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  1. #1
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    Having trouble getting comfortable

    This past weekend, I finally got to put new hammock system through its paces on a 2 night backpacking trip. It did not go nearly as well as I had hoped.
    I'm very new to hammocking, though I've been watching a lot of youtube videos and have read quite a few threads on here trying to get as much advice as possible ahead of time.

    The gear:
    Dutchware Gear Chameleon (standard width, Hexon 1.2) with asymmetric bugnet with integrated sidecar
    Warbonnet Yeti 20degree underquilt (standard lay: head left)
    Sleeping bag unzipped and used as a topquilt - I think this is a a 20degree bag. I've had it for ~25 years. It's some sort of synthetic, and still in good shape, though it probably needs to be washed properly to restore it to full loft.
    Cheap foam sitpad in the footbox of my sleeping bag.

    I'm 5'11, 175lb. Temperatures got down to ~29degrees this weekend. I realize the insulation I'm using is getting borderline in those conditions, which is probably making it tougher for me to get comfortable in the hammock. With that caveat, here is what I'm running into:
    1. The yeti UQ suspension is very tight. It sounds like that's intentional to keep it snug against the bottom of the hammock, but I also found the cords pressing against the side of my head where it's running up from my shoulder.
    2. It seems like the Yet UQ doesn't play well with the chameleon tieouts. The tension on the UQ and its positioning didn't seem to leave room for them.
    3. The UQ seemed to want to slide up during the night. It may be partly due to my shifting around trying to get comfortable, but every so often my thighs would start to feel chilly and I'd unzip the bugnet, reach out and realize the top of the UQ was under my head instead of at my shoulder.
    4. Cold feet. I know for this one I just need some combination of a better top quilt, thicker/warmer socks, and sitpad with a bit more insulation value. I did wrap my down coat around my feet to stay a bit warmer as long as I didn't move around too much. And this is probably one of the factors limiting how comfortable I was able to get.
    5. Major calf ridge. This and the next one are the biggest ones for me. I can deal with the UQ and warmth issues as long as I can lay comfortably. I did try setting the head end of the hammock lower than the foot end. Maybe I needed to go further with this. I was basically able to find one position that minimized calf ridge: my legs had to be fully extended and pressed against the side of the hammock to keep it in tension. Of course, that compressed the insulation around my feet (see point 4).
    6. Attempts to lay on my side resulted in major pressure on my hip. I couldn't stand it for more than about 5 minutes. At home I normally side or stomach sleep, and I roll around a good bit most nights. I was hoping to have some flexibility in the hammock to lay in different positions, but that wasn't possible this weekend.


    I'm not giving up on this. I can't really say it was less comfortable than sleeping on the ground (though my ground sleeping pad is just a thin 3/4 length thermarest I've had since I was a teenager, but I opted to go the hammock route rather than investing in more comfortable ground camping. I would really appreciate some advice though. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take some pictures of my setup before I packed it all up. Does it sound like I'm setting up the UQ incorrectly? I'm wondering if the way it pulls on the hammock is contributing to the calf ridge and my inability to lay in different positions.

  2. #2
    Hi Docbrown, I have the same hammock, but in the 1.6, on the calf ridge, I find that if I hang my head end down 4" or so, then my upper body stays in the "sweet spot" and my my arse doesn't sink down as much and create the tight fabric that creates the calf ridge. On the Chameleon my head is in-between the two tieouts. I would suggest try hanging you head end as low as comfortable and see what that does for you.
    Another thing you can do is to hang the hammock in your house, basement, backyard and sleep in it as much as you can. It took me 4 consecutive nights to learn how to sleep in a hammock, I'm a slide, stomach sleeper on a mattress but learning to back/side sleep in a hammock. if you have an smart watch you can download some sleep monitoring apps and you can get some great data points on the sleep you're getting.

    Good luck

  3. #3
    Senior Member oldbiker's Avatar
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    It always took 2-3 night's of using my gathered end hammock before sleeping what I call Good. I've had calf ridge in some & re-hang next night & didn't have it. Takes several times to dial it in. Same with the underquilt. First few times with it I was cold but finally dialed it in also. Good luck & enjoy the evolution.

    Robert

  4. #4
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    It may take you a few tries to find the comfort you seek.
    Worth staying at it.
    Shug

    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  5. #5
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
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    Watch Shug’s video about Calfridge.
    He has excellent techniques to reduce calfridge.
    Longer hammocks tend to reduce incidence and severity of calfridge.

    My 12x6 hammock, calfridge is almost nonexistent!

    And when it occurs, I put my heels close to my butt, and extend my heels back to sleeping position while sliding heels against hammock fabric-this flattens out calfridge.

    Watch Shug’s video, his solutions are perfectly clear.

  6. #6
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    When I first started with hammocks, I always had to put up with a little bit and sometimes a lot of calf ridge. I thought it wasn't possible to eliminate it entirely. Then one night, magic. Perfect hang, perfect lay, zero calf ridge. Woke up the next morning and eyeballed where things were in relation to me standing next to the head end and foot end CLs.

  7. #7
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Something not yet mentioned is changing your lay direction to head right/feet left.

    Of course I don't know anything about your hammock journey and how you settled upon head left, but quite often it's as simple as 'everyone says' that if you're right handed you should sleep head left. While this might be statistically popular, I am right handed and have an extremely strong preference for head-right/feet-left. Head left just feels totally bizarre and out of whack to me, and that has been so since the first time I hopped into a hammock and tried a 'proper' diagonal lay. Luckily, with the Chameleon you can flip that asym net and find out rather easily.

    Follow some other comments... yes-yes-yes you want the foot end higher, and I find about 8" higher really locks me into the sweet spot.

    Calf ridge to me means that I'm not diagonal enough. And I find that proper foot end height helps enormously with this problem.

    See Shug's video on UQ adjustment. I followed all his advice early on and I have no quilt problems and I don't use any UQ hooks or other gizmological aids. Every now and then I have to reach out a give a little tug this way or that, especially after returning from 2:30 a.m. irrigation duties, but it's no big deal.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  8. #8
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    Something not yet mentioned is changing your lay direction to head right/feet left.
    Bingo on this...however, OP has a standard lay Yeti.

    Started with the original asym (now it's symmetrical) DW Half Zip. Decided I wanted to try head right and picked up a WB Eldorado and flipped the bugnet. Tried out both for over a year and came to the conclusion that I can't stay locked into one direction. So I got a Chameleon with a symmetrical bug net and can flop around. I wish I could lay asym, as then I wouldn't have to muscle myself into switching positions several times a night.

  9. #9
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    OK, I didn't realize the Yeti is direction-specific.

    That's the thing about hammocking — and many other things trail- and life-related! — you never know until you get out there a try it "for real." I sleep mostly on belly and some side at home (in a bed... wish I could hang!) but I happily sleep all night on my back in a hammock and move around very little.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  10. #10
    Member
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    Thanks for all the comments, everyone. Lots of helpful advice here. I watched Shug's video as well. I think the next step is to bolt some 2x4s to the walls in my garage so I can try adjusting the hang until I can get comfortable (I suspect my wife won't mind having the bed to herself for a few nights!).

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