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  1. #1
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    Sit Height / Adjustable Ridgeline Question

    So I'm brand new here, and I have a possibly n00by question, but here goes:
    I recently bought my first proper hammock system - an 11' dutchware chameleon.
    The hammock is great, but I have a slight problem, or a combination of problems is perhaps more accurate...

    Basically by the time I get my suspension loose enough to achieve what I would consider a good ridgeline tension, my butt is a mere 25-30cm away from the floor...not a very comfortable sit-height, and making getting out the hammock a real joy... So, I'm want to achieve two things:

    1) Increase hammock sag
    AND
    2) Increase sit height

    My question is: will having an adjustable ridgeline allow me to fix both of these problems simultaneously?
    Obviously it will allow me to fix problem 1 (not enough sag), but by doing so (e.g. shortening the ridgeline), will this also raise my hammock off the ground slightly?
    In my head, this would be the case - shortening the ridgeline would cause the suspension webbing / straps to raise up (at the hammock-ends, obviously!) to accommodate the now shorter ridgeline. Is this right?

    At the moment, the only way to effectively 'loosen' the ridgeline is to loosen my suspension, but of course, this just brings my butt even closer to the ground, so I'm going round in circles!

    Any help would be appreciated!

    edit: I should also add that currently in this setup I have in the back garden, I can't just raise the anchor points...well, I can raise one, but the other is fixed. And anyway, I feel like I shouldn't have to stretch to get the suspension straps in the right place to allow for good sit-height and sag! I set everything up using Derek Hansen's Ultimate Hang calculator, so I guess I just didn't consider I might not 'agree' with the standard 110" ridgeline on the chameleon...
    Last edited by Survival_Steve; 09-15-2020 at 15:52.

  2. #2
    Countrybois's Avatar
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    Just move your straps up the tree.... Increasing sit height and not changing sag.

    Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

    Need Adventure...Make Adventure


  3. #3
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Righto...suspension higher up the tree.
    Enjoy the hammock quest.
    Shug

    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  4. #4
    Senior Member Baka Dasai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Survival_Steve View Post
    ...I should also add that currently in this setup I have in the back garden, I can't just raise the anchor points...well, I can raise one, but the other is fixed....
    I agree with the other replies - you need to raise the anchor points.

    It's common to have the foot-end of your hammock about 12" higher than the head-end of your hammock, so raising one end is just fine. Also, you can amplify the effect of a higher foot-end anchor by making the foot-end suspension shorter than the head-end suspension, ie, bringing the hammock closer to the foot-end tree than the head-end tree.

  5. #5
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    I know that “foot end closer to tree” and larger than six inch difference in foot/head end heights is suggested for the Warbonnet Blackbird. But are you sure it applies to other GE hammocks? The Blackbird has a unique cut. There’s a diagonal shelf for your feet. Not saying it’s wrong for a chameleon, just that I’ve never heard any other vendor suggest those … extremes. Out of many, many videos, the only one I’ve seen was from WarBonnet and referred to their BlackBird (and other WB GE’s with similar, unique, design). I might have seen a YouTube that wasn’t from WarBonnet, but I believe it was describing a BlackBird setup.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  6. #6
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    Thanks for replies so far everyone, but I feel they are missing the point slightly. What I really want to understand is: if I shorten my ridgeline, without adjusting my suspension, will that also raise the hammock?

    Another thought I had was that, even if it does, is that just going to be counteracted by the additional hammock sag, and I'll be where I started (albeit with more sag in my hammock)!?

    I don't really want to have to keep raising the foot end (as I say, I can only raise one side in the garden), as I actually find it too high for my liking and no longer comfortable to sleep.

    This is why I was wondering if shortening an adjustable ridgeline (something I'm going to be playing around with anyway, once I make one) would simultaneously solve my height problem.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Shortening your ridgeline will only effect your sag..

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    I have a Chameleon and would not think of installing an adjustable ridgeline. That's gonna put you in the situation of putting too much stress on the hammock or bugnet. Besides, increasing the sag isn't going to help your current predicament.

    If your setup doesn't allow you to raise the anchor points, you need to think about a new setup.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  9. #9
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    Ok, so tonight, I think I've finally managed to actually set the hammock up correctly (both suspension webbing straps at 30° (or very close), good ridgeline tension, relatively even suspension lengths, got my foot end about 10-15cm higher than the head end on the tree and finally, a good sit height).

    Going to sleep in it tonight and see how it feels.

    I think my problem was twofold: firstly, I think I was under the impression the ridgeline should be looser than it actually needs to be when the hammock is set up correctly, and secondly, I don't think I had really spent enough time trying to get the setup just right. I'm new to all this, so it's bound to take longer at first I suppose. As a result, I think I was clutching at straws, because I was under the impression I simply COULDN'T get a good lay with my current anchor situation.

    I also didn't realise the relationship between the 30° angle and the correct ridgeline tension. I am now under the impression that : if both your straps are at 30°, your ridgeline will be at the 'right' tension e.g. passes the 'bend test' (presumably this is true, regardless of ridgeline length?) - please correct me if this is wrong!

    Anyways, thanks for your help everyone!

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Sounds like your onto it
    It takes us all more then a few hangs to get it right
    Then it will become second nature and you will not even think about it
    Enjoy.....

    Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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