DIY Hammock Dimension Question

[Addison Page]

I finally got in my materials from DIYGS and will shortly start making my own hammock (pretty stoked!).

Quick, last minute question, before I start sewing sometime this week. I'm 6' tall, so between 72" and 73", and 180 lbs. What is the minimum length I can make my hammock? I was thinking of making it 84"x36" (7ft x 3ft) which I know from looking at all kinds of DIY instructions that this is very small.

I personally don't need all the width of a normal hammock (I don't toss and turn, the "bathtub hammock" shape just seems like unnecessary material/weight to me)

But length wise, I want to still be comfortable with the least amount of fabric.

If I make it my way, I'm looking at a hammock that will probably be less than 5oz (obviously without suspension) but a light hammock I can't fit in does me no good.

Thoughts?

[Ken Thompson]

You need the width to be able to lay at an angle so to be able to lie flat in there. You doing a gathered end type?

[Addison Page]

Yeah,

Now I'm not sure how diagonally I actually lay, I just know there's a lot of extra fabric off to the sides of my feet and my head that I could probably rid myself of maybe I could use a bit more on the sides…

But yes since it's a gathered in hammock I want to make sure I also have enough room length wise not to constrict my head and feet, but since I'm laying at a diagonal anyway, do I really need the 120"+ most DIY patterns instruct? I feel like it really doesn't need to be much longer than my body for me to fit in it.

EDIT: that first sentence wasn't clear. I'm conceding to the idea that I could probably use a bit more on the sides than what initially planned

[Ken Thompson]

It's easy to make it shorter.
I'm 6'3" I would start with the 120" length and go from there.

[Addison Page]

Having not made my own, I should probably stick to the basics first and go from there. Thank you for clear-steering me. I would have hated ending up with a hammock too short to use but I literally never considered "start big and go smaller". Lol.

*kicks self*

Thanks for the help/insight/rational thought, bud.

[Ken Thompson]

I know huh? It's the little things.
Happy hanging!

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