Urban Hammocking: It's a Thing
June 17, 2018 12:05 PM Subscribe
Swaying gently in an urban hammock has become increasingly popular as lightweight and more advanced hammock designs have become available. There are photos. There are articles. Sometimes permits are required.
Place your urban hammock wisely to avoid a ticket or fine. Or visit a park, such as Luxparken in Stockholm, that provides visitors with places to hang their hammocks. (Visitors to Copenhagen don't even have to bring a hammock; the Danes provide those as well.)
Is simple urban hammocking too dull? Naturally, a world with goat yoga perforce must offer hammock yoga as well. Too tame, you cry? Then you might want to consider extreme hammocking (note that "extreme hammocking death" may pop up in your search results). While MeFites have ample information about the history of the hammock (previously), what might its future hold? Making music, perhaps. Adding a new twist to bathing. Or, most likely, simply making camping even more fun.
Place your urban hammock wisely to avoid a ticket or fine. Or visit a park, such as Luxparken in Stockholm, that provides visitors with places to hang their hammocks. (Visitors to Copenhagen don't even have to bring a hammock; the Danes provide those as well.)
Is simple urban hammocking too dull? Naturally, a world with goat yoga perforce must offer hammock yoga as well. Too tame, you cry? Then you might want to consider extreme hammocking (note that "extreme hammocking death" may pop up in your search results). While MeFites have ample information about the history of the hammock (previously), what might its future hold? Making music, perhaps. Adding a new twist to bathing. Or, most likely, simply making camping even more fun.
Laying in a hammock is comfortable for about 5 minutes, then my knees ask why they are hyperextended.
Perhaps I need a hammock with separate foot area, kind of like the chair in the extreme hammocking link. But not above a large cravasse. Thanks.
posted by aetg at 1:08 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Perhaps I need a hammock with separate foot area, kind of like the chair in the extreme hammocking link. But not above a large cravasse. Thanks.
posted by aetg at 1:08 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Every music festival I have been to over the past few years has had tonnes of hammocks in the trees. It is fantastic and I usually curl up in one towards the end of the night while the teens are still off dancing. We have several hammocks on my property and they are in constant use during day and night.
posted by saucysault at 1:12 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by saucysault at 1:12 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
Not that I am likely to ever lie in a hammock slung many meters above a gorge floor, but if I ever did find myself in such a situation, I'm sure I would suddenly need to pee. Oh, how relaxing. How marvelous. Now how do I pee?
posted by pracowity at 1:20 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 1:20 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
I bought a hammock today, which is apparently a thing for some other MeFites, and I find mine super comfy. Since this is urban hammocking, the peeing thing is easy. I get out of my hammock and amble over to my apartment building. The hammock camping thing (never mind hammocks over a gorge) would be hugely problematic for me (A. peeing, B. am clumsy).
posted by Bella Donna at 1:29 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 1:29 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
Gorges by definition are excellent at conveying excess liquids.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:31 PM on June 17, 2018 [21 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:31 PM on June 17, 2018 [21 favorites]
Hammocks are amazing! I spent 6 months in rural Northeastern Brazil where it's a custom, and slept in one every night. Super comfortable, good for hot weather, but you have to know how to sleep in them: diagonal, please don't lay in a crescent shape.
posted by iamck at 1:54 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by iamck at 1:54 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
They're good as hell on an upstairs porch too y'all.
SENT FROM MY HAMMOCK
posted by saladin at 1:59 PM on June 17, 2018 [17 favorites]
SENT FROM MY HAMMOCK
posted by saladin at 1:59 PM on June 17, 2018 [17 favorites]
I work on a university campus and every reasonably nice day basically every pair of trees on campus has at least one hammock. Sometimes two or three. They look super comfy and then I go online thinking I should get one, see the price, and decide maybe a chair is fine.
posted by soren_lorensen at 2:07 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by soren_lorensen at 2:07 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
I would send photos from my hammock.
But we live in rural Vermont. There isn't any cell phone service within a 30 minute drive, and our paltry "broadband" (hello, Consolidated Communications) can't reach that far on WiFi.
posted by doctornemo at 2:13 PM on June 17, 2018
But we live in rural Vermont. There isn't any cell phone service within a 30 minute drive, and our paltry "broadband" (hello, Consolidated Communications) can't reach that far on WiFi.
posted by doctornemo at 2:13 PM on June 17, 2018
I need to sleep on my side or stomach, so sleeping in a hammock is impossible for me unless I want to twist my spine.
posted by pracowity at 2:15 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 2:15 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
soren_lorensen, the Broke Backpacker finds this hammock acceptable and it's 35 smackers. That's not cheap but not wildly expensive, either. Here's a DIY version for about 25 bucks.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:20 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 2:20 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
I am currently researching camping hammocks and plan for a camping trip this summer with one. There are a lot of small companies making these things and the choices are sort of bewildering. But I've learned a few things, like how you need some sort of insulation for your back/underside, even in the summer. Without the ground to insulate, hammocks will get very chilly. Another point some swear by is to get an 11 foot (or longer) hammock; apparently these are the most comfy and it makes a big difference when sleeping all night with them.
posted by zardoz at 2:20 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by zardoz at 2:20 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Years ago, I spent many happy afternoons in Puerto Escondido at a cheap beach hotel sleeping off a riot of a sunburn and nursing endless sangria from the delightfully helpful hotel bar. It was one of those wide hammocks where you stretch out all perpendicular-like and it's like you're being gently cradled by a fleet of angels.
I'd love to have a similar experience here at my house, the first place I've ever lived with its own backyard, but I only have the one tree. I've thought of planting a second tree for this very purpose, but that would take years. How do I set up a decent hammock experience with just the one tree?
posted by mochapickle at 2:21 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
I'd love to have a similar experience here at my house, the first place I've ever lived with its own backyard, but I only have the one tree. I've thought of planting a second tree for this very purpose, but that would take years. How do I set up a decent hammock experience with just the one tree?
posted by mochapickle at 2:21 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
"Glammock" is not yet a registered trademark in the US. Someone get in there and lock it down. Get that Skymall money.
posted by duffell at 2:21 PM on June 17, 2018 [14 favorites]
posted by duffell at 2:21 PM on June 17, 2018 [14 favorites]
I regularly fall asleep in a hammock in my tiny, crappy DC backyard, and have been doing so for a number of years. Nice to know I'm ahead of a trend, for once.
posted by ryanshepard at 2:23 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by ryanshepard at 2:23 PM on June 17, 2018
I need to sleep on my side or stomach, so sleeping in a hammock is impossible for me unless I want to twist my spine.
Try a longer hammock. Mine is 11 feet and I am a side sleeper and it is always the best sleep ever. The trick is, like others have said, you have to lay diagonal in the hammock to get comfy. The other option is a bridge hammock. They are good for stomach sleepers
posted by peeedro at 2:31 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
Try a longer hammock. Mine is 11 feet and I am a side sleeper and it is always the best sleep ever. The trick is, like others have said, you have to lay diagonal in the hammock to get comfy. The other option is a bridge hammock. They are good for stomach sleepers
posted by peeedro at 2:31 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
SENT FROM MY HAMMOCK
Reevaluating my entire approach to MeFi.
posted by ryanshepard at 2:32 PM on June 17, 2018 [11 favorites]
Reevaluating my entire approach to MeFi.
posted by ryanshepard at 2:32 PM on June 17, 2018 [11 favorites]
That bathtub hammock looks scary as hell, I can't imagine relaxing in it.
posted by dilaudid at 2:34 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by dilaudid at 2:34 PM on June 17, 2018
I can't stand being in a hammock, but when it's a nice day outside and I see students in their hammocks reading a book or chatting to each other... it feels nice. I always feel so alienated in places where everyone spends their leisure time indoors. I don't even want to talk to anyone - but I like seeing people around me having a good time.
I didn't even realize that hammocks were causing problems. At least where I am, people aren't generally placing hammocks in the way and there aren't really any views to ruin. I hope they're using decent straps and not damaging the trees.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 2:35 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
I didn't even realize that hammocks were causing problems. At least where I am, people aren't generally placing hammocks in the way and there aren't really any views to ruin. I hope they're using decent straps and not damaging the trees.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 2:35 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
mochapickle, hammock stands are available at a variety of places, including Ikea. You can find some on Amazon, of course, and also there are instructions for ones you can build. Depending on the layout, perhaps you can put a heavy-duty hook on a part of your house and your hammock can hang between your tree and your house. Please note: It turns out that you need to be careful about the kinds of ties you use on trees so they don't damage the trees. I need to get tree-friendly straps myself.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:37 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 2:37 PM on June 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
Oops, what Kutsuwamushi said.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:38 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by Bella Donna at 2:38 PM on June 17, 2018
Also, there's excellent hammock advice in this AskMe. I hope other hammock lovers will pop up and share the love.
posted by Bella Donna at 2:43 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Bella Donna at 2:43 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Thanks, Bella Donna!
I'd seen those and liked them but I don't have anywhere to store a hammock frame in the off-season. So I was hoping for some sort of magical hover-hammock technology....
posted by mochapickle at 2:53 PM on June 17, 2018
I'd seen those and liked them but I don't have anywhere to store a hammock frame in the off-season. So I was hoping for some sort of magical hover-hammock technology....
posted by mochapickle at 2:53 PM on June 17, 2018
That bathtub hammock looks scary as hell, I can't imagine relaxing in it.
It looks expensive to me. Either you spend a fortune reinforcing your walls to accept the stress, or you spend a fortune after the hammock bathtub rips apart your crappy walls. I mean, I like the concept, but I see a few problems.
posted by Dip Flash at 3:02 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
It looks expensive to me. Either you spend a fortune reinforcing your walls to accept the stress, or you spend a fortune after the hammock bathtub rips apart your crappy walls. I mean, I like the concept, but I see a few problems.
posted by Dip Flash at 3:02 PM on June 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
I was never able to get a decent night's sleep while backpacking (as in the hiking out in the forest version, not in European hostels) until I switched from a tent to a hammock (I have a Hennessy). I'm a side sleeper, and it turns out my hips and back much prefer the suspension of a hammock than being on the hard ground, even with a supposedly "good" sleeping pad!
The Ultimate Hang is the bible for all things camping, and Shug Emery is the most entertaining over-the-top hammock dork on YouTube.
posted by mostly vowels at 3:41 PM on June 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
The Ultimate Hang is the bible for all things camping, and Shug Emery is the most entertaining over-the-top hammock dork on YouTube.
posted by mostly vowels at 3:41 PM on June 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
Also, folks who find hammocking uncomfortable and feel like they're being folded like a banana might find it helpful to learn how to do the diagonal lay (see step #3 here). This is how you're supposed to sleep in the majority of nylon (like the kind ENO makes and that you buy from REI) hammocks, and it's how you achieve a "flat lay".
You have to pitch your hammock with enough give so that when you stand back and look at it (before getting in), it looks like you've suspended a "smile" from the trees.
Hammock people are like the gear heads of the outdoors community, and we'll gladly tell you tons of stuff about our hammocks. I've never been to one, but Hammock Forums also organizes "local hangs" if you want to check out different models of hammocks (for those of you thinking about getting some of the more expensive kinds).
posted by mostly vowels at 3:46 PM on June 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
You have to pitch your hammock with enough give so that when you stand back and look at it (before getting in), it looks like you've suspended a "smile" from the trees.
Hammock people are like the gear heads of the outdoors community, and we'll gladly tell you tons of stuff about our hammocks. I've never been to one, but Hammock Forums also organizes "local hangs" if you want to check out different models of hammocks (for those of you thinking about getting some of the more expensive kinds).
posted by mostly vowels at 3:46 PM on June 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
Good lord, kids these days call it “‘mocking”? Get off my lawn so I can relax in my suburban hammock!
posted by TedW at 4:57 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by TedW at 4:57 PM on June 17, 2018
I have been one of these urban or otherwise public hammock people and it's really relaxing except for the part where everyone makes a big deal out of it every 30 seconds or so with some really inane comment like "Wow, you look really relaxed." and I'm just like "Well, except for everyone telling me how relaxed I must be."
Hammocks are kind of like kites, in that everyone knows about them and everyone pretty much likes them, but almost no one owns or regularly uses one until someone does and then everyone around gets all excited about it and wants to try out the hammock/kite/frisbee or whatever.
And then for whatever reason, it seems like most people forget that kites or hammocks are a thing and never just go get one of their own because it's too frivolous or fun or something, when in reality both hammocks and kites are about the best fun value per dollar you can buy for anything.
