The importance of levelling

[NCPatrick]

Practice makes perfect, but I still use one of these (yellow) on my ridgeline. It helps when you're just too tired to eyeball it, which some people are better at than others...

[Doctari]

Like most, I like my feet end a few inches higher than my head end, and as others have stated, after a while (practice practice practice) you will be able to "eyeball it" to pretty accurate. As far as steep slopes go, I have hung with my foot end tree hugger ON THE GROUND at the base of a tree & my head end one at a bit over my head. It was GREAT!! Sadly, I had a disposable (ie; Cardboard clad) camera & it was pouring the rain so no pictures.

[leepingreenlizards]

Practice makes perfect, but I still use one of these (yellow) on my ridgeline. It helps when you're just too tired to eyeball it, which some people are better at than others...

Someone please help me to understand this, because it seems just plain silly to me...it's a ridgeline and a hammock, not the foundation for a house.

What next, a 10 foot level to check the trees with and building code's for hammock hangers?

Not trying to give anyone a hard time.................but "great-googly-moogly", It's just a hammock!

[NCPatrick]

Yep, and my hammock is not comfortable when it's not level, so... Why wouldn't I use a tool I have at hand to make my life easier. It's what all good problem solvers do.

[leepingreenlizards]

Yep, and my hammock is not comfortable when it's not level, so... Why wouldn't I use a tool I have at hand to make my life easier. It's what all good problem solvers do.

Interesting, what kind of hammock do you have and if you had it to do over again, would you pick one that was easier to setup and didn't require the carrying and use of specialized tools that aren't normally carried for backpacking...what ever they may be?

Thanks Patrick!

[NCPatrick]

I get your point. Let's get back OT.

[BillyBob58]

Someone please help me to understand this, because it seems just plain silly to me...it's a ridgeline and a hammock, not the foundation for a house.

What next, a 10 foot level to check the trees with and building code's for hammock hangers?

Not trying to give anyone a hard time.................but "great-googly-moogly", It's just a hammock!

Yep, and my hammock is not comfortable when it's not level, so... Why wouldn't I use a tool I have at hand to make my life easier. It's what all good problem solvers do.

Interesting, what kind of hammock do you have and if you had it to do over again, would you pick one that was easier to setup and didn't require the carrying and use of specialized tools that aren't normally carried for backpacking...what ever they may be?

Thanks Patrick!

I agree, it's totally unnecessary. And it is a piece of gear that would probably have no other purpose. But what the heck. Now that I've got my packs from 50 pounds down to 25 or 20 or 15 pounds, I sometimes add some toys back in. In this case it probably won't cost you much over an ounce or less than an ounce.

I have some line levels that were intended to go on the ridge line of my first Hennessy hammock ultralight Explorer. I have never taken them out of the package, even three years later. One good reason would be that two of the hammock's I use most often don't even have ridge lines!

However, on more than one occasion, usually on sloping ground, I have had at least a few minutes of hassle involved as I went back and forth trying to figure out if the foot was a few inches higher (or in the case of the bridge hammock, if the head was a few inches higher). Then to make matters worse, I eyeball it completely wrong and figure it out once I'm laying in the hammock. None of that's a big deal, considering that I really normally have plenty of time once I get into camp to get things set up right. But what the heck, having a cool little laser gizmo like that to help me figure it out might be fun, especially if it only increased my pack weight from 15 pounds to 15 lbs. 1 oz. or so. So I say: go for it! It will at least provide some entertainment in camp! After you are set up, maybe you can use it to drive the squirrels crazy the way I use a laser to drive our cats crazy! ( Multi-use item! ) I think if I had that laser, I'd probably take it. Even though it's definitely unnecessary.

My GPS is several ounces heavier than it really needs to be, compared to the GPS I used to use. Between my old GPS at probably half the weight, and my map and compass, the odds of me getting lost were slim to none. But my newer GPS and all of the topographic maps, and aerial photos that are loaded on it, make it just too much fun to leave behind. Especially when planning routes for the day. Necessary? Definitely not. Enough fun for an extra few ounces? Almost always!

[kayak karl]

as long as its not in MY pack YOU can carry whatever you want

i used a 4 ft level with a separate line to level attachment to trees years ago. i then played with changing the strap lengths on each side. the shorted side is higher. common sense, but this playing around paid off when hanging in shelters with only 5 feet clearance. so go have fun (like u need my permission LOL).

i carry a sketch pad, slingshot and throwing knives

[Alamosa]

Interesting, what kind of hammock do you have and if you had it to do over again, would you pick one that was easier to setup and didn't require the carrying and use of specialized tools that aren't normally carried for backpacking...what ever they may be?

Thanks Patrick!

What definition of "normally carried" are you using? If you mean typical, in the grand scheme of backpacking, you could probably add hammocks, whoopie slings, dutch clips, etc. etc. to your list of not normally carried. For the people using these, it sounds very much like they are normally carried.

I haven't carried any kind of leveling device in the past, but I have had the scenario where I hang, step back to find that the two ends are nowhere near level, adjust, step back, adjust, etc. etc. and it seems like some of these ideas are very convenient, light for function, and would make hanging much simpler and more fun. Pretty much the criteria I would use for any piece of gear I consider taking.

May have to try one of these next time. Seems if the tarp ridgeline were set basically level, it would make a good guide for hanging the hammock and getting the proper foot end rise that I want on the first try.

[leepingreenlizards]

What definition of "normally carried" are you using? If you mean typical, in the grand scheme of backpacking, you could probably add hammocks, whoopie slings, dutch clips, etc. etc. to your list of not normally carried. For the people using these, it sounds very much like they are normally carried.

I haven't carried any kind of leveling device in the past, but I have had the scenario where I hang, step back to find that the two ends are nowhere near level, adjust, step back, adjust, etc. etc. and it seems like some of these ideas are very convenient, light for function, and would make hanging much simpler and more fun. Pretty much the criteria I would use for any piece of gear I consider taking.

May have to try one of these next time. Seems if the tarp ridgeline were set basically level, it would make a good guide for hanging the hammock and getting the proper foot end rise that I want on the first try.

Didn't know there was more than one definition for "normally carried" and since this is a hammock forum, the "normally carried" would...as strange as it may sound, relate to hammocks.

I guess I just don't understand how a hammock can be completely useless, unless hung perfectly level, nor do I understand how carrying a level makes hammocking "more fun and simpler". That's seems like such a strange thing to say.

Perhaps it all comes down to OCD. LOL!