My confusion about foot boxes - Help!

[HangingOut]

I have been reading tons of posts about foot boxes but keep coming back to the same question. If you sew a triangle of fabric into the side of your hammock down near the foot end it obviously shortens that side and will cause a stress point if you put pressure there. The jest of most posts seems to be that since you don’t sit near the foot box when getting in or out the stress is assumed to be a non-problem.

Has anyone tried starting with a non-rectangular hammock body by making that side say 30” longer so after the triangle is sewn in both sides are the same length? You could take care of the floppy foot box by putting in a shock cord like a “Knotty Mod”. I think I saw one reference to this concept but it was not completely clear. Any help would be appreciated.

[Bubba]

You can make an asymetrically cut hammock. This helps get flatter lay.

Yes there will be more stress where the foot box starts on the side of the hammock. Warbonnet sews a patch of thick nylon or something to reinforce that area.

[HangingOut]

You can make an asymetrically cut hammock. This helps get flatter lay.

Yes there will be more stress where the foot box starts on the side of the hammock. Warbonnet sews a patch of thick nylon or something to reinforce that area.

So Warbonnet starts with a rectangle having equal length sides and just reinforces the side shortened by the foot box triangle? My confusion is that if you can end up with equal length sides by starting out with one side longer that the other then would that not eliminate the stress? Is there some fundamental reason foot box hammock makers do not use this design?

[hangnout]

A couple links to non-standard type footbox hammocks. TZ's design results in a shorter hammock that looks very comfortable.

Stretchable footbox

TZBrown's hammock

The footbox does not change the lay of the hammock. It just helps keep everything in the hammock and gives you a reference point to find the exact spot in the hammock each time you get in. The footbox controls the floppy sides on a netless hammock.

BTW I like your name

[JohnSawyer]

Don't forget the ghost hammock!

I have made several footbox hammocks. When laying in them, there is little stress on the side. In fact, on a nestles hammock, if done right, the footbox does little more than keep your top quilt from migrating to the ground. As you lay on a diagonal, where your feet go naturally forms that triangle. The footbox just forums a nice wall, enclosing that end.

Knotty's stretch side hammock is a nice aternatuve to a sewn in footbox, as you can nowenter the hammock from either side, but that has never been an issue for me.

I am on my phone, but check my gallery, search for beast hammock threads started by tfc rick, and divab. Sgt. Rock's ghost hammock has a minimal footbox that is bery effective, too.

John

[HangingOut]

A couple links to non-standard type footbox hammocks. TZ's design results in a shorter hammock that looks very comfortable.

Stretchable footbox

TZBrown's hammock

The footbox does not change the lay of the hammock. It just helps keep everything in the hammock and gives you a reference point to find the exact spot in the hammock each time you get in. The footbox controls the floppy sides.

BTW I like your name

Two things:
First, I read both of those threads doing my foot box research. They were a great help but also led to some of my confusion. I don't completely grasp the diagram in TZ's post. What does the 20" length repersent?

And second, I was a little embarrassed when I saw your forum name. I tried to come up with a unique name but was at a loss so I just started trying names that would not be rejected as already taken. Guess I didn’t bother to check the member list. Sorry.

[HangingOut]

Don't forget the ghost hammock!

I have made several footbox hammocks. When laying in them, there is little stress on the side. In fact, on a nestles hammock, if done right, the footbox does little more than keep your top quilt from migrating to the ground. As you lay on a diagonal, where your feet go naturally forms that triangle. The footbox just forums a nice wall, enclosing that end.

Knotty's stretch side hammock is a nice aternatuve to a sewn in footbox, as you can nowenter the hammock from either side, but that has never been an issue for me.

I am on my phone, but check my gallery, search for beast hammock threads started by tfc rick, and divab. Sgt. Rock's ghost hammock has a minimal footbox that is bery effective, too.

John

Thanks for the tip. I think I read most of those posts. I am starting to think the simplest method of keeping stuff from falling out would be to add an arc of fabric to the top edge of the hammock side down near your feet. Then keep it bunched with shock cord. That way both sides would still be the same length.

[hangnout]

Two things:
First, I read both of those threads doing my foot box research. They were a great help but also led to some of my confusion. I don't completely grasp the diagram in TZ's post. What does the 20" length repersent?

And second, I was a little embarrassed when I saw your forum name. I tried to come up with a unique name but was at a loss so I just started trying names that would not be rejected as already taken. Guess I didn’t bother to check the member list. Sorry.

I think the 20" is the length being removed. The base of TZ's hammock is not a rectangle.

No problems on the name. When I do something out of line on the forum I will just blame you

Thanks for the tip. I think I read most of those posts. I am starting to think the simplest method of keeping stuff from falling out would be to add an arc of fabric to the top edge of the hammock side down near your feet. Then keep it bunched with shock cord. That way both sides would still be the same length.

I think that the "footbox" is still throwing you a curve. John Sawyer explained it best in the post above. You are just putting a top on the natural shape of the hammock above your feet. When you do this the sides of the hammock body are still the same length. If you look at an occupied hammock from above it naturally forms a triangle shape. The footbox just covers the foot corner. This makes the inside edge of the hammock shorter but does not change the outside length.

I think I may have made it even more confusing

Your idea would work. I have thought about something like that on my next hammock but it does add more material etc. Keep us updated if you do it.

Good Hangin"