Hi! I haven't been on the forum in a while - I have been busy. I have developed what I believe to be a new 90 degree hammock design. It uses two connected short gathered end hammocks, one regular one and one that uses shaped sides to create a bit of a raised “shelf” for the legs.



This hammock is, first and foremost, about comfort. I find it comfortable in a way that eliminates some of the problems I have with GE hammocks.

The hammock doesn't provide a very flat lay, but puts you in the very comfortable “zero gravity” position currently promoted by many bed/mattress companies – kind of like a reclined La-Z-Boy. It also provides for various side sleeping positions. If you are a sprawler like my wife, this is as good or better than a regular GE hammock.

The main hammock for the head and torso is an 8 foot long GE hammock with straight sides and a short (approximately 5 foot) ridgeline. One side of this hammock is connected to a shorter GE hammock with shaped sides, like so:

Foot hammock outline.png

What this does is sort of like taking the “calf ridge” present in normal, diagonal-lay GE hammocks and placing it perpendicularly under the knees. The shape of the leg hammock also lowers the lower legs so that they are basically horizontal or, depending on the shaping of the sides of the leg hammock, placed with the feet slightly above or below the knees.

The leg hammock is attached with 1/2” webbing and ladder locks, so the height relative to the body hammock can be adjusted higher or lower. You could also use whoopie slings instead of webbing and ladder locks, although they are less easy to adjust.

Since there are two hammocks sewn together, and you lay across that seam, you could reasonably think this would be uncomfortable. In practice, we find that the seam isn’t that noticeable, since the seam is under the thighs, and the thighs are positioned so that they are not putting a lot of pressure on the hammock. I suppose if you slept in the hammock in very short shorts so that your naked skin is in contact with the seam some people might find it uncomfortable. I don’t wear short shorts, but it doesn’t bother my wife.

Pros (some pros presumably apply to all 90 degree hammocks):

  1. Comfort – very good back support and leg support.
  2. No bridge hammock shoulder squeeze.
  3. No GE hammock calf ridge.
  4. No leg/knee hyperextension.
  5. You only need a little more than 5 feet between trees.
  6. You can sprawl in many positions like in a GE hammock.
  7. Side sleeping, especially in a pseudo-fetal position, is also quite comfortable.
  8. The forward/backward rocking is very soothing, and (for some reason) seems to go on for a long time if you allow it to. (10 minutes plus, depending on hang & other factors.)
  9. It requires less skill to set up than GE or bridge hammocks. As long as you get it (mostly) level side to side, you’re good. If you are anal like me, a cheap plastic line level on the ridgeline will make you happy.
  10. The best view doesn’t require craning your neck to see it - no tree directly in your line of site.
  11. Since the ridgeline is so short, you can make a tarp that fits without needing a seam in the ridge.
  12. No end poles like a bridge hammock.
  13. No inflatable pad needed for structural support like a Drawmer.
  14. A little over half a pound, without making any effort to lighten it. (1.1 oz ripstop body hammock, 1.3 oz ripstop leg hammock, width/hammock lengths sized for maximum comfort)
  15. Construction is a little more work than sewing a couple of regular GE hammocks.


Cons (some cons presumably apply to all 90 degree hammocks)

  1. I think that a bug net attached to the sides of the hammock, as many camping hammocks do, would be difficult. A wraparound net or a partial net hung from the ridgeline work fine.
  2. In order to keep all of your leg in contact with an underquilt, you have to have at least one attachment point under the knees pulling up in addition to attachment points at the head and foot.
  3. In practice, you will probably want more attachment points for the underquilt to keep it from sagging and hitting the ground when you aren’t in the hammock, because the hammock “collapses” when you aren’t in it.
  4. A tarp that fits well will probably need doors on the side to be effective against wind or wind-driven rain, because the peaked ends are very near the hammock.
  5. If you have a long distance between trees you will have to get the straps/ropes higher than with a longer hammock.
  6. If you have REALLY sensitive foot soles and are in the hammock without any sleeping bag or blanket wrapping around your feet, you could find the small amount of pressure on your feet uncomfortable. (I hurt the ball of my foot last fall and it was slow to heal, so I designed the foot contact area to put pressure primarily on the heel of the foot.)
  7. If you prefer an inflatable pad to an underquilt, it will require some creativity to do a double layer hammock for the purpose of putting a pad between the layers.


I don't yet know what I want to do with this design, although I definitely want to share the comfort. I probably need some experienced hangers to give me some feedback to start. Anybody near Portland want to try it out?