Best DIY Hammock Material and Width Questions

[spencereyring]

I'm 150lbs and I want to make a new 11 ft hammock. I almost purchased a dutchware or hammock gear 11ft but I figured they are simple enough to make that I might as well. If Dutch's/hammockgear hammock is better just lmk and I will buy it. I want a very lightweight but comfortable material. I am an ultralight hanger so I like weight savings. Will be using with cinch buckles, ucrs, and whoopies.
My main concern is that they are wide enough. I'm worried that I buy some fabric and sew it up and it's super narrow. Are any of the fabrics wide enough by themselves? I made a hammock before from a crappy ripstop and it was not wide enough. Does Dutch somehow make his hammocks wider by sewing two pieces together? Also where should I buy the stuff? Ripstop by the roll has a super cheap kit which is appealing.

[chapinb]

The only material I know of that's light and wide is robic 1.2 xl. Also known as the mtn series on ripstopbytheroll.
I love the feel of this fabric but it's either too stretchy or not wide enough for me. Either wider or firmer would fix my calf ridge issues. But I'm a bit heavier and (I'm guessing) taller at 175lb/6'3
If I was any smaller, I wouldnt hesitate to try this fabric.

You may be able to find some robic xl 1.0 around somewhere but I'd skip it. While beautiful to lay in, it had some manufacturing issues that caused some severe structural limitations. I had one rip in half during my 1st lay.

Hexon 1.0 is worth a look, but is not wide. The hexon 1.6 is available as a very wide fabric.
Wide hammocks generally are not 2 strips sewn together, usually just one single strip of wide. If you notice, dutches wide hammocks arnt available in 1.0 as the 1.0 is a standard width. You can make a wide from regular fabric, eno has been doing it for years with 3 strips.

Since your making your own, dont be afraid to experiment. A standard width is probably enough, and in that case hexon 1.0 would be my choice. If you want the extra width, mtn 1.2 xl

[SilvrSurfr]

What width are you accustomed to? Most standard-width hammocks are 58 to 60 inches. I'm fine with that width, but have a hard time getting comfortable in a 55-inch wide hammock like the BIAS Hiker Lite. I don't care for the wide fabrics because they just weigh more than standard width.

http://buttinasling.com/dolalo.html

I don't think it's worth the time to make a hammock when you can get one from HammockGear for $29.99.

https://www.hammockgear.com/standard-hammock/

I'm personally partial to the PolyD 1.4. I only weigh 165 lbs., but have been using a PolyD 1.4 for four or five years and it's as good as new. My beagle Joey has also slept with me in the PolyD 1.4 and was not able to wreck it.

I was once enamored with 1.0 and 1.1 hammocks, but didn't have much luck with them. They were not very durable. I even fell for the hype on the Robic 1.0 XL and bought some, but never made a hammock. The Robic 1.0 XL did not live up to the hype and was withdrawn from the market due to durability issues. Ripstopbytheroll now recommends you stick with 1.2 fabric, but I'm pretty much sold on the PolyD 1.4 as the lightest I will go. Plus I prefer the low stretch of polyester compared to nylon fabrics.

[HoosierT]

I used a 1.2 robic all this year that I cut down to 63” before sewing and absolutely love it. My first hammock was a 1.6 hyped with a starting width of 65” and I actually like the 1.2 much better. For reference, I’m 5’10” 175 lbs. I’ve actually had less calf ridge with this hammock than the 1.6 as well.

[Redfish]

At your weight, Mtn 1.2 XL would be great for you. I just finished a new one using the 1.7 XL and it is very comfortable. I made mine 63” wide by 11 ft

[MikekiM]

I used a 1.2 robic all this year that I cut down to 63” before sewing and absolutely love it. My first hammock was a 1.6 hyped with a starting width of 65” and I actually like the 1.2 much better. For reference, I’m 5’10” 175 lbs. I’ve actually had less calf ridge with this hammock than the 1.6 as well.

I had the opposite experience. My first DIY was 1.6 Hyper D with a finished width of 58".

This year I made a Half Wit clone in 1.2 Robic XL, with a width of 60".

I am 185 - 190lb. While I love the feel of Robic, it's too stretchy for me. Might be spot on for you. A heavier weight my help, but it would defeat the goal of a sub 10oz netted hammock, so I'll continue to use it selectively. However the 1.6 Hyper D is by far my favorite fabric. I do have enough Hyper D in my fabric bin to replicate the Robic Half Wit.. just need the time.