Hammock Hanging 101 by Goose

or Don’t Be A Hanging Banana!

By Goose, TrailSpace Moderator
Posted January 25, 2015 (on Trailspace.com)
Reposted June 14, 2015 (on leucht.com)

As I regularly encounter folks who don’t know the optimal way to lie in a hammock, I thought I would start with a bit of tutorial. Most new hangers climb into a hammock and hang folded like a banana. They put their head at one end and their feet at the other, lying in a straight line. This is how I started sleeping in a hammock, and I complained about my sore back.

The right way to sleep in a hammock is at a diagonal slant to the hammock. This lay flattens the hammock out, making for a comfortable night’s rest. Hammock hangers call this the “Sweet Spot.” During winter hiking, I have spent as much as 12 hours lying in a hammock (sleeping, reading, etc.) without any of the discomfort I find in lying in my bed too long.

Here’s an illustration for you visual folks:

Some folk attempt to get a flatter lay by tightening the hammock so it is already hanging flat. However, this puts too much sheer force on the hammock, lines, and trees. I have read several accounts of folks ripping out an overly-tight hammock. Derek Hansen has a terrific tool to help you figure out the right angle for hanging your hammock over at his website:

http://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator

Goose