Advice for my next indoor hammock

[NutsNBerries]

Greetings! New guy here and unlike many of you, I’m not a camper (at least not since childhood). However, I am a full-time hammocker – replaced my bed several years ago and haven’t looked back. I’m about to chose my next hammock and would appreciate input. My first hammock was a cotton Brazilian. Comfortable enough to convince me of the virtues of hammock sleeping and to donate my bed to charity. However, not big enough for complete comfort (got the shoulder squeeze if on my back and even at my non-imposing stature of 5'4", felt a bit cramped overall). I think when I measured it, I saw it was much smaller than advertised and chalked that up to normal variance in natural materials. My next hammock was a Mayan, much larger and very comfortable. However, I chill easily and the Mayan is, well, breezy. Plus, I thought it was all cotton when I ordered, but it’s a scratchy blend and not all that comfortable where there’s skin contact. Still a good sleep for a couple of years. Over time however it developed an ever widening hole straight down the middle that probably started with a snag and that’s pretty much put it out of commission. So in the interim I’ve gone back to the Brazilian, but definitely need an upgrade. I’ve read great things about the BIAS Camper XL and am considering that. I’m not sure how I feel about going from cotton to nylon (which is obviously preferable if you’re backpacking). I’ve been on a nylon hammock and thought it was OK, but not sure how it would be for long term. I live in Los Angeles, so I’m not dealing with extreme cold, but evenings in the 50s. What I’ve been doing is sleeping in a thick bathrobe with a couple of light weight blankets and then half way through the night if needed I turn on my panel style space heater at a very low setting (at a suitably safe distance away from the hammock of course). I’m thinking with the BIAS Camper XL I would get the double layer and a pad and that would alleviate my need for the heater – anyone in similar climate have this work for them? I have also seen a link to a giant cotton Brazilian in older threads about hammocks as bed replacements and that looked really great, but finally determined my bedroom just isn’t big enough! The set-up I have now with screws in the wall is a distance of 11.8", so that’s pretty much what I have to work with. So my questions specifically: Any thoughts on the comfort of nylon for nightly sleeping? If I get the BIAS XL, would you recommend the under layer and knotty mods? Without the under layer, temperature wise, would nylon sleep more like a Brazilian or a Mayan? Are there any large cotton Brazilians that would fit in my set-up that are worth a look? Thanks for any thoughts!

[Nodust]

You could order a Tablecloth factory and DIY. I just ordered a 132 x 90 for indoor hanging. I think it's just a tablecloth and I'll add continuous loops and some sort of suspension.

[SnrMoment]

My second hammock was a Weight Weenie Micro from BIAS. It was done in 1.0 ACU camo and the fabric was like sleeping on silk. The 11 foot length was also much more comfortable than a 10 footer. Can't say enough good things about the folks at BIAS.

Knotty Mods are great and I put them on all the hammocks I make (I'm a DIY addict now after too much exposure to this site).
I don't like pads and a wool blanket or old down quilt can be rigged to keep you warm in that climate. Trick is in the suspension and it's not too hard to figure out. Just look at some of the quilt vendors' sites to see how they do it.

[hutzelbein]

I would not go for a synthetic hammocks as permanent bed-replacement. Yes, it is light, strong, easy to clean, cheap etc. But it also produces a lot of static electricity (when I move in my hammock, I always get a light show for free) and it is slippery. With all of my 11' synthetic hammocks (most are made of ripstop nylon, but I also own a BIAS taffeta hammock), I feel great when I get in: flat lay, hardly any pressure points. But inevitably I wake up during the night because I feel bent. Last night I finally realized why: I keep slipping to the center line. I can go back to a more diagonal lay, but I wake up some time later in the same slightly bent position along the middle.

If I were you, I would either look for a better Brazilian hammock, or make a hammock from hemp/linen or heavy cotton fabric. Brazilians can be huge hammocks, but they also need more sag than camping hammocks - so maybe even a larger Brazilian would fit in your bedroom? If not, you can make a 11' or 12' double layer hammock from natural fibers. This would feel a lot better on your skin, too.

