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  1. #1
    Senior Member Lonely Raven's Avatar
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    Still trying to get comfortable...

    I'm still awfully uncomfortable in my Blackbird. I just can't sleep on my back, and sleeping on my side tweaks my knees and my neck a little bit. I still think my problem is the only two trees in my yard are 20+ feet apart!

    I did however get a little nap time with the pitbull puppy. This was some of the best time I've had with her, and she really loves hopping into the hammock with me!




    GPS on the phone seems accurate with within 5'! I'm hanging from the Japanese Maple the marker is on, and the other tree that's at 10 o'clock from it.



    Me and the Puppy:



    Bella Luna - The Pretty Pitbull




    P.S. Yes I know my ridgeline is really slack. I was trying something different, as it was too tight previously. I'm trying to find that "sweet spot" you all keep talking about.

    P.P.S All photos taken with my HTC EVO cellphone!
    Last edited by Lonely Raven; 09-13-2010 at 08:37.

  2. #2
    Senior Member jloden's Avatar
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    Looks like fun! I tried to do the same with our mini-dachshund but he was too distracted and interested in various animal life outdoors to hang with me. Maybe next time

  3. #3
    Senior Member Lonely Raven's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jloden View Post
    Looks like fun! I tried to do the same with our mini-dachshund but he was too distracted and interested in various animal life outdoors to hang with me. Maybe next time
    Ah yeah, she did spot a squirrel and used my gut as a springboard to leap from the hammock and go chasing. That was a little unpleasant, and left the hammock swinging back and forth for a few minutes.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
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    Just as important as th RL tension to me is where I lay front to back. So for every RL change, be sure to "slide" incrementally head to toe to see how that changes comfort level. Small adjustments make all the difference sometimes.

    Also as others say, that stuff sac or softened pack under the legs makes a great deal of difference. I don't think a 20' tree separation has that much to do with comfort but to get that 30 deg optimum sag, the suspension attachment is higher on the tree.

    If none of these hints help, before you give up on hammocking, sell the WB and check out a non-RL style hammock (ENO DblNest, Claytor JH) where the sag can exceed the limits of what others find comfortable.

    Finally as with any new sport your body has a period of adjustment as well. I noticed after a hiatus from hanging (Because of the heat) that my knees were sore too after laying on my back... Some of this is inherant to the gathered end design, more vertical tension as the hammock nears the ends. A longer hammock would lessen this...

    Not everyone is cut out for hammock camping, just having my hammock waiting to enjoy for 15 min lay or a 2 hr nap is so enjoyable. (With or w/o pup)
    GoodLuck!
    "Take me away to a quiet place where beings melt into inner space. Every step brings me closer to see, my haven away beneath the trees." From Beneath the Trees by Everett Dort

  5. #5
    Senior Member Lonely Raven's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by soundmanob View Post
    Just as important as th RL tension to me is where I lay front to back. So for every RL change, be sure to "slide" incrementally head to toe to see how that changes comfort level. Small adjustments make all the difference sometimes.
    This is a great tip, and I had already figured this out on my own. I kept pulling myself up towards the head side, which relieves some of the pressure on my knees. This was a huge improvement, but I still had problems.


    Quote Originally Posted by soundmanob View Post
    Also as others say, that stuff sac or softened pack under the legs makes a great deal of difference. I don't think a 20' tree separation has that much to do with comfort but to get that 30 deg optimum sag, the suspension attachment is higher on the tree.
    Putting something under my knees increases the stress on the knees...remember, I'm a side sleeper. I sleep on my left side, and it's the curvature and tension of the hammock on my legs that causing the pain. Putting something under my knees just increases the upward curve and makes things worse. If I were sleeping on my back this would make sense, but no matter how I try, I just can't sleep on my back. Also, I had the tree huggers about 12' up (not in the photo above, but the slack ridgeline photo) on both trees. I'm pretty bang on to 30 degree angle I think, maybe even past 30 degree this weekend. I'll keep playing around and see what I can get.

    Quote Originally Posted by soundmanob View Post
    If none of these hints help, before you give up on hammocking, sell the WB and check out a non-RL style hammock (ENO DblNest, Claytor JH) where the sag can exceed the limits of what others find comfortable.
    If I can ever get the sewing machine working again, I plan on making an indoor hammock that I can muck with to help me find what works for me. If I can't get the sewing machine working correctly, I just may buy a budget hammock and see what works. I may also try a bridge hammock as some point, as it's the flat lay that I really need to keep my knees from hurting.


    Quote Originally Posted by soundmanob View Post
    Finally as with any new sport your body has a period of adjustment as well. I noticed after a hiatus from hanging (Because of the heat) that my knees were sore too after laying on my back... Some of this is inherant to the gathered end design, more vertical tension as the hammock nears the ends. A longer hammock would lessen this...
    I was thinking as well that this is just something new to me...but I took a nap in a grassy field this weekend while taking a break from a very large shooting event. I was able to nod off in full daylight, we many rifles going off not 30' from me, and I felt quite refreshed and not as sore as I expected. If I can do that, the hammock *should* be even better.

    Quote Originally Posted by soundmanob View Post
    Not everyone is cut out for hammock camping, just having my hammock waiting to enjoy for 15 min lay or a 2 hr nap is so enjoyable. (With or w/o pup)
    GoodLuck!
    Yeah, I'm not one to give up easy, and I'm pretty invested in this. I'm going to keep giving it a go till I've exhausted every option with this setup. Hell, I don't even have a real tarp yet! (but I got my YETI 3s last week!) Worst case, maybe I just need a bridge hammock...I really do like the idea of getting off the ground. And being able to setup the hammock and crawl into it in 3 minutes is awesome!

    At this point, I'm positive that the curvature of the hammock is bending my knees sideways, and that's what's causing the problem. I'm thinking maybe I need to get the foot end up higher to keep my torso more towards the head end, as I woke up with my feet practically past the gathered end!

  6. #6
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Try hanging the foot end 6=12" higher than the head end. That may seem counter intuitive as it would seem to increase the slope of the foot end. However, the intent is too keep your from sliding down the head end slope and ending up scrunched into the foot end. Since your torso weighs more than you legs and feet, the torso wants to settle in the lowest place in the hammock. That pushes your legs farther into the gathered section of the hammock. Foot end higher helps stop that motion.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  7. #7
    Senior Member Beast 71's Avatar
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    Maybe it would help if you got out a ladder and put your straps further up the tree.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Lonely Raven's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beast 71 View Post
    Maybe it would help if you got out a ladder and put your straps further up the tree.
    I'm already 12' up. I can't imagine going up much higher would help. I'm sure someone's got a charge that would prove or disprove that.

  9. #9
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    And if none of the above recommendations work, you need to try a bridge hammock used with a nice pillow. You can still use something under your knees also for max back comfort. You won't really need it for your knees, but even people laying on a flat bed in the OR are more comfortable ( in their lower back) with a pillow under their knees. Can you get to a group hang where some one might have a bridge you can try? I think JRB has a 30 day return policy.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lonely Raven View Post
    I'm already 12' up. I can't imagine going up much higher would help. I'm sure someone's got a charge that would prove or disprove that.
    To get your foot end higher than your head just adjust your ring buckles from the ground level. That's the wonderful thing about that system. You don't have to adjust the tree levels as much. Just make sure that you keep enough sag in the suspension system so you maintain that 30* (or so) angle from horizontal.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

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