How tight to hang?

[3DfourMe]

Just curious how tight you string up your hammocks. My instructions tell me not to hang it too tight, yet I need it fairly tight or else I don't get any support under my knees when I'm on my back. After a while the back of my knees hurt.

It doesn't seem to put any under stress on the netting but I do lose a little head space.

Any thoughts, solutions or comments?

[cavediver2]

if you have not looked at the video's yet click watch them it will show you how tight I hang mine.

part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD2pPSXdHTg

Part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOJDPTc5gXs

[lyleb]

My experience is with a Speer, but I found that looser is better. Hang it with pronounced sag, then lay on the diagonal. This will give you a fairly flat bed. Place a stuff sack with extra clothes or some other padding under your knees if necessary. Often a pillow isn't needed unless I lay on my side.

My $0.02 worth.

[BillyBob58]

What brand or type of hammock do you have? That makes a dif.

[3DfourMe]

I guess that would be helpful
Clark N.A.

[photomankc]

It seems like a black art to me right now. I seem to like a little tighter than what some people are advocating. I've tried to hang it loosely but then I have issues with knees on my back and cramps in my side if I try to lay more to my side. I have not found lying at a diagonal helps much at all in my Clark.

I've been trying to go more loose on my last few outings but I seem to sleep worse the more loose I hang it. I'm going back to a tighter hang.

[Annie]

I've been trying to figure out the same thing, and everyone said "hang it looser, hang it looser," .... It took some doing but when I finally listened, I was amazed at how comfortable it was!

I use a pillow at home, but don't think I'll need one in the hammock.

My knees felt supported in the hammock, where at home I need a pillow under them.

So I guess there's just a learning curve.
Try hanging it looser than looks comfortable.. you might be surprised.
I was!

[Youngblood]

It seems like a black art to me right now. I seem to like a little tighter than what some people are advocating. I've tried to hang it loosely but then I have issues with knees on my back and cramps in my side if I try to lay more to my side. I have not found lying at a diagonal helps much at all in my Clark.

I've been trying to go more loose on my last few outings but I seem to sleep worse the more loose I hang it. I'm going back to a tighter hang.

There is a compromise in how much sag to use for most any particular hammock. There is some no-so-simple-to-see geometry going on.

Sag somewhat shortens a hammock, so a shorter hammock may be sag-limited by its length.

Same for width, one of the advantages of more sag is laying more on a diagonal to get a flatter lay while avoiding the increased banana shape down the center of the hammock caused by the increased sag-- but you need some width to have something under you on a diagonal.

(Keep in mind that while longer and wider in general is more comfortable, there are points of diminishing returns with that. There are also such a things as too long and too wide. There are lots of middle ground with length and width tradeoffs, especially when you have to carry it around on your back all day.)

[Narwhalin]

I think another thing to consider is when you increase the length of the body of the hammock, the ridgeline is going to increase in lengh as well to accomplish a proper sag. This means a longer tarp ridgeline, and requires wider trees.

That said, my next hammock is going to be longer, and wider!