They're both really affordable, portable and highly enjoyable.
Laying in a hammock is comfortable for about 5 minutes, then my knees ask why they are hyperextended.
Symptoms of this: Hammock is not hung far enough apart, and is also too narrow. Also, avoid traditional "American" yard hammocks that are the rectangular cross bar type, get an oversized backpacker or south american style hammock.
Solution: Lay across the hammock at an angle if you wish to extend fully. When you hang up a hammock right, there's a flat part to the arc when you hang it properly.
posted by loquacious at 5:03 PM on June 17, 2018 [7 favorites]
Hammocks are kind of like kites, in that everyone knows about them and everyone pretty much likes them, but almost no one owns or regularly uses one until someone does and then everyone around gets all excited about it and wants to try out the hammock/kite/frisbee or whatever.
And then for whatever reason, it seems like most people forget that kites or hammocks are a thing and never just go get one of their own because it's too frivolous or fun or something, when in reality both hammocks and kites are about the best fun value per dollar you can buy for anything.
They're both really affordable, portable and highly enjoyable.
Laying in a hammock is comfortable for about 5 minutes, then my knees ask why they are hyperextended.
Symptoms of this: Hammock is not hung far enough apart, and is also too narrow. Also, avoid traditional "American" yard hammocks that are the rectangular cross bar type, get an oversized backpacker or south american style hammock.
Solution: Lay across the hammock at an angle if you wish to extend fully. When you hang up a hammock right, there's a flat part to the arc when you hang it properly.
posted by loquacious at 5:03 PM on June 17, 2018 [7 favorites]
The cheap two-tone nylon hammocks all seem to be about the same. I have half a dozen of them. But they aren't very comfortable because no matter how wide, they're all too short. Comparatively, they have no give either. So don't judge all hammocks by that, or by the rope ones with stretcher bars that leave you with waffle bottom. In my opinion length is the most important variable for usability, and cotton is just more comfortable if weight isn't a factor.
My full time sleeping hammock is approximately 12.5 feet, eye to eye. Nettles at each end are 28 inches, with a removable 95 or 98 inch cotton bed that is 59 inches wide. Hooking in my hammock back in Feb. It fits nicely into a collapsable 9 foot stand, so that I can now sleep in places that are not my home! With cats! ( I am only 5'5", so YMMV about sleeping all night in a compact stand. They also don't work very well with camping hammocks in my limited experience.)
I'm glad that more people are discovering the joy of hammocks. Even if they do feel the need to be outside.
posted by monopas at 5:08 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
My full time sleeping hammock is approximately 12.5 feet, eye to eye. Nettles at each end are 28 inches, with a removable 95 or 98 inch cotton bed that is 59 inches wide. Hooking in my hammock back in Feb. It fits nicely into a collapsable 9 foot stand, so that I can now sleep in places that are not my home! With cats! ( I am only 5'5", so YMMV about sleeping all night in a compact stand. They also don't work very well with camping hammocks in my limited experience.)
I'm glad that more people are discovering the joy of hammocks. Even if they do feel the need to be outside.
posted by monopas at 5:08 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
Hammocks.
My goodness, what an idea! Why didn't I think of that?
posted by FJT at 5:39 PM on June 17, 2018 [9 favorites]
My goodness, what an idea! Why didn't I think of that?
posted by FJT at 5:39 PM on June 17, 2018 [9 favorites]
I love my Hennessy Hammock tent almost as much as my kids. Worth every penny. And actually they’re cheaper than building a hammock tent out of ENO parts, and better. Way cheaper than Kammocks, though they look amazing. I’m thinking of getting one of Hennessy’s Leaf hammocks for the yard.
Fortune has blessed me with two perfectly-spaced trees in my backyard, mere feet from a gurgling creek. Camping trips are not as frequent as I’d like, so I yardcamp out there every chance I get. I climb in with my amazing nineteen point five pound dog, lie back, and let the frogs serenade me to sleep. By morning, I am whole.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:47 PM on June 17, 2018 [8 favorites]
Fortune has blessed me with two perfectly-spaced trees in my backyard, mere feet from a gurgling creek. Camping trips are not as frequent as I’d like, so I yardcamp out there every chance I get. I climb in with my amazing nineteen point five pound dog, lie back, and let the frogs serenade me to sleep. By morning, I am whole.
posted by middleclasstool at 5:47 PM on June 17, 2018 [8 favorites]
I've driven every kind of rig that's ever been made
posted by thelonius at 6:36 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 6:36 PM on June 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
I love my Hennessy Hammock tent almost as much as my kids.
Can't tell if you're in agreement with your children, or you'd seriously consider a trade...
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:46 PM on June 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
Can't tell if you're in agreement with your children, or you'd seriously consider a trade...
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:46 PM on June 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
Ugh I miss my hammock, not to mention a friend's hammock out in L.A. Granted, now it's high mosquito season in St. Louis, so to keep using mine, I was going to have to start using bug repellent, but ugh ugh ugh. Hammocks are one of the best parts of the warm months.
posted by limeonaire at 7:03 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by limeonaire at 7:03 PM on June 17, 2018
I've spent eighteen months sleeping full-time in a hammock. It was glorious. The best part was flipping out of bed every morning. Some day, I'll get back to that.
One thing I love about hammocks is how easy it is to DIY this stuff. It's hard to sew clothing. Too many angles and curves. But hammock gear is all simple geometric shapes and some hemming. I now have a fully DIY hammock setup: tarp, quilts, hammock, netting, stuff sacks. And I can barely patch my pants.
If anyone has recommendations for good hangs in or near NYC without getting in trouble with the cops, I'm all ears.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 7:11 PM on June 17, 2018
One thing I love about hammocks is how easy it is to DIY this stuff. It's hard to sew clothing. Too many angles and curves. But hammock gear is all simple geometric shapes and some hemming. I now have a fully DIY hammock setup: tarp, quilts, hammock, netting, stuff sacks. And I can barely patch my pants.
If anyone has recommendations for good hangs in or near NYC without getting in trouble with the cops, I'm all ears.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 7:11 PM on June 17, 2018
I just got a hammock & stand (the same one monopas linked to) for a shady corner of my backyard. It's probably the best purchase I made so far this summer.
posted by Fig at 7:29 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by Fig at 7:29 PM on June 17, 2018
Can't tell if you're in agreement with your children, or you'd seriously consider a trade...
