DD camping hammock
- Thread starter Tracker NTS-054
- Start date
-
Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
been ok for about 10 camps a year for 3 years or so. also stopped my back hurting and feet getting cold
I'm guessing it feels like it's rigid down the middle, and "dips" on either side near the bottom (where you legs sit). Basically feels like you're laying on a curved edge and your legs are sort-of "hanging".
If you haven't already, get yourself some whoopie slings and remove all of the stock webbing from DD. That stuff is horrible and you'll never get a stable pitch as long as you've got that crap on there. Get yourself a few meters of static climbing rope (or climber's webbing) and run that through the gathered ends... tie it off and connect the whoopies using karabiners.
Pitch the hammock and tension it up as far as it'll go. Lay in it for a moment (this is for "bedding in") and by "moment" I mean 5-10 mins.
Be sure to move about as much as you can during this time as it'll help bed things faster.
Now... loosen the pitch two inches on the foot end, and one inch on the head end... lay in it again for as long as you're comfortable (minimum of 5 mins). Keep loosening the whoopies by an inch or so on both ends (though ideally you want the head end higher than the foot end for comfort) and repeat testing it until it feels right.
To make comfort testing as accurate as possible, lay in it as though you're going to sleep (inside your sleeping bag etc).
Took me about an hour the first time I pitched to find my perfect setting... after a few uses in different places, I can now set the DD to that exact "butter zone" every single time, no matter how far apart the trees and no matter how high or low I pitch.
Practice makes perfect, mate... you just need the whoopies and better rope/webbing (that won't stretch) to get the amount of adjustment you need to find what works best for you
If you haven't already, get yourself some whoopie slings and remove all of the stock webbing from DD. That stuff is horrible and you'll never get a stable pitch as long as you've got that crap on there. Get yourself a few meters of static climbing rope (or climber's webbing) and run that through the gathered ends... tie it off and connect the whoopies using karabiners.
Pitch the hammock and tension it up as far as it'll go. Lay in it for a moment (this is for "bedding in") and by "moment" I mean 5-10 mins.
Be sure to move about as much as you can during this time as it'll help bed things faster.
Now... loosen the pitch two inches on the foot end, and one inch on the head end... lay in it again for as long as you're comfortable (minimum of 5 mins). Keep loosening the whoopies by an inch or so on both ends (though ideally you want the head end higher than the foot end for comfort) and repeat testing it until it feels right.
To make comfort testing as accurate as possible, lay in it as though you're going to sleep (inside your sleeping bag etc).
Took me about an hour the first time I pitched to find my perfect setting... after a few uses in different places, I can now set the DD to that exact "butter zone" every single time, no matter how far apart the trees and no matter how high or low I pitch.
Practice makes perfect, mate... you just need the whoopies and better rope/webbing (that won't stretch) to get the amount of adjustment you need to find what works best for you
The DD hammocks are not an asymmetric design so work best hung reasonably flat and tight I believe, and that is certainly the case for me.
The 30 degree approach works on asymmetric designs as they need the looseness in the material to make use of the asymmetric shape to give a flattish lie, but would not work at all on a non-asymmetric design like the DD.
The type of straps/suspension isn't the issue I don't think, although certainly whoopie slings make it easier and quicker to make adjustments.
Just what I have picked up from my limited experience and a bit of reading/utubing when I started to get into it.
Cheers, Paul
The 30 degree approach works on asymmetric designs as they need the looseness in the material to make use of the asymmetric shape to give a flattish lie, but would not work at all on a non-asymmetric design like the DD.
The type of straps/suspension isn't the issue I don't think, although certainly whoopie slings make it easier and quicker to make adjustments.
Just what I have picked up from my limited experience and a bit of reading/utubing when I started to get into it.
Cheers, Paul
I'm 5ft 10 and have been using a dd frontline for a while, pitch it flat and tight, I find I can sleep on my front, or my side with no issues at all, I don't like sleeping on my back, but certainly could if I chose to. I use only the original webbing supplied with the hammock and can pitch it and adjust it quickly and efficiently, I dare say whoopies may be easier, but don't really see the point. The only thing I can think that's going wrong for you is not pitching it tight enough, so you struggle to sleep at an angle in it.
Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk 4
Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk 4
Hi Tracker,
do you have the foot end of your hammock hung a little higher (3-6") than the head end?
This centres your body into the hammock more as your body is heavier at the head end than the legs (Not being personal there)
FWIW, if your looking for a hammock to cocoon you, you'll find it difficult with the DD camping unless it's strung too tight. The bug nets on the Frontline or Travel help keep your feet in place more.
You might want to add a structural ridgeline to the camping hammock to set the hang angle (Google hammock SRL) and keep it consistent. Not only will it keep your hammock in the 'sweet spot' once you find it, its dead handy for hanging kit on and steadying yourself when you sit up and lean forward.
Salaud is right, changing to whoopies won't solve your issues.
do you have the foot end of your hammock hung a little higher (3-6") than the head end?
This centres your body into the hammock more as your body is heavier at the head end than the legs (Not being personal there
)FWIW, if your looking for a hammock to cocoon you, you'll find it difficult with the DD camping unless it's strung too tight. The bug nets on the Frontline or Travel help keep your feet in place more.
You might want to add a structural ridgeline to the camping hammock to set the hang angle (Google hammock SRL) and keep it consistent. Not only will it keep your hammock in the 'sweet spot' once you find it, its dead handy for hanging kit on and steadying yourself when you sit up and lean forward.
Salaud is right, changing to whoopies won't solve your issues.
