I should have left the Bushmills by the firepit. I felt no heel pressure, and neither would you had you drank more of it.
I should have left the Bushmills by the firepit. I felt no heel pressure, and neither would you had you drank more of it.
Read through all the post and I smiled when I got to the one about an 8hr cozy nap! Glad you stuck with it!
I too, just finished a backyard overnighter and am compelled to share since it's about the best nights sleep for me and it's totally consistent. In bed, I'll wake at around 6:30 and that's it, I'm up.. Cranky and stiff. In the hammock I wake about an hour later and can easily fall back asleep for another hour or more as long as the sun isn't blasting me right in my eyes.
Anyway.. I use a modified CCF pad and a small Sea to Summit stuff sack pillow under my head. Nothing under my knees. No pressure points anywhere. My key points when hanging are...
First, and most important, get my foot end higher. When I step back I want to see a ridge line that is clearly tilted, and lower at the head end. If I measured from the ground to end gathers, the head would be consistently between three and four inches lower, regardless of where I put my straps. I get the angle right using a combination of higher foot end tree strap and simply stringing the foot adjustments higher. I won't lie, I don't always get both ends to a perfect 30' (in fact I rarely do) but I do always get the foot end higher.
Second, I aim for a slightly loose ridge line.. If I can't put a 90' bend in it while reclined, it's too tight.
Third, I use the same technique mentioned above to be sure I am in the sweet spot.. I should be able to reach up over head and touch the head end gather. If I can't reach it, I don't have the feet high enough. Having said that, sometimes I can recline back and find that I am in the perfect spot and then wake up only to find I've slid back towards to the foot.. I grab the ridge line and hike myself up and then make mental note to NEVER brake rule one.. Hang my feet higher.
Side pull outs don't seem to make a difference. I put them all over the place. Sometimes straight out perpendicular, sometimes I string the front side to the tarp stake and some times I don't use them all.
Here's the last key for me that seems effective in eliminating pressure points. Once I am in the hammock I make sure there are no gathers of material under me. On the head end, I grab the zipper side with my left hand, do a slight roll to the right and tug the material out from under my torso. It's inevitable I find I am now in the center of the hammock which would ultimately be problematic. So with the material taught under me I slide closer to the zipper. I should be able to get my left arm to rest up on the zipper like an arm rest. Then I bend my legs and put my heels towards the center line of the hammock at the foot end, and with my heels I put light downward pressure on the material and extend my legs into the foot box. This smooths out the gathers at the foot end. The end result is that I have a good diagonal and no gathers to creat pressure. It all sounds very mechanical, but I swear it now happens automatically. If I wake with slighted discomfort I repeat these steps and I'm good to go. I find that if I do this when I first setup, the CCF pad keeps everything smooth, as you've already discovered.
I never would have thought I would get such a great sleep in a hammock, especially after my first one or two hangs in a HH. But no joke, I sleep like a baby and wake up feeling great. I'll avoid tents and ground sleeping like the plague and the only thing coaxing me back to a bed is my wife..
Sent from East of Montauk
Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
Bob's brother-in-law
^ NAILED it. I haven't used my BB in a while, but when I do this sounds like my process. And yes, it is "automatic" and no hassle at all.
And, I failed to mention I have tried sleeping with my head in the foot box. Interesting experiment. It wasn't so much 'better' in the way of comfort as it was 'different'. I did like having the storage shelf by my feet, but I've gone back to traditional lay position because I didn't find any additional comfort. I do know that if ever I replace my WBBB it would only be with another BB cut and sewn with a mirror lay and in a single layer rather than my current DL. But that's a long way off considering how comfortable my current setup is.
Sent from East of Montauk
Yes, my pack weighs 70lbs, but it's all light weight gear....
Bob's brother-in-law
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