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  1. #1
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    Comfort and coverage

    I'm a hammock noob who needs to choose between two hammocks and needs some feedback.

    As it stands I happen to already have a tarp (from ground camping). It is 317 cm (10.4 feet / 124 inch) long. My plan is to bring this tarp, an inner tent for ground camping as well as a hammock. The inner tent will serve as a bug net when hammocking. Depending on my environment I will ground camp or hang. I will sew a compartment to the underside of the hammock which holds my sleeping pad which should give me enough insulation from below for summer camping - that compartment hangs relatively loose under the hammock so that the load is carried by the hammock itself. I am considering two different hammocks: A Hummingbird Single (264cm/104inch long) or a Hummingbird Single+ (295cm/116inch long). Here is what I can not judge well, mostly because I don't have much "hanging experience" (only one night):

    1) How much more comfortable will the larger hammock be? I am 179 cm tall (I'm confused about the US system here :/) and weigh 72kg (158 pounds).

    2) Will the tarp give me enough weather coverage (all year?) if I decide for the longer hammock of the two?

    3) I can not imagine it, but are there any good reasons why my sewn on compartment would compromise the weight carrying capacity of the hammock?

    I'm aware that the best solution for maximizing comfort and coverage would be a larger tarp and the bigger hammock, but I need to find the best overall solution considering weight, comfort and weather protection with the tarp I have.

    Thanks for the input!
    Last edited by guenni; 03-31-2019 at 12:29.

  2. #2
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
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    For your comfort, please consider, a hammock 11 feet long and 5 feet wide.
    With an 11 foot hammock, choose an 11 foot tarp, (11foot ridgeline)
    Watch Shug’s ten part series How to hang a hammock, tarp, insulation...
    Browse and study Hammock Forums.
    If possible go to a local group hammock hang near you.
    Hike Your Own Hike and Your Mileage May Vary
    Good Luck

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Get a 11 footer. When hung, it's just over 9". Will be very tight, but anything less just wont be comfortable.
    Its sounds like your capable of making your own just to try a proper hang. That would be fairly cheap and you could make it shorter down the road if needed.

    Start with just a simple whipped end - not sewn channel. It's easy to adjust or shorten on the fly.

  4. #4
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    That Hummingbird Single might be the smallest hammock I've ever seen.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  5. #5
    Senior Member LuvmyBonnet's Avatar
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    I'd recommend a hammock at least 10' being that you are 5'9".
    Some things that may help.
    https://dutchwaregear.com/2019/02/21...right-hammock/

    https://www.youtube.com/user/shugemery
    Hanging in the woods, paddlin and catching trout- My kind of living...

  6. #6
    Senior Member sidneyhornblower's Avatar
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    Be advised that sewing anything like that onto an existing hammock, especially one that prides itself as an ultra lightweight model like the Hummingbird, may dramatically change the feel of the hammock. At best, the hammock may simply feel a lot less stretchy and more firm. At worst you may degrade the strength. If you've got the skills to sew a pad pocket onto an existing hammock, you might be better off making your own double layer hammock from scratch. Get enough ripstop nylon so that you have two pieces about 11 feet long (about 335 cm) before hemming them.

    There are many sets of directions on how to sew a hammock, including double layers. For instance, here's DIY Gear Supply's instructions, including a video:
    https://diygearsupply.com/diy-guides/hammock-guide/
    "...the height of hammock snobbery!"

  7. #7
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    Thanks for all the replies! This forum in general seems great with all the helpful stickys!

    On the topic of hammock length: Like I said I can not change the tarp which is 10.4 foot long. I'm optimizing around that constraint. An 11 foot hammock doesn't work because the 10.4 ft tarp doesn't give me enough coverage. A bit of context: I am planning a really long trip and I have never hammocked before (except one night). But I will get to some regions where hammocking is really the preferred option (jungle). In other regions though there will be literally no trees.

    On sewing something onto it: I will read the DIY guides you have linked to and might actually make a hammock myself. I will have to think more about whether I will sew that compartment onto the hammock or not, so let's leave that to the side for now.

    Therefore the question arises: What is the optimum length for a DIY 3 season hammock given a 10.4 foot tarp (it's a hex cut tarp)? Here http://theultimatehang.com/2012/09/2...for-a-hammock/ I can read: "Regardless of what style tarp you choose, you want to ensure the tarp extends between 6 to 12 in. (15 to 30 cm) over each end of your hammock." Now does he mean that the tarp should be 6-12 inch longer than the hammock on each end when I am laying in the hammock? That is the most plausible interpretation for me. If that is the right interpretation, then this calculator http://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/ spits out the following: If the distance between the trees is 15 ft, my sit height is 15 inch, the head angle is 30°, I weight 160 lbs and the hammock length is 116 inch, then the hammock will be 101 inch long when I sleep in it. Acc to the guide above I should add 6-12 inch on each side -> 101 + 12*2 = 125 inch to get the ideal tarp length. My tarp happens to be 125 inch long. The question is whether I understood the guide (fist link above) right?
    The guy in the following video who is 6.4 tall seems to have enough space in the second hammock (starts at minute 1:04) which is 295cm (9.67 feet) long so it should be plenty long for me being quite a bit shorter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk9pG8DIbeY .
    Last edited by guenni; 04-01-2019 at 01:49.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    A 11' hammock isnt 11' when hung. It has some sag. Look up what a ridgline is if this is unclear. Shug has some good videos about it.
    10 foot hammock is roughly 8.5 foot long when hung. That leaves about 1 foot on each side.
    A 11 foot hammock is about 9.5 foot when hung. That leaves you about 6 inches on either side.

    Any smaller and your seriously limiting the comfort of a hammock. Enough so that it may be pointless. I dont understand how one could sleep in the hummingbird single. There is no way I could sleep in the double even


    Buy a length of fabric that is 12' long by at least 5' wide. Make sure it's a breathable material. Ripstop nylon is fine. Whip (dont sew) the ends and hang it. That will give you a 11' hammock. Lay in it, does it fit comfortably under the tarp? Probably not well enough to survive a driving rain
    Whip it again at a 10' length. Try it again.
    Whip it at 9' and try it again.

    You may not be able to make your ground tarp work with a proper hammock. You simply need more room when hanging vs ground. On the bright side, a very simple tarp isnt hard to make as it sounds like you have some skills with a sewing machine. They are also fairly cheap here in the states if you needed to buy one.

    Dont forget a bug net if buggy. A fronky or half wit type net is cheap and easy to sew yourself.

  9. #9
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    Using the tarp as a diamond rather than a square would result in a ridgeline that would be more than adequate. It may, in fact be too long!. Consider perhaps a "partial diagonal with the tarp ridge in from the corners as much as is needed, resulting in short "doors" over your head and feet.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by TominMN View Post
    Using the tarp as a diamond rather than a square would result in a ridgeline that would be more than adequate. It may, in fact be too long!. Consider perhaps a "partial diagonal with the tarp ridge in from the corners as much as is needed, resulting in short "doors" over your head and feet.
    Thank you for your reply. As mentioned above my tarp is a hex tarp. Therefore its default (an pretty much only) configuration is already its longest one. Edit: Thinking about it, this must not be the case with all hex tarps, but it is the case with mine

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