What comes to our mind when we hear the word “Camping”? Some of us remember those camper- vans while others think of traditional tent camping. Many over look the idea of hammock camping. I know that some people may think that hammocks are not comfortable and they will fall down easily resulting in back pain. But, this is not the case. The hammocks that are available these days have tight pitch and high centre of gravity that increases the risk of overturning. But if, we pitch our hammock in the right manner, it is safe to use.

Usually, the hammocks are designed with a tight and secured weave, deep sag and assembled ends. They come in original Brazilian and Mayan forms of South America.

We can get a perfect hammock hang by following the below tips.

  1. Use the flat webbing straps

We should use flat webbing straps up to 1-1.5 inches that are made up of polyester or polypropylene. As these fabrics don’t stretch too much, they remain in their place. These straps help in distributing the weight equally and help in reducing the damage to the trees or anchor.

  1. Suspend the hammock at the angle of 30°

In order, to get deep sag, we should always suspend our hammock at the angle of 30° between the trees or anchor points. If we suspend it too tight, there is risk of falling down because the hammock and the suspension lines get lots of pressure on them.

  1. Perfect deep sag

We can comfortably sleep in the hammocks in a straight direction as well as diagonally by having great deep sag.  A perfect sag looks like our smile with high ends and low centre. Its high fabric walls and low gravity at the centre ensure that we’ll not fall out while sleeping.

  1. Lying diagonally

Many of us, who use the hammock for the first time, try to lay straight with the hammock. This needs lot of effort and in search of fabric pocket, our feet slide on either side of the hammock.  If we lay on diagonally, the hammock will handle all the pressure naturally giving us comfort.

  1. Underneath Insulation

Hammocks are very useful for camping in hot areas. But, at that time of the day when the temperature starts falling to 70°F or 21°C, a sleeping pad can help us a lot by keeping us warm and giving us a good night’s sleep. These days various types of underneath quilts are also available. During summer nights, a thin and light blanket will do the job.

  1. Keep the bugs away

We should prepare in advance if we are planning to sleep outside. The bugs like mosquitos, biting flies, moths, etc. can disturb us while sleeping. So, a mosquito net can keep us protected from them. Although, some hammocks come with built-in netting, but it is always better to have one.

  1. Stay Protected from rain

When it comes to sleeping outdoors, we should look at all the possibilities as nature is unpredictable. In case, the weather turns rainy, we can protect ourselves with the help of 8×10 tarp. We can choose from various styles of tarps that are available such as an “A ”shaped  tarp, diamond shaped tarp, or a fully- enclosed tarp with doors opened at the ends.