My children have never allowed me a nap, much less facilitated one.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:21 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
My children have never allowed me a nap, much less facilitated one.
posted by middleclasstool at 8:21 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
In the world of software development, Rich Hickey, lead developer of the Clojure language, is an advocate for hammock driven development.
posted by idiopath at 8:36 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by idiopath at 8:36 PM on June 17, 2018
Have spent several nights camping in hammocks... rain, snow, no issues so far. Except for the bit that while the hammock was cheap, the underquilt, rainfly, cocoon, and bug netting adds up pretty darn quick...
posted by caution live frogs at 8:43 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by caution live frogs at 8:43 PM on June 17, 2018
My full time sleeping hammock is approximately 12.5 feet, eye to eye.
Quoted for truth. This MeFite hammocks, and I strongly support their entire comment and agree with it.
My hand-me-down Central/South American style hammock is at least 10-12 foot, if not more from eye to eye, and then add another 2/3 feet of webbing and sling and tree. There's essentially enough fabric above my head and below my feet I can barely stretch out my hands and arms and reach the rope yoke/lines at either end, and I'm just about 6' tall.
When rigged optimally we're talking about almost 20 feet between trees, 18ish or so minimum. The curve of the hammock ends up being a lot flatter than even backyard rope or canvas sling hammocks with the crossbars. It can be hung with a sharper curve, but I end up sleeping across it at an angle more which is less optimal.
The hammock is also wide enough to spread almost full length across it, so laying at wild angles is easy to do, and finding a flat tangent through the arc of the hammock is easy and comfortable. (I often slept on my stomach in mine!)
Another thing that's a bit different for my hammock that I haven't really seen in American/Euro style hammocks, even many backpacking hammocks, is that my yoke and eyelet system isn't individual lines tied off or stitched into the hammock like a parachute.
The end yokes are a single braided piece of rope that loops through loops at the end of each hammock in this clever way so each loop supports the next loop, and they can all self-adjust and level and float between the eyelet, yoke and hammock, completely eliminating hot spots.
If your end ropes or yoke are sewn directly to the hammock or tied off through grommets, there's always going to be hot spots and pressure points due to the differences in tension and length.
On a good hammock the fabric floats on these nested loops, and the ends of the loops are braided up into the eyelet/yoke portion and not directly attached to the hammock at all. (On mine, they pass through about 1 inch wide loops, where each loop has it's own segment of cordage that runs down from the macrame yoke and eyelet, through the loop, passing through the neighbor's loop and eyelet, then back up to the macrame yoke.
I really want someone who knows knots, braiding and macrame help me reverse engineer it because you could braid the same yoke from good paracord and replace the cotton weave with something lighter and drier, and then the whole thing would weigh about 1/5th the cotton version and pack down to about 1/4th the size, which currently is about the size of a football or basket ball, webbing and cinch straps included.
And hammocks are still the best sleep I've ever had. The flipping/popping out of bed thing is a thing I know because of how rested I'd wake up.
I've described it as being like you get to nest in this comfy, womb-like soft place, and then when you go to sleep you get to do yoga effortless all night for free and you wake up like you spent the day at a spa getting a massage.
One of the other really neat things about hammocks is how easily you can adjust the height so that when you're sitting in it and using it as a seat or couch with your feet on the ground, you can adjust it so that it's effectively a zero-G, zero-stress position suited exactly to your personal leg length.
If you happen to be hiking or biking and camping, this is a BIG HUGE DEAL because you often spend days/weeks/months with nowhere comfortable or normally human sized to sit on. With a hammock it's exactly the right height for you and can be more comfortable than your couch at home.
And sprawling/perching on the ground on a thermarest or something is often barely tolerable at best. Logs, rocks, leaning against trees, rolling around in the dirt, sprawling on clean beach sand or soft mossy glades - I've tried every way you can sit and lounge and sleep outdoors.
Nothing, nothing is as comfortable, as portable or as multi-functional and overwhelmingly civilizing as a hammock and being able to get off the ground and sit on something that isn't a hard log, a picnic bench or the cold, energy-sapping ground.
posted by loquacious at 9:46 PM on June 17, 2018 [8 favorites]
Quoted for truth. This MeFite hammocks, and I strongly support their entire comment and agree with it.
My hand-me-down Central/South American style hammock is at least 10-12 foot, if not more from eye to eye, and then add another 2/3 feet of webbing and sling and tree. There's essentially enough fabric above my head and below my feet I can barely stretch out my hands and arms and reach the rope yoke/lines at either end, and I'm just about 6' tall.
When rigged optimally we're talking about almost 20 feet between trees, 18ish or so minimum. The curve of the hammock ends up being a lot flatter than even backyard rope or canvas sling hammocks with the crossbars. It can be hung with a sharper curve, but I end up sleeping across it at an angle more which is less optimal.
The hammock is also wide enough to spread almost full length across it, so laying at wild angles is easy to do, and finding a flat tangent through the arc of the hammock is easy and comfortable. (I often slept on my stomach in mine!)
Another thing that's a bit different for my hammock that I haven't really seen in American/Euro style hammocks, even many backpacking hammocks, is that my yoke and eyelet system isn't individual lines tied off or stitched into the hammock like a parachute.
The end yokes are a single braided piece of rope that loops through loops at the end of each hammock in this clever way so each loop supports the next loop, and they can all self-adjust and level and float between the eyelet, yoke and hammock, completely eliminating hot spots.
If your end ropes or yoke are sewn directly to the hammock or tied off through grommets, there's always going to be hot spots and pressure points due to the differences in tension and length.
On a good hammock the fabric floats on these nested loops, and the ends of the loops are braided up into the eyelet/yoke portion and not directly attached to the hammock at all. (On mine, they pass through about 1 inch wide loops, where each loop has it's own segment of cordage that runs down from the macrame yoke and eyelet, through the loop, passing through the neighbor's loop and eyelet, then back up to the macrame yoke.
I really want someone who knows knots, braiding and macrame help me reverse engineer it because you could braid the same yoke from good paracord and replace the cotton weave with something lighter and drier, and then the whole thing would weigh about 1/5th the cotton version and pack down to about 1/4th the size, which currently is about the size of a football or basket ball, webbing and cinch straps included.
And hammocks are still the best sleep I've ever had. The flipping/popping out of bed thing is a thing I know because of how rested I'd wake up.
