length of adjustable ridgeline.

[curious camper]

I have a question more for my son more than me. I was wondering if a shorter person would use a shorter ridgeline? He is 53" tall. I noticed when I was at the recommended length of roughly 9'1" for an 11 foot hammock he complained about ridges and not being comfortable. When I had the length at 8'5" he was more comfortable. For me there is a lot of sag but I am 65" and I actually like my hammock a little longer than the roughly 9'1" because I am 300 lbs so I get a lot of stretch in the hammock. If you can let me know if that is normal so I can make sure his transition to hammocks and hammock camping with Boy Scouts is as enjoyable as possible.

I have watched Shugs ridgeline videos and a lot of others but most people say they are tall people like 5'10" and above so I am looking to see what the shorter people have found with the ridgelines.

Thanks for any advice.

[Shug]

He may favor a shorter hammock. Like all things hammocky...you will have to play with a lot af things to find your (or your sons) personal groove. Try the hammock without a ridgeline if you can or just detach one end of the ridgeline.

[WV]

If your son's hammock is a simple gathered end, you may be able to simulate a shorter hammock for testing by tying a knot in the hammock fabric at one end and attaching a suspension with a lark's head knot below the knotted fabric. Then you'll need to experiment with different ridgeline lengths connected between the other end and the new knotted end. However, I suggest thoroughly exploring different ridgeline lengths with the existing hammock length before trying this modification, and perhaps even having your son spend a night in the hammock if you find one length that might be better than the rest. Comfort is how you feel in the morning. After that, shorten the hammock and repeat the ridgeline tests.

[TominMN]

The question here seems to be about the amount of sag, not the length of the hammock. Why go to a shorter hammock that the young guy may well grow out of? If more sag work for him, great!