Quote Originally Posted by La Picker View Post
It's actually pretty simple. If the purpose of your structural ridge line is to cause the hammock to mimic a 30 (or whatever your chosen comfort zone is) degree hang and your ridgeline is slack (ie not taut), then your suspension is already at an angle of 30 degrees or greater and your ridgeline is not actually serving any purpose other than keeping your bug net out of your face and/or hanging your flashlight.

The degree (no pun) to which your suspension angle is less than 30 degrees (as in when the trees are further apart, etc.) will determine how much tension is actually applied to your structural ridgeline.

To say that your ridgeline is "right" when it has a certain amount of tension on it (as in the 90 degree bend rule) just doesn't agree with the physics of the application nor the purpose of a structural ridgeline. The only way you can cause a certain specific amount of tension to always be on your ridgeline would be to always hang your hammock at exactly the same hang angle. If your hanging scenario is that static, there's no need for the structural ridgeline to begin with (except to keep you bugnet out of your face and/or hang your flashlight).
Bravo. VERY well said. Exactly what I was trying to convey. But, in a much more clear and concise way. God Bless