What is the best type of hammock for a side sleeper 6ft 250lbs

**Big JJ** · 09-05-2016, 22:38

I use a Big Agnes Summit Park bag with an Exped pad in it.
The pad is 6ft 6 inches long.
I am leaning towards a bridge style hammock????

**Wilderness Seeker** · 09-05-2016, 22:57

I am 6' and 250lbs as well, I just purchased a Dutch 11' long 70" wide gathered in hammock and I can sleep on my side as well as turn from side to side without much problems. The biggest getting-use-to for me was getting use to the movement while hanging. The Dutch netless wide is like a king size bed, a whole lot of fabric to move around in. It works for me.

**ironfish77** · 09-05-2016, 23:30

I guess what ever you fit in. I am a side sleeper and not a carpenters dream, I have used a lot of hammocks, I sleep on my side in all of them.
I think bridge hammocks are a bit tricky for the first 3 minutes or so. At first I was afraid ro move, then I started testing, now I really like. Bridge hammocks, just wish they did not require so much space to hang, sometimes it is difficult ro find trees far enough apart. I really like the open feel of WBRR.

**Coheeba** · 09-07-2016, 13:15

I'm about the same measurements as you and I spent two nights last weekend in my DIY 1.0 HyperD 11 footer. It weights 8.5 ounces with suspension. It's so light and easy to pack.

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**ckmaui** · 09-07-2016, 13:23

sleep full time in a hammock

for me the newer trend of the wider hammocks are nice since you can stretch out including your arms and they do not fall off the edge

simple thing but makes a huge difference

I was a side sleeper but found in the hammocks I sleep on my back all the time now

the bridge wife uses is a ridgerunner I still prefer the mayan style hammocks but with a pad the bridge is much more bed like and the side sleeping I do think is easier in a bridge

**Big JJ** · 09-07-2016, 20:01

Team
Thank you all for the feedback. I do like the gathered end hammocks and have made and use them on occasion.
My issue is I snore to loud when I sleep on my back in a gathered end and I wake myself up on my back.
I am a DIY guy so I am going to try and make my own bridge hammock and see how it turns out.
If it all works right I should be able to use my Exped pad in the hammock and not need a quilt as the expand has an R5 rating.
My resoning is if I want to sleep on the ground or hang I only have one setup that will work for both when backpacking and I don't need the under quilt.
I will keep you in loop on the success or failure of my endever.

**dakotaross** · 09-07-2016, 21:13

I do think the bridge is your best option. The only problem I had with it is being on my side and my knees hitting the rigid sides where it narrows in the middle.

**Grumpy Squatch** · 09-09-2016, 16:04

I'm 5'10" and about 240lbs normally (though down to 228 lately). I am exclusively a side sleeper in real-life, and 99% of the time on my left side at that. I've found that I can usually find a comfortable position in my 11' Dream Hammock Sparrow (58"-59" inches wide), but I have to be in a semi-fetal position. Once I find the spot I usually can fall asleep. The Dream Hammock is asym, so rolling over to the right side isn't an option, but not a real problem for me.

If I'm totally exhausted, and I mean wiped out, I MIGHT be able to fall asleep on my back. Only happened to me twice in a couple of years and only after a 8-9 mile day in steep terrain after sleeping for less than 2 hours the night before.

**SilvrSurfr** · 09-09-2016, 16:37

I guess it depends on your flexibility when it comes to learning new sleeping behavior. For me, I can easily alter my behavior. In a bed or on the ground I'm a side sleeper but in a hammock, I'm a back sleeper. I'm not willing to buy a bridge hammock when I can learn to sleep on my back.

Mind you, it wasn't easy. I started out sleeping in my hammock in the back yard and I snored on my back. Then I hung a hammock in my office and that was that - I learned how to sleep on my back, like a log, with no snoring. You just have to invest a little time to learn how to sleep in a simple, gathered-end hammock. Or, you can invest in a bridge hammock that will have a weight penalty. Your choice!