Hammock = Nylon coffin....(How to find enough comfort to sleep)

[regultr]

I’m new to hammocking, or more specifically it has taken me YEARS to find a hammock worth considering so I wouldn’t consider myself a hammocker yet.

I’ve tried offerings from The Travel Hammock, Speer, Jungle, Mosquito, and Hennessey. None worked and ultimately I dismissed hammocking as a non-option for me with part of the problem being my size – 6’6” and 280 pounds.

Just as I was convinced nothing would work, the Blackbird came along. Although I’m not thrilled with needing to use the heaviest one to support my big ole body as I’m a lightweight backpacker by nature, the bottom line is that the Blackbird is phenomenal and it is constructed appropriately for my dimensions.

Unfortunately – I tried to sleep in it and just can’t. I simply can’t “sleep”. It is comfortable for laying, sitting, and lounging around – but I just can’t seem to get comfortable enough for actual sleeping. Let’s face it, I can’t use it if I can’t sleep.

I have adjusted the ridgeline to various positions and find it easy to lay flat. I find that there is enough room, although I’m not used to having silnylon surrounding me and touching my head, feet, and shoulders constantly. My gripe is that there is always something squishing me or otherwise making my body bend ever so slightly in ways I don’t like. No matter what I do, I’m always slightly off my comfort position and everything I do impacts something else (i.e. pushing out my leg, raising my arm, etc.). It’s like the “pea under the mattress” fairytale where everything is perfect, but I just can’t sleep.

With that said, is this just an issue with hammocking as a whole or am I doing something wrong? Is there a way to increase my comfort or should I just suck it up and either get used to being in a nylon coffin or go back to the ground? Basically - I'm "trying" to be a hammocker but I don't know if it will work.

I’m so proud of the Blackbird because it is a **** good product, but in the end either it works or it doesn’t and I fear being the only person on planet earth who might just return it.

Thanks for your comments.

[angrysparrow]

The BlackBird isn't made of silnylon - very few hammocks are. Silnylon doesn't breathe well enough to be used in a hammock body. Uncoated ripstop nylon is the fabric.

I suspect that it is your height that makes you feel 'enclosed'. Perhaps you need a longer or wider model.

What about a bridge? There is an extra-long Bridge hammock in the 4sale section that might be worth checking out.

[lori]

I have adjusted the ridgeline to various positions and find it easy to lay flat. I find that there is enough room, although I’m not used to having silnylon surrounding me and touching my head, feet, and shoulders constantly. My gripe is that there is always something squishing me or otherwise making my body bend ever so slightly in ways I don’t like. No matter what I do, I’m always slightly off my comfort position and everything I do impacts something else (i.e. pushing out my leg, raising my arm, etc.). It’s like the “pea under the mattress” fairytale where everything is perfect, but I just can’t sleep.

A few questions, if you don't mind?

You say the nylon surrounds your head? I'm curious where in the hammock your head lies - how close to the whipping is it when you're lying flat? My head is never surrounded the way you're describing and I'm having trouble picturing how that might happen.

What is your comfortable position you're trying to attain?

Have you been tying the foot end higher than the head end? Wondering if you are tipped somehow one way or the other.

[BillyBob58]

As Lori asked, what position? Are you a back sleeper and able to get comfortable in the hammock while just lounging? If so, have you made sure the hammock is hung in such a way ( often with the foot higher than the head ) so that you don't slowly slide down towards the foot? Do you have something soft under your knees?

Size may indeed be an issue. At your height, it may be you are going to need a DIY or custom job, longer than usual hammock.

Are you trying to sleep on the trail? Most of the time, no matter how comfortable, I can not sleep in my backyard at night. On the trail, I am out like a light in my hammocks.

[titanium_hiker]

try sleeping like shug does- look at his BB video, he curls up with his feet outside the footbox. Try putting your head in the footbox. You're in Virginia, maybe you could visit the Jacks (of Jacks R Better) and try out one of their Bear Mountain Bridge hammocks to see if that helps.

