Hammock advice

[Jesse Anderson]

I'm looking to try and start hammock camping for this upcoming season and am torn between buying or making. Right now I've got a $50 gift card for REI and was thinking of getting the Thermarest Slacker or the Eno Sub7 with my GC and the 20% off sale.

I know both of these hammocks are new to market (the Slacker is still preorder) but I was wondering what you all thought. This would be my first hammock. Should I get something like this or try and make my own? I'd love to get something like a Warbonnet, but those kind of hammocks are pretty far out of my budget right now.

So to summarize. Buy one of the lower end hammocks from REI or wait and make my own?

[Katherine .]

if you have sewing chops, make your own!

[Terran Terran]

From reading another post ,I understand you can cash in your dividend. Buy online from Simply Light or elsewhere for roughly the same price.

[Katherine .]

he says he's got a GC, not a dividend.

[Joe S]

Type "tablecloth hammock" into Google. You can make your own, or buy cheap "blanks" an a suspension is easy to purchase/install . You will learn a lot too, some great sites, easy to find. Until you are sure it's foe you and get an $$$ asymmetric hammock, you might as well go this route.

[Jesse Anderson]

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a unanimous decision on anything here on BPL before. Looks like everyone thinks I should probably avoid the Eno and Thermarest hammocks.

While I'm sure that a Hammock will test my budding sewing skills I'm pretty confident I won't have too much trouble. So my next question is I've been really thinking about eyeing making a bridge hammock. It seems like most folks agree you get a flatter lay with a bridge over a gathered end. any thoughts or opinions. I know a bridge will probably be a bit heavier, thought I'd like to design it to use my trekking poles if possible.

[Jeffs Eleven]

Consider your body weight. Really light hammocks stretch due to light materials. If you are big the stretchy ness may be severe. I love my double nest but sub7 is prolly stretchy

[Joe S]

To be clear, those may be good products. My suggestion is based on the following:

1) In my experience, people seem to either really like, or really not like, hammock sleeping. Not much middle ground.

2) Like everything else here, to do it "right" can be an expensive proposition. So, if you start with a tablecloth, you have a bare bones UL hammock set up for cheap. And, if you like it, you can then figure out if you want to go the Warbonnet/Dream Hammock/etc. hammock/tarp etc. I have a Dream Hammock, love it, but started with an el cheapo.

[Jesse Anderson]

Joe,
Out of curiosity what would you say is the estimated weight on one of those tablecloth hammocks? They do look mighty easy to put together. Like you say I could make one and not be out much time or money wise.

Jeff,
I'm about 185 at 5'11" so not a lightweight but not even close to the weight limits on even the sub7. Stretch would be a concern though as I would want as flat a lay as possible. That's good advice.

I guess I could always get a commercial hammock try it for a night or two and if it doesn't fit take it back. That's the beauty of the REI warranty.

[Dale Wambaugh]

The Eno Sub7 is light, but too small for someone 5'10". It might be okay for a day hike nap, but I couldn't sleep in one overnight. The Thermarest looks like a basic offshore made "parachute" hammock which can be bought for much less.

The hammock body is the easy part. A hammock shelter is a system and all the other pieces cost (and weigh) far more. If you sew, it is just a big rectangle with hemmed sides and triple-stitched channels in each end. An asymmetrical hammock isn't a huge difference in design and construction. If your hammock is wide enough, it matters less if it is asym.

If you live in bug country, get one with an integrated bug net and save your sanity.

[Kattt]

I have a WB Traveller that I can send you to try out for a few months. My new favorite for bug free trips is the BIAS.
Let me know….maybe you pay shipping? :)

[Jesse Anderson]

Wow Katharina, That is a super nice offer. I may take you up on it. I'll get back to you and let you know. Again, thank you.

[Katherine .]

What position do you tend to sleep?

Bridge hammocks are for back-sleepers.

If I were one, I might go that route, or at least check it out. But I'm not. Tried an bridge once for a few minutes, and as a side sleeper didn't seem like it would work for that.

[Jesse Anderson]

Katherine I'm a bit of a rotisserie sleeper. I tend to sleep mostly on my sides though, my wife says my snoring is better on my side so that's what I do revert to at home.

Out of curiosity what made the bridge uncomfortable for you as a side sleeper? was it pressure on your knees? I figured it would be better than a gathered end hammock, something about sleeping on my side in the shape of a banana seemed awkward.

I'm sorry for all of my somewhat ignorant questions, I've never experienced a backpacking hammock before and have really no idea what I'm getting myself in to.

[Katherine .]

there's sort of pressure on the sides of the hammock, not quite sure how to describe. Wonderfully supportive if you're still and straight, but the downward V/U shape makes it hard to wriggle around and kinda wants to press you back into a straight line.

But take Katharina up! That's a super-nice offer.

[Lori P]

It's a frequent assumption that you end up banana shaped in a gathered end. You can, but you don't have to. Sleeping on the diagonal results in a nice flat lay. Side sleeping (not to mention the side-back position, not possible on a pad on the ground) is comfortable in a gathered end. Especially one like the WB Blackbird, with the foot box.

Perfect illustration over here:
http://theultimatehang.com/2012/06/tips-for-pitch-perfect-hammock-camping/

You should get Derek's book.

[Terran Terran]

I'm thinking any good merchant should take a return on a gift card just like any other merchandise.
Having started off with a cheap hammock, I soon ordered a WBBB making my cheap hammock, not so cheap. Money I could have spent on the Warbonnet. The cheap one was enough to spike my interest and to get me reading the hammock forums. By doing so, I realized that for roughly the same price, I could buy a quality hang made by a cottage vender made in my own country without the money going into some rich CEO's pocket. A product produced with passion for something other than money. Many depend on the forums for business and sell by reputation, not by advertisement.
The online cottage industries are our new found freedom, a new direction for our country and I do try to support them any chance I get.

[Phillip Asby]

As noted there are two approaches – buy a basic hammock and see if you like it then upgrade or save for what you want. A wb or Hennessey or cottage hammock (I have two simply light designs I love – one trail lair with bug net and one without that's lighter for bug free seasons…) Can be sold here or on hammock forums easily to recoup a good part of their cost.

As noted hammocks are a system with many more options than ground sleeping or so it seems – lots of fiddle factor and technique to get a good nights sleep so you have to give it a few tries I think to really decide.

[Joe S]

How much a tablecloth hammock weights depends on the fabric and suspension, lots of variables there. But it should be easy to end up at the light end of the spectrum.

I'd be sure to get a 10 ft hammock, ot 11 if you are really tall. This allows you to lie on the diagonal and avoid the banana option. Many of the less expensive commercial hammocks are 9 feet or less.

I'll point out that I cannot for the life of me sleep on my back in a bed, but find it easy to do so in a hammock. Go figure.

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