I've described it as being like you get to nest in this comfy, womb-like soft place, and then when you go to sleep you get to do yoga effortless all night for free and you wake up like you spent the day at a spa getting a massage.
One of the other really neat things about hammocks is how easily you can adjust the height so that when you're sitting in it and using it as a seat or couch with your feet on the ground, you can adjust it so that it's effectively a zero-G, zero-stress position suited exactly to your personal leg length.
If you happen to be hiking or biking and camping, this is a BIG HUGE DEAL because you often spend days/weeks/months with nowhere comfortable or normally human sized to sit on. With a hammock it's exactly the right height for you and can be more comfortable than your couch at home.
And sprawling/perching on the ground on a thermarest or something is often barely tolerable at best. Logs, rocks, leaning against trees, rolling around in the dirt, sprawling on clean beach sand or soft mossy glades - I've tried every way you can sit and lounge and sleep outdoors.
Nothing, nothing is as comfortable, as portable or as multi-functional and overwhelmingly civilizing as a hammock and being able to get off the ground and sit on something that isn't a hard log, a picnic bench or the cold, energy-sapping ground.
posted by loquacious at 9:46 PM on June 17, 2018 [8 favorites]
Do you have photos loquacious? I can’t quite visualize what you’re describing and I’d be very interested to see.
posted by ElliotH at 10:37 PM on June 17, 2018
posted by ElliotH at 10:37 PM on June 17, 2018
My hammock goes into my bag on the first sunny day and doesn’t come out till Snowtime. I travel with it consistently and the butt-cooling effect has been much appreciated on many a tropical beach. I prefer to put myself far from the crowd but so do enjoy the jealous gazes and sighs. Agree entirely that it’s the same people who gasp at kites. Just fucking get one, the joy-per-dollar ratio is hard to beat.
posted by Iteki at 10:43 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Iteki at 10:43 PM on June 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
Of course we have hammock nerds here. That delights me. Hey loaquious, I am curious about hommock camping. Might I interest you in doing a post about it or would it be better for me to just post an Ask? I am a single female who recently realized I can do whatever the hell I want to and that might include camping but I don’t like traditional camping, I never sleep well. So message me if you have a preference or I will post an Ask in a few days. Your long comment above is inspirational.
posted by Bella Donna at 1:13 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Bella Donna at 1:13 AM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Mochapickle: We solved the one-tree problem with a metal post in cement. There was an existing clothesline in the backyard: two posts about 6 feet tall with the line between them. We reinforced one of the posts by putting it in a small amount of cement (less than 1 foot in diameter). Then the hammock ran between that post and the tree.
Because the hammock post doubled as a clothesline, it didn’t look weird when the hammock was down.
You deserve a hammock in your yard!
posted by Banknote of the year at 3:36 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Because the hammock post doubled as a clothesline, it didn’t look weird when the hammock was down.
You deserve a hammock in your yard!
posted by Banknote of the year at 3:36 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Gotta put in a plug for Thom Ressler aka "Dutch", a guy with a sewing machine and a water jet metal cutter who started his own hammock and hammock-related accessories business.
Buying from them is a bit difficult since they sell piece-by-piece (hammock, suspension, netting, fly, line, clips). But the upside is that if you want to DIY camping gear, from fabric, straps, clips, insanely strong fly-wire, they have a great catalog.
I have a 'meshless' hammock extra-wide, held up with 'straps and spiders', with a structural ridgeline (always the perfect hang angle), and a slide-over bug-mesh (rather than having it built in). Totally happy with it!
posted by anthill at 4:45 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
Buying from them is a bit difficult since they sell piece-by-piece (hammock, suspension, netting, fly, line, clips). But the upside is that if you want to DIY camping gear, from fabric, straps, clips, insanely strong fly-wire, they have a great catalog.
I have a 'meshless' hammock extra-wide, held up with 'straps and spiders', with a structural ridgeline (always the perfect hang angle), and a slide-over bug-mesh (rather than having it built in). Totally happy with it!
posted by anthill at 4:45 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
I've been designing a shade sail for my deck (on a boat) and this post has made me realise that I could (nay, should) design the support poles to hold hammocks as well!
I have some hammocks, but there's no point on the boat where they're well supported. This may be the answer.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:02 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have some hammocks, but there's no point on the boat where they're well supported. This may be the answer.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:02 AM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
If I could change one thing about my current apartment, which overall I like very much, I would add either a porch or a backyard where I could put my hammock. I tried to rig something up on the fire escape but it just wasn't going to work.
posted by geegollygosh at 7:02 AM on June 18, 2018
posted by geegollygosh at 7:02 AM on June 18, 2018
The university I work for has slung several hammocks near the student union, and occasionally I go and hang out in them. I'm fat, so I checked first to make sure these were the kind that could support my weight, and I'm still a little self-conscious about climbing in and out, but I love hanging there gently swinging so much that it's worth it.
posted by PussKillian at 7:20 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by PussKillian at 7:20 AM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
Granted, now it's high mosquito season in St. Louis, so to keep using mine, I was going to have to start using bug repellent, but ugh ugh ugh. Hammocks are one of the best parts of the warm months.
Get one with a bug net, or a separate bugnet for your current hammock! There's nothing better than relaxing in a breezy hammock in the woods while watching mosquitos buzz outside in futile hunger.
posted by rocket at 9:05 AM on June 18, 2018
Get one with a bug net, or a separate bugnet for your current hammock! There's nothing better than relaxing in a breezy hammock in the woods while watching mosquitos buzz outside in futile hunger.
posted by rocket at 9:05 AM on June 18, 2018
I used a hammock on the Appalachian Trail. Had a foam pad that unrolled and kept the hammock stretched out and a tarp overhead and except for that one time it came undone and I went rolling down a mountain trapped in my sleeping bag it was very comfortable.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 12:34 PM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Mr. Yuck at 12:34 PM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Get one with a bug net, or a separate bugnet for your current hammock!
Hennessys have 'em built in. And, if you get a side zip model, you can unzip one whole side (protip, make that the windward side when you hang) and flap it open to let more breeze in if there aren't skeeters or gnats around. Hennessy hammock tents come standard with integrated bug netting, a rainfly, hanging straps, "snakeskins" (covers for when you put it up), a ridgeline that holds up the bug netting and also holds a pouch to hold your keys/phone/wallet, and even freaking water collectors you can screw on to water bottles and hang on the rainfly to keep your rainfly taut and collect wash water if you camp during a storm. And that costs about as much as buying just a hammock, straps, and a bugnet from most places.
