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forestmaven

01/17/2010 08:23AM

I searched the messageboard to find an answer to my question if hammocks are a good choice for someone who tosses and turns a lot in his sleep. Are they? (Are you forced to sleep on your back?)

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uigreyjay

01/17/2010 08:27AM

typically i toss from one side to another, at home or on the tent floor. i bought a hennesey hammock a few years ago and took it on 5 solo trips.
i got the best sleep and rest in that thing and never woke up sore.
i did turn, kinda on my side.
i mostly slept on my back.
get a compact foam mattress for under you, if the weather is cool,and just for comfort, and i think it will surprise you.
you lie across the thing from corner to corner, not right down the middle. this helps you lie flatter as well.
these are the tips that have worked for me. i am sure there are others.

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Beemer01

Moderator

01/17/2010 08:29AM

I guess the answer is.... it depends. Hammocks like the Hennessey Hammock are designed very differently from the one in your backyard. The HH, and Eno (and probably others) are engineered around a metal reinforced horizontal tight line run tree to tree, drum tight. The hammock is suspended below that and permits side or back sleeping.

HH review

They aren't for everyone. They work for me, and I know Adam uses one as well.

"You're not serious about wearing sandals on this portage.... are you?"

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mc2mens

01/17/2010 10:07AM

Damn - that thing looks like it would be hard to get into after a few hours around the campfire sucking on a wine bladder.

"Big fish eat little fish."

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TomT

01/17/2010 10:16AM

I got interested in using a hammock for the BW about a year ago by seeing Beemer's pics and others talking about them. But what really sold me was after I joined Hammock Forums

And to make it real comfortable - if you have the cash - is to get a down underquilt to use instead of a pad underneath you. There's a whole lot of cool stuff to learn at this board and really good people too.

Here's a brief tour of the hammock that I use. Warbonnet Blackbird

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TomT

01/17/2010 10:30AM

I tossed and turned a lot in a tent and never could get a good nights sleep. That's why I switched to a hammock.

My first night in the hammock wasn't that great. I adjusted the tension and learned how to correctly lay on a diagonal and the second night was incredibly comfortable.

You CAN sleep on your side and I do. Another plus about this system is that most of the setup is done while standing. I always hate crawling around on the ground to setup my tent. And sitting in the hammock with your legs hanging out is great for puttng on your boots in the morning.

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Merganser

01/17/2010 10:54AM

I toss and turn a lot period, not just in a tent. I am also a side sleeper. I made my own hammock last spring, it's somewhere between the HH and Blackbird. I still found my self still switching sides but perhaps less. The hammock is definitely more comfortable than sleeping on the ground, even with a good pad.

These are gathered end hammocks, you lie on a diagonal across them. You can sleep on either side although the way theseset up they will tend to favor one side. The HH will favor a left side sleeper, you can have a Blackbird made either way.

The ENO system, does not have this bias, since the bug net is not an integrated part of the hammock and it does not have the tie outs.

They are not hard to get in and out of.

You do need an underquilt as Tom mentioned. Even in warm weather you need something or your back will get cold. HammocForums.Net is an excellent resource for hammock information.

A hammock is now my preferred wilderness sleep system.

Heres a pic of my hammock and the underquilt I made for it, hanging under my CCS tarp.

"That sort of thing is my bag baby."

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Chilly

01/17/2010 11:18AM

I like the ones with a frame better, more support. Not that I tied this one tight enough but you can find this one for very cheep. Plus you can charge others in camp to use in retaliation for the crap der gona give for lugging it up there. It was worth it!

"Now days these kids take out everything: radar, sonar, electric toothbrushs" Quint

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Merganser

01/17/2010 05:16PM

I have to disagree with that. Lying diagonally in my hammock my back is nearly flat and very evenly supported. You're bent like a banana there, I know my back would not like that.

Now if you had a true bridge hammock there I would agree with you. A bridge will get you such a flat lay you can sleep on your stomach.

"That sort of thing is my bag baby."

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Amok

01/17/2010 08:37PM

Shoot, buy a cheap hammock (the $40 Byer's of Maine Moskito hammock comes to mind) and see if you like it. Try it out in your backyard. Just don't forget to play with the tarp too :)

Trust, but verify. The Lord will provide !!!!

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SourisMan

01/18/2010 04:09PM

I'm like the other person who said that their first night in a HH was not the greatest ever. It takes a little experimenting to figure out the right amount of tension when hanging the hammock. Probably the bigger thing is figuring out a few sleeping positions that work for you. I now sleep great in my HH and have no plans to return to "dirt camping".

One other quick comment. I spent a few nights on Larch Lake a couple of years ago. On the day we packed up it rained buckets just after we were packed. The wind was blowing like crazy, so we waited a bit to set out on the water. Every tent site ended up under water. I could only imagine how nice it would have been that night to crawl into my hammock that was high and dry.

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whiteh20

01/18/2010 06:08PM

I am a stomach sleeper and I found that I sleep just fine in a hammock. I started using one this summer for solo summer trips and I really liked it. Very light, easy to set up and wonderful for afternoon naps! I have a ENO hammock and bug net. Use my CCS tarp for shelter. Would need an under quilt if camping in spring or fall season for sure.

"With an ax, you can build a life. With a stove, you can boil water. That is if nothing breaks and you don't run out of fuel." -Samuel Hearne

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Savage Voyageur

01/18/2010 07:43PM

Thanks for the reminder whiteh20, I need to get an under quilt for my ENO double nest hammock for my June trip. Then it will be perfect for me. No more "dirt camping" for me.

"So many lakes, so little time."

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MagicPaddler

01/19/2010 12:31PM

I suggest you DO NOT buy a cheap hammock and try it to see if you would like sleeping in a hammock!!!

A cheep hammock like the one Chilly shows in the picture is nothing like a Hennessey or a Blackbird. I have friends that hear that I sleep in a hammock and they give me there unwanted banana hammocks. If you have one of those string banana hammocks cut a circle out of the middle of it and sow a seam in the edge of the piece you cut out. Put a draw string in the seam and you have a anchor bag.
MagicPaddler

The question of the day is Freedom or Socialism?? MagicPaddler

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Amok

01/20/2010 11:42PM

Well, I guess I've never seen a pic of an expensive hammock with a person in it. They ALL look like banana hammocks to me...

Trust, but verify. The Lord will provide !!!!

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MagicPaddler

01/21/2010 04:45PM

There are several types of hammocks that have a fairly un u shaped sleeping area. I cant remember the Canadian manufacture but one had a aluminum frame around the bottom and web straps stretched across under the floor. I there adds they show 3 or 4 kids setting cross legged on the floor facing each other. They were playing cards on the floor between them. I gave one a 5 minute test and it was the flattest surface I have layed on in the woods.
A bridge hammock hangs from 1 or 2 lines that run over head. If strung too tight they can bend the sleeping area with the middle high. With spreader bars they can be very comfortable. The ones I have tested were flatter than a Hennessy or black bird but they came up on your sides and squeezed you more then other hammocks I have tried.
With the Hennessy or Blackbird if you lay directly under the ridge line they will bend you in to a U. If you put your feet over to the right and slide your shoulders over to the left it will be much flatter. The sleeping area will still have your body bent some but most do not find it objectionable. Many people (including me) sleep on there sides in either of these hammocks.

The question of the day is Freedom or Socialism?? MagicPaddler

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IBFLY

01/25/2010 03:20PM

Love the use of hammocks and have done so in other parts of the country - usually the southwest- Didn't need much tarping above, bug net or under quilts. Slept great!

I wonder about blowing rain and changing wind direction - seems like there's a good chance of getting soaked?