Thanks SJ that's EXACTLY what it's like. I'll have a quick read through of all the posts and then maybe get a picture or two
Some great replies here thanks everyone,
Tepee, salaud, paulm- ok that will probably solve it then,
If I remember correctly it would've been pitched at a very steep angle, around 40-45* that must be what I'm doing wrong... I'll have a picture up soon
Tepee, salaud, paulm- ok that will probably solve it then,
If I remember correctly it would've been pitched at a very steep angle, around 40-45* that must be what I'm doing wrong... I'll have a picture up soon
This happens to me mostly when I pitch the Frontline too taught! You want it taught, sure, but you can quite literally pitch it to a point where you're stressing the fabric (without a structural ridgeline, there's nothing to stop you from being able to do that) which is where you end up with a "tight spine with floppy sides" (as I like to call it).
My "gradual calibration" technique was what enabled me to find the perfect pitch for it... and now I can set a structural ridgeline in there so that every time I pitch, I just tension up those whoopies as tight as I physically can, knowing that the structural ridgeline won't allow me to overdo it
I have only used borrowed equipment for hammocking before, but I'm hoping santa will bring me one . At first my feet were uncomfortable in the DD hammock, but once I had moved my head farther up the hammock I was fine.
I was interested in the comments about not stringing the hammock tight, but at an angle. I was always told to tighten it as much as possible, and I've slept comfortably that way. What extra stress would a rig be under if hung tight instead of loose?
. At first my feet were uncomfortable in the DD hammock, but once I had moved my head farther up the hammock I was fine.I was interested in the comments about not stringing the hammock tight, but at an angle. I was always told to tighten it as much as possible, and I've slept comfortably that way. What extra stress would a rig be under if hung tight instead of loose?
I have only used borrowed equipment for hammocking before, but I'm hoping santa will bring me one
I was interested in the comments about not stringing the hammock tight, but at an angle. I was always told to tighten it as much as possible, and I've slept comfortably that way. What extra stress would a rig be under if hung tight instead of loose?
Easily tested: tie off one end of the DD hammock, take the other end... hold it open with your hands at the untied end and pull away from the tree as hard as you can. Watch what happens to the fabric running along the length of the hammock right in the middle.... it'll raise up while the fabric around it drops away. This creates the effect I described before. You don't have to release the tension very much at all to resolve it, though
I have only used borrowed equipment for hammocking before, but I'm hoping santa will bring me one
I was interested in the comments about not stringing the hammock tight, but at an angle. I was always told to tighten it as much as possible, and I've slept comfortably that way. What extra stress would a rig be under if hung tight instead of loose?
The stress rises alarmingly, at 30 degrees the force is equal to your bodyweight. At 5 degrees it is multiplied by a factor of 10.
I have snapped 600kg webbing trying to hammock between 2 rocks that were a little to low.
I had problems with a dd frontline, trying to get the pitch right. I found the suppied webbing strecthed way too much to easily judge how taught it should be. Even just using them as tree straps attached to whoopie slings was giving 4 inches of stretch each side. I also found that they marked the trees I attached them to. (Despite wrapping around several times.) When I swapped out the dd webbing for thicker slings, it made it much easier to set up and more comfortable to sleep in.
If you are aiming for the 30 degree hang try doing the "Loser" L sign with your fingers, but with the thumb pointing straight up and the index finger horizontal. The imaginart line between thumbtip and fingertip is about 30 degrees.
I'm not a physicist or engineer, but think the extra stress on your gear is down to, less length of material to spread the load over, and complicated leverage stuff. It's also worse on the tree. The closer the angle is to horizontal, the more stress pulling the tree over. Lower angles put more through the base of the tree.
If you are aiming for the 30 degree hang try doing the "Loser" L sign with your fingers, but with the thumb pointing straight up and the index finger horizontal. The imaginart line between thumbtip and fingertip is about 30 degrees.
I'm not a physicist or engineer, but think the extra stress on your gear is down to, less length of material to spread the load over, and complicated leverage stuff. It's also worse on the tree. The closer the angle is to horizontal, the more stress pulling the tree over. Lower angles put more through the base of the tree.
Are you laying end-to-end or diagonally? Diagonal is the way to go in a hammock. I found I needed to get my upper body more off the centre line and over to one side. If the sides of the hammock are about level by your head, you should be more off centre. When you get it right then one side will be much higher than the other at your head, and it will be the opposite way around at the foot end.
I followed the instructions for my camping hammock and it works fine for me. Only thing I do is raise the foot end up by 6inches. Don't over tighten it or it will for a ridge down the centre and even stress the material.
http://www.ddhammocks.com/tips
the supplied suspension is pretty poor due to the stretch, I pulled all mine to one end and tied a loop of around six inch then used crabs and whoopies.
http://www.ddhammocks.com/tips
the supplied suspension is pretty poor due to the stretch, I pulled all mine to one end and tied a loop of around six inch then used crabs and whoopies.
Right, I just realised I've never attempted to upload a photo before but basically it seems to work if I lye on the diagonal.. I'll just have to get out into the woods and have a good few hours trying different angles and what not.. Thanks again, Lewis
Easily tested: tie off one end of the DD hammock, take the other end... hold it open with your hands at the untied end and pull away from the tree as hard as you can. Watch what happens to the fabric running along the length of the hammock right in the middle.... it'll raise up while the fabric around it drops away. This creates the effect I described before. You don't have to release the tension very much at all to resolve it, though
Thanks. Figure I might as well be armed with some knowledge on the subject for when y own - hopefully - arrives
