GE comfort - what am I doing wrong?

**pdxhanger** · 08-03-2017, 11:35

I have been hammock camping for over 15 years. I have owned an original Hennessy and a Warbonnet Blackbird, and I have made numerous DIY hammocks. My most recent DIY attempt was a very simple almost-12-foot long hammock using RipstopByTheRoll's new 1.2 oz ROBIC XL Hybrid ripstop nylon. I have tried different ridgeline lengths, different ways of hanging the hammock, different cuts, different body positions, etc. ad nauseum.

But I have almost never been completely comfortable sleeping in a GE hammock for several years now. The main problem: calf ridge. The second problem: feet higher than the rest of me.

The most comfortable hammock I have is about 10.5 feet long and I made the foot side of the foot end tapered so it is longer than the head side. This puts my feet and lower legs slightly lower than the rest of me, and flattens out my lower body, but I still have a slight calf ridge that bothers me.

I keep hearing people who are comfortable in the same kinds of GE hammock, and I keep wondering what I am doing wrong. One possible clue comes from my wife. She is about 4" shorter than me and a little lighter (I am not quite 5' 10' tall, and I weigh 160 lbs.) She is equally comfortable in any of my hammocks – in fact, she can't really tell the difference. While her height almost certainly makes some difference, I suspect the real differences are that 1) she is perfectly happy sleeping with her legs bent and in different positions, while I like to have my legs straight out, and 2) she is less sensitive than I am. Joke all you want, but this woman routinely gets blisters on her feet when hiking because she doesn't notice any discomfort, while I appear to be more of the "Princess and the Pea" variety.

So is the difference between GE comfort about sensitivity and flexibility of sleeping position? Are most of the bridge hammock people more sensitive and "straight" sleepers like me? Or is there something else that I am doing wrong?

(BTW: yes, a bridge hammock is one way to go. I have one, and it is very comfortable. But GE hammock socks are easier to make, and bridge hammocks require trees that are farther apart, need spreader bars, etc. If I could get a GE camping hammock to be really comfortable, I think it would be preferable for me.)

**tennistime99** · 08-03-2017, 12:59

I have a hard time with side pressure on my ankles if I try to keep both legs straight. I usually end up in the "number 4" figure with one leg or the other bent. Are you able to push the fabric over with your feet? Sometimes you can move extra fabric over so there's more material for your feet and it flattens the calf ridge out.
I think most people intentionally sleep with their feet a little higher so they don't slide towards the foot end during the night. Most of your weight is above the waist so raising the feet helps center the body mass.

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**Tikker** · 08-03-2017, 13:31

I'm the same as you I think
I have a hard time sleeping in the GE, my legs being pressed together just bugs the heck out of me (that and I need to spend time on my stomach)

perpendicular hang solves all my issues tho, so I have to accept the weight of the Amok and it's sleep pad, but a good sleep makes it worthwhile

**DannyII** · 08-03-2017, 14:32

As it usually the answer for such queries: Watch this Shug video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFHvX56ZKNs

**Bizzz** · 08-03-2017, 14:54

A couple things that make the difference for me. I prefer a hammock that is at least 64" wide, and I need a thin pillow under my knees to eliminate calf ridge and to keep my knees from hyperextending. The pillow also keeps my legs slightly apart. I've been fortunate and sleep so well in a hammock that I've gone to it full time for well over a year. Sure hope you find a solution that works for you.

**hutzelbein** · 08-03-2017, 16:38

There are several things you could try, if you haven't already.

You didn't write what type of fabrics your hammocks were made off. I'm very sensitive to curving, which is usually caused by stretch. The lightest hammock fabric I have been able to sleep in for more than 2 hours is the 1.7oz Robic Hybrid. But I'm only really comfortable with 70D fabrics, or a double layer 20D (which interestingly is less stretchy than a single layer 40D fabric) or 30D hammock.

Are you sure that you have a problem with your feet being higher than your torso, or is it rather a problem of knee over-extension? As long as my torso is the lowest point (not my head), I'm very comfortable with my feet higher. It helps with foot or leg pain, and swollen ankles. Have you tried putting a pillow under your legs? For me, a nice big feather pillow works best. It also takes away pressure from the heels. When camping, I use a big stuff sack filled with the softest stuff I have left.

If you are willing to give it another try, I would say get some 2.4oz Hexon or 1.9oz Ripstop Nylon and make an 11' no-net hammock. A 1.0oz HyperD double layer hammock also gives a very firm (and straight) lay.

However, maybe gathered end hammocks simply are not for you. I'm not very fond of bridge hammocks, but I recently tried a 90° hammock and found it very comfortable. If you can solve the insulation problem (you need to find a pad that works for you), it might address most of your problems. Apart from the fact that you can't use underquilts with it, the biggest disadvantage is the more difficult entry and exit.

**No-sage** · 08-03-2017, 17:11

I'm one of the lucky ones, in that I seem to be able to sleep in almost any GE hammock I try. I made a DIY bridge recently, just to try to see if I was missing anything. Two nights of decent sleep said nothing to see there.

I sleep nightly in my 1.7 Robix XL. For me, calf ridge can be as simple as where I put my butt. A bit to one side or another can make a big difference.

Shug had a good video on calf ridge recently, check it out Princess.

**No-sage** · 08-03-2017, 17:13

Sleep position is definitely something. I can sleep on either side or my back, so yes, flexibility too.

I moved around a lot when I slept in a bed too.

**TrailSlug** · 08-03-2017, 17:21

Just give in and go for a bridge hammock. I can make a gathered end work and have several but I finally just gave up and take my Warbonnet Ridgerunner. I know I'll have a good nights sleep in my RR so it's one less thing to worry about.