This is actually a project I did about a year ago. There are some pictures of it posted here but I've never formally unveiled it. The time for that has come.

But first First a little background. One of the short comings of traditional bug-net hammock, be it Hennessey, Blackbird or another is that they allow you to lay across the centerline on basically one diagonal. If you are a back sleeper, no problem. If you are a side sleeper, they work well on one side (facing away from the centerline) but not so well on the other. If you sleep only on one side you can get your hammock configured to suit your preferred side and you are in.

I am a side sleeper and an indecisive one. I can't sleep on one side all night. I need to flip over at some point, usually a couple times. So I've been searching for a design for an attached bug-net hammock that would allow me to lay across the centerline on opposing diagonals. This is actually what I was trying to figure out when I stumbled over how the Blackbird shelf and foot-box worked and wound up making my Blackbird clone (called it the Bluebird, there's a post on it here).

I did a lot of brainstorming and came up with a number of ideas that didn't pan out. Eventually I started thinking about the hammock, more specifically a single edge, geometrically. The ridgeline of an occupied hammock and one of the edges form a triangle. If the occupant flips to the opposite diagonal, the triangle is inverted.

I sketched this up (to scale) and stared at it for a while. I decided to draw what was basically half of an elongated hexagon to represent the hammock edge in a "neutral" position between these extremes. Then the light-bulb came on. I realized that by adding a "return" panel between the edge of the hexagon and the edge of the hammock I would be able to allow hammock body to move freely to either position. After a bunch more sketching and math I determined that the shape of the panel was also an elongated hexagon and its width was determined by the difference between the edge of the triangles and the edge of the hexagon.

I made a scale model to prove I wasn't nuts. It wasn't perfect but I could tell this was going to work. I had the supplies on hand to build the full size hammock
the Bi-Axially Symmetric Hexagonal Integrated Netting or BASHIN Hammock was born.

The key aspects the design are:
1) The shape of the "upper" (supported) portion of the netting is an elongated hexagon. The length of each half of the upper hexagon, as bisected by the ridgeline, is equal to the length of the hammock edge ( measured from the points of attachment on either end of the hexagon).
2) The shape of the "return" portion of the netting is an elongated hexagon. The length of each half of the return hexagon are equal to the length of the hammock edge.
3) The width of the return portion is determined by the distance between one corner of the upper hexagon and the corner formed when a point on the hammock body its drawn away from center. The distance of that point from the end of the edge being equal to the adjacent edge of the hexagon.
4) A section of return netting is attached to either edge of the upper netting.
5) The each edge of the hammock is attached to an edge of return netting.
6) All sides of the hexagons are the same length.

On this last point, while I think slight deviation between the length of the middle side an the two ends could work, depending on the proportions of the occupant to the hammock, I don't think it would be optimal. I have determined that much deviation either way will wind up with either too much tension or additional slack.

I think I've stumbled on some sort of mathematical/geometrical nirvana because this worked out better than I could possibly have imagined. I am able to lay in this design at any angle I could lay in an open hammock. The "return" netting never has more than the slightest tension applied to it, not matter how I move. The "upper" netting moves only slightly when I switch sides.

I can even put one leg on either side with my back in the center and sort of sit. Awesome for bug free reading. Still with no real tension on the netting.

I decided the for the couple extra ounces it would cost me I'd put zippers on both sides so it was symmetrical in all aspects. I made this one a double layer 1.9/1.1. Good thing the inner layer's gray or you wouldn't be able to tell anything from these pictures.

I have the "upper" panel suspended by some custom poles (the bend is 120deg) I made with supplies from Quest Outfitters. I know some of you gram weenies won’t like the pole thing but I don't need to stake this out so I get some of that weight back. One should be able to do something with cord and little bags for weights to pull the "upper" netting down and keep tension on it.

I did not cut out the hexagons as I describe them. Due to the width of my netting I determined I would have considerably less waste if I made the three panels you see. That also put a seam under the poles and provided a place to add loops. Sewing the seam where the upper panel and return meet was a real challenge because the edge of the center panel was straight and end panel had a corner. Next time I will cut the pieces so that both pieces have the same (half) corner.

I didn't take any pictures as I was working on this. I'm going to make another one, with a single layer body sometime this spring. I'll do a proper blog on the construction of that one. Here as some shots of the finished product.

Can you make me one? How much?

Very elaborate DIY! When I think DIY i think a lenght of nylon with whip finished ends. Nice work.

WOW!! Impressive design and work.

I would like to see this someday, very nice. Are you taking orders? I live about 5 miles from you. Maybe I will see it at the next wingnight.

I appreciate the positive feedback, I wasn't fishing for orders. Honestly, its a DIY project. I'm not really looking to get into the hammock business. I'm having fun with it as a hobby but that's all the time I really have right now to devote to it.

That said, I'm sure I'll be making more of these, That tends to happen with DIY projects I do. I'm always coming up with some tweak I want to try. There is very little about this design I would change. There there are a couple pattern tweaks I want to try that just make it easier to put together. I also want to make one with a single layer body. I don't know how many of these I'll make before I feel like I'm done but when I turn out a new one its likely I'd have a used one I'd be willing to sell.

I *may* be at the next MN wingnight, if I can get a pass :). If I am I will have this with me.

I have made a tent from Frostline back in 1979 and have made wilderness chairs so I'm familiar with working with nylon. Would you be willing to post your hammock plans so I could make one or is it top secret? Just asking from fellow hanger.

quote Savage Voyageur: "I have made a tent from Frostline back in 1979 and have made wilderness chairs so I'm familiar with working with nylon. Would you be willing to post your hammock plans so I could make one or is it top secret? Just asking from fellow hanger. "

We'll, if it was 'top secret' I wouldn't have posted what I did. From what I did post you'd actually be a able to figure it all out, I think. There's obviously plenty of work in translating the theory into application. I'm not sure I am ready to post a pattern but I'm willing to share more info in a less public manner. Send me an email.