What have I done wrong?

[Moondog55]

So I have made my first hammock.
A gathered end and probably made too strong but that is only a weight issue. I've set it up in the yard using the guidelines Re angles and how far apart the hang points should be and It's not comfortable at all.
It's long and made with standard width fabric and there are a couple of main issues and a side issue.
The side issue is that 450mm off the ground is far too close to the ground with my long legs, it's impossible to sit on it and I'll put a some new screw-eyes up to raise the hang points.
The main bug is that the edges are very floppy and loose and I have hard ridges of fabric under my calves
So what have I stuffed up?

[joe_guilbeau]

Forget about the angles, those are just guidelines based on mathematics for lessening the loading forces that the hammock suspension is exposed to.

People been hanging for hundred's of years without calculations.

3.5 meters of hammock fabric would be a good starting point for the build, as you indicated that you are probably taller than the average individual.

Hammock should be about waist high when empty, and your legs and the fabric stretch are the only calculations you need, as it is not your height, it is your inseam that matters when sitting. Sit on the longitudinal seam of the hammock and keep adjusting the length and height of the mounting points of your gathered end until you are comfortable in the sitting on the seam to get up and stand.

If you have long legs then you might need a 500mm height chair to get comfortable, no calculator can determine that for you, you raise the height of the hammock so that when you swing your legs over the side, the height feels comfortable so that you can lean your head forward over your feet and then stand on the balls of your feet.

[cougarmeat]

Although I agree with Joe that people don't need no stink'ng calculator to determine a comfortable lie, it can get you pretty close if you give it good information.

For example, what height chair is comfortable for you, or, - because chairs are usually made to some "most common" height - if you could have a custom chair, what height would work best for you (easy to sit down, easy to stand up). You can put that in the calculator. Next is the length of your hammock - which you didn't specify but I can imagine your 3.5m fabric length to finish a little shorter than 11 ft. Which might not be ideal if you are 6'+ feet tall (another number we don't have). You have to put that in the right place because you are either giving the full physical length or you are giving the length that gives the sag you like (the hung length). Then you have the distance between supports. Hang angle is in there too.

calf ridge - those hard ridges - can happen. Often they go away with sag adjustments or lie angle (how much you turn diagonally), or with a small "camp" pillow under a knee.

If the hammock isn't wide enough for your size, you may experience "shoulder squeeze".

The calculator numbers are just a starting point to refine what's best for you. The only caveat is to try to stick close to the 30° hang angle because a shallower angle adds a lot of stress to your suspension system and if you are on the heavy side - that can get big in a hurry. You can use the calculator to play with different angles and see the resulting stress for a given weight in the hammock. The "standard" for commercial hammocks is a triple line stitch at the end channels.

If it were me. I'd first adjust the suspension so I can sit down in, and get up from, the hammock comfortably. Then, keeping that height, I'd adjust the suspension height/length so the hang angle is about 30° (or 60° depending upon where you are measuring). Then I'd get in it and see what off-center (diagonal) lie angle feels best. I may adjust the suspension to add or remove a little sag to see it if makes a difference. The seating height would change a little, but I wouldn't be too concerned because it was "close enough". Once I got it the best it could be I'd measure the distance between ends and make a ridgeline of that length for it so for future hangs, I'll always have the same sag and just have to adjust the suspension for height above ground and at an angle that tightens the ridgeline to about what it was originally.

Again - you don't have to exactly duplicate those things - tree/suspension distance/height will vary. You are just trying to get close.

[joe_guilbeau]

[Edit] The Ultimate Hang Calculator
https://www.majestichammock.com/hamm...alculator.html



No Calf Ridge due to Spreader Bar and Polyester no sag material - it is taut (2).jpg

[Moondog55]

Sorry I forgot to put in the details.
I'm 1850mm tall and mass 115 kilos
The finished length of the hammock is 4000mm, finished width is 1480mm and the ridgeline is 3340mm long.
I've got whoopie slings at each end
Maybe I need a bit more length in the ridgeline?
Are these floppy edges a problem in my making up or do all gathered end hammocks do this?
I can see links to other people asking the same or similar questions so I take it that there is a definite learning process I'll need to work through.

[joe_guilbeau]

What is the distance between your anchor points, and how long are the whoopie sling lengths on each end when the hammock is set up?

Get the height of anchor points set so that when you sit in the hammock with your feet hanging over the side, you have about 450mm to 200mm under your sit-bones.

[gargoyle]

If it’s uncomfortable for you then readjust things. Slide the suspension up or down. Lengthen or shorten straps. Kick your body on the diagonal. A hammock is totally customizable to fit you. Your height and sitting position will not be the same as the books or charts. They are just basic ballpark guides to get you close, mini adjustments after that. Once you get it dialed in, then take reference points to help you later. Nobody gets it right away. Tweak it till you are comfortable. It’s not rocket science, it’s a piece of cloth hanging between hooks or trees. Keep at it.
If you have a nearby area with lots of trees, it’s good to set up and take down at different locations to figure your preferences. After a few tries you’ll stow some tricks.

[Shug]

So I have made my first hammock.
A gathered end and probably made too strong but that is only a weight issue. I've set it up in the yard using the guidelines Re angles and how far apart the hang points should be and It's not comfortable at all.
It's long and made with standard width fabric and there are a couple of main issues and a side issue.
The side issue is that 450mm off the ground is far too close to the ground with my long legs, it's impossible to sit on it and I'll put a some new screw-eyes up to raise the hang points.
The main bug is that the edges are very floppy and loose and I have hard ridges of fabric under my calves
So what have I stuffed up?

One solution is to add a Knotty Mod to tighten the loose edges.
See a knotty mod at 8:05 in the video below.
Here are instructions from Knotty himself....https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ghlight=Knotty

Shug

[Moondog55]

I've played around a good bit in the back yard, I raised the suspension point heights to about 2500mm and put them further apart, got the body of the hammock higher off the ground and lengthened the ridge line a hundred millimetres.
I got reasonably comfortable and I was enjoying the slow rhythmical sway and the cool breeze blowing around me
But I have a great big fat elephant of a problem.
I am now so inflexible and arthritically stiff that I couldn't get out of the damned thing, I may be too old now to change the way I camp unless I arrange some sort of upper hand hold to give me some leverage and a balance point above my old and decrepit body.
I did some searching on that Knotty mod, is that better and more effective than taking a tuck and stitching it down strongly?

[MikeCD]

I sometimes grab my ridgeline to help pull myself up. You might even make a wide prusik knot from a thick, soft cord to use as a handle. Or maybe somehow lash a soft handle (like maybe you find on exercise bands) to your ridgeline.