Look out below!

[Red Langford]

Part of the attraction of the hammock is that it mean no more sleeping on roots, pine cones, rocks, slopes, humps, dips and anything else that may be on the ground. But I've seen mention of what's below the hammock being a danger. Not actually having sept in a hammock yet (My WBBB is in Winnipeg one day from being delivered) do they fall sometimes? Do suspensions fail? Do I need to be that concerned about what's below me?

[MAD777]

Never hang higher than you're willing to fall and don't hang over sharp rocks & plants with spikes. All common sense stuff really. Can you fall? Well, anything is possible including an uprooted tree. But with normal precautions, learned from HammockForums, you'll be much safer in your hammock than you will be in your car, driving to the trailhead.

All of my ground landings haven't been from hammock failure, but from sitting in my underquilt (missing the hammock) after returning from watering the bushes at 3:00a.m.

[dragon360]

What is beneath you is always something to pay attention to. But depending on which trusty rig usually sets me up to what I will and will not hang over.

[Whiskeyjack]

With seven people in our clan of hangers, and four years of hanging, no one has yet fallen. Of more concern is what is above you. Make sure to check for widow-makers when setting up.
Good to see another hanger in Northwestern Ontario!

[humer91]

Only had 2 falls. One my suspension wasn't secured and i was lowered to the ground slowly. The other, I was in a Hammock chair, tired, sleepy, and possibly a little tipsy, and I fell out trying to get out of it. That one was all my fault.

[sargevining]

I have more trouble falling while getting into my hammock rather than the hammock itself coming down.

Don't grab the bug net and push it back while sitting thinking its your hammock.

Just sayin'.

[TacoStyle]

First lay in the wild in my WBBB had me on the ground. I had messed up the webbing and it gently lowered me to the ground. Having zipped up moments earlier, I had no way to avoid the awkwardness that ensued. No marks or broken bones but still a bit scary. Be sure to check the suspension :-)

[daneaustin3]

If your suspension is on the toggle of your marlin spike hitch instead of on the knot you WILL fall. I can personally attest to this.
Another time I was trying to make a turtle dog stand and the top bar bent and the whole thing dropped me to the ground and collapsed on top of me.
Almost dropped my wife on the ground yesterday while fiddling with my UCR suspension. Seems odd that the knot on the line doesn't seem to be holding any pressure until you move it....

So as a matter of safety I do clear under my hammock of all things that could damage me.

[rais'n hammock]

There are other things to look out for below.
I was on a camp-out last summer with my tarp in porch mode on both sides. About 2 in the morning I heard the same rustling noise I had heard the night before and it was going on longer than the night before. I peaked out over the side of the hammock as the moon light glistened off the white stripe of a nice little black "kitty". I wanted to take a picture as I watched it sniffing the leafy ground and walked right toward me. I didn't because I could just hear the rest of my camp buddies yelling at me the next morning as it would have sprayed all over their tents.
I just laid back, remained still and quite. It kept walking strait toward me and I felt its tail drag across my back as he walked right under my hammock. I checked again after it was few feet from me and it went off into the trees.
What a fun time. Had I been in a tent I would have missed it all and would not have another great experience to share. In a hammock one has the luxury of seeing everything and only feeling the cool stuff below.

[brokentree]

I've had two falls: My terrible knot came undone and I hit the living room floor pretty hard, and once my OK knot sllloowwlly came undone and I gradually drifted to the floor.