How do y'all do it?

[Mr. Gillam]

I have been playing with hammocks, on and off for over a year now, and cannot get comfortable in one. Out of the dozen nights I've spent in a hammock, only one yielded a trace amount of useful sleep. Lol

I had a BBXLC but didn't care for it. We currently have 2 WB Travelers and they are okay but, I cannot avoid a calf ridge and therefore cannot get comfortable.

Last night I was messing around with angles and finally got rid of the ridge. The down side was that the ridgeline was slack...like hanging 14" low. I know that's now how it's supposed to work but, I was comfortable.

Should I consider another hammock brand?

For the record, I'm 6'2" and about 255.

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Vanhalo]

I have the New 1.7 SL XLC and in the beginning i didn't care for it.

Then i shortened my hang span from 19' to 14-9" and got the suspension height dialed in (foot end 80" and head end 65") ......very comfortable now.

Just had a very good night's sleep @ 50°

It was important (for me) to have the ridge line right.

I am 5'-11"...was 230-238 when i started...now I am 180....


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[rweb82]

Perhaps try a different manufacturer. While a lot of people find the BBXLC to be very comfortable, it is pretty well known that the BB line requires more fiddling to get it dialed in than other hammocks. I am not knocking Warbonnet in any way- as Brandon makes great gear. However, it may be worth trying something from another cottage vendor- like Dream Hammock or SLD. both offer more fabric choices- which you may need. I know if you talk to the Smurfs at Dream Hammock, they will help you choose the best fabric and width for your height/weight. I am 6'1", and absolutely love my Raven.

Good luck figuring it all out!

[Grumpy Squatch]

You're not alone. There are many threads here from people in the same situation and thousands of suggestions. I count myself as one of those people for whom a hammock has become more comfortable than the ground but still not perfectly comfortable. I think the brand of hammock matters little. Although for heavier people (I go around 240) fabric choice and stretch can matter a bit, the basic comfort derives from the overall size (length and width) of a hammock rather than the particular features of one brand or another.

As your experiment has shown, the hang matters a lot for some of us. I have a friend who normally sleeps terribly at home and has for years. But in the woods he claims to fall asleep in his hammock quickly and sleep comfortably whether it's hanging like a U from two trees barely 12' apart or stretched tight enough to be a trampoline. Me, on the other hand, if I don't get it just right, I'll be up all night reading instead of sleeping.

After a few years of experimentation here's what works better for me:

• Longer = better. I started in a 9' Hennessy. I now have an 11' Dream Hammock. That helped a lot.
• Pitch matters. This is perhaps counter-intuitive but it's much easier for me to get a good pitch backpacking in a forest with infinite tree pairs to choose from than trying to make something work in a campground. So don't be afraid to search for the right hang if you can. You'll never get comfortable with a sub-optimal pitch. Better to spend an extra hour setting up well than several hours tossing and turning at night.
• Accessories matter. Full-length underquilts put pressure on my outside foot which drives me INSANE and leads to sleepless nights unless I find a position that minimizes this. 3/4 length quilts might be an option, but I also toss and turn when sleeping so a foot pad can be just as infuriating. Similarly, integrated bug nets can be annoying unless the side tie-outs are set just right to keep them off my face. I've settled on full-length quilts and sleeping on my side to avoid the pressure.
• I sleep on my side in a hammock. I sleep on my side at home. I sleep on my side on the ground. I sleep on my side on airplanes (when I have a lay-flat seat at least.) Most side-sleepers say they can sleep on their back in a hammock. I can't. My suggestion to you is not to fight your natural comfort position because you think you should be able to sleep on your back.
• It takes practice. I built a stand for use at home even though I have plenty of trees in my yard. With a stand I got a 100% repeatable pitch so I knew I would be comfortable. Then I tested in my yard dozens of nights. Barely slept any in the beginning, but eventually I conditioned myself and things got better. Now I know that I can find a comfortable pitch so I don't worry about being uncomfortable in the woods which helps me relax.
• Like a hotspot in your boot, deal with any discomfort immediately. Calf ridges, chills, cold spots will not resolve themselves. Get up and deal with them as soon as you feel them.
• Block out other distractions. I use ear plugs and eye shades. I never wear anything except tight-fitting thermals because I can't stand lumpy or twisted clothes.

