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  1. #1

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    Calf Ridge of the Thighs?

    Has anyone experienced cramping of the thighs as a result of the ridge? I didn't even know there was a thing called calf ridge until I stumbled upon a thread here a few moments ago. I've been having cramps in the thighs (right more than left) my last two outings and thought (a) I was going to die from a DVT or (b) my electroytes were horribly out of what (not likely to have cramps in only one leg).

    Snapshot:
    I'm 6 ft 2, 210 lbs
    Hammock Gear 11 foot hammock
    HG underquilt
    Foot end hung higher than head. I don't measure it, just eyeball it.
    I sleep head right, feet left. I grab both edges of the hammock and spread the material as I sit and position myself. Diagonal lie
    Cramps most common and severe on the right leg, posterior thigh. Alleviated by either standing or elevating the entire leg into the air.

    I wouldn't rule out slight dehydration but I was drinking an electrolyte supplement on the hike to camp. Hike wasn't any more strenuous than any other physical activity I do.
    I first noticed this a couple of weeks ago. I swung my legs out of the hammock to get up to relieve myself, couldn't immediately locate my shoes, and the thighs started screaming. My assessment at the time was that the edge of the hammock was digging into the backs of my legs and basically hitting pressure points and causing discomfort. Stood up and the pain went away. I had the same discomfort sleeping last night but didn't make the connection that it could be the same issue in the middle of the hammock. I eventually bent my right knee at an angle and pivoted up onto my right hip to stop the sensation.

    Any thoughts?

  2. #2
    GilligansWorld's Avatar
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    I don't think it's a ridge issue. I also developed severe cramping sometimes in my calves but thighs feet etc. I suffer from this normally occasionally but it's more exacerbated when I am in a hammock - Even in my backyard. my personal belief is that when you put your feet slightly higher than your torso you have less blood in your extremities, and let's face it I'm a middle-aged aging individual that probably has circulation issues, and for whatever reason it seems to cause cramping at least in me.

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  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by GilligansWorld View Post
    I don't think it's a ridge issue. I also developed severe cramping sometimes in my calves but thighs feet etc. I suffer from this normally occasionally but it's more exacerbated when I am in a hammock - Even in my backyard. my personal belief is that when you put your feet slightly higher than your torso you have less blood in your extremities, and let's face it I'm a middle-aged aging individual that probably has circulation issues, and for whatever reason it seems to cause cramping at least in me.

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    Agree to a point, but I dont think extending the leg up would alleviate it and you might expect to find some other signs of poor circulation such as the feet being cold or pale. I didn't have those signs. Plausible though.

  4. #4
    GilligansWorld's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bobonli View Post
    Agree to a point, but I dont think extending the leg up would alleviate it and you might expect to find some other signs of poor circulation such as the feet being cold or pale. I didn't have those signs. Plausible though.
    Oh forgive me - I agree getting your legs higher in the air will NOt alleviate it - because I'm a side sleeper, well let me clarify I believe I initially start on my back until I begin to lose feeling in my legs, then when I begin sleeping on my side my issues typically tend to happen as I make that turn to go from the left side to the right side almost invariably that is when my cramps strike. I apologize if my statements seem to indicate raising your legs would help.

    Stretching is THE ONLY method that seems to have any help for me - that is aside from being completely and fully hydrated which brings together an altogether different problem; at least for me there is truth to the fact that sleeping on a hammock causes you to have more frequent midnight urination trips. mine is completely exacerbated by the fact that I know that if I not fully hydrated I am going to cramp.

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  5. #5
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
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    I don't think it has anything to do with calf ridge. Sounds like a dehydration issue. You can go a few days without hydrating properly, and won't notice it until you do something strenuous like hiking.

    When I first started hammock camping, I had a Hennessy Expedition Zip. I constantly got calf ridge, and it was very concerning because I could not get out of the hammock because of the zipper. I just panicked.

    I went to simple, gathered-end hammocks with Fronkey Bugnet and haven't had a calf cramp since (eight years). I also have a Dutch Chameleon and have never had a calf cramp (or calf ridge).
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

  6. #6
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    This is wild. I've had cramps while actually hiking at high altitude, but solved them with salty snacks. But I have not had anything like this while sleeping in a hammock that I can remember for sure. I have over exercised a muscle and then gotten a cramp while sleeping in my bed, usually when turning over/moving. Requiring some immediate counter stretch.

    I have not had to urinate excessively in years. First year or so(2006-07) I was often up several times a night. This seemed to be at least partly related to I was not quite warm enough in my kidney area. might not even feel noticeably cold. But anything less than toasty in that area seemed to be associated with getting up a lot. Can't prove it, but seemed to be related.

  7. #7
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    My body goes from warm to cold until I pee. I think it’s a “wake up” mechanism for me. I have a friend who used to suffer from night leg cramps after a long hike. Finally she took my suggestion to use real electrolytes - not the small “energy bottles” near the grocery check out line. I’ve used Gookin-Aide every since the Oregon PCT on ’74. It’s now rebranded Vitalyte. Once she started using it - on the trail, not just at the end of the day - she’s had no more cramps. My next “suggestion” is a forced (.i.e. even if you’re not tired) 5 minute rest, with pack off, every 30 minutes. Of course these aren't “to the minute”. But I think there is sort of an, “I’m not going to drink until I’m thirsty; I’m not going to rest until I’m tired.” tendency. Note we are over 70 so nothing to prove.

    Lute Jerstad once said that the young whippersnappers like to run up the mountain, but then, when they reach base camp, they're wiped out. He’s pace was slow and steady, and when he got to camp, he had plenty of “juice” left to get things done.
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  8. #8
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Hiking cramps I summize. Lack of salt. Dehydration. Just plain ol' hiking effort.
    I have hiked with a guy who does that Ninja Warrior Competition stuff and though backpacking would be a breeze. I kicked his buttocks. Different muscle set in real world setting.
    Are you and older person..(like me? 62)
    Those are my thoughts.
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  9. #9

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    I’m a young 50-ish. Big into cycling so I know a bit about hydration. I don’t think it was that, although my legs are sore today so maybe it was from over-exertion and not the hammock. I’ve never had that level of discomfort localized to the back of the thigh, as if someone was tourniquetting it. And then to stumble upon the calf ridge material made me wonder if there’s a connection....if it can bother your calves, why not the thigh if that’s where your leg is positioned?

    Maybe I discovered a new thing? Or not! At least next time I’ll be aware enough to reach down and see where my leg is in relation to the ridge. I don’t have trees in the yard so this will have to wait until the next trip.

  10. #10
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    I'm a newbie and don't know anything about hammocks, but I do know about the human body...is it possible you could be experiencing referred pain from your back or hips due to the positioning in the hammock? There isn't anything structurally in the back of the thigh that itself would be causing pain. It's not normal for the human body to lie in one position for hours on end though either.

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