next 10. years.

Shortly after I scrapped that trip, I quit smoking cigarettes. When I did, I moved and threw away nearly everything, including my mattress. Not being able to afford decent mattress (and thinking about my BlackBird) I bought a $70 Mayan hammock and a hammock stand, and slept in that for 6 months til I bought my Tempur-pedic mattress. The Mayan hammock slept good, but the netting material was annoying and hard to manage. My feet would get caught in the netting etc.

Fast-forward 10 years, one wife, and two kids later. I gained weight and began to snore like a grizzly bear. I simply cannot be in the same room as my wife or she will not sleep a wink. And when the misses doesn't sleep, nobody has a good day. Like you, I slept on the couch, which is just awful for the body, and left me with a pinched nerve. So, I reached for my old hammock stand, and my Warbonnet BB and put it all together in my home office as a temporary solution. That was well over two years ago. I have slept in this hammock 99% of my nights since then. On the rare occasion I must sleep in a bed I am just miserable compared to my hammock. Shug (not surprisingly) gave you phenomenal advice - be patient and don't expect immediate results. Anything worth doing is worth doing well and hanging is no different. It will take some time to find the sweet spot, in general, just do what works for you. But once you find that perfect spot, it is life changing.

"I have tried asymmetrical sleeping and back while on center." - While generally I recommend people experiment and try different things to get the right hang, there is on exception to that - the body angle. I would urge you to find the correct asymmetrical body angle, there is simply no other way to get a good, flat hang. Sleeping on center will make you sleep with a back curved like a banana. I'm no doctor but I can't imagine a scenario where that isn't bad for your back.

A really cool benefit to hanging inside in a designated spot each night, is that you can cater your surroundings to your hammock. A shelf or piece of furniture for a glass of water, etc. A handle or something similar that is stationary, to help you get out of the hammock. Have fun with it and set up your space to your liking!

Happy hanging!

[TheKiltedWolf]

First and foremost, welcome to the wonderful world of hammock camping. I share a similar story to you and I hope the hammock will be as much of a game changer for you as it was for me.

I bought my Warbonnet BB 13 years ago with the intention of hiking the AT, but shortly after hurt my knee and scrapped the AT. The hammock was barely used during the next 10. years.

Shortly after I scrapped that trip, I quit smoking cigarettes. When I did, I moved and threw away nearly everything, including my mattress. Not being able to afford decent mattress (and thinking about my BlackBird) I bought a $70 Mayan hammock and a hammock stand, and slept in that for 6 months til I bought my Tempur-pedic mattress. The Mayan hammock slept good, but the netting material was annoying and hard to manage. My feet would get caught in the netting etc.

Fast-forward 10 years, one wife, and two kids later. I gained weight and began to snore like a grizzly bear. I simply cannot be in the same room as my wife or she will not sleep a wink. And when the misses doesn't sleep, nobody has a good day. Like you, I slept on the couch, which is just awful for the body, and left me with a pinched nerve. So, I reached for my old hammock stand, and my Warbonnet BB and put it all together in my home office as a temporary solution. That was well over two years ago. I have slept in this hammock 99% of my nights since then. On the rare occasion I must sleep in a bed I am just miserable compared to my hammock. Shug (not surprisingly) gave you phenomenal advice - be patient and don't expect immediate results. Anything worth doing is worth doing well and hanging is no different. It will take some time to find the sweet spot, in general, just do what works for you. But once you find that perfect spot, it is life changing.

"I have tried asymmetrical sleeping and back while on center." - While generally I recommend people experiment and try different things to get the right hang, there is on exception to that - the body angle. I would urge you to find the correct asymmetrical body angle, there is simply no other way to get a good, flat hang. Sleeping on center will make you sleep with a back curved like a banana. I'm no doctor but I can't imagine a scenario where that isn't bad for your back.

A really cool benefit to hanging inside in a designated spot each night, is that you can cater your surroundings to your hammock. A shelf or piece of furniture for a glass of water, etc. A handle or something similar that is stationary, to help you get out of the hammock. Have fun with it and set up your space to your liking!

Happy hanging!

I could have written this with all the same details! So what stand are you using? Last night was pretty good, only woke up once!
I am experimenting with side sleeping now so I will keep up this thread, Thank you!