Numb Arm
I have had a tablecloth DIY hammock for almost a year now, and I have my fair share of bad as well as excellent nights in it.
Recently though I have felt very compressed in it. I am 6'1", and my shoulders are fairly broad. I've woken up with a numb arm a time or two. I have been considering purchasing one of the wider tablecloths.
What do you guys and gals recommend?
Leonard Outdoors Youtube.com/drleonar
Apparently a lot of the time numb arms are the result of pinched nerves in the neck as opposed to the arm - Do you use a pillow? What type/brand?Originally Posted by c0wb0y_hubs
To me, the extra width is just unusable floppy fabric in my face and the lay is the same (others have reported miracles from extra width). Go longer if you do try a wider one as it's the length that let's you use a little extra width. You might try adding extra sag to you current setup to see if that helps at all.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ad.php?t=59836
And then there is the complete opposite approach used by a few: a narrow hammock like a Claytor. A few folks here have found the Claytors to be among the more comfy hammocks and a very few others considered them the most comfy. But they are only maybe 48" wide. I think my Claytor No Net is 10X4 ft.
Are you getting a numb arm when sleeping on your back? If so, here is the reason why less width may work for you: depending on how much sag you hang it with of course, a Claytor is not a deep hammock. Your shoulders are going to be very close to the edge/sides of the hammock. So there is not much material to curve up around your shoulders and maybe squeeze them.
Of course, I have no real guess if that contrary approach would help with your particular problem, just food for thought.
I'll second the question about whether or not you're using a neck pillow -- I wake up sore in a hammock if I don't use a pillow, but with one, it glorious!
As to lessoning the squeeze effect, I've heard others echo the same opinion as BillyBob58 on the Claytor. I just don't know why or how it works. Seems to me that the closer your shoulders are to the gathered end, the more they'll get squeezed. So a longer hammock should have the opposite effect and squeeze less. Hypothetically, if you were to lie in the center of a hammock that was 100' long, I seriously doubt you'd feel the squeeze of the gathered ends some 90' away... jus sayin
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
Bushwhacker - I do use a pillow, but it's not much of one. Honestly, it's my old baby pillow my mom found when going through boxes of kid stuff in her storage. It's roughly 8"x6" with about an inch of support once compressed. If I put it under my neck, it doesn't provide any comfort what-so-ever.
I made a pillow from some old sleeping bag material, and left one side open so I can stuff or remove an insert to control thickness. Maybe I need to ditch the baby pillow and go back to the DIY one.
gmcttr - Thanks for the link. That video did a whole lot of explaining and saved me a lot of confusion and time. Now I'm thinking of getting one of the uber long 156"x90" tablecloths, hanging in it and taking notes as to where the extra fabric is, and trimming it down to a more efficient width and possible length (13' is LONGand would require a giant tarp).
Thanks for the comments. I'd appreciate any others that care to chime in as well.
Leonard Outdoors Youtube.com/drleonar
BillyBob58 - I am on my back when I wake with the numbness. I feel like I'm getting a bear hug from a weak person. It's not crushing me, but I definitely can feel the inward pressure.
Klaussinartor - I agree with the comfort a pillow provides from behind the neck. Up until recently, I have been sleeping in a mummy bag that has a draft ring. That ring provided neck support and the hood could be bunched up to make a great little nest for my head.
Maybe the slickness of the hammock and the mummy bag materials together where preventing my shoulders from receiving the weak bear hug, and the hood and draft collar were providing the head and neck support. hmmmm?
Leonard Outdoors Youtube.com/drleonar
You mentioned several pillows you've tried. How `bout this: a pillow that costs almost nothing, weighs almost nothing, and takes up NO space in your pack -- Huh?!?
Grab a gallon size ZipLok baggie with either the double or the zipper type seal. Blow some air into it and adjust to whatever feels right. Then wrap it in a shirt or whatever and enjoy your sleep!
Hefty also makes a 2.5 gal zipper baggie if you want a king-size pillow.
Baggies are always good to have on-hand anyway. Talk about multi-purposing!
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
I'm 6' and ~200 lbs right now (I range from ~185 to ~205, depending on my workout schedule for the month), and fairly broad-shouldered. I find that an 11' long, 56" wide hammock (after hemming and channels) is just about right for me. Perhaps add ~2" to its dimensions for your additional height?
Anyway, that's my experience so far. YMMV, as always.
Hope it helps!
"Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
--Floridahanger
6' 3" here with big shoulders, and I appreciate the extra width of my wider tablecloth hammock.. sure, it flops in my face sometimes, but it also keeps stuff from getting kicked out, as well as adds to the nice cocoon-like feeling..
Re: pillows: I need 2 - one under my neck (not head) and another under my knees. The neck one is crucial - stiff neck for 2 days when I forgot, never forget again.. The knees get one of my stuff sacks with some clothes or gear inside, and my neck gets a purpose-built fleece stuff sack with a jacket or tomorrow's clothes inside...
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks