Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 30
  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    East Windsor, NJ
    Hammock
    Dream Hammock Sparrow.
    Tarp
    None yet
    Insulation
    None yet
    Posts
    14
    Images
    1

    Any chance that I'm just not cut out from hammock camping?

    Things are not looking good for me my friends. When I first learned about hammock camping I said, this looks very good. I have to give this a try. I knew that i'm the type of sleeper that usually tosses and turns and very rarely sleeps on my back. It was (and still is) my hope that I can get used to sleeping a whole night through in my hammock. I started out with a good 11' Dream Hammock Sparrow so I didn't go wrong there. I set it up in my house to try it out and as of yet have not stayed in it the whole night. I just give up and hit the bed. Of course I'm doing the diagonal lay, I have a right lay so my feet are on the right but one of the problems I have is that my legs feel like I'm an upside down ballerina. My legs are pressed together and I feel like a mummy or something. I try to fold one or the other, but then there are pressure points under my leg or calf. I had rotator cuff surgery 3 months ago so my shoulder bothered me at first but I think I'm over that. Another problem is trying to get everything situated. I tried laying a blanket over the top, but when I get in and move around to get into the diagonal lay AND keeping the blanket in place is next to impossible. I will eventually get it but it takes a lot of work and moving around to do it. Just seems like a lot of trouble just to get comfortable. I keep thinking that for me, maybe a hammock is only good for a couple of hours in the park on a nice day. Is there any hope me?

    Mike

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Hammock
    SLD Voyageur / TL
    Tarp
    Superfly
    Insulation
    SLD UQ, HG TQ
    Suspension
    Buckles/Becket
    Posts
    421
    Good luck man! I have the opposite problem
    now. Am so accustomed to my hammock that I struggle to stay awake for long once I get in.

    My only advice is have you tried a wide hammock? I find them far more comfortable with a larger foot box and more room to stretch out. I often fall asleep with one leg bent and out to the side.

  3. #3
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Minnesota
    Hammock
    I have many so....
    Tarp
    Blackcrow DIY Tarp
    Insulation
    FrankenquiltUQ/Pod
    Suspension
    Whoopie Slings
    Posts
    23,394
    Images
    62
    Maybe a different type hammock is the cure. Worth a shot.
    Perhaps a Bridge or 90º Hammock.
    Shug



    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Hammock
    HG Wanderlust
    Insulation
    EE TQ, HG UQ
    Posts
    343
    Quote Originally Posted by MikJW View Post
    ......I just give up and hit the bed.
    Mike
    This may be a contributing factor. It takes some time and fiddling to get things just right. You can’t accomplish that by bailing in the middle of the night; you’re just extending the time it will take to sort things out. My first few nights were chaotic as I tried to figure out how to get diagonal, then how to get comfortable, then how to manage the quilts etc. I don’t think it really started to come together until the 3 d or 4 th night out. And, like you, my first two nights in the backyard I bailed and went into the house. It wasn’t til I went for an actual hike that I had to give a 100% to sorting out the issues. Find a park within driving distance. Watch Shug’s videos and then commit to spending the entire night out.

    As for legs pressed together, I’ve had that feeling too. Just spread out, you won’t rip the hammock but sometimes you have to be ....deliberate..about shuffling position and spreading out.

  5. #5
    Senior Member mistone's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Oak Hill nc
    Hammock
    DIY WINTER HAMMOCK
    Tarp
    Diy Winter Tarp
    Insulation
    Down
    Suspension
    Dutch gear
    Posts
    603
    Images
    16
    Took me a while to ajust to a hammock I sleep on
    my stomach in the bed but in the hammock I sleep on my side now I sleep on my back took a lot of camping over the years to get use to it but I never gave up!
    Its a good day to be out in the woods no matter the weather.Mist One..

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    1,302
    Images
    3
    Its okay to admit that hammocks are not miracles ("heresy!").

    I don't sleep well (or at all) in a hammock either, but i find that i rest better in a hammock when backpacking.

    At home i lounge in the hammock and sleep in the bed.

    For your specific "legs feel cramped/bent" issue, try a Huge Knee Pillow. I do this on trail and at home and its makes "Huge" difference.

  7. #7
    TallPaul's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Hammock
    WBXLC, WBBB, LiteOwl
    Tarp
    Superfly, MambaJam
    Insulation
    HG Phoenix, WL Sum
    Suspension
    Webbing, Whoopies
    Posts
    4,076
    Images
    13
    I could be making this up but it seems a lot of threads where somebody has a challenging time also happens to be when they try to hang inside. If what you described happened to me, I would adjust my straps up or down. Perhaps time to try some trees outside? Course it may be cold now.

  8. #8
    Senior Member kattdogg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Stockbridge, WI
    Hammock
    DH Sparrow
    Tarp
    HG Dyneema
    Insulation
    LL-40/HG 0
    Suspension
    Becket hitch!
    Posts
    641
    Honestly I took the fixed ridge line off of my dream hammock and put in a adjustable one, sometimes I like a longer ridgeline and sometimes a shorter one, that will drastically effect how your hammock feels, also there are so many types of fabric out there that you may need to find a different material..
    Personally I never sleep good the first night in the hammock, but the other nights after that I am out cold and snoring as much as the rest of my group does

    Best info I think is that you need to find other hammockers in the area that are willing to all get together and have a hang or borrow other peoples hammocks and give them a try, and sometimes the best of the best hammocks are just not for you, I know a bunch of people that their best hammock is their DIY ones.
    To only step where others have stepped means not to have your own adventures. Live, Love, and Adventure so you may leave your own foot prints!

  9. #9
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Hiram, GA
    Hammock
    DIY 1.6 Hyper D
    Tarp
    UGQ Penny Pincher
    Insulation
    HG Econ UQ + TQ
    Posts
    40
    Images
    1
    Are you sure you got the correct lay direction for you? I’m a head right / feet left sleeper. If I try to flip in my symmetrical hammock, I just never get comfortable.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Mr. Gillam's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    West Central Indiana
    Hammock
    Warbonnet Ridgerunner
    Tarp
    12' HG DCF tarp w/
    Insulation
    Ridge Creek xl
    Suspension
    Becket Hitch
    Posts
    164
    I was the same way until I bought a Ridgerunner.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Replies: 10
      Last Post: 12-15-2017, 11:52
    2. Hammock camping tarp sunny camping optimized for hot weather?
      By weylan in forum General Hammock Talk
      Replies: 6
      Last Post: 09-09-2014, 11:43
    3. Replies: 15
      Last Post: 07-06-2011, 04:15
    4. Got a Hammock for my daughter, BY CHANCE!
      By Tbull55 in forum General Hammock Talk
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 11-03-2010, 18:42

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •