DD camping hammock
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LIVE (not quite) FROM THE MAN CAVE, here's my problem in the first picture, and the second picture is lying on the diagonal, much better!!! Thanks again!
LIVE (not quite) FROM THE MAN CAVE, here's my problem in the first picture, and the second picture is lying on the diagonal, much better!!! Thanks again!
Your problem there is that the center of the fabric is being pulled overly taught, while the remaining fabric is being allowed to slack. Let up some slack (not much, just a little) and see what happens
It's a 'lofting' problem
Don't bother, I've already got my coat.
Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk 2
Don't bother, I've already got my coat.
Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk 2
You'll find the DD hammocks are NOT designed to be set-up using the 30 degree angle scenario. These hammocks are designed to be set-up flat and fairly tight...not too tight though...which you seem to have done in your pictures. This also means you shouldn't need to lie on the diagonal to lie flat. I also scrapped the standard issue webbing and replaced with whoopies & crabs. I tend to rig my DD Travel up as mentioned - straight/flat and fairly tight at around chest height. I then apply some pressure in the middle by pushing down on it to check for stretch then make sure I can sit in it as a chair comfortably without it being too high or too low. I normally find this is still pretty perfect for me when it comes to lying in it at night. It's amazing how making very small changes can effect how your hammock works or hangs. When I first starting hanging I made the error one night of having the 'head' end a little higher - only slightly - and I kept sliding down gradually forcing my feet out the sides to get comfortable. I've also pitched 'foot' end too high before - again only very slightly - but my head and shoulders knew about it in the morning due to the 'crush'. When I first modified my Travel I didn't remove the black webbing (just in-case I regretted it) and instead wrapped it around the ends securing it in place but found that just loosing that inch of length either end of the hammock meant I couldn't get my head and feet under the netting and into my hammock without a fight and it kept the sides far too taught! I'm literally 6ft tall and 6ft wide so this was soon changed in the morning.
Best advice I can give mate is to literally get out there and play with it, use it & DON'T modify it beyond repair until you've tested it!!
The DD website gives some great tips and advice on how to hang. There's also some links to some good videos too. As already mentioned by other, Shug's videos on You Tube are very good...and funny too!
Happy hanging :You_Rock_
Best advice I can give mate is to literally get out there and play with it, use it & DON'T modify it beyond repair until you've tested it!!
The DD website gives some great tips and advice on how to hang. There's also some links to some good videos too. As already mentioned by other, Shug's videos on You Tube are very good...and funny too!
Happy hanging :You_Rock_
LIVE (not quite) FROM THE MAN CAVE, here's my problem in the first picture, and the second picture is lying on the diagonal, much better!!! Thanks again!
I just noticed that you've got the anchor points set above the hammock... that's no good for the DD hammocks! You need the anchor points set at basically the same height you intend to lay at... otherwise it pulls up on the center of the fabric creating this horrible ridge problem.
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Happy camper and SJ, thanks for your replies, I never realised what I was doing wrong! I'm purposely planning a night out in the hammock soon to re-try hammocking!
Thanks a million, Lewis
Thanks a million, Lewis
Once you get it strung up between two trees, you'll quickly suss it out
At this time of year, suspend your hammock at waist height (even if that seems a bit low) but if you're using that horrible stock DD webbing you'll need to bed it in a lot. Like... take as much weight as you can physically muster and throw it in the hammock and let it hang for a day.... just to work out the stretch in that webbing!
If you can, I strongly suggest replacing the stock webbing altogether with static climbing rope (make sure it's static climbing rope) as then the height you set your hammock at (and the tension you set it to) will remain the same in the morning as it was the moment you set it up.
Consider it done! Where's the best place for prices etc? And roughly what diameter?
I don't know where's best in your area, but I got some 12mm DMM static climbing rope from a local industrial rigging supplier.
Even using the webbing as tree straps, that still leaves up to 4" of stretch on either end (and, as those of us in the Suffolk group have observed to our dismay, digs into the tree badly).
Best to just eliminate that stock webbing entirely... it's low-grade stuff!
Paul mate, I used this mod for one night but was worried about there being no drip line! So Ive now just left a small amount of the stock webbing in the hammock to create my loop then attached my whoopie with one end to the crad and one end to my tree hugger as you do with a marlin spike.
Always amazes people when they see you hanging on a twig
Oh my, the penny has just dropped. With the DD camping hammock, where every product description on the internet says "zippered double layer to allow for cocoon like sleeping", it never says I actually have to zip it up once I'm in. 
Is that where I've messed up?? I always felt a bit weary zipping the material back up over me!! So when it says double layer for cocoon like sleeping, does that mean I unzip the material and just leave it unzipped ??
