DIY Modifications - Help needed!

[FightingTheTide]

I'm thinking about modifying my DIY 1.1 double and could use some help.

I am 6'3'' and 170lbs with the build of a swimmer/runner. I tend to sleep on my side. The other week I slept in my hammock at a diagonal lay, but my knees, hips, and shoulders started to hurt through the night. Ever few hours I was switching between side sleeping and back sleeping. On my back, my knees would hurt from being bent backwards too much...so I would switch back to my side after an hour...but the same problems kept coming back.

I have a channel sewn in the hammock, and with that the hammock is ~134" x 60".

However, I recently made it shorter and used a "W" fold/gather to see what that was like. With that, it is ~122" long between the knots. That is the setup I used the other week when I was having pain.

1st question - I'll go back to using the channel (not whipping it) to see if that offers me a flatter lay. I know this is such a subjective topic, but is there a general rule of thumb for modifying the gather, channel, etc. to get a flatter lay?

2nd question - is it possible to achieve an asymmetrical shape by sewing a channel that has an offset arc? I wasn't sure if an asym hammock has a propensity to offer a flatter lay...searching on here seems a little inconclusive for me.

BTW - I want this to remain as light as possible, so a bridge hammock is out of the question.

[Aardvark]

My son is also 6'3", and had similar issues. I created for him a 11' hammock after gather, SL 1.9oz. At first he had some issues getting lay dialed in, but using adjustable ridgeline was able to get a very flat feel to it.

I make mine starting as rectangle, then on opposite corners, cut a taper 6" at edge tapering to centerline of hammock, creating a 6 sided blank, then channel the ends for a whip/channel end. Add in the Knotty stretchside mod, all is good to go. You can simulate without cutting by pulling the end on one side out.

Also depends on the stretch of your material, ripstop stretches fairly good, may take a little lay time to "mold" to you, the crinkle taffeta (which I really like" has a much softer hand, not as much perceived stretch. HYOH.

Good Job on the Eagle, my boy is currently stepping thru the last Eagle MB's and project now, he'll join your rank hopefully by 17YO in May.

[stevebo]

I just spent alot of time and effort trying to answer the same question! (still looking for the answer, but I learned alot this year by trying different things) Here was my experiance: I'm about your height, ------I found that using knottys whip method was really uncomfortable for me--it put kind of a strange twist/torque on my lower back. (which is too bad because I really like the simplicity of it) I found that making the hammock longer, and even making an assym shape didnt help very much. (I dont think your arc idea will work very well, for the same reason. )The best compromise I came up with was rigging up an end channel hammock, sort of like the Claytor----and then using a leg pillow. this helps, but still not quite what I'm looking for. I tried every type of whip and fold I could think of--still not what Im looking for. Havnt tried a foot box---but I have tried a grizz bridge hammock---very comfortable, not all that hard to build, -----the only drawback is the rigging is a little more complicated than a GE hammock and your tarp has to be little bigger to accomodate spreader bars. It seems like as a tall person, its alot harder to find the perfect hammock/flattest lay. Anyway, maybe my misadventures in hammock design will save you some time and money! Good luck!

[FightingTheTide]

My son is also 6'3", and had similar issues. I created for him a 11' hammock after gather, SL 1.9oz. At first he had some issues getting lay dialed in, but using adjustable ridgeline was able to get a very flat feel to it.

I make mine starting as rectangle, then on opposite corners, cut a taper 6" at edge tapering to centerline of hammock, creating a 6 sided blank, then channel the ends for a whip/channel end. Add in the Knotty stretchside mod, all is good to go. You can simulate without cutting by pulling the end on one side out.

Also depends on the stretch of your material, ripstop stretches fairly good, may take a little lay time to "mold" to you, the crinkle taffeta (which I really like" has a much softer hand, not as much perceived stretch. HYOH.

Good Job on the Eagle, my boy is currently stepping thru the last Eagle MB's and project now, he'll join your rank hopefully by 17YO in May.

Thanks! It's a lot of work to reach Eagle, but worth it.

I'm using 1.1 ripstop, but also just ordered enough 1.9 ripstop to make a single layer hammock.

Any chance you could find out the length of your son's ridgeline that he dialed in for maximum comfort?

And with your 6-sided blank mod - did that create an asymmetrical shape? I'm pretty set on making an asym tarp (for backpacking) and I've heard an asym tarp works best with an asym hammock.

