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  1. #1
    New Member
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    Feb 2020
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    Melville, Mt
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    42

    Draumr just doesn't work for me

    I loved the concept of the Draumr, a brilliant innovation so much I ordered one, and showed it off to my friends, etc. However I simply cannot sleep in it. The main problem for me is lower back pain that will develop into an intense knot in my lumbar area after an hour or so. That's not the fault of the hammock, but a personal "defect". I've tried stitching a pillow pocket in the lumbar area for an inflatable pillow, and experimented with the pressure. I've tried also placing a pillow under my knees. I've experimented with mattress pressure..... the lower the better it seems, but I just cannot sleep more than a few hours before I'm in pain. Interestingly I can lay my Big Agnes air mattress in my gathered end hammock and get a reasonably good night's sleep, which is counter intuitive, but the sag seems to work for me though I could use some lumbar support.
    The other issue with the Draumr is the tendency to slide down toward the foot. While I prefer upper body elevated, I don't want my feet pressed into the foot box, but no matter what I do, I seem to end up down there.
    The third issue is temperature control.... In cool weather........ which is the rule here most times other than the past "summer from hell" when we went from May to August, August, and August. The openness of the Draumr does not lend itself well to tucking a top quilt in around you, as compared to my gathered end hammock

    *********** These observations are specific to me, and your mileage will probably vary. We are all different. I've slept in a recliner for many (about 25) years since I fell asleep reading one night and woke up pain free. I use Lazy Boy recliners because the back and easily be removed and I can add padding to optimize my lumbar support. It also helps with reflux which no longer bothers me.......... and I'd like to keep it that way! Perhaps I need to see a chiropractor... but I've never trusted them. I've seen them enslave too many people. Lying flat, I can feel the tension build in the muscles of my lower back, with my butt and shoulders and lower legs on the ground, that tension gradually builds into a knot of pain. I've had lower back pain problem most of my life, and find that working on my feet on a concrete floor without a lot of motion is brutal, as is sitting at a desk. I need motion and flex to stay limber. I used to run around with a friend in his 1978 Ford F250, and we would travel hundreds of miles. The bench seat was firm, and shaped right, and the constant motion of the stiff suspension pickup kept my muscles in action countering it. I stayed flexible and limber. When we traveled in his mother's Lincoln Towne Car, I'd sink into the beautiful soft seats that hold you, against the minimal motion of the soft ride......... After 100 miles I would get out and could hardly walk. It would take a few minutes for my knees to unlock and free up, and my back to limber up and feel normal. I don't know if this is some kind of "disorder". I'd like to be able to sleep well in a bed, as it's hard to explain to friends and family why I need to sleep in a recliner......... For me beds are for recreational / reproductive activities, and recliners are for good sleep.

    I'm reverting to my idea of the hammock consisting of two side panels with the bottom (stitched between the sides) contoured to a comfortable shape (for me). Spreaders at the top, and a lateral tube air mattress in the bottom

  2. #2
    OlTrailDog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Corvallis/Stevensville, MT
    Hammock
    Hammocktent 90*, Sparrow, WBBB XLC
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    light & waterproof
    Insulation
    Ongoing experiment
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    Ongoing experiment
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    1,873
    I think you stumble across the HYOH axiom. Some hammock designs work well for some, some designs don't. Some folks could do well enough with a handkerchief stretched between two trees. While others revert to tenting as that makes them happier than a pup with a meaty bone.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Sarasota Florida
    Hammock
    Warbonnet ridgerunner/ chameleon
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    WB Thunderfly
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    That same pain happens to me when I sleep in a bridge hammock. Super comfy right off the rip and a couple hours later I can’t get out of out fast enough. Big wide gathered for me too.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    New Member
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    Jul 2017
    Location
    Seattle, WA
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    40
    While I agree that it sounds like it is just not for you, I’m surprised as you say you sleep in a recliner. How does the draumr work for you if you pull it part way into chair mode?

  5. #5
    New Member
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    Feb 2020
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    Melville, Mt
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    42
    Quote Originally Posted by MutterMumble View Post
    While I agree that it sounds like it is just not for you, I’m surprised as you say you sleep in a recliner. How does the draumr work for you if you pull it part way into chair mode?
    That's the reason I bought it.......... It really makes no difference as it still doesn't provide lower back support.... I've toyed with the idea of making a butt cut out, stitching on a piece so I have a depression for the mattress to fall into, much like the butt and shoulder holes I used to dig before setting my tent up back when I was a teen. This would provide some pressure / support in the lumbar area and create a virtual "shelf" so I wouldn't tend to slide toward the foot.
    Last edited by Owly*; 09-13-2021 at 08:52.

  6. #6
    New Member
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    Feb 2020
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    Melville, Mt
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saltfly View Post
    That same pain happens to me when I sleep in a bridge hammock. Super comfy right off the rip and a couple hours later I can’t get out of out fast enough. Big wide gathered for me too.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I sleep well banana with my Big Agnes air mattress under me which modifies the lay enough to make it work......... Took a lady car camping last week through Yellowstone, Beartooth Pass, Fall River / War, River. She slept in the Draumr, and I slept in my gathered end hammock using her self inflating backpack pad which left me with a minor back ache so I got up and went for a night walk to loosen up.... After that I was fine the rest of the night. She was using her down sleeping bag as a quilt, and got chilled during the night, and had to get inside it completely......... surprisingly because the Big Agnes provides good insulation for me. I used a brand new JRB High Sierra Sniveler (28 total ounces total weight) quilt, and slept plenty warm......... Women and men have different thermostats I think. I'm going to pick up a cheap double for more space. My single doesn't take the air mattress very well.... I've thought about using a spreader of some sort to help with this.

  7. #7
    New Member
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    Feb 2020
    Location
    Melville, Mt
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    42
    Any thoughts about how to so an R&D bridge? I've thought a lot about shaping a bridge to my body for comfort, but building and rebuilding is not very efficient. I've thought a lot about making an open bridge for testing. The main supports would be two ropes with a spreader between. Each rope would have loops tied into it at intervals. The bottom panel would have grommets and be suspended by small dynema (amsteel) ropes, and an air mattress would lay on it. This would allow me to adjust the lay until I found something that worked for me, and the whole thing could then be made in fabric......... kind of like those rickety bridges you see in the movies. I'd probably use Prussic knots for adjusting tension on the various lines.

  8. #8
    Senior Member WV's Avatar
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    Feb 2008
    Location
    southeast WV
    Hammock
    DIY
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    If you're game for DIY, look at the People's Bridge Hammock. It handles the lower back pain (for me), and the knee ridge lets me sleep with the head end higher without sliding down to the foot end. I don't like pressure on my heels from hyper-extended knees or feet getting cold because they compress insulation, both of which can happen in regular bridge hammocks.

  9. #9
    Senior Member TrailSlug's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Huntsville, AL
    Hammock
    Warbonnet RR / BlackbirdXLC
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    webbing/buckles
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    The beauty is there are many other hammock and hammock types to try. Gathered end hammocks hurt my back but I like my Warbonnet Ridge Runner so hopefully there's a fit for you out there.

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Newnan, GA
    Hammock
    SLD Trail Lair & WB Ridgerunner
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    HG 12ft. Sil Poly
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    141
    If you are within that 30 day window I would be sending that bad boy back. That's a lot of money to spend on a painful nights sleep.
    ~ Rerun

    In 100 years it won't make any difference...

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