I'll get my coat...
Thanks again
Is that where I've messed up?? I always felt a bit weary zipping the material back up over me!! So when it says double layer for cocoon like sleeping, does that mean I unzip the material and just leave it unzipped ??
I'll get my coat...
Thanks again
The double layer is not a zip on my Front line or travel.. its got a couple of bits of velcro to hold it shut , it's the mozzi net that has the zip... you can use them as a cacon, but think the main idea is just to hold a bit of insulation.
I still use the webbing that comes with teh hammock, but have shorterned it right down, just enough at the gather of the hammock.. in total i used about 18" max of it before threading it through and gathering it then put a crab through, then the whopie sling attaches to that, have doen that for a number of years, and had no problem with strech, and I am over 17 1/2 stone.. no need for spending unesserarry money on climing rope......
I'll try to take a pic tonight and post..
I still use the webbing that comes with teh hammock, but have shorterned it right down, just enough at the gather of the hammock.. in total i used about 18" max of it before threading it through and gathering it then put a crab through, then the whopie sling attaches to that, have doen that for a number of years, and had no problem with strech, and I am over 17 1/2 stone.. no need for spending unesserarry money on climing rope......
I'll try to take a pic tonight and post..
I replaced the standard DD webbing entirely with DMM static climbing rope for the gathers, karabiners to the whoopie slings which then hook up to the tree straps (in my case, using karabiners, but this is where you could do your marlin spike hitch)
The best night's sleep I've ever had in my DD frontline was when it was between 2 trees that were barely far enough appart to get my 3M tarp taught. I was still on stock suspension at this time & wouldn't have been able to use woopies/huggers anyway due to the short distance.
Since then I too ditched the supplied suspension & went to climbing tape from go outdoors. I wanted to have enough of it so that if I went to ground (with a ground sheet obviously) I could spread the hammock out to utilise the bug net but not loose the ends "down the tube". I knotted the ends of the tape to make it into a loop & then carabiner my home made woopies onto the, loop so I have a drip ring. At the other end I use DD tree straps, the old style chunkier heavy ones not the silky smooth lighter weight ones that are supplied now.
If you fancy the ultimate hang book as an e-book I've just checked and it's still down at £2.99 on amazon, e-reader software is available for many platforms now even if you don't have a kindle.
Since then I too ditched the supplied suspension & went to climbing tape from go outdoors. I wanted to have enough of it so that if I went to ground (with a ground sheet obviously) I could spread the hammock out to utilise the bug net but not loose the ends "down the tube". I knotted the ends of the tape to make it into a loop & then carabiner my home made woopies onto the, loop so I have a drip ring. At the other end I use DD tree straps, the old style chunkier heavy ones not the silky smooth lighter weight ones that are supplied now.
If you fancy the ultimate hang book as an e-book I've just checked and it's still down at £2.99 on amazon, e-reader software is available for many platforms now even if you don't have a kindle.
Ok thanks everyone.. I think my plan at the minute is: get some whoopie slings to rig up the hammock, 2 karabiners, each between whoopie slings and the stock webbing tied off at about 6 inches.. Or am I still missing something? Cheers
Lewis
Lewis
I don't bother with karabiners, just loop the whoopie sling through the gathered end of the hammock, and then loop the other end of the whoopie over your marlin spike hitch.
The trailing, free end, of the whoopie sling acts as a drip run off, if it's not covered by the tarp then a couple of inches of paracord tied to the whoopie sling nearer to the hammock will do the same thing, although I've not had to bother with that so far.
The karabiners are just extra bulk and weight and don't add anything to my mind.
Others may have different views of course but this works fine for me
Cheers, Paul
The trailing, free end, of the whoopie sling acts as a drip run off, if it's not covered by the tarp then a couple of inches of paracord tied to the whoopie sling nearer to the hammock will do the same thing, although I've not had to bother with that so far.
The karabiners are just extra bulk and weight and don't add anything to my mind.
Others may have different views of course but this works fine for me
Cheers, Paul
I don't bother with karabiners, just loop the whoopie sling through the gathered end of the hammock, and then loop the other end of the whoopie over your marlin spike hitch.
The trailing, free end, of the whoopie sling acts as a drip run off, if it's not covered by the tarp then a couple of inches of paracord tied to the whoopie sling nearer to the hammock will do the same thing, although I've not had to bother with that so far.
The karabiners are just extra bulk and weight and don't add anything to my mind.
Others may have different views of course but this works fine for me
Cheers, Paul
Aye, if you're marlin spiking you don't need crabs. Gives you more adjustment leeway too.
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