[NutsNBerries]

Thanks for the input -- all interesting and helpful. Tablecloth idea is intriguing, however I'm the opposite of handy, so that would probably be something only if I weren't in such a hurry. Obviously different experiences on sleeping on nylon. I'm interested in trying the knotty mods and the combination of that plus the right size at the right price and all the positive comments about the company has me learning toward giving the BIAS XL a go with a larger Brazalian perhaps in my future. Thanks again for taking the time to respond!

[Singingcrowsings]

I really like my 100% cotton Jumbo Mayan hammock from hammock boutique. There's no itchiness at all. I do keep my place cool to save on heating, so am working on a better solution blanket-wise. So far, I'm using my sleeping bag, then covering me with a comforter. At 59˚F(15˚C) that seems to do the trick. Actually, I've woken up to find the comforter had been tossed on the floor at some point in the night, so I must have been too hot.

I'm trying to devise an underquilt setup so I don't need to use my sleeping bag, but I do like how easy it is to turn on my side in the sleeping bag, as opposed to without.

In saying all this, it had occurred to me that the thicker cord Mayan hammock would probably be warmer, although would lose a slight bit of comfort, or so I've read?

I can't speak for Brazilians, as I have no experience. And I've only had my Mayan hung for about 2 weeks, but in that time, once I found that adjustment sweet spot, I have slept repeatedly for 9-11 hours straight (I have a lot of sleep to catch up on).

[olddog]

NNB, I'm spending every night in the first hammock that I made. IIRC it was called sport nylon from Hancock's and has a very soft feel. The original UQ was another piece of the fabric with a polyester batting layer sewn to the sides of the hammock with draw stings at the ends. It worked great to keep the bottom side warm but after a couple of years of weekly launderings the batting was becoming thread bare. I removed the old UQ and using an unused tablecloth hammock and an asymmetric UQ from a previous experiment I'm back snug and warm. The asymm UQ was sewn to the tablecloth and hung like an under cover under the hammock. Now when laundering it is just the hammock and not the poly batting UQ.

[NutsNBerries]

[QUOTE=Singingcrowsings;1209974]I really like my 100% cotton Jumbo Mayan hammock from hammock boutique.

I wasn't familiar with this site and I'm glad you pointed it out -- looks like they have some nice hammocks. I did order the BIAS XL which I'm really looking forward to -- should be shipping today. I did find my Mayan very comfortable and there could be another one in my future. Glad you're finding yours so comfy!

[NutsNBerries]

Sounds like you know how to get maximum wear out of a hammock! I haven't tried my hand with the UQ but sounds like you've been quite creative with it. Cool.

NNB, I'm spending every night in the first hammock that I made. IIRC it was called sport nylon from Hancock's and has a very soft feel. The original UQ was another piece of the fabric with a polyester batting layer sewn to the sides of the hammock with draw stings at the ends. It worked great to keep the bottom side warm but after a couple of years of weekly launderings the batting was becoming thread bare. I removed the old UQ and using an unused tablecloth hammock and an asymmetric UQ from a previous experiment I'm back snug and warm. The asymm UQ was sewn to the tablecloth and hung like an under cover under the hammock. Now when laundering it is just the hammock and not the poly batting UQ.

[ntxkayakr]

I’ve been on a nylon hammock and thought it was OK, but not sure how it would be for long term.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...er-Hammock-Bed

Be sure to read up on several threads that discuss the difference between nylon and polyester. Nylon is basically a good idea if you need minimal weight for camping transport. If not an issue with you, consider high thread count polyester. TableclothsFactory.com has great deals on 120x60", then find instructions using google on HF and other forums/sites; these are so simple that a couple of sugared up 10 year old cub scouts can do it. Ask a friend to help you out after you have materials together, if it does not work remove rope and re-tie until you get it right. Personally i prefer high quality cotton hammocks for every night at home and in outdoor temps above 100F, but finding a really good one can be a challenge. 2nd post on that later.