gargantous...Is that really a word?
I found some realllllly wide fabric at the store a while back and made it into a channeled end hammock. My intentions were to somehow make a two person hammock (like dblhmmk) but from a single panel of fabric. But that wasn't happening without buying some spreader bars....and it got shelved.
Then Cannibal posted about some kind of nap hammock that is at a health club. Here.
Any ways, it led to my remembering the shelved big hammock and so here it is.
115" wide, (yep I said 115") 1.9 polyester fabric (not ripstop), channeled ends, a amsteel 1/8" x 12 foot long whoopie on one end, and 6 foot of 1200# mule tape (basically 1/2 webbing, for those not familar with MT) on the other. Dimensions laid out flat at the beginning were 144" long x 115" wide, minus the hems and channels, and I'm around 134" x 110" finished. The whole set-up with suspension is easily approaching 5 lbs.
The goofy suspension was stuff I had on hand when trying to do some spreader bars/ double hammock. But the combination works good for this type of set up...I'll try to explain.
The whole attachment thing could be done differently, but I did what I did, and it worked..
I extended the whoopie out as far as it would go, this gave me the length to toss the whoopie over the branch. I used a quicklink shackle
as a dead weight to assist in the tossing process, worked good. Once the whoopie was over the branch, I pulled it down, opened up the quicklink, attached the muletape webbing to the q.l. and secured it shut. Then adjusted the whoopie, as the whoopie shortened it traveled thru the q.l. smoothly, and in the process, pulled the mule tape up over the tree. Thus eliminating damaging any bark. Sturdy overhead branch, approx. 10 feet off the ground.
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Further whoopie adjustments were made to get the hammock to the right "chair" height. (6'-5", 300+ lb hammock model)
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From the seated position, I laid back and did a little wiggle getting myself more centered. After playing in the hammock a few times, it helps to put some extra fabric under you before you sit, this puts your hind end closer to center. Then when you pick up your feet, the fabric slides out around your feet.
The lay is definitely flat, but there is some shoulder squeeze. You kinda end up laying like a corpse, with arms folded over your chest.
Side lay and stomach lay are nice, but there is always some fabric close to your face.
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Fully enclosed inside.
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Head and feet hanging out.
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A view of the corpse.
So the shoulder squeeze...I tried adding a spreader bar. Took a 30" piece of 2x2 lumber, drilled holes for the suspension to feed thru and rehung the setup.
With and w/o spreader.
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Still had issues. I think a spreader placed closer to the head would help.
Overall, I think it could work for some. If your prone to seasickness, this is not for you. The whole set up twists as you move, and being somewhat enclosed takes some getting used to. But it is comfy, flat and different.
I may cut the whole length down (maybe in half?) and re channel. That will cut the weight and bring the spreader down closer to the occupant. We will see.
G
Now a tarp.....
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