The 83% rule...should it be broken?

[12trysomething]

The last person that went off the 83% rule, well let's just say he won't be going away from the 83% rule again.

[richa013]

I feel cramped at 83%. 86% works for me.

[ninjahamockman]

This rule is more breakable than others. This is all dependent on your comfort. The one great commandment you don't want to break."thou shalt hang thy hammock at 30° " it is the one great commandment of hammock camping

[Spark]

It's a rule, it shall be broken.

[BananaHammock]

I give folks wrong directions too when they ask me how to get somewhere. Just feel bad saying I don't know.
Shug

That's funny

I like mine around 87%

[OneClick]

I have a 11 foot gathered-end hammock and have always adjusted my ridgelines several inches on either side of 109-110" (the hammock length x 83%),mostly to reduce any calf pressure. I have never eliminated it until tonight. I made some changes to my suspension (rap rings and straps replacing the whoopie slings) and hung the hammock WITHOUT a ridgeline by mistake. I hopped in to test the comfort once again and it was wonderful...no calf pressure whatsoever.

I started using a hammock without a ridgeline; it just didn't come with. I'll tell you, it's the most comfortable thing ever. Still not sure if it's the lack of a line, the fabric, length, or all of the above. But I'm not going to mess with it since it's not broke.

Here's my story:

Calf-ridge-line-DISAPPEARED-after-4-years-Why

[Snowball]

I have a lot of hammocks but I don’t think one of them has a 83% ridge line they are all longer. As others I adjust until its comfortable. Nobody can tell you what is most comfortable for you. It’s a feeling.
The feeling also changes depending on how you hang the hammock. My head end is always lower and it forces me towards the head end. It often reduce the calf ridge and I always try to hang the hammock so the ridge line isn’t too tight.
Other factors are:
The fabric VS. your weight (fabric stretch).
The hammock length VS. you.
Are you sensitive to overstretched legs and pressure points (I am).
The width of the hammock. Some like them wide but in my experience you won’t get the benefit of the width if you have a long ridge ling.
A long ridge line will make the hammock more narrow (potential shoulder squeeze).

Test with and without the under quilt. I have a full length UQ and as soon as I use it the feeling changes.

[SilvrSurfr]

I am not a fiddler. The 83% rule has worked for me, so I stick with it. For some reason, all my ridgelines are adjustable, which makes me sound like a fiddler!

[SnrMoment]

I am a fiddler and my ridge lines are adjustable. Sometimes I just use them to hang stuff from and let the hang take care of itself.

[Bladerunner]

ill always start at 83% when I make a new hammock but I always seem to fiddle with them when I get out on the first hang. all of my ridgelines are UCR's. my 12 footer is just a little longer than 83% and my 11 footer is just short of 83% but its also an extra wide hammock. every hammocks different and every body's different. just find what works for you and stick with it.