G'day from Australia!

**AyeJay** · 09-04-2017, 23:50

Good day, I'm Alan Taylor (AyeJay) from Newcastle, Australia.

Height: 5'10
Weight: 80kg
Hair: Blue

I've never used a hammock and am researching for my first buy.

In deciding what to go with first, I have little clue whether I'd prefer short, narrow, long, or wide.

I do want to go as light as possible as I'm a hiker, however I also wish to remain comfortable, so a bit of extra weight for the sake of comfort will be fine. I'd like something comfortable enough for very long trips too.

I'd like to ask for some advice on how to choose this, my first hammock. Would I be best off starting with a short and narrow hammock (like perhaps 9ft x 4ft), and then based off comfort working my way out in dimension if it's too small. Or would it be wiser to estimate my dimensional sweet-spot straight away, which for my body-type I'm guessing may be around 11ft x 65 inches, and purchase a good ole cottage job straight away.

I can get 80-inch 2 oz/yard ripstop nylon from ebay as well, so I could make my own. Although I don't have a sewing machine to hem, which is the only obstacle with that idea. Do I need a sewing machine to hem the ripstop?

As far as first experimenting with queen-sized bedsheets, I measured mine, and at 250cm they are too short to whip up in a viable hammock. And the tablecloths from K-Mart are even shorter. I can get dirt cheap dropsheets from hardware store which are more than big enough, however will the plastic behave near enough to ripstop for me to get an idea of my dimensional needs?

On the other hand, if I want to start short and narrow, I could go straight in for something like a Grand Trunk Nano 7, or just get a real cheap parachute nylon job in case the size is wrong and I need to replace.

And thanks for having me!

**AyeJay** · 09-04-2017, 23:57

AyeJay back again with one more forgotten piece of VITAL information, just in case it makes some difference. I'm planning to use my hammock mainly in tropical rainforest climate, so I'll have mostly wet, warm and humid conditions.

**SimonMc** · 09-05-2017, 01:11

G'day AyeJay,

Welcome from Tassie. Don't go short and narrow if you want to be comfortable, unless weight is your main priority.

**AyeJay** · 09-05-2017, 02:07

Originally Posted by SimonMc

G'day AyeJay,

Welcome from Tassie. Don't go short and narrow if you want to be comfortable, unless weight is your main priority.

Hello Simon, thanks for the welcome!

And thanks for the advice. I've just come upon something I'm thinking may tick all my boxes as a first-time user. The WarBonnet Travel Hammock, 1.7oz Single-Layer, in XL (which gives 11 ft length instead of 10). And width is 61 inches.

It is $80 Australian Dollars, probably $110 including shipping, so probably a good price for a first time user who wants something ok all-round but not very expensive.

https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/pr...-ridgerunners/

**AyeJay** · 09-05-2017, 02:15

Mistake post.

**ChrisJHC** · 09-05-2017, 07:16

Hey, AyeJay, given your target environment, I'd strongly recommend starting off with a hammock with a built-in bug net.

I started off with the WBBB XLC and I'm very happy with it.
Given your height/weight either the regular or XLC would probably work, but most people find the XLC more comfortable.

When I went DIY I looked around the Tier Gear site from Tas. Just make sure you get a breathable fabric or you'll drown in condensation.
You'll then need to arrange a bug-net - either DIY with a zipper or go Fronkey-style.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

**AyeJay** · 09-05-2017, 08:00

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Hey, AyeJay, given your target environment, I'd strongly recommend starting off with a hammock with a built-in bug net.

I started off with the WBBB XLC and I'm very happy with it.
Given your height/weight either the regular or XLC would probably work, but most people find the XLC more comfortable.

When I went DIY I looked around the Tier Gear site from Tas. Just make sure you get a breathable fabric or you'll drown in condensation.
You'll then need to arrange a bug-net - either DIY with a zipper or go Fronkey-style.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hi Chris, I have family in Melbourne! You are right, I absolutely will need a bugnet.

What is the reason I'd be better off with an inbuilt one as opposed to a separate one at this stage? I know the inbuilt WB ones unzip. Someone else said they didn't like the inbuilt ones as it got in their way for some reason. But if it unzips I can't see how. I know there will be a lot of times I will not want to be using the bugnet, as a lot of areas of untouched tropical rainforest actually have few mozzies. Probably only be using it half the time or less.

**Firesong** · 09-05-2017, 09:01

I'm hoping Mart Coss will see this post and add some thoughts. He's over there and has a few different hammock sizes depending on what his plans are. Takes amazing photos too.

**ofuros** · 09-05-2017, 10:55

Definitely a bugnet of some kind. Sandflies, mozzies & other biting beasties. Moths to a headtorch too.
Gets cold on a tropical coastline with any sort of breeze & with any tropical forest camp @ altitude too...

Welcome to the forum, AyeJay.

**AyeJay** · 09-05-2017, 11:21

Thanks everyone.

Yeah it's true you usually do still need a blanket and UQ at night for tropical climate hammocking. Even right in the jungle! You can get away with nothing and survive, but you will usually be cold. The Brit living in Malaysia with YouTube channel called junglecrafty is always talking about that, he's an avid hammocker and his channel is all about how to hammock in the tropical jungle and also jungle bushcraft.