Newbie Question about length

**JohannesBrahms** · 06-29-2017, 20:43

Bubba, I'm 5'6" as well; around 150lbs.
I haven't tried an 8.5' yet, but I currently have a Grand Trunk Nano 7 that's 9' long and a Dream Hammock that's 10' long.
For me, the sweet spot (given optimal angle) is around 9.5' long and 4.5' wide. Dead middle between my two current hammocks. Guess I'll have to buy another one. (Oh no! Anything but that!)

**ACoffee** · 06-30-2017, 12:15

I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere yet, but I have found that the fabric weight also impacts how long the hammock needs to be before it's comfortable, at least if you are near the recommended weight limit between fabrics (I used this guide as a reference: https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/hammocks-101/).

My first DIY project was an 11.5' hammock made from 1.6 Hexon, and I whipped one end to different lengths to experiment. I found that 10' was the minimum length I could get comfortable in (I'm 5'-8" and 155 lb.), and 11' was only marginally more comfortable. However, I made my next hammock out of 1.0 HyperD, which stretches a lot more than the 1.6 Hexon. I found that 10' was noticeably less comfortable, but 11' was much closer to the comfort level of the heavier hammock. Of course, personal preference plays a big role here in how much fabric stretch and "body bend" you can tolerate. I have not tried any hammocks longer than 11.5', but my experience has been that once you reach a minimum comfortable length for you, going longer provides only minimal improvement.

Notes:
1. Even the short hammock lengths I tried were comfortable for just lounging, but I couldn't spend more than an hour or so before my back got sore. It sounds like you need a hammock for people to sleep overnight in, so I would recommend a longer one.
2. My intent with the testing was to find the lightest backpacking hammock for me, so I'm sure I could find a more comfortable hammock fabric/length combo, but my current choice is the 1.0 HyperD at 11' because it's so light.
3. Unless you are only camping in the heat of summer or you want to invest in an extra underquilt (you can DIY for fairly cheap), you might want a double-layer hammock to better accommodate a pad.

**Shrewd** · 06-30-2017, 16:04

I was told, when a 10' kammock didn't work for me, that if you're over 6' you need to get an 11' hammock.

I'm 6'3 and have been pretty happy with my 11' blackbird xlc thus far

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**melbolt65** · 06-30-2017, 16:09

Thanks everyone, I was surprised by how many people contributed to this thread. Good community here. I'm going to go and get or make a couple 11 footers to use as loaners for others I take out camping with me to try it out. I'm really interested now in some diy hammocks and bug net. Now to find a sewing machine...

**radeonDEUS** · 11-17-2017, 15:15

Hexon 1.6. Butter.

**Trail Runner** · 11-17-2017, 15:32

Originally Posted by melbolt65

Thanks everyone, I was surprised by how many people contributed to this thread. Good community here. I'm going to go and get or make a couple 11 footers to use as loaners for others I take out camping with me to try it out. I'm really interested now in some diy hammocks and bug net. Now to find a sewing machine...

You've probably already undertaken your DIY quest but I'll throw this out anyway. For a simple DIY hammock you can get a couple of table cloths from the Table Cloths Factory then check the HF DIY section for instructions on how to turn them into hammocks. You want the crinkle taffeta ones on the page linked above.