10ft or 11ft for short people?

[hutzelbein]

Before someone suggests that I try various sizes, I've got an ENO which is quite short, a 10' Hammeck Envy in PolyD, a 11' Dutch Argon, and a WBBB (which is 10 foot). Each feels different but I can't decide whether it's design, material, length, or the way I hang them that makes them vary.

Yes. There are way too many variables to be able to figure out a rule of thumb. I own a lot of hammocks, and each feels different. I guess the only way to find the perfect hammock is to try as many as you can...

I figured asking around about other short peoples experiences might give some more insight.

I don't think that other people's experiences will help you. But for what it is worth, I'm 5'4" and my favorite hiking hammock is the 10' WBBB. So far I haven't found another hammock that I like equally well.

[Five Tango]

Ok,here is what I would suggest.Just know that I am the guy who always buys the wrong thing first for some reason.Size your hammock to the tarp you have unless you want a new tarp.Somehow I managed to clik on an 11 foot HG Cuban tarp with doors when I KNEW I should have gotten a 12 since I replaced my HH fly with their bigger better tarp immediately some time ago.Of course my first Dutch Argon was an 11 footer.Doing the math in my head,I quickly deduced that a Dutch 10 foot hammock was MUCH cheaper than a new 12 foot Cuban tarp so one is on the way.Just for kicks,however,I pitched my new Cuben with both the HH Expedition Asym and the 11 foot Dutch hammock under it.The HH had plenty of clearance but,alas,I was not comfortable with the tolerance I had for the Dutch 11 foot hammock even though it was covered at either end.I was anxious about blowing rain squall getting my geese wet just when I needed them the most.The 10 ft. Argon was a no brainer.The 11 footer would be just great with my bigger HH tarp but that tarp is a good 5.5 oz heavier than the Cuban.I am no gram weenie but,yeah,weight and size matters at my age.All is not lost since my grandson will likely use the longer hammock and tarp.It would be important to include that I am "shorter than short" and the HH has always been comfortable so I am sure the Dutch 10 footer will be as well.I know I am "shorter than short" since I recently purchased some light weight men's short rain pants from REI and they were still a bit too long......

[BillyBob58]

Yes! I am also of shorter stature and my hammock is less than 10ft. However, it isn't solely the length which makes it my most comfortable hammock. It is all the other attributes combined. The key is finding the optimum combination of attributes. Most people who experiment with length hold all other variables the same (good idea) and then find the optimum length. The erroneous conclusion then follows that the optimum length is true for all. The truth being it was the optimum length for all those other attributes. Most seem to ignore fabric choice. The more I experiment, the more I think fabric plays more of a role than previously considered.

Yes. There are way too many variables to be able to figure out a rule of thumb. I own a lot of hammocks, and each feels different. I guess the only way to find the perfect hammock is to try as many as you can...



I don't think that other people's experiences will help you. But for what it is worth, I'm 5'4" and my favorite hiking hammock is the 10' WBBB. So far I haven't found another hammock that I like equally well.

Hutz, for some reason I thought you were a Clark hammock aficionado. Did you change your mind, or am I thinking of someone else? ( I suspect I am)

But back OT: Yes, there are so many variables! I remain on the fence as to the longer hammocks improved comfort. I have an 11 ft hammock, and it is quite comfy, but was never able to give it the "more comfy than all others" award, though it is in the top tier for sure.

I am 6'1", and also in the top tier is my old 10 ft long Claytor No Net. Which also has the distinction- good or bad- of being my most narrow hammock by far(4 ft). It is a double layer of some unusual material, don't know what, and it is about as comfy as any hammock I have tried or owned, and more comfy than 90% of them. I think I still have to rate it at least as comfy as my 11 ft hammock, if not very slightly more so. I am not sure how to explain that. I still feel silly that I have never borrowed my friends 8 ft long Claytor Expedition to test it out. You just never know, and that sure would work sweet with a PeaPod!

Also a main contender after all these years is my old original Speer 8.5. As in 8.5 ft long. Though I think Speer later called it a 9 footer when he decided he was measuring different than every one else. Still, even 9 ft is pretty short by current standard. Now, this short hammock is no good for my kind of tall self for laying on my side with legs straight, my waist is uncomfy. Also, on my back I need something under my knees to avoid knee extension. However, in the main area with which I have trouble with non-bridge hammocks- the evil calf/leg ridge pressure, it is probably the best or = to the best non-bridge I have. And on my side in fetal, it is at the very top for comfort. Both of those areas are very important for me, so despite it's drawbacks I have to place my shortest hammock near the top for overall comfort. And I am not short. So, how do I explain that? I can't, except to say there are a whole lot of variables!

At the other end of the spectrum is my HH Safari No Net. This is probably my most comfortable- and most consistently so- non-bridge hammock. If I am calling the very best of my others a 9.5 out of 10, then this would be the 10 against which the others are measured. It is also by far my longest and widest hammock. It might well be 12 ft long hanging under a 112" ridgeline. IOW, a lot of sag!

So, for me it is hard to say if the longer hammocks are always more comfy than the shorter even for folks over 6 ft. But I think the majority of people feel that they are.

[hutzelbein]

Hutz, for some reason I thought you were a Clark hammock aficionado. Did you change your mind, or am I thinking of someone else? ( I suspect I am)

Yes, you must be thinking of someone else. I never had the opportunity to sleep in a Clark so far. If anything, I'd probably be a Warbonnet fangirl

[Chris183]

I'm 5'6 and my 11 foot hammock is worlds more comfortable to me than my previous 10 footer.

Fabric width, fabric type, and fabric thickness has alot to do with comfort as well.

[OneClick]

Never occured to me...what are 11' hangers using for tarps then?

[BryanS]

Never occured to me...what are 11' hangers using for tarps then?

tarps with a 12' ridgeline many vendors offer tarps in a variety of RL lengths.

[SilvrSurfr]

Never occured to me...what are 11' hangers using for tarps then?

If you're using a structural ridgeline at approx. 83% of the hammock length, you really only need an 11 ft. tarp ridgeline (132" x .83 = 109.56") for an 11 ft. hammock. That gives you 11 inches of coverage over each end.

[IK_]

Another shortie here, a bit under 5'6".
Indoors I rotate a 10', and two 9'6" hammocks as a full-time hammocker (since March 2013).
Outdoors I use a 10' for when the bugs are absent, and then a 9'6" and a 11' with bugnets - when justified.
The fabrics of all these hammocks are all different, stretch differently, and I can not tell which one is the most comfortable.
I like them all.

As to tarp length for a 11' hammock, my 130" long HammockGear CF tarp, with doors, is adequate for my 11-footer, which I prefer with a 112" long ridge line.

I see no simple correlation between user height and hammock length whatsoever. The fabrics, and their bias, and the user's preferred lay complicate things a lot.

[ebrianschmidt]

I'm 5'6" and was the same way with my eno. Nice hammock, but the day after I got my dutch 11 argon, the eno went on ebay. Not that it was uncomfortable, but I just didn't know what I was missing out on. A 9 foot is fine for shprt naps, but for sleeping the whole night, the 11 ft hammock allows me to completely flat and does not streatch under my legs.