"Waistbox" - Has anyone tried one?

[Bushwhacker]

As a stomach sleeper, I find the indentation of the hammock really uncomfortable, which I normally resolve by stuffing a sweater under my stomach. Unfortunately that's just one more fiddle factor to deal with on restless nights. So I was thinking... why not try to make a waistbox, as opposed to a footbox? It could be built like the woodsman, with amsteel to support it rather than cloth.

So has anyone tried to build one before? How has it worked out? Any suggestions for how I should attach the amsteel to the middle of the hammock?

[dmolition]

I cannot complete picture this, I am too a stomach sleeper but I can lay down comfortable on my back in the hammock, especially when I have xlite in there.

[WV]

Here's a wild longshot. Look for Mule's posts about modifying his bridge hammock by adding side pleats.

[Bushwhacker]

Here's a wild longshot. Look for Mule's posts about modifying his bridge hammock by adding side pleats.

Aren't bridges already supposed to be the best for stomach sleepers?

I thought about that design - if you pleat it lengthwise in the middle (so that it's narrower for a section in the middle) then it might work. I'll post pictures of it later.

[Shug]

Here's a wild longshot. Look for Mule's posts about modifying his bridge hammock by adding side pleats.

Here it is....Pleated Hammock....https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...AMMOCK-BY-Mule
Shug

[hutzelbein]

Reading your profile, I assume that you are talking about gathered end hammocks, not bridge hammocks. I also assume that you are talking about somehow straightening out the deepest part of a GE hammock. The only way I can see this being done realistically would be by stuffing "fillers" under your stomach, like you already do. I cannot really picture a "waistbox", but my guess is, it would increase your problems. At least the footbox creates a dip for your feet, that means it lowers the fabric and doesn't lift it. You might be able to lift the deepest part of the hammock by attaching fabric or cord left and right, and running it over the structural ridgeline to lift that area. But I imagine it would be pretty finnicky to get the right amount of tension - not talking about getting in and out of the hammock (due to the "tunnel").

I would also suggest to look into bridge hammocks. Bridge hammocks work with a different principle, which avoids or at least lessens the dip in the middle considerably.

[Bushwhacker]

Reading your profile, I assume that you are talking about gathered end hammocks, not bridge hammocks. I also assume that you are talking about somehow straightening out the deepest part of a GE hammock.

Yep. I was thinking more of attaching a length of tubular webbing along the hem of the middle section of the hammock, and running some dynaglide through it and attaching it to the ends of the hammock.

[hutzelbein]

Yep. I was thinking more of attaching a length of tubular webbing along the hem of the middle section of the hammock, and running some dynaglide through it and attaching it to the ends of the hammock.

I'm not sure if the picture I have in my mind is actually what you want to do, but I still think it would be difficult to get the right amount of tension. I think what makes gathered end hammocks so comfortable is the equal amount of tension on the fabric. I tried changing the tension as well, by cutting shapes in the ends before gathering (same principle as the W-fold, but more controlled) and found that this method creates irregular tension that was uncomfortable in most cases. I often got ridges running lengthwise - my guess is, you would be getting ridges running perpendicular.

However, it is very difficult to predict hammock behavior - so just give it a go and report back. Maybe you're on to something...