My son and I have camped in ours in serious mosquito weather during a major storm, and we woke up dry and bite-free the next morning. They rule.
I used a hammock on the Appalachian Trail. Had a foam pad that unrolled and kept the hammock stretched out and a tarp overhead and except for that one time it came undone and I went rolling down a mountain trapped in my sleeping bag it was very comfortable.
That is quite an "except". Holy SHIT
posted by middleclasstool at 1:02 PM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Hennessys have 'em built in. And, if you get a side zip model, you can unzip one whole side (protip, make that the windward side when you hang) and flap it open to let more breeze in if there aren't skeeters or gnats around. Hennessy hammock tents come standard with integrated bug netting, a rainfly, hanging straps, "snakeskins" (covers for when you put it up), a ridgeline that holds up the bug netting and also holds a pouch to hold your keys/phone/wallet, and even freaking water collectors you can screw on to water bottles and hang on the rainfly to keep your rainfly taut and collect wash water if you camp during a storm. And that costs about as much as buying just a hammock, straps, and a bugnet from most places.
My son and I have camped in ours in serious mosquito weather during a major storm, and we woke up dry and bite-free the next morning. They rule.
I used a hammock on the Appalachian Trail. Had a foam pad that unrolled and kept the hammock stretched out and a tarp overhead and except for that one time it came undone and I went rolling down a mountain trapped in my sleeping bag it was very comfortable.
That is quite an "except". Holy SHIT
posted by middleclasstool at 1:02 PM on June 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Thank you loquacious. I am having trouble expressing how much your words and sentiment mean to me, so thank you will have to do. (This is positive, but I'm having a bad writing day. Even if this commont doesn't seem like it due to length.)
About your hammock's yoke/clew/nettle arrangement, in this review he shows part of a real Brazilian clew, as well as a shot of a cheapie. I have not had much luck finding images or instructions for traditional Brazilian hammock clews, but I am limited to English so that doesn't mean too much. I've seen similar things to the cheapie done with a DIY or two and on one of the Brazilian-esque cheapies that I bought for the fabric part.
(Note: Even if you do have a sewing machine or ten, it's hard to buy 60" wide heavy cotton fabric for less per yard than the price you pay for a cheap hammock on Amazon that is already the right size and finshed. Only one of the 5 I've bought for the purpose was sewn with the fabric at an angle that makes it unusably wonky.)
The inspiration for my setup was taken from the experiments and posts of a person on Hammock Forums, specifically this thread and this thread. Using a flexible perpendicular rope through the notched channel to attatch the clew to the bed also works well as a float, or shock absorber, and it helps to spread the hammock a bit. For my main setup, the clews are individually tied loops of 425 paracord, hitched to a loop in short-edge/long-middle/short-edge order. I also have a second clew set taken from a hammock with decent poly rope clews but too short of a bed that I have set up the same way as a back up. These are more traditional single continuous-strand clews made without any way to keep them from crossing since they were never meant to be removed from their hammock bed. Much more fussy to change, but easier on the hands than making another nearly identical 40 knotted loops out of paracord. I wanted to be able to change out the bed of my hammock easily for washing, and this system works very well. No tight spots, unlike hammocks that are a single piece. I've got 4 bed pieces, so I can launder at leisure.
And even though it isn't visible in my photos, I do have underquilts on. Even 75f is chilly when you're suspended in air. Originally based on the work done by various Hammock Forums DIYers, I used KAM snaps, elastic, ribbon, and Costco down throws to make them. The projects and clear instructions from this person are particularly good. Then I realized that unlike most people who suspend their underquilts beneath their hammocks seperately, using hemmed cotton makes it possible to snap mine directly to the hammock bed at the head and foot. I use elastic expansion joints to allow for the stretch of the cotton and the need for a bit of air gap. I don't have any photos right now, but I can take some tomorrow if anyone is curious.
posted by monopas at 2:17 PM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
About your hammock's yoke/clew/nettle arrangement, in this review he shows part of a real Brazilian clew, as well as a shot of a cheapie. I have not had much luck finding images or instructions for traditional Brazilian hammock clews, but I am limited to English so that doesn't mean too much. I've seen similar things to the cheapie done with a DIY or two and on one of the Brazilian-esque cheapies that I bought for the fabric part.
(Note: Even if you do have a sewing machine or ten, it's hard to buy 60" wide heavy cotton fabric for less per yard than the price you pay for a cheap hammock on Amazon that is already the right size and finshed. Only one of the 5 I've bought for the purpose was sewn with the fabric at an angle that makes it unusably wonky.)
The inspiration for my setup was taken from the experiments and posts of a person on Hammock Forums, specifically this thread and this thread. Using a flexible perpendicular rope through the notched channel to attatch the clew to the bed also works well as a float, or shock absorber, and it helps to spread the hammock a bit. For my main setup, the clews are individually tied loops of 425 paracord, hitched to a loop in short-edge/long-middle/short-edge order. I also have a second clew set taken from a hammock with decent poly rope clews but too short of a bed that I have set up the same way as a back up. These are more traditional single continuous-strand clews made without any way to keep them from crossing since they were never meant to be removed from their hammock bed. Much more fussy to change, but easier on the hands than making another nearly identical 40 knotted loops out of paracord. I wanted to be able to change out the bed of my hammock easily for washing, and this system works very well. No tight spots, unlike hammocks that are a single piece. I've got 4 bed pieces, so I can launder at leisure.
And even though it isn't visible in my photos, I do have underquilts on. Even 75f is chilly when you're suspended in air. Originally based on the work done by various Hammock Forums DIYers, I used KAM snaps, elastic, ribbon, and Costco down throws to make them. The projects and clear instructions from this person are particularly good. Then I realized that unlike most people who suspend their underquilts beneath their hammocks seperately, using hemmed cotton makes it possible to snap mine directly to the hammock bed at the head and foot. I use elastic expansion joints to allow for the stretch of the cotton and the need for a bit of air gap. I don't have any photos right now, but I can take some tomorrow if anyone is curious.
posted by monopas at 2:17 PM on June 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
A few public libraries, such as Vestavia Hills in Alabama, will loan out a hammock so you can read a book in comfort. This seems like the most sensible idea ever. Except for readers like me...
