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  1. #11
    Senior Member rmcrow2's Avatar
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    I have an app that measures angle of incline.
    I can put my phone on my ridgeline and adjust for my preferred hang easily.

    As long as my ridgeline sets the distance between head and feet reliably the proper slope makes the perfect hang.

    我宁愿在山上。

  2. #12
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    True, and I have used my phone. (iPhones "measure" app does angles.)
    Grace & peace,
    Dragonhunter
    No one sits around talking about that trip where it was 76 and sunny the whole time.

  3. #13
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    A structural, low stretch RL will take care of being able to consistently have the "correct" sag i.e. the correct distance between hammock foot end and head end. Correct either being the distance the factory has set it at or recommends, OR the amount of sag you have previously determined is right for you. For example, my 1st hammock, a HH UL Explorer, came with a factory set RL: just attache to trees, and moderately tighten the suspension until the RL is good and straight, but not guitar string tight before or after you are in it. In my opinion, a RL doesn't even have to be all that strong or stretch resistant, it just has to be the correct length once pulled moderately tight. A bunch of us used to tighten the crap out of them, but that turned out to be unneeded and even wrong or harmful. As long as that length- known beforehand- is right, it does not have to be tight at all, and when I lay in them they might even loosen up and sag, indicating my body weight isn't stressing them much at all. But if not sagging and rather guitar string tight, then I just get out and loosen the suspension just a tad. (or if too much RL sag, tighten it up just a bit)

    Now, as for the suspension tightness(once you have the RL pulled tight enough for the correct length and hammock sag), most people shoot for 30º, but some hammocks (some bridge or Claytors or Switchback) like it a bit tighter. Either way, known before hand. As for the 30º, most folks just use their thumbs and index finger (making a pistol), lining the thumb up with the tree, then making sure the suspension straps are loose enough to contact the index finger tip. Pretty much done, about the same every time. (or, I use my iPhone's level)

    About all that is left is foot end height relative to head end. Most of my gathered end hammocks like the foot end a foot or more higher than the head end. (bridge and 90º are a bit different). So just move that sucker obviously up higher than the head end. Warbonnet's little leveling gadget, preset from factory or custom adjusted by you, makes short work of that. I keep thinking of getting one. Then again, it hasn't been a problem all these years, precision is not required. I have been able to eye ball it. If you needed it level, the you might need an aide like the WB gadget, or line level, or iPhone, etc. But mostly it is head lower for me. My first night ever in a hammock, I worked hard to follow HH's directions to have the RL level( and after all, from years of tent camping, I knew better than to have my head lower than my feet). But that proved to lead to misery, as I spent all night sliding down to the foot end and bottom opening of the hammock. Lesson learned!

    Having said all of that, 2 of my fav hammocks for most of the last 14 years have been the Claytor No Net and the Switchback. And neither has a structural RL. And both hang a bit better a bit tighter than the popular 30º. Or at least seem to tolerate a somewhat wide range. So I just eyeball it and throw the foot end up higher, done, good enough. For my bridges, I occasionally add a RL, but mostly just adjust for a reverse banana effect, where the center of the hammock is just a bit higher than the ends, when viewed from the sides. Seems to work good enough.

    Now, the HT90º, that sort of demands a level RL! However, though I have meant to add some sort of line level, amazingly I have been able to eye ball it pretty well. If not, if I get in and realize I am rolling down hill to the right, I just get out and raise the right side at the tree a couple of inches. Even this doesn't really take long. But a line level would be handy.

    Usually, for all of them, after a bit of experience, eyeballing for all of the above is good enough. For me.
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 03-23-2022 at 15:00.

  4. #14
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcrow2 View Post
    I have an app that measures angle of incline.
    I can put my phone on my ridgeline and adjust for my preferred hang easily.

    As long as my ridgeline sets the distance between head and feet reliably the proper slope makes the perfect hang.

    我宁愿在山上。
    The subjective factor here is... what is the angle with the suspension fully loaded?

    Some time back I played around with some very light (3.3g/ft) polyester suspension webbing that had a heckuva lot more stretch than my usual Kevlar (Also 3.3g/ft)... (Not to mention published break strength of 900lb vs 2000lb!)