Hammocking for me has become like skiing or golfing. I will spend a lifetime in pursuit of that perfect turn or that perfect swing. Most of the time I'll be close but not quite there. Once in a while it all comes together: the club contacts the ball perfectly and you just feel it in your hands and know it's a good swing, or the skis hook up perfectly and your weight flows through the turn and they stay perfectly planted and carving through the whole thing. And there is no better feeling in the world.

After waking up on the ground sore, again, years ago I decided to try hammocking. I put maybe 12 nights into my setup in the yard and slept only one or two before taking it to the woods. On the first night I froze because of poor campsite selection and a shifting wind (and a forecast 20° F colder than predicted). I didn't sleep one minute and remember looking at my watch just about every hour to prove it. The next night heading out of the woods we found one of the nicest spots I've ever come across. I hung my hammock surrounded by small pine trees to block the wind. The big trees were perfectly spaced about 14' apart. That night around 9pm I climbed in again expecting another long night. At one point I opened my eyes and figured it must be around 11 pm or midnight. It was 5:30 am. I had slept perfectly for more than 8 hours. No sore shoulder, no sore back, no hip pain. That's the moment I knew it was worth it. I hope you can get there too.

[OlTrailDog]

For me the sweet spot in my WBBB XLC was located by lengthening the ridge line by approximately 2.5". I used a 6" continuous loop added on to the end of the SRL and wraps around a carabiner to locate the comfort zone. Similarly using wraps around a carabiner and commensurately adjusting the suspension could be useful in seeing if shortening the SRL works for you.

But of course, if I want the most comfortable night I simply use one of my modified Hammocktent hammock. However, without modification you exceed the height/weight limitations of a Hammocktent as they are targeted toward lithe and wiry UL backpackers.

[Marnoc]

I have been playing with hammocks, on and off for over a year now, and cannot get comfortable in one. Out of the dozen nights I've spent in a hammock, only one yielded a trace amount of useful sleep. Lol

I had a BBXLC but didn't care for it. We currently have 2 WB Travelers and they are okay but, I cannot avoid a calf ridge and therefore cannot get comfortable.

Last night I was messing around with angles and finally got rid of the ridge. The down side was that the ridgeline was slack...like hanging 14" low. I know that's now how it's supposed to work but, I was comfortable.

Should I consider another hammock brand?

For the record, I'm 6'2" and about 255.

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I would try shortening the ridge line so that you have the desired sag, but not a slack line.

[kroot]

I have been playing with hammocks, on and off for over a year now, and cannot get comfortable in one. Out of the dozen nights I've spent in a hammock, only one yielded a trace amount of useful sleep. Lol

I had a BBXLC but didn't care for it. We currently have 2 WB Travelers and they are okay but, I cannot avoid a calf ridge and therefore cannot get comfortable.

Last night I was messing around with angles and finally got rid of the ridge. The down side was that the ridgeline was slack...like hanging 14" low. I know that's now how it's supposed to work but, I was comfortable.

Should I consider another hammock brand?

For the record, I'm 6'2" and about 255.

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

For me, the biggest "aha!" comfort moment was setting my foot end to be about 12-18" higher than my head. It looks kinda goofy when you set it up, but once you're in it feels soooo much better. Calf ridge is basically gone and I can get a very flat, very comfortable lay. I'll seek out the hammock for naps now and just doze for hours, totally comfortable.

[11x]

I have a new wbbb xlc also. I am 6’1 and 240. I find it difficult to get completely comfortable also. My problem is I feel better head right but get shoulder squeeze and my heels press together making them soar. I traditionally sleep on my right side in bed. For some weird reason if I lay head left I don’t get as much noticeable shoulder squeeze but I can’t get my legs comfortable at all. Maybe I can thank Uncle Sam for the Leg issues. He has provided me with 6 knee surgeries. Honestly thinking about trying a ridge runner but I am pretty broad in the shoulders and not sure that would be better. I am using a unzipped mummy bag for a top quilt and feel it restricts my need for constant leg position changes. I hope to find the solution soon.

[PlusOne]

Another thing to remember, if you're an occasional hanger like I am, is our innate flight or fight response. I recently read a sleep study that said you will never get a good night sleep the first night you sleep somewhere new. Your mind is on constant alert figuring out if the new environment is dangerous or not. When you survive the first night your mind will then rest better the second night because you know the sounds, smells and other stress stimuli. This applies to visiting family, staying in hotels, or staying in the woods equally.

So what I'm really saying is if you go in the woods, it should really be for more than one night.

[Andy "Bull" Bullock]

You might be a little big, but the ridgerunner helped me tremendously.


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