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  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by LowTech View Post
    A looser ridgeline would mean even more sag in the hammock, not less/ flatter.
    I think I may not understand what sag is.

    A tight ridgeline means the lateral forces are being held in said ridgeline. This in theory would allow the fabric under the ridgeline to drape more freely. In this case maybe like an evenly spread out parachute. This would hold the body at whatever the dimensions of the fabric allowed. And maybe be flattish depending on the design.

    but if one went with no ridgeline (super loose) then the head and foot will always be cupped up at the angle of the suspension. Thought the fabric would be taut.

    Unless I am missing something. And I am a newb. But also generally try to understand why the variables I am changing effected different pieces as I fiddle with the knobs.

  2. #12
    LowTech's Avatar
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    Hhmmm . . . let's see if I can explain this clearly.
    I'm only talking about hammocks w/ a ridgeline for starters.
    The sag would be the distance from the ridgeline down to the hammock.
    The ridgeline keeps the ends of the hammock from getting farther than a set distance apart, and therefore keeping the "sag" the same every time.
    If the ridgeline is a structural ridgeline (SRL) then theoretically the hammock suspension could be a straight line from tree to tree and the sag would still be the same. (Don't do this!)
    If the ridgeline is loose, or has some slack in it, then the ends of the hammock are closer together than the "set distance" determined by the tight ridgeline (not overly tight, just enough to make it a straight line but still bendable).
    The ends of the hammock being closer together causes the hammock to sag more under the ridgeline (if it was straight).
    To get a flatter hammock the ends would have to be farther apart.
    At some point the combo of hammock length / hammock width / and sag create the "sweet spot" where laying at the right amount of diagonal is the most comfortable thing ever.
    Everyone finds that combo for their personal taste. I have a much deeper sag and wider hammock than my partner who likes a pretty flat hammock.

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by cougarmeat View Post
    Phantom Grappler, if possible, please post a link to that ridgeline tightness video.
    I believe this is the video:


  4. #14
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    A couple more things to consider before you go banging your head on the wall... or tree, as the case might be...

    Thirty degrees is a guideline, and if your SRL ends up a little too tight it is no big deal as long as you're not pushing anything in the system — straps, anchor points, hardware — close to the limits. A little too loose is actually worse because it changes the sag of the hammock.

    Also, in the DH demo video above, the hammock is suspended with the SRL level, and I believe the vast (as in 97%) majority of GE hammock hangers will tell you they maintain better sleep position and reduced calf ridge by having the foot end higher, anywhere from 6" to a foot, and IIRC some perhaps even more. And keep in mind we're talking about the difference between the head and foot end heights of the hammock itself, not the suspension attachment points on the trees.

    This is important to remember because you'll rarely end up with the hammock centered perfectly between the trees unless you're seriously OCD and are prepared to do a lot of fidgeting to make it just so. But it is absolutely unnecessary for the hammock to be centered anyway, and it's good to know that you can, at will, skew it toward the head end or the foot end to avoid obstacles like rocks or vegetation or logs, etc.

    If you are stuck with a long hang while using some relatively stretchy webbing — say 10g/M polyester — the initial hang might look too shallow but by the time the stretch is accounted for you will have achieved something close to 30°. If you start out at 30° you might find yourself sitting on the ground after the stretch reaches its limits, and of course the hang angle will greatly exceed 30° by then.

    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

  5. #15

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    Four nights in and still tweaking. Though I am guessing that the amount of alcohol and sugar I consume before bed is a confounding factor. Last night I woke up way too early and started flipping. But I also have been given a good deal of peanut brittle and ate a fair chunk of that before bed. Which is never a good idea.

    My head is now way below WBBB recommendation. I will measure it later. I might move it back up a notch. Though I also might release the foot end one loop in the daisy chain and that should also take some tension out of the srl.

    What I really need is some sort of quantitative measure of comfort. But what does comfort even mean. Even distribution of force? Flatness?

    BTW, it my understanding that flat and firm are orthogonal. Flat being from a slide sleepers view that it will not taco me.

    And to keep going on I can’t help but compare this to tuning an engine. There has to be a methodology to dialing in your hang. Like do you get ridgeline/sag dialed in first? Or do you do head/foot height? I am guessing you need to cycle back and forth between the two for fine tuning as foot box comfort definitely changes with h/f ratio. But where is best to start? Right now I feel a bit like someone throwing darts at a spinning target. Though I am very much an engineer and appreciate tuning procedure. My work is similar. ‘Do this variable set first, and then dial in a second set and then go back and tweak the first set’ as everything has secondary interactions. Though this is a little more complicated as I have found that what is most comfortable at 10PM does not appear to be the thing that is most comfortable at 3AM.

    Though maybe I am over thinking this.

  6. #16
    LowTech's Avatar
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    Once I figure out how much higher I like the foot end, which is mostly based on where I am in the hammock when I wake up, ie if I've slid towards the foot while sleeping I raise it a bit more. then I can get into adjusting the ridgeline/sag inch by inch.

    I haven't noticed that my sag changes how high I like the foot end.

  7. #17
    Senior Member Theosus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hutzelbein View Post
    In hammocks with integrated nets, the ridgeline length is set by the manufacturer, and the net is cut to fit it. If you lengthen the ridgeline, you will rip the net. If you shorten it, you will put a lot of stress on the zippers and possibly also damage the net.
    That was one of the hardest parts about sewing my own hammock, getting a consistent ridge and roof tightness. I bet I hung that thing 8 times and took it down to sew a foot or two before re-pinning the cloth.
    For more info, read:

    My personal blog

  8. #18

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    About a week in and I am pretty happy. I ended up pretty low on the front from where I visually thought was right and a looser ridgeline. I will take measurements. I think a lot of it was getting me dialed in with the foot box. It is a nice feature but can definitely add a stress point. I think this is the calfridge I hear people talk about. Though whatever the description, pretty low head end and fairly light tension in the srl appears to work for me.

    i think it is more comfortable than my bed. Though changing positions requires more thought. Though that might go away with a top quilt. I am using a sleeping bag and the zipper requires attention.

  9. #19
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean McC View Post
    About a week in and I am pretty happy. I ended up pretty low on the front from where I visually thought was right and a looser ridgeline. I will take measurements. I think a lot of it was getting me dialed in with the foot box. It is a nice feature but can definitely add a stress point. I think this is the calfridge I hear people talk about. Though whatever the description, pretty low head end and fairly light tension in the srl appears to work for me.

    i think it is more comfortable than my bed. Though changing positions requires more thought. Though that might go away with a top quilt. I am using a sleeping bag and the zipper requires attention.
    That sounds ideal. I've no experience with WB but I know they recommend significantly higher foot end that just about anybody 'out there.' And the light tension in the SRL means less stress on the anchors.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
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  10. #20

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    I measured it and it is 10” delta between head and foot. Which looks huge but is a lot less than the recommended 16”. I just moved down one notch and definitely found a reduction in comfort. This is my super sweet spot (moved back up). I am sure this is different for different bodies. But 10” is the answer for me.

    and this exercise has been 100% worth the effort. For one to just understand what feels wrong and which way to tweak the hang to get it right. For me specifically.

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