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  1. #1
    New Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2022
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    Asheville, NC
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    24

    Best material for firm lay

    Hey folks,
    I have hammocks in Hexon 1.6 wide and Warbonnets dream tex and their older 40d rip stop.. I just slept in a friend's SLD trail lair made from 70 D 1.9 XL (don't know exactly where the material is from) and loved the way it supported my back, had no calf ridge, or shoulder squeeze. However, the feel of the material wasn't as nice as hexon and my WBs. What other materials have a firm lay with a nice soft touch? Hex 2.2, MNT 1.7, or?? Dont want to go crazy heavy but I already have my light backpacki hammock,, so I can cheat a little. Thanks so much.
    Buck

  2. #2
    cougarmeat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Bend, OR
    Hammock
    WBBB, WBRR, WL LiteOwl
    Tarp
    OES, WL BullFro
    Insulation
    HG UQ, TQ, WB UQ
    Suspension
    Python Straps
    Posts
    3,758
    Buck,
    Another consideration is specifying a double-layer hammock. That way you can use the fabric you like and get the added support of a double layer. Over time I have acquired single layer and double-layer versions of the same hammock. As expected, the double layer is firmer for the same material. And the addition is not crazy heavy. It's a feature if you use a pad - which would alleviate some shoulder squeeze.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  3. #3
    PopcornFool's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Virginia
    Hammock
    DIY 1.7 MTN XL GE
    Tarp
    DIY .9 Silpoly Hex
    Insulation
    Various Quilts
    Suspension
    Straps (J-Bend)
    Posts
    446
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    7
    I'm pushing 250 pounds and I like a firm hammock. I've tried a few hammock fabrics to find something that will support my eighth-of-a-ton carcass and still provide good support. Like you, I don't much care for Hexon 1.6 and 1.6oz HyperD because they stretch too much and don't provide firm enough support for me. And a single layer hammock made from a thinner fabric almost certainly won't support me well.

    The fabric with the softest hand feel I've found is 1.8oz AIRWAVE. It's kind of cottony and very strong and provides a firm lay. But when I'm wearing wool or fleece, the soft-on-soft material makes it a little difficult to roll over. I also have a hammock made from NylonD 1.7 which also supports me very well and I like a lot but is just a little bit too slick. I tend to slide down a little too easily and wind up needing to hang my foot end much higher than typical to compensate. My personal favorite is 1.7oz MTN which is just as strong and firm as the other two but falls right in the middle in terms of slickness. All three fabrics support big-boy me very well and my hammocks are roughly equivalent in weight, but it's the 1.7 MTN that usually goes in my pack.

    I'll echo cougarmeat regarding double layers. The firmest hammock I own is a double layer Warbonnet made with 70D. It's fantastically firm and one of my favorites for car camping, but it's too heavy for backpacking. I've been toying with experimenting with double layers of thinner fabrics, but I think the trade-off will be a slightly heavier backpack. If backpacking weight is not a consideration for you because you already have your trail hammock, then you'll almost certainly gain firmness from a double layer hammock. And that opens up a lot more fabric options for you to consider.
    ~ All I want is affordable, simple, ultralight luxury. That’s not asking too much is it?

  4. #4
    SilvrSurfr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Jersey Shore, NJ
    Hammock
    Dutch PolyD
    Tarp
    HG Winter Palace
    Insulation
    HG 0, 20, 40
    Suspension
    Dutch Whoopie Hook
    Posts
    14,716
    Images
    3
    I like the Hexon 1.6 - firm enough for me. However, I love my polyester hammocks because they're REALLY firm. Polyester hammocks have never been particularly popular - Dutch had the PolyD line but he stopped carrying it. At one point Dutch sold all his stock of PolyD to Hammock Gear, and they made polyester hammocks for a year or two until the stock ran out. My favorite hammock of all time is a PolyD 1.4 - when I realized it was gonna be phased out I even bought a spare (never been used).

    Ripstopbytheroll has some polyester fabric that I haven't tried - but they seem to have only camo (which I hate). I guess that polyester hammocks aren't popular because a) they're too firm; and b) they possibly developed a reputation of being fragile. I personally don't know anyone who has had a polyester hammock failure, and I've never had a failure and I have five polyester hammocks. But the vendors have spoken, and they just don't carry polyester hammocks.

    Maybe one day polyester hammocks will again become popular. If you're interested in trying one, check out https://tableclothsfactory.com/colle...er-tablecloths. Tablecloths Factory sells them cheap (as little as $10 for a 60" x 126" tablecloth), but they are a bit heavy at 2.2 to 2.4 ounces per square yard. But man, it makes for a nice, firm sleep!
    Last edited by SilvrSurfr; 08-30-2022 at 23:13.
    "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson

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