[FightingTheTide]

I just spent alot of time and effort trying to answer the same question! (still looking for the answer, but I learned alot this year by trying different things) Here was my experiance: I'm about your height, ------I found that using knottys whip method was really uncomfortable for me--it put kind of a strange twist/torque on my lower back. (which is too bad because I really like the simplicity of it) I found that making the hammock longer, and even making an assym shape didnt help very much. (I dont think your arc idea will work very well, for the same reason. )The best compromise I came up with was rigging up an end channel hammock, sort of like the Claytor----and then using a leg pillow. this helps, but still not quite what I'm looking for. I tried every type of whip and fold I could think of--still not what Im looking for. Havnt tried a foot box---but I have tried a grizz bridge hammock---very comfortable, not all that hard to build, -----the only drawback is the rigging is a little more complicated than a GE hammock and your tarp has to be little bigger to accomodate spreader bars. It seems like as a tall person, its alot harder to find the perfect hammock/flattest lay. Anyway, maybe my misadventures in hammock design will save you some time and money! Good luck!

Can you reply with a link to the Claytor end channel hammock you mentioned?

And I forgot to mention that I sleep with a small pillow between my knees. It helps, but it's not a complete fix.

So lengthening the hammock and making an asym shape didn't help? Dangit...those were my next guesses.

Bridge hammock is out - it seems too bulky for backpacking, and I don't have hiking poles to use as spreaders.

Thanks for your tips! Let me now if you find anything else that helps.

[FLRider]

Thanks! It's a lot of work to reach Eagle, but worth it.

I'm using 1.1 ripstop, but also just ordered enough 1.9 ripstop to make a single layer hammock.

Any chance you could find out the length of your son's ridgeline that he dialed in for maximum comfort?

And with your 6-sided blank mod - did that create an asymmetrical shape? I'm pretty set on making an asym tarp (for backpacking) and I've heard an asym tarp works best with an asym hammock.

I've gone over to using an asym tarp with a DIY symmetrical hammock. It works just fine, as long as I'm careful in site selection and/or use my poncho/undercover as insurance against wind-blown rain.

What makes the Hennessy hammocks (the most notable asym tarp users) asymmetric is their tie-outs, not the actual hammock body.

As long as you lie on the diagonal the same way every time (either head-left/foot-right or head-right/foot-left), an asym tarp will do you just fine. Spend some time getting used to using it before you depend on it, though; it's a lot less forgiving of mistakes than a larger tarp.

Hope it helps!

[FightingTheTide]

With an asym tarp, i'll use my pack cover on one end to provide some protection, and I've tought about making an under-cover from silnylon.

But I take it that the consensus on asym hammocks is that they don't necessarily provide a flatter lay, they just accomodate it. Right?

I'll make some changes and report back. Any other tips or pieces of advice for an amateur looking to sleep through the night?

[FLRider]

With an asym tarp, i'll use my pack cover on one end to provide some protection, and I've tought about making an under-cover from silnylon.

But I take it that the consensus on asym hammocks is that they don't necessarily provide a flatter lay, they just accomodate it. Right?

I'll make some changes and report back. Any other tips or pieces of advice for an amateur looking to sleep through the night?

Asym hammocks are designed so that the bug netting stays off of you, preventing the flying hypodermic needles from draining you during the night. Since you're going to be lying asymmetrically anyway, may as well help the bug net, right? It doesn't actually affect how they lie (at least, mine doesn't for me, other than damping out the rocking motion some), and the tie-outs can make using an underquilt harder. (On the other hand, you can also use the shock cord tie-outs to help lift the underquilt by wrapping them 'round the hammock, so I guess that last one's a wash.)

Regarding knee hyperextension: a longer hammock may help here. Personally, I had more in my Hennessy Explorer Ultralight (9' long) than I do in my 11' DIY (I'm about 6' and run anywhere from 185 to 200 lbs depending on my workout regimen). Another thing that may help here: if you carry dedicated sleep clothes, take your hiking clothes and put them in the sleep clothes' stuff sack (turn the stuff sack inside out to prevent moisture buildup in your sleep clothes) and stick that under your knees. Or, if you can lie in a figure-4 position, I find that helps me (I don't carry dedicated sleep clothes when the lows are above 50*).

Hope it helps!

[FightingTheTide]

Now this is interesting - http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=31584

I have 4 yards of 1.9 ripstop coming, so this might be a fun project. And making it shorter would cut a little weight for backpacking.

[stevebo]

Heres a link to the claytor hammock http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=3119

FYI, a bridge hammock actually uses less fabric than a gathered hammock---the poles are the only thing that adds bulk,(and theres a way around that!)

The foot box idea might work for you------Ive never tried it, but lots of people have! Your problem with getting comfortable in a gathered end hammock is a very common one----------let me know what you come up with!