Newbie Question.

[hattrick1974]

Hi all,
New to the forum.
Well found the sight while trying to figure out a good hammock for one my size. I'm 6'5" 265-270lbs about a 50 jacket size. I went with the Eno DN liked the weight limit with price..
Well during my search i saw all the diy hammocks vids on the tube. I love any diy.. Well saw that they were being made out of ripstop nylon. It just so happened that i had almost a complete bolt of the stuff leftover from making some things for my photography business. Not sure what the oz is have had the bolt for about 11 yrs. I would like to try my hand a the diy gatherd end like knotty showed. 1) With my size according to info out there i would need a around 13 feet? That just seems big. If anyone is close to my size pleasse advise me to your experiance. 2) My fabric is 60" wide should i add side panels? if so why?

thanks for any and all help...
P

[GvilleDave]

First advice - If you have more fabric thatn you need for a hammock then cut a full width piece 21.6 in long and weigh it (60" x 21.6" = 1296 si = 1 sy) this will let you know what weight RS fabric you are using. If the fabric is 1.9 oz / sy a single layer will hold you fine unless the fabric deteriorated during the 11 yr storage. Heat and sunlight will weaken the fabric over time. If the fabric turns out to be 1.1 oz RS I would suggest making a double layer hammock. That would only be slightly more difficult to make and as a bonus you can use pads for insulation between the layers.

As for length, I am 6' 2" and I start my DIY hammocks with 11' 8" of fabric and by the time you hem the edges and sew the channel you are left with about 11' 5" which is very comfortable for me. Alot of folks start with only 10 or 11' but I think to an extent longer is better. I find a 108" ridgeline length works good for me on a 11' 5" long hammock. IMO 13' of fabric would be overkill and you would have a harder time using some tarps.

Good Luck and share pics when you're done. I say dive in and give it a go.

[Shug]

One of our very own Mods has a terrific site with instructions......ToTheWoods
Shug

[hattrick1974]

First advice - If you have more fabric thatn you need for a hammock then cut a full width piece 21.6 in long and weigh it (60" x 21.6" = 1296 si = 1 sy) this will let you know what weight RS fabric you are using. If the fabric is 1.9 oz / sy a single layer will hold you fine unless the fabric deteriorated during the 11 yr storage. Heat and sunlight will weaken the fabric over time. If the fabric turns out to be 1.1 oz RS I would suggest making a double layer hammock. That would only be slightly more difficult to make and as a bonus you can use pads for insulation between the layers.

As for length, I am 6' 2" and I start my DIY hammocks with 11' 8" of fabric and by the time you hem the edges and sew the channel you are left with about 11' 5" which is very comfortable for me. Alot of folks start with only 10 or 11' but I think to an extent longer is better. I find a 108" ridgeline length works good for me on a 11' 5" long hammock. IMO 13' of fabric would be overkill and you would have a harder time using some tarps.

Good Luck and share pics when you're done. I say dive in and give it a go.

gville,

well weighed it and it is 1.90z think i might start with 12.5 before hems can always make it smaller. What about width my double is 6'8" never been in a single thats 55" wide. any thoughts?

Shug
thanks for the site and i enjoy ur videos..

[Detail Man]

I'm 6'2" and mine is 11' long with a 108" ridgeline, and it lays really well for me. Here's what I did when I made mine. I cut the fabric about 13', then whipped it at 10' (another common length for hammocks), leaving the extra fabric hanging free. I did a test hang in the backyard, then undid the whipping and tried again at 11', then 12'. When I finally settled on the 11' length, I cut the fabric the final length, hemmed it, and whipped it the last time.

When I experimented with pulling the opposite corners to get an asym, it got whipped and rewhipped several times. Once I got it the way I wanted, I quit messing with it.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[grich9860]

i go 6'2" and my diy hammock is about 11'8" finished length. it hangs very nice for me

[Yakfoot]

Ed Speer's formula is your height plus 2 feet plus about 3 inches for hems. If you make a knot on the end like his design, add another 28 inches to that figure.

[GvilleDave]

I think you will find your 60" wide material plenty wide even after hemming the sides. Go for it - you already have the fabric so a couple hours sewing some hems and you're ready for a test hang... FWIW the WB Traveler inspired gathered end hammock that Knotty shows in his thread is super easy and very comfortable.