Hammock set up where have I gone wrong ?

[steelyglint]

Took my new toys out to practice, before taking it all out to play in any serious way, it's the first time I've set it all up tarp was fine but the hammock although I hung it as instructed by tenth wonder it didn't seem to hang right it was it seemed too tight in the bottom of the hammock and not tight enough at the top so it didn't cocoon me as I'd expected and didn't feel like I'd stay in it if I slept all night ?

It's a tenth wonder XL double fold nylon with flat nylon tapes, its a very comfy way of lying but just didn't feel right.

Did get to find out how the whole thing handled a thunderstorm though !

 

[Shewie]

How do tenth wonder tell you to hang it steelyglint ? I'm not familiar with their gear but they're all pretty similar really. Different ways of hanging from a tree but the end result should be comfy whichever you choose.

Did you have it stretched tightly between the trees or did you get the tapes up nice and high and have more of a curve in the hammock ? If you can get the curve right you should be able to lie in it diagonally which gives you a much flatter plain.

Was the setup you used the same as Bushblade showed in the tutorial ?

 

[steelyglint]

Very similar I just used timber hitches instead of bushblades knots, I tried all sort of different heights and tensions, it could just be that I'm not used to it and this is how it is supposed to be, the first attempt seemed about the best which was tight across the tapes and flat, I have to say whichever way it was very comfy to lie in, the slight rocking motion nearly sent me off to sleep a couple of times !

 

[drewdunnrespect]

keep up with it steely and eventually you will get there and everything will feel right cos as you said dead comfy and the best nights sleep i have ever had

 

[steelyglint]

Will do don't give up on Stuff easily ! The freedom and the openess to the enviroment make it a unique expeirience worth sticking with, I'll suss it all out !

 

[poddle]

I have that hammock too, but have not experienced any such problems, are you sure that its not just because you are new to hammocks, the hammock is always going to be tighter at the bottom as it where the bulk of your weight ends up.

Just wrap the tapes around the tree a couple of time and finish off with a bow, exactly the same as you tie into your shoe laces.
I make sure I pull them tight and the height is around my bottom rib

 

[steelyglint]

Yup it was newbie syndrome ! went and did a night out in it a couple of days ago got the height and tension right and slept between the layers perfectly comfy woke up with aching shoulders where theyed been compressed all night but I'm a bigis bloke at 17 1/2 stone with broad shoulders so it's expected I get it in a normal bed or a roll matt, diet time methinks !

Thanks for all the help guys this place is great.

 

[mikewilkinson]

I've got a tenth wonder also, not the XL mind but problems are generally the same. Were you sleeping between both layers or on top of both layers? I generally sleep on top of both with a 3/4 roll mat in between, lie in it on the diagonal (asymmetrically) and not hang it too tight (about 25 degrees from the horizontal, I found that minimises shoulder squeeze and gives a flatter lay, the mat also helps to reduce shoulder squeeze and provides a little bottom insulation. You generally will find the top edges a little 'flappy' as the hammock is generally rectangular and so when the base is tight the sides are loose. There are ways around that, but they involve a little modding to the hammock.

The tighter you hang it, the more shoulder squeeze you will get, pay off is finding the right balance between flatness and shoulder squeeze for yourself, also the tighter/ flatter you make it the greater the force is on the suspension at 5 degrees to the horizontal you can be putting 5-6 times your weight in strain through the tapes.

 

[poddle]

Has anyone devised a "spreader" for the shoulder areas of a hammock ?

 

[wentworth]

The Bridge hammock design currently sold by JRB has spreader bars and purports to have a completely flat lay.