An ex- bought a double/wide hammock in the hope that we would have sexytimes in it. Unfortunately I discovered, that being my first time in a hammock, that there was something about it, the swaying or the outdoors or the angle you were at, I don't know, that always quickly sent me to sleep. I couldn't read, or look at the sky, or (especially) sexytimes as I would be asleep in seconds. Every time.
That was the last summer of our relationship.
posted by Wordshore at 4:20 PM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
An ex- bought a double/wide hammock in the hope that we would have sexytimes in it. Unfortunately I discovered, that being my first time in a hammock, that there was something about it, the swaying or the outdoors or the angle you were at, I don't know, that always quickly sent me to sleep. I couldn't read, or look at the sky, or (especially) sexytimes as I would be asleep in seconds. Every time.
That was the last summer of our relationship.
posted by Wordshore at 4:20 PM on June 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
monopas, I would love to see photographs of your hammock. What is it about a cotton bed that allows you to attach the underquilt directly?
loquacious, the site monopas linked also has a more direct tutorial on building your own clew. Note that the fancy sword mat finish is purely decorative. I've made a clew (for suspension of an underquilt, not the hammock itself) and it's not hard. I sewed loops of grosgrain ribbon to the short edge and ran the nettles through that. Note that because there are so many strands (12 nettles, 2 strands per nettle) you can build clews with much, much weaker line. Paracord is way over-kill: even mason twine gives me 12.5x safety factor.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 6:29 PM on June 18, 2018
loquacious, the site monopas linked also has a more direct tutorial on building your own clew. Note that the fancy sword mat finish is purely decorative. I've made a clew (for suspension of an underquilt, not the hammock itself) and it's not hard. I sewed loops of grosgrain ribbon to the short edge and ran the nettles through that. Note that because there are so many strands (12 nettles, 2 strands per nettle) you can build clews with much, much weaker line. Paracord is way over-kill: even mason twine gives me 12.5x safety factor.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 6:29 PM on June 18, 2018
I have no idea what a clew is, so I think you should all listen to monopas and meaty shoe puppet and not me.
Also, apologies for the current lack of personal responses, but my day started at 5 AM, nearly 24 hours, four trainees, two meetings and about 10 hours of non-stop talking ago and I have a major monthly work meeting in, uh, 7 ish hours.
This is all very un-hammock-y.
(That was for you, Bella Donna. PM me questions and I'll get back to you eventually. I support people realizing they can do whatever the hell they want.)
My hammock seems to be the "knock off" Brazilian type with the nested nettles and clew, not the one that's in the earlier photo. I have no idea what "nettle" and "clew" even mean and I can barely tie a half-hitch style slip knot to keep my ridgeline rope taut enough for a good tarping.
Like many other hammock campers I've discovered the joys and downfalls of the buttdraft and trying to stay warm while suspended in mid-air in a draft and cold/wet weather hammock camping - which I still find to be less heat-sapping and much dryer than camping on cold ground in a tent or bivy.
My methods were complicated and survival focused on using what I had.
I would line my hammock by tying a fleece blanket to/through the "nettles" so it had room to float inside. Then I'd line that with a long rectangle of what was something like suit lining fabric or even sleeping bag shell fabric I got at a thrift store. This is both for a heat barrier and reduced friction because I toss and turn like popcorn in a hot pan.
If it was really cold out I'd also line the outside of the hammock with another wind barrier, blanket or quilt and a couple of times I wrapped a space/emergency blanket around the bottom, but this was in 10-20F weather with sleet and sideways rain.
And then I'd take my down mummy bag and invert the whole thing over me in this cocoon, so that the whole bag was unzipped, but tucked over me like a tailored/shaped comforter.
I could the take my laptop/phone/book or whatever under the hood of the inverted mummy bag and seal myself in from the cold, and even heat myself up a bit watching a little vidya before bed. (Or bring in a hot rock or water bottle.)
For a rain fly I ended up using a not very portable but good for long term camping cheap hardware store poly tarp in about 10x20, folded over my ridgeline across the short side, and in camo patterns, because blue, silver or poop brown are worse in a forest and an eyesore.
I also have a smaller nylon/coated rainfly that works really well, but just doesn't have the comfort, height and coverage of that huge 10x20 tarp.
I usually hang my ridgeline at a generous 7-ish feet from the ground, just big enough to stand up inside fully. The edges of the tarp float about 6-8" from the ground and are staked off 3 stakes to a side using plastic pegs and small bungie cords with hooks for shock/wind resistance and quick setup.
One thing I do different is I cap/wall off the ends of this A-frame or pup-tent looking A-line rain fly with additional fabric panels, attached to the ridgeline rope at the top and then mated to the main rainfly by rolling them into a seam and clipping them off with (serious) small binder clips.
So two panels at either end of the A-frame rainfly, and then the hammock ends pass through these two hanging panels, and can even be gathered/closed with more binder clips above and below the hammock.
The whole thing is basically an oversized pup tent that floats around the hammock that's tall enough to stand in, long enough to sleep in, and wide enough to live in, hanging from the rainfly ridgeline, and floats about 5-8" off the ground and is guyed out on simple plastic stakes, bungie cords or paracord.
For a ground floor and footprint it's as simple as choosing a tarp that's about 6" smaller all around than the footprint of this floating "pup tent" hung up over/around the hammock. I generally used a 4x6' tarp or piece of tyvek or something. I mainly just needed a clean landling place to put on my shoes, arrange my luggage, and keep my phone, hat, or etc directly out of the dirt when I dropped it.
Because when you're hammock camping, you really do spend most of your time with your feet off the ground, and all you really need is a place to kick off your shoes.
And, so, this all sounds really complicated for a tent to most casual campers, and like it might take a long time to set up, or might be a lot to carry.
With my light rainfly, with a footprint, and my full sized "knock off brazillian" hammock, all lines and stakes, some fabric and even my sleeping bag, the total pack size is about the size of a 2-3 person modern dome tent with poles/stakes/footprint, without counting the bag/liner/pad you'd need to make a tent livable.
My full large tarp, sleeping bag, fabric, liners and general winter shelter is about the packed size and weight of a 2-3 person tent, bag and pad combo - except my hammock rig is a nearly a full-sized portable cabin tall enough you can stand up inside and change your pants without wrestling with them on the ground, and it'll keep you warm and dry in freezing sideways rain and sleet.
