About To Give It Up

[MotoBoss]

As the title says, I'm about to give up hanging! I have bought the best, I considered and recommended here on HF, in gear and just can not get comfortable in my hammock.

Now let me say I have been at this for over a year now and still can seem to "get the hang of it". I have watched every Shug video, experimented with different hang angles and even tried another hammock but all to no avail.

My gear:
Warbonnet Black Bird 1.7 Dbl.
Warbonnet Superfly Tarp
Hammock Gear Full Length UQ
GoLite Mummy Center Zip Down Bag TQ
I am 6ft. 3in. tall and weigh in at 240lbs.

As you can see I'm not working with shabby equipment here. By all measures this stuff should work for me. I love hammocking and all the nuance's that goes with it but I just can't sleep well.

The problem:
The issue is the "leg bar" that I can not get rid of. I lay at an angle, feet in the foot box, but no matter how I lay I end up with the pulled tight material at the attachment point being very tight and eventually causing lower leg discomfort. When I try to lay on my side the "bar" pulls down even further and is just as uncomfortable.
The top end is not a problem. I have never had an issue with shoulder squeezing or tightness, it's just at the bottom.

Help me out here people, don't let me go back to the ground, I couldn't make it

[berksound]

Hey tall man, have you tried an 11' hammock?

[SwinginIt]

Have you tried adjusting your ridgeline length? The 83% is merely a guideline, not a hard fast rule. Some people find more or less works for them. Also try sticking something under your knees, like a balled up jacket or pillow. I remember a thread where someone said they get into their hammock in what I consider to be backwards and that gets rid of the calf ridge for them. When I get in my hammock I get in on the same side that my feet will be going but this person said when they get in it's on the side where their head will be going and then spin around and that somehow gets rid of the ridge.

[goanywhere]

I had the same issue. Mine is a self-made hammock 10' in length. I first just gathered and whipped the ends, but I found that there was a hard ridge I just couldn't get comfortable with, so I sewed a channel in the ends and now hang it with a cord loop. That's much better, but I found that I get the best comfort by hanging looser than the recommended 30 deg. hang angle. Mine is more like 40 deg. and allows me to lay at a wider angle on the diagonal and much more comfortable. Try everything before giving up!!

For me, there's no going back to ground camping. I've had it with sore shoulders and hips and having to watch out for ants, animal droppings, soggy ground etc. etc. Never mind about trying to put tent pegs in rocky ground.....

I would go to a bridge hammock as a next step if my current setup wasn't working for me, but fortunately it's fine now.

[BillyBob58]

Your solution is simple: sell the WBBB and buy a bridge hammock. Most likely for your size you should just go straight for the larger WBRR.

Now I can't guarantee that you will be overall comfy in any hammock, a few folks just never can. And there MIGHT be some other non-bridge hammocks where you can escape the leg discomfort. I think there are some better than the WBBB in that regard, but no guarantees.

But I can virtually guarantee zero leg discomfort in any well made bridge. Really easy to insulate also. Good luck!
Bill

[BrianWillan]

Your solution is simple: sell the WBBB and buy a bridge hammock. Most likely for your size you should just go straight for the larger WBRR.

Now I can't guarantee that you will be overall comfy in any hammock, a few folks just never can. And there MIGHT be some other non-bridge hammocks where you can escape the leg discomfort. I think there are some better than the WBBB in that regard, but no guarantees.

But I can virtually guarantee zero leg discomfort in any well made bridge. Really easy to insulate also. Good luck!
Bill

A Big +1 on this. I had the exact same problems in any gathered end hammock that i tried. Once I went to bridge style hammocks my calf pressure issue disappeared.

Finding the hammock for you, is like finding a comfortable pair of shoes. You will have to try a few and find out what feels best for you.

Cheers

Brian

[MotoBoss]

Thank you Brian.......

[Tendertoe]

Your solution is simple: sell the WBBB and buy a bridge hammock. Most likely for your size you should just go straight for the larger WBRR.

Now I can't guarantee that you will be overall comfy in any hammock, a few folks just never can. And there MIGHT be some other non-bridge hammocks where you can escape the leg discomfort. I think there are some better than the WBBB in that regard, but no guarantees.

But I can virtually guarantee zero leg discomfort in any well made bridge. Really easy to insulate also. Good luck!
Bill

+1 million

I was at it for years getting subpar sleep experimenting with many different gathered end styles/brands/hammock lengths/RL lengths before getting a WBRR.

I will never sleep in another hammock again (unless they come up with something super revolutionary of course ).

[hairbear]

Your solution is simple: sell the WBBB and buy a bridge hammock. Most likely for your size you should just go straight for the larger WBRR.

Now I can't guarantee that you will be overall comfy in any hammock, a few folks just never can. And there MIGHT be some other non-bridge hammocks where you can escape the leg discomfort. I think there are some better than the WBBB in that regard, but no guarantees.

But I can virtually guarantee zero leg discomfort in any well made bridge. Really easy to insulate also. Good luck!
Bill

plus 1.......

[mountainhanger]

for me, i found that with the normal wbbb 1.7 dl that it required alot of fiddle factor, yes the foot end a little higher and the ridgline really tight! still have some calf ridge but not so much as to bother me, the xlc on the other hand foot end ALOT higher little fiddle and BAM! there it is, i also like the switchback 1.9 dl as that gets strung up tight and no calf ridge but my feet push against the netting and there is some shoulder squeeze. the two 11 ft hammocks that i use most around the house are the the one off of woot cant remember brand name, but parachute nylon type and the diy 1.1 dl warbonnet clone .. those work pretty easily, just gotta have the sag and then when you get in go diagnal and it works for me,...