Florian

Roy, thanks for your question. You’ve discovered something that I’ve been trying to calculate for some time: the ideal hammock proportions based on occupant size and lay angle. I’m the first to admit I’m no mathematician, but it’s hard to find one who’s as passionate (crazy) as I am about the ideal hammock 🙂 The point is, most hammocks are simply too wide. Manufacturers think it’s great to have a wide hammock, and there are moments when that is ideal: such as laying back transversal in lounger mode. But when you want to lay down, that extra fabric is a nuisance. If the fabric’s width is greater or equal to half it’s length, you’ll have floppy sides. There’s not much you can do to fix that, even with a “perfect” hang. One hack is to put some elastic ribbon in the hem of the fabric to take up the slack. This “Knotty Mod” is a popular solution and can be done to any hammock with a little effort.

If your hammock is especially wide, like the Bear Butt Hammock, you could almost fold it in half (reduce the width to about 4.5 feet) and then try hanging in it. Use a 30° hang angle. Make sure you place your torso on the overlapped area and your feet on the extra.

Let me know what you think!

There are several options. I most often just clip my backpack to the end of my hammock. It stays dry under the tarp and is above the ground. It also keeps it accessible when I’m standing. Some folks use mini gear hammocks and sling them next to the main hammock. Some hammocks have voluminous storage inside the hammock, like Warbonnet and Clark Jungle Hammock.