I've camped in it with like 2-3+ inches of rain in 24 hours, just sleeting off the rain fly like a waterfall. Because everything floats off the ground, all that rain just runs straight out into dirt and not down the sidewalls of a tent, then underneath the tent floor to form miserable puddles. There's no direct moisture link between the fly and the floor, and the shed area of the fly is like 8-12" away from the floor footprint.
Oh, and setup time is actually really quick - specifically because there's no one right way to set it all up. You just attach bits to other bits, as opposed to having to thread a tent pole just so through a sleeve or figuring out which pole you got wrong.
The only two hard points in this whole system is the eyelets of the hammock. Everything else hangs off the position of the hammock.
Thanks for the links, monopas and meaty shoe puppet. I might have to try to make my own clew and figure this thing out, because it's pretty essential to a comfortable camping/living hammock.
posted by loquacious at 1:44 AM on June 19, 2018
Also, apologies for the current lack of personal responses, but my day started at 5 AM, nearly 24 hours, four trainees, two meetings and about 10 hours of non-stop talking ago and I have a major monthly work meeting in, uh, 7 ish hours.
This is all very un-hammock-y.
(That was for you, Bella Donna. PM me questions and I'll get back to you eventually. I support people realizing they can do whatever the hell they want.)
My hammock seems to be the "knock off" Brazilian type with the nested nettles and clew, not the one that's in the earlier photo. I have no idea what "nettle" and "clew" even mean and I can barely tie a half-hitch style slip knot to keep my ridgeline rope taut enough for a good tarping.
Like many other hammock campers I've discovered the joys and downfalls of the buttdraft and trying to stay warm while suspended in mid-air in a draft and cold/wet weather hammock camping - which I still find to be less heat-sapping and much dryer than camping on cold ground in a tent or bivy.
My methods were complicated and survival focused on using what I had.
I would line my hammock by tying a fleece blanket to/through the "nettles" so it had room to float inside. Then I'd line that with a long rectangle of what was something like suit lining fabric or even sleeping bag shell fabric I got at a thrift store. This is both for a heat barrier and reduced friction because I toss and turn like popcorn in a hot pan.
If it was really cold out I'd also line the outside of the hammock with another wind barrier, blanket or quilt and a couple of times I wrapped a space/emergency blanket around the bottom, but this was in 10-20F weather with sleet and sideways rain.
And then I'd take my down mummy bag and invert the whole thing over me in this cocoon, so that the whole bag was unzipped, but tucked over me like a tailored/shaped comforter.
I could the take my laptop/phone/book or whatever under the hood of the inverted mummy bag and seal myself in from the cold, and even heat myself up a bit watching a little vidya before bed. (Or bring in a hot rock or water bottle.)
For a rain fly I ended up using a not very portable but good for long term camping cheap hardware store poly tarp in about 10x20, folded over my ridgeline across the short side, and in camo patterns, because blue, silver or poop brown are worse in a forest and an eyesore.
I also have a smaller nylon/coated rainfly that works really well, but just doesn't have the comfort, height and coverage of that huge 10x20 tarp.
I usually hang my ridgeline at a generous 7-ish feet from the ground, just big enough to stand up inside fully. The edges of the tarp float about 6-8" from the ground and are staked off 3 stakes to a side using plastic pegs and small bungie cords with hooks for shock/wind resistance and quick setup.
One thing I do different is I cap/wall off the ends of this A-frame or pup-tent looking A-line rain fly with additional fabric panels, attached to the ridgeline rope at the top and then mated to the main rainfly by rolling them into a seam and clipping them off with (serious) small binder clips.
So two panels at either end of the A-frame rainfly, and then the hammock ends pass through these two hanging panels, and can even be gathered/closed with more binder clips above and below the hammock.
The whole thing is basically an oversized pup tent that floats around the hammock that's tall enough to stand in, long enough to sleep in, and wide enough to live in, hanging from the rainfly ridgeline, and floats about 5-8" off the ground and is guyed out on simple plastic stakes, bungie cords or paracord.
For a ground floor and footprint it's as simple as choosing a tarp that's about 6" smaller all around than the footprint of this floating "pup tent" hung up over/around the hammock. I generally used a 4x6' tarp or piece of tyvek or something. I mainly just needed a clean landling place to put on my shoes, arrange my luggage, and keep my phone, hat, or etc directly out of the dirt when I dropped it.
Because when you're hammock camping, you really do spend most of your time with your feet off the ground, and all you really need is a place to kick off your shoes.
And, so, this all sounds really complicated for a tent to most casual campers, and like it might take a long time to set up, or might be a lot to carry.
With my light rainfly, with a footprint, and my full sized "knock off brazillian" hammock, all lines and stakes, some fabric and even my sleeping bag, the total pack size is about the size of a 2-3 person modern dome tent with poles/stakes/footprint, without counting the bag/liner/pad you'd need to make a tent livable.
My full large tarp, sleeping bag, fabric, liners and general winter shelter is about the packed size and weight of a 2-3 person tent, bag and pad combo - except my hammock rig is a nearly a full-sized portable cabin tall enough you can stand up inside and change your pants without wrestling with them on the ground, and it'll keep you warm and dry in freezing sideways rain and sleet.
I've camped in it with like 2-3+ inches of rain in 24 hours, just sleeting off the rain fly like a waterfall. Because everything floats off the ground, all that rain just runs straight out into dirt and not down the sidewalls of a tent, then underneath the tent floor to form miserable puddles. There's no direct moisture link between the fly and the floor, and the shed area of the fly is like 8-12" away from the floor footprint.
Oh, and setup time is actually really quick - specifically because there's no one right way to set it all up. You just attach bits to other bits, as opposed to having to thread a tent pole just so through a sleeve or figuring out which pole you got wrong.
The only two hard points in this whole system is the eyelets of the hammock. Everything else hangs off the position of the hammock.
Thanks for the links, monopas and meaty shoe puppet. I might have to try to make my own clew and figure this thing out, because it's pretty essential to a comfortable camping/living hammock.
posted by loquacious at 1:44 AM on June 19, 2018
I think you'd fit right in at the hammock forums. You should check it out.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 5:22 PM on June 19, 2018
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 5:22 PM on June 19, 2018
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posted by Bella Donna at 12:07 PM on June 17, 2018