90 degree hammocks

I’m not aware of any that are not heavy. Also you need a much larger tarp

My $.02 is a simple gathered end hammock is a wonderful thing and has been refined over years of experimentation by many thousands of people. 90° hammocks are new and less refined (and possibly not a very good idea).

Get a gathered end hammock and try it out. See if it’s right for you. You won’t know until you try it. It’s not a question that can be answered in a message board.

Thanks Matthew.  When I went on their website they made it sound really good.  Easy to set up, light weight, doesn’t need a huge span between trees, etc.

A gimmick at this point I think. Don’t forget tarps.and bottom insulation. Bridge style hammocks are a better option if you like the 90 degree style.

Don’t forget tarps and bottom insulation. Hamocks are a system and you need all the parts to camp with one. The hammock body is just the start and it is easy to nickle and dime yourself to get a working setup.

I bought one…haven’t used it yet but hope to start using it in the spring.  It’s weight is very reasonable, (the cuben tarp helps, but it’s expensive)  and since I already have several Exped pads, I did not need to buy an underquilt.   Shipping was fairly quick from Switzerland.

I want to experiment with this type of hammock because I went to a hammock hang where I rented a gathered end hammock and slept in it for two nights and woke up both mornings with a sore back.  I discovered that I can’t sleep exclusively on my back in a gathered end, and sleeping on my side seemed to be what was causing my back pain.  I don’t think two nights is enough for me to make a final verdict on gathered end hammocks, so I am still going to get one and experiment more with it.

However, the enthusiasm for these “perpendicular” type of hammocks seems to be growing.  Shug is a big fan of his Amok, for example, but most concede that the Amok is too heavy for a thru hike.  The 90 degree hammock’s weight is in the ballpark for a thru hike, and the ease with which it pitches on the ground would seem to make it a versatile option where trees are absent.  Side sleepers seem to like them for the very flat lay,  and they don’t seem to be as tippy as a bridge hammock.  They also make a model that’s made for an underquilt if you prefer to not use a pad.

I’m very much in the experimental stage with hammocks…sounds like you are too.  You just have to try stuff and find out what you works/does not work for you.  Buy used when you can, keep what works, sell what doesn’t, but go to those hammock hangs and try as many hammocks at those events as you can…that’s the cheapest way to try stuff.

Interesting. I’d be curious to try one. The UL one weighs less than my double layer warbonnet.

watching one of the videos, I’d rather rock side to side than head to toe.

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I had seen the Exped Ergo Hammock before and it looked interesting, and this seems to be an evolution of the same design. Seems super cool.

The question that immediately comes up for me is how much of a better horizontal lay this is than gathered end hammock made with less stretchy material (like polyester instead of nylon, or with a heavier nylon material) with a pad sleeve on the diagonal that would put you at the proper angle as well as add more horizontal structure.

You might want to try a bridge hammock. I built a variant and tried it out with a large inflatable pad and it was like a bed. Downside is you need two stout spreader bars. Got mine from Quest fabrics.