TH

[regultr]

I'm not sure it's the position and I say that only because I tried a variety of things and all were actually plenty comfortable. I should mention, and to my surprise, that I don't think my height is an issue. My head isn't very close to the whipping and my feet go in the footbox without any stress. I have tried hanging it level, with my feet slightly elevated, and with my feet slightly down. I have tried a tight ridgeline and less tight. All of these changes were again plenty comfortable with my preference a slightly loose ridgeline and my head up a bit with something under my knees. Regardless of what I did, my head was either in a grove more towards the center or closer to the side on the left being touched by a raised groove or the sidewall. When I moved my arm, for example, it created a ridge in the hammock that made me adjust my head. When I moved my knee out, it again created a ridge that either made me move my head or shoulder. If I moved one thing, I almost always had to move another. I generally move around when I sleep, but ultimately I'm most comfortable on my back and sides, both of which were fine in the hammock, but again just not comfortable enough to sleep. I just couldn't get past the feeling of being curved in (both sideways and longways) and the feeling of something hugging me.

I guess my concern is the inherent design of all hammocks in the sense that, by default, a mass in the middle of fabric will generally cause the fabric to surround the mass. In my case, the walls come in to a very minor extent, but enough to be bothersome. I fear that this is just the way hammocks work and I might be experiencing the key difference between people who like to hammock and those who don't.

Anyone think a CCF pad or something similar would help? How about a different way of laying in it? I'm willing to try just about anything as hammocking makes a lot of sense, but I'm just concerned that it will continue to be not as comfortable for sleeping, to me, as other options.

I've actually tried JRB's bridge too at Trail Days this year. It was very nice and flat, but not long enough and not wide enough. I've had a lot of discussion with the Jack's about it (good guys) and they actually suggested I look at different options knowing that a custom bridge wasn't likely in my future especially if I was uncertain whether I was a hammocker or not.

And yes, I've only be practicing in my backyard as I would hope to sleep comfortably here before hitting the trail. I'd hate to find out the hard way that it didn't work just to need energy for the next day.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

[titanium_hiker]

yeah, the huggy thing is something I like. I know some people have posted here saying that they like a thermarest in a bridge to get that flat, wide lay.

get yourself a hammock stand of some sort and hang up indoors, maybe? It might be easier to sleep there, without security lights, dogs barking, etc. (You may already have a great quiet yard, though.)

Try out the pads- does the BB have tie outs?

You're not cold, are you? (just a thought)

hope hammocking works for you, for me it beats the ground.

TH

[Ramblinrev]

I think we may be grooming another convert to a DIY bridge. A custom job from the Jacks would be a rahter unique adventure and I suspect somewhat costly. A DIY bridge however can be much more realistic and manageable. There are several quants and bridge gurus on this board who I suspect would be more than happy to give you and assist with the design considerations. Grizz and TeeDee both spring immediately to mind. Given your dislike of the sides flopping in like that I strongly suspect that a bridge is the way to go.

[titanium_hiker]

and I'm sure you'll sell the BB here no problems at all, if you decide to go that route!

TH

[Roadtorque]

Give it some time. When I got my ENO doublenest I thought the same thing "how can anyone sleep in this". I had that mind set for a while. I went out of town and took my hammock with me as my bed and was forced to sleep in it a few weeks. Since then I have a much better time sleeping in it. For me at least, if I sleep anywhere but my bed at home I dont sleep very great. It just takes my body awhile to adjust to the thing (hammock, bed, floor) I am sleeping on. Even with that said I dont sleep much better in a hammock than on a pad in a tent. The difference is I have less sore spots in a hammock. When I got my bridge hammock from JRB I found it easier to sleep and more comfortable. You may consider a DYI bridge because you are too big for the JRB. I myself am right at the max limit in height. Hope this helps somehow