sleeping position?

[sdoownek]

I'm not trying to start a tarp vs hammock war or anything, but really.....do you really sleep in one position all night? I sleep on my stomach, so every hammock I've been in has been pretty uncomfortable for more than a couple of hours......

[jlb2012]

At first I was trying to sleep on my side but after a while I have adjusted to sleeping on my back in the hammock - it really is the most comfortable position for me in the hammock. I usually stay in this position most of the night with limited shifting so as to keep my pad under me.

[attroll]

I am a stomack and side sleeper. I was worried about that when I bought my HH. But I found that I adjusted very well to sleeping on my back in it. I do switch from sleeping on my back to my side in my HH real easy. I have no problems sleeping on my side in the HH. It is hard to explain it until you have tried it.

[brian]

Its a bit awkward, but sitting up to change a shirt or reach for something isnt hard. A great stomach excersise would be to hold it for 30 secs!

Brian
Future Thru Hiker 2013

[ganj]

I sleep great in a hammock but have the tendency to sleep on my back or side. It is a challenge to change or get into your sleeping bag inside it. But it is great. Hoping that I can use it on the PCT next year but we will see.

[SGT Rock]

If you get the expedition model you can sit up, at least I could at 5' 8". I also found a way to keep some of my gear in the hammock with me by handing it with a D ring behind my head. That model is a little over 2 ponds though.

I side sleep and back sleep in the hammock even though I normally sleep on my stomach in a bed. After a few nights I almost totally convert to back sleeping in a hammock.

[deeddawg]

Just chiming in -- I'm normally a back or side sleeper at home, and generally sleep on my back or side in the Hennessy. Haven't had any real issues with getting into or out of the sleeping bag; it definitely helps to have a left-side 3/4 zip bag. Another technique to ease the bag stuff is to unzip the bag all the way, stuff your feet in the footbox and lay the remainder of the bag over you like a quilt.

The biggest problem I've had with the HH is I'm so cozy in the morning I don't want to get up!

[Kerosene]

I'm a devoted side sleeper, but I found it extremely comfortable to sleep on my back in my Henessey. I rarely turned throughout the night, probably due to the lack of pressure points.

[Lumberjack]

useing a blanket in the hammock really cuts down on the wrestling matches. I normally am a side sleeper but in the hennessy I tend to sleep on my back

[Youngblood]

I'm 6' and have a long torso. I have a neck injury so I can't bend it forward very well, which is why I was asking if you can sit up in one. Is the limit determined by the bug netting? I wonder if they'll sew a little more into it if you ask them to give you some more headroom?

I'm a stomach sleeper but I'm hoping thruhiking with a hammock will break me of that habit!

Hennessy makes fine hammocks but there are other fine hammocks that work well for backpacking. Sometimes the differences in these hammocks are like the old saying "six of one or half a dozen of the other". With your neck injury you may see this differently than those of us that do not have that concern. As is often the case, the Hennessy's greatest strength is also its biggest weakness. It has a bottom entry, a sewn-in bug net and a smallish diamond shaped tarp. It jungle envirnoments where there are not many large openings and it is warm with insects galore; I don't think you could beat the Hennessy Hammocks. It fits in a small area with very few attachments to tie out and the bottom entry with sewn-in bug netting is ideal for keeping insects out.

However, if you take it into the mountains of the Appalachian Trail it may not be the ideal shelter. Here bugs are not always a problem and you are not always in a warm, buggy envirnoment-- you may be more concerned about getting cold. You may also want more rain/wind protection with a bigger tarp. There are other fine hammocks that handle this differently and Hennessy's are the only ones with the bottom entry. The bottom entry/sew-in bug netting, which is so neat in hot/buggy envirnoments, starts to look like a liability in cooler envirnoments where you need insulation underneath you. This is where it starts being somewhat of a wrestling match, entering and exiting through the bottom entry when you need a sleeping bag and sleeping pad for warmth. Hammocks with a more traditional side entry are easier to enter/exit when you have to deal with insulation. Larger, rectangular shaped tarps give you more room to move about, change clothes, cook or whatever while offering protection from the rain. The other backpacking hammocks that you might want to look at are the Clark Hammocks, the Speer Hammocks and the Crazy Creek hammocks. Ed Speer wrote a book on hammock camping that talks about using backpacking hammocks, how to make his version and how the different backpacking hammocks compare.

Youngblood

[JackW]

I bought a Clark Jungle Hammock after reading Ed Speer's review of it and have enjoyed it a lot. The six pockets (Deluxe Model) and the oversized Fly are features worth considering.

At The Gathering of ALDHA in Hanover, NH I med Ed and saw his Hammock with Peapod. I also saw the Hennessy exhibit. While I am very happy with my Clark Jungle Hammock I think that Ed Speer's set up is worth looking into. I like the insulation that the Pea Pod offers. There are solutions for every hammock setup so experimenting will be part of the fun this Fall.