My 'rule' is 2x your height for max comfort.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
I say just go 11'. I don't think shorter would be more comfortable, even for a kid, and the majority of people will tell you 11' is more comfortable than a shorter hammock (despite how many people you see using enos in the wild). And there's not a big price difference. I just don't see much of a downside. I'd make it an 11' and call it a day unless you have a compelling reason not to.
I've personally never heard of the 4 ft. rule. Then again, I don't rely on sectionhiker.com for my hammock information. Based on their list of hammocks, I'd say they're not much interested in cottage industry hammocks (with Warbonnet the only one listed).
Their list only shows two hammocks that are 11 ft., as well, so they're only looking at ENO-type hammocks.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
My girls all have 11' foot hammocks and it's all I make. That way they're all interchangeable/loanable.
Caminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada más... - Antonio Machado
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I have to agree with SilverSurfer on this. I made one for my daughter that was 11'. She is 9 and is barely 4' tall. Being bigger than she needs isn't a problem, but being too small would be. Unless you are really sticking to a very strict budget, you are only talking about probably 5-8$ for another yard of fabric. Who cares make it bigger.
From my experience larger only means better more comfortable, flatter lay. I say make it 11'.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Be The light in Someone's Darkness - Change the World one Act of Compassion, One Act of Kindness at a Time - We are All Living on Borrowed Time
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfJ...XMJUMaraHGfzhA
Of course, children grow.
The famous Ed Speer, who may be the #1 guy to get all of this hammock camping going, wrote in his book about DIY hammocks. His formula was height + 2 ft. I know, shocking isn't it? So for a 6 footer like me, that would be an 8 ft hammock. The Speer hammock that I still have was his longest, called an 8.5. But I think he later called the same hammock a 9 footer, based on how several other companies measured their hammocks, and he decided by their standards his was really a 9 footer.
Back in "the old days", the Speer hammocks were considered extremely comfy by many. As a 6 footer, I always found I had a little bit of knee extension on my back(cured by a knee pillow) but amazingly, no calf ridge. And I don't think it was optimum for side sleeping with legs straight, but in fetal it was one of the best.
My 2 fav non bridge hammocks are the 10 ft Claytor and Switchback. So that would be 6ft + 4 ft. But as you see, many prefer 11 ft hammocks, so you might want to go that route.
Why would you make the hamock shorter? To save $5 of fabric?
Build their hammock for full sized adults. They'll share when they're small and grow into them quickly. With due respect to pgibson, One hammock can indeed last them into adulthood.
Questioning authority, Rocking the boat & Stirring the pot - Since 1965
Bookmarks