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  1. #11
    Senior Member Mustardman's Avatar
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    After sitting here at work, racking my brain to remember all the fancy ropework I've learned for climbing, I remembered one of my favorite tricks - the Munter hitch. I did some searching in the forums and noticed a few others have discussed it before, but I feel really good for thinking of it on my own anyways.

    The munter is a belaying hitch used to rappel or belay a partner when all you've got is a carabiner. It's an easily adjustable hitch which could be used to fine-tune the hammock position, and then each end could be tied off in a munter mule to keep it secure. Now I'm anxious to get the heck out of work and go try it out.

  2. #12
    Senior Member Mustardman's Avatar
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    More replying to myself - can ya tell I'm excited about this thing?

    I am waiting for an experiment to finish and can do all my work for the rest of the day with a laptop and notebook, so I decided to take the warbonnet outside my lab building and set it up, since it's sunny and 60 degrees. This thing is so spacious that there's absolutely no problem finding space to work on a laptop or write in a notebook.

    I also tried out the Munter hitch method of hanging and definitely prefer it to the clove hitches I was using before.

    I still haven't set up the tarp - I felt silly enough hanging a hammock in the middle of a campus, and would feel even sillier messing with the tarp. Besides, it's a gorgeous sunny day and I wanted to enjoy that weather.

    Edit: I almost forgot to mention - one of the things I really like about the design of the warbonnet is the fact that the fabric on one side of my shoulder is taller than that on the other side. I was able to point that side toward the sun and keep the glare off my laptop screen. Pretty handy, and pretty clever.

  3. #13
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    Oct 2006
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    If he's using Walmart's eggcrate pad, it really only insulates to the smallest thickness...i.e. in between the bumps on the eggcrate. On a 3/8" eggcrate that's like using a 1/8" pad.
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

    - My site: http://www.tothewoods.net/
    - Designer, Jeff's Gear Hammock / Pack Cover by JRB

    IMPOSSIBLE JUST TAKES LONGER

  4. #14
    Senior Member Mustardman's Avatar
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    First night in my Blackbird

    I traveled to Alabama for a climbing competition this weekend, and tried the Blackbird out for the first all-night hang. Unfortunately, I had mixed results.

    The upside is, I was generally able to stay warm and reasonably comfortable. I was able to sleep fairly well, which isn't something I've always been able to say when tent camping. I wasn't blown away by my first night hanging, but it was alright. With a cheap walmart foam pad plus a thermarest, and a 15 degree synthetic bag from Alps Mountaineering, I was comfortable into the low 30's.

    Except when my pads moved. And they definitely moved, leaving me with cold spots on shoulders or legs. I'm going to have to get the pad thing fine-tuned if I'm going to keep hanging, or just suck it up and fork out the cash for an underquilt.

    Speaking of the pads, they seemed to greatly negatively affect my comfort. I just couldn't get as comfortable a lay as I have in the test runs I've given the hammock - the pads were stiff and uncomfortable against my neck especially.

    More importantly, it seemed like I couldn't get the hang adjusted right. At first, I had it hung too tightly, and the hammock felt super curved, not a flat lay at all. Then I loosened it up, and it felt better, but still not flat by any means. And no matter what I did with it, it always seemed like my feet were way high in the air. You'll see in one of the pictures how much lower I have the feet hung than the head, as I was desperately trying to get away from the "feet way up high" feeling I experienced all night.

    I was not able to achieve a flat lay, and I was definitely not comfortable side sleeping. This seems to contradict what I found earlier in the week, so I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong.

    The verdict: No verdict yet, I have to spend more time figuring this thing out.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #15
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mustardman View Post
    More importantly, it seemed like I couldn't get the hang adjusted right. At first, I had it hung too tightly, and the hammock felt super curved, not a flat lay at all. Then I loosened it up, and it felt better, but still not flat by any means. And no matter what I did with it, it always seemed like my feet were way high in the air. You'll see in one of the pictures how much lower I have the feet hung than the head, as I was desperately trying to get away from the "feet way up high" feeling I experienced all night.