Enlighten me.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

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IBFLY

01/25/2010 03:37PM

quote TomT: "I got interested in using a hammock for the BW about a year ago by seeing Beemer's pics and others talking about them. But what really sold me was after I joined Hammock Forums

And to make it real comfortable - if you have the cash - is to get a down underquilt to use instead of a pad underneath you. There's a whole lot of cool stuff to learn at this board and really good people too.

Here's a brief tour of the hammock that I use. Warbonnet Blackbird

"

Hey - those Shugmery vids on You tube are a hoot!

You say that like it's a bad thing.

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Mad_Angler

01/25/2010 04:03PM

I have several hammocks.

I have a basic Hammock Bliss. It works great for reading and lounging around camp. I've slept in it on a few nights. It works okay. I used the separate hammock bliss bug net when sleeping in the BW.

I also have a HH which has a built with an attached bug screen and has a slit in the bottom for entering the hammock. In this hammock, you are supposed to sleep in the diagonal. I have also slept a few nights in this hammock and slept very well.

Fish where the fish are...

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forestmaven

02/11/2010 05:02PM

Thank you for all the feedback. I ended up buying a Hennessey Hammock and 'hung out' in the basement. My wife accused me that I was compromising the structural integrity of the house. Should I be insulted?

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MagicPaddler

02/11/2010 05:29PM

She is jealous

The question of the day is Freedom or Socialism?? MagicPaddler

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Soledad

02/11/2010 10:00PM

Over the last 5 years, I have spent many nights in my Hennessey- from April to October. I am going back to the ground this year. My reason is simply because I have not been sleeping well in the hammock. I am not sure what the problem is, could be that I often sleep on my stomach, could also be because of the colds spots that I feel while sleeping in temps under 40. I have tried a few different ways to keep the cold out.

So, on my first trip at least I am going back to the ground. I never thought I would but if I sleep better, then it will be worth it.

Although I may not sleep all that well in mine, I will say that I never once woke up stiff and sore like I would if I had been sleeping on the ground.

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HowardSprague

02/12/2010 09:44AM

quote whiteh20: "... I started using one this summer for solo summer trips and I really liked it. Very light, easy to set up and wonderful for afternoon naps! I have a ENO hammock and bug net. Use my CCS tarp for shelter. Would need an under quilt if camping in spring or fall season for sure. "

That ENO bug net seems nice...though the cost is about the same as the ENO hammock, isn't it?

Would a 8x10 tarp provide sufficient coverage for a hammock?

"Enjoy every sandwich"

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EastVal

02/13/2010 11:40AM

http://www.outdoordaily.com/

This is a HH hammock on sale today only.

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forestmaven

02/13/2010 01:45PM

Good deal!

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That Guy

02/13/2010 02:22PM

Terrific deal! But with the research I've done, thanks to the members on this site, I think I have to go with the Warbonnet Black Bird. Just too many sweet features.

"The earth is being overrun by mankind and his machines. There will always be a need for quiet places that can only be reached by physical effort, skill and endurance." Bill Mason

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Bill Tea

02/14/2010 12:31PM

I invested in the Byer's Moskito hammock and have hung it under a 9' square tarp (might need something a little bigger). As others have mentioned, it took a bit of getting used to, and some sort of insulation under the bag really does make a huge difference, even in the warm months. I cut a thin closed cell foam pad to fit inside my bag. Worked nicely from late June to late August, tho it can be a little damp if you sweat much at night.

Not having to squat and crawl in and out of a tent, and setting up from a standing position is a relief to my beat up back also. My only complaint with the Byer's is that it tends to sway whenever I move. I'll figure that out this season. Maybe a couple of bungees and bull dog clips...or something.

Very different than tent camping. I felt much more exposed than with a tent at first (somebody on the site mentioned a "bear pinata", LOL). The suggestion(s) to try it out at home, or close to home, is a good one. I set mine up on my deck, close to the ground, and the first flip over (easy to do with the Byer's) had me laughing for 20 minutes. Glad my neighbors weren't home. They would have had me on my way to the funny farm that day for sure.

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