    On a short hang this is probably not much of an issue, but as a long-time Kevlar user I was a bit alarmed at how much the light polyester stretched with a somewhat long hang. This forced me to string up the hammock with much shallower angles in the initial setup. After loading the hammock it was close to 30°, which I know only because I've used this particular pair of trees a bunch for testing and know exactly where to place the suspension webbing.

    In the photo the suspension definitely looks too flat... loaded, however, it's about right. Just another of the many variables that can complicate the process.

    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
    Senior Member rmcrow2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    The subjective factor here is... what is the angle with the suspension fully loaded?

    Some time back I played around with some very light (3.3g/ft) polyester suspension webbing that had a heckuva lot more stretch than my usual Kevlar (Also 3.3g/ft)... (Not to mention published break strength of 900lb vs 2000lb!)

    On a short hang this is probably not much of an issue, but as a long-time Kevlar user I was a bit alarmed at how much the light polyester stretched with a somewhat long hang. This forced me to string up the hammock with much shallower angles in the initial setup. After loading the hammock it was close to 30°, which I know only because I've used this particular pair of trees a bunch for testing and know exactly where to place the suspension webbing.

    In the photo the suspension definitely looks too flat... loaded, however, it's about right. Just another of the many variables that can complicate the process.

    Suspensión stretch matters.
    I will throw in some weight when I am setting my height differences.
    Sometimes lean on my hammock if I have an odd hang.


    Really odd hang I will get in and feel it, then adjust. Barbarous I know.

    Bridge hammocks throw me off more on that. Sometimes it seems my hammock goes from head to ankle height when I hop in.

    我宁愿在山上。

  6. #16
    Senior Member Rolloff's Avatar
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    I use a Bonefire Deluxe Suspension that uses one set of tree straps to suspend both tarp and hammock. For me whatever I set the head end at the foot end needs to be about 8" higher. The hammock attaches to the same points from the suspension every time, regardless of how far the trees are apart. Never any need to center the tarp. You may have to hang the suspension higher or lower depending on distance between attachment points, but the hammock will always hang at a suitable hangle.

    This maintains the least amount of fiddle factor for me, and allows for very quick set up and tear down times. As a bonus once the tarp is up and staked down I don't have to get out from under my dry space in the rain, to set a second suspension for my hammock. No hammock suspension means no worry of water wicking in on it. Little things but they add up.

    I like having a system where everything that needs to stay dry, cloths, hammock, insulation, remains inside my pack while everything else I need to create a shelter and anything that doesn't need to stay 100% dry, stores on the outside.
    Signature suspended

  7. #17
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcrow2 View Post
    Suspensión stretch matters.
    I will throw in some weight when I am setting my height differences.
    Sometimes lean on my hammock if I have an odd hang.


    Really odd hang I will get in and feel it, then adjust. Barbarous I know.

    Bridge hammocks throw me off more on that. Sometimes it seems my hammock goes from head to ankle height when I hop in.

    我宁愿在山上。
    Haha, I'll admit to having tweaked things a bit after the fact!

    Reminds me, though, that when I was a noob just figuring out this hammocking thing I nearly always ended up with the hammock far too low on the first try.
    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. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    ...

    Reminds me, though, that when I was a noob just figuring out this hammocking thing I nearly always ended up with the hammock far too low on the first try.
    That's what happens when you sit in the UQ!

  9. #19
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TominMN View Post
    That's what happens when you sit in the UQ!
    Ha, well I've done that, too... that's the classic 'sit-and-miss' which is independent of hammock height.
    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. #20
    New Member
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    I use a Bonefire Deluxe Suspension that uses one set of tree straps to suspend both tarp and hammock


    Interesting setup. My only hesitation is the low headroom. I'm fine with it for sleeping, but for "hangout space" with my chair in rain/sun I like a bit more clearance.

    Essentially, this setup uses the tarp as a ridgeline it seems..
    Grace & peace,
    Dragonhunter
    No one sits around talking about that trip where it was 76 and sunny the whole time.

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