    I was not able to achieve a flat lay, and I was definitely not comfortable side sleeping. This seems to contradict what I found earlier in the week, so I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong.

    The verdict: No verdict yet, I have to spend more time figuring this thing out.
    Have you tried a ridgeline? Or does it have one?
    That can really help the sag factor.
    I have a Blackbird on the way and am really excited to try it out and fiddle with it.
    The plain fact is that hammocks do require a learning curve ... as do most backpacking gear items.
    Endeavor to persevere....
    Shug
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  6. #16
    Senior Member Mustardman's Avatar
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    The hammock does indeed have a ridgeline. The first night I got it, I tried it in the backyard and was very impressed with how flat the lay was. Laying on my side or back were completely comfortable. I also tried it with a pad that same night and it seemed quite comfortable with the pad.

    I must have gotten lucky, because since then I haven't been able to find the same sweet spot for comfort.

  7. #17
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    hmm,

    did you try it with both pads stacked like that earlier in the week? a single pad might be more comforftable. did you deflate the air pad half-way? really needs to be very deflated, once you lay on it it will even out even if it feels too empty during instalation. the rope angle on the last pic looks right. i like my head and my feet about the same level, but some actually like their feet higher than their head believe it or not. might take time to get used to the feeling. how heavy are you? i'm 160 and can lay pretty flat on my side in your version (at least with no pads inside). flat enough to where i don't feel hip torque. i make sure to keep my feet in the footbox and stay diagonal, if you move them over it definately wouldn't feel as flat.

  8. #18
    Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mustardman View Post
    The hammock does indeed have a ridgeline. The first night I got it, I tried it in the backyard and was very impressed with how flat the lay was. Laying on my side or back were completely comfortable. I also tried it with a pad that same night and it seemed quite comfortable with the pad.

    I must have gotten lucky, because since then I haven't been able to find the same sweet spot for comfort.
    as long as you are laying diagonal with feet in the footbox and shoulder near the zipper and don't feel like you are leaning left or right you are in it. i can slide toward either the head or foot end quite a bit and not have it effect the lay.

    i can't figure how the level of flatness would have changed unless it is maybe due to an overinflated air pad causing issues.

  9. #19
    Senior Member Mustardman's Avatar
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    I actually only had one pad in the hammock earlier in the week, so the stacked pads might have had something to do with the discomfort. When I stacked the pads, I ended up only partly overlapping them, so they were wider at the shoulder section, which is where I was having the most problems staying on the pad. I did have a heck of a time keeping the pads underneath me, and it seems like it would be even harder to get good coverage with only one pad. I might have to try the "wings" idea of something like an SPE to try to get some coverage for my arms with a single-layer pad.

    I still think I had the hang screwed up somehow - I tried the hammock out after I took out the pads while I was tearing down, and I still had that weird "feet higher than my head" feeling. I was making sure to keep my feet in the footbox but it didn't seem to help much. I think I've just got to experiment with it some more.

    I really need to get me a hammock stand so I can try this stuff indoors without scaring the neighbors at night setting things up with a headlamp.

  10. #20
    Senior Member Mustardman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by warbonnetguy View Post
    as long as you are laying diagonal with feet in the footbox and shoulder near the zipper and don't feel like you are leaning left or right you are in it. i can slide toward either the head or foot end quite a bit and not have it effect the lay.

    i can't figure how the level of flatness would have changed unless it is maybe due to an overinflated air pad causing issues.
    I more meant the sweet spot tension-wise. It was definitely not comfortable at all when I had it hung pretty tight, and got better when I loosened things up a bit, but still didn't seem as good as that first night. Another difference might be the distance between the trees - the first night, the trees were pretty close together, while this trip they were further apart.

    The air pad was definitely not inflated anywhere nearly as firmly as I do when I use it on the ground, but I can try it out inflating it even less.

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