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I am honestly not sure.
Are we talking finished length? Length of fabric before making said tarp or hammock?
For the folks that advocate for 12ft hammocks or tarps, are they actually 12ft in finished length?
I've made several hammocks from 4yd fabric pieces, but by the time I roll and sew the end channels, it is more like 11.5ft. Is that a 12ft hammock?
I've never purchased a 12ft hammock from a vendor, are they 12ft finished?
Actually not a bad question.
The simple one- tarps.
A tarp should be the stated length (or match closely enough per the spec sheet the vendor provides).
Hammocks do get a little trickier from what I hear from others.
I make my own:
Generally- sewn channel end hammocks should be measured from finished channel to finished channel.
I believe most vendors follow this, but not all.
So roughly speaking your 11' hammock should be an 11'6-11'8" 'blank' prior to sewing.
That said I have heard of folks buying hammocks and having the experience you describe where they are told they are getting an X' long hammock only to find out that was the hunk of fabric cut and not finished length.
Generally-
Whipped end hammocks get a little tricky too in how you want to determine the actual finished length...
Is it hem to hem, whip to whip, attachment point to attachment point? Seems a hair different with each vendor at times.
Specifically-
It doesn't actually matter for MYOG unless you are going to sell one or try to hit a specific number.
I got into 10' 6" hammocks early on due to this 'error' when I cut an 11' blank and ended up enjoying it more than a 10' or 11'.
The only spot it can get you into trouble really is if you are matching it to a tarp and things get tight.
For example..
11' hammock x 83% RL= 9'2" or so for the RL. Generally a 10' tarp is standard for most of these.
But a true 12' hammock is closer to 10' RL and would no longer fit under that 10' tarp easily.
End of the day- be honest and blunt if you're making stuff and ask a clear question to a vendor if you're not sure.
I don't think there is a right or wrong here- just a need to be clear when it's more than yourself involved.
I could be wrong, but I think the tarp length generally refers to the length of the ridgeline. I haven't measured all of my 3 tarps, but I have measured my DIY 12' tarp. It has a 12' ridgeline on the dot.
Many good points. I guess asking precise questions of each manufacturer is a good bet if the exact size matters.Quote:
Originally Posted by Just Bill
My DIY tarps were all built to exact length, for coverage. On hammocks, it just seemed natural to me to go with the length of starting fabric, but my curiosity about other folks experience with actual size won't subside.Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazytown3
I have used and measured quite a few hammocks, and Dutch, Dream Hammock, Butt in a Sling, Simply Light Designs and probably a few others that I'm forgetting, quote the finished hammock length. So the length of the rectangular hammock body. Warbonnet is an exception. They quote the length of the rectangular fabric before they sew the hammock. So the finished hammocks are a bit shorter.
With the mass produced hammocks, you can never be sure which length they are referring to. Many seem to include the loops on the ends :cursing:
Personally, I always measure the finished length of the hammock body as well as the length of the fabric that can actually spread if the hammock is whipped. The latter measurement is really the only important one if you want to compare different hammocks.
If in doubt, best to ask the hammock manufacturer before ordering.