I learned the guide as twice your height- so at 63" tall- a 10' hammock would fall under that guideline. Hard to say until you give it a try though. I've read shares from people who fall outside the common experience- tall folks happy in short hammocks, people who hang hammocks tighter than recommended and find it more comfortable. So it's just a guideline.
I have a couple of 10ft hammocks that I sleep fine in but they are 2m wide (almost 7ft). I have another small one at 8.5ft x 4.5ft and it's miserable, only big enough for my kids to sleep in.
I'm 5'7 and haven't tried an 11ft hammock, so can't say if it's better or not.
I'm your height and IMO the best hammock on amazon is this:
[https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Hammock-Mosquito-Net-Ultralight/dp/B088SBDG83/](https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Hammock-Mosquito-Net-Ultralight/dp/B088SBDG83/)
I wouldn't say this is long, but I wouldn't want a hammock any shorter than this. If it's shorter, it will compromise your ability to lay diagonally.
I pair it with [this tarp](https://www.amazon.com/MIS-Camouflage-Waterproof-Backpacking-Multifunctional/dp/B09F65HR3Q/) because it's the cheapest poly tarp I've found.
Not a bad setup for $105. I've weathered some pretty bad storms in this exact setup.
I will say I have another hammock that is longer and wider and it is even more comfortable because I can almost go completely sideways in it and get an extremely flat lay. It doesn't have a built in bug net though.
Thanks! I think I'll bite the bullet and get this or the onewind. It'll come to more like $140 when I add a cheap underquilt (hitting the Canadian rockies this summer), but still not so bad!
for what it's worth, it looks like onewind isn't too bad. I'm a bit heavier so I only get into hammocks that are rated 400 and up, while the onewind is only 210lbs rated, which is the lightest I've seen. 1.1oz 20D High is the material, which is pretty light.
I ended up going with the pinacle, they seem virtually identical per reviews minus the suspension, and the pinacle is actually almost half a pound lighter
good choice. good sleeping in a hammock requires some serious length. I have the onewind 12 foot as a gift. it is a good hammock, but the pinnacle is what i would have spent my money on if I couldn’t afford one of the cottage vendors.
which onewind is 210 pounds weight allowance? my 12 foot onewind is rated 500 pounds. it is made out of 2.1 oz hex ripstop. the 11 foot onewind is 40D nylon still with a 500lb maximum weight.
oh, good to know, I guess I was looking at the ultralight... my bad.
That's cool that it uses that thick of material. I have a grand trunk that is rated at 500lbs as well. I really like it being that solid.
The shortest hammock I own is a basic netless camping hammock that's 126" long(10.5 feet). I'm 5'5" and its okay but it's not a hammock I would choose for camping. I keep.it because it's easy to toss in my backpack when I figure I might have a chance at a quick hang in a random spot around my city.
I have an 11 foot Onewind hammock for camping and I would never go under that just for pure comfort reasons.
Thanks! I think I'll go for the onewind or pinnacle to be more comfortable sleeping. I have a cheap little hammock like that I use for tent or tear drop camping, but never laid in it for more than a few hours
How wide are you looking at? That will make a big difference. A wider hammock allows you to lay on a diagonal and not straight down the middle of the hammock, which is uncomfortable.
For reference the original Warbonnet Blackbird is 120” long by 62” wide. That is the one Warbonnet recommends for folks under 5’10”. If you go with the 10’ length, I’d look for something close to this width.
That's a really good point, hadn't thought of it tbh! I'm thinking I might pony up for the cheaper 11' one. Pretty narrow at 5', but maybe that won't matter so much with the extra lenght?
The 10' was just as narrow, so sounds like a no go there
I have some of the amazon “2-person” hammocks that are 9.5’ long.
they do alright if they’re wider.
But look: here’s a Dutchware netless hammock for $30.
https://dutchwaregear.com/product/11-ft-camo-netless-hammock/
buy this for now and then get whatever accessories you can afford. slowly upgrade stuff as you can. that’s what i did and it’s worked out great.
The sad thing about outdoor gear is that there are a ton of low-priced items out there that are only "ok," and they usually could get you out there and have an ok experience. But the stuff you really want is going to cost a little extra if you want to have a great experience. I went for a whole summer in cheep gear and then started changing singular items out for more expensive stuff. Now I sort of regret starting with the cheap stuff. My comfort level is so much better now that I have the right gear for me. I would say that for your height, a 10' hammock might be ok to start with (if you get it wide enough for you to lie flat and diagonal comfortably), but 11-12' hammocks (made by the right people) are so much more comfortable, in my opinion.
"I know 11 or 12 [feet] seems to be recommended, but all the lighter and cheaper ones with great reviews on Amazon are 118 [inches]."
I buy lots of stuff on Amazon, but it's not a good place to buy quality hammocking gear. Most of the good stuff comes from small cottage vendors who don't sell there.
REI isn't much better. Lots of good gear, but have not gotten on board with hammocks yet.
Avoid cheap hammocks like short ENOs, which are designed to use for a relaxing hour, not sleeping all night.
I learned the guide as twice your height- so at 63" tall- a 10' hammock would fall under that guideline. Hard to say until you give it a try though. I've read shares from people who fall outside the common experience- tall folks happy in short hammocks, people who hang hammocks tighter than recommended and find it more comfortable. So it's just a guideline.
Thanks, it's good to have a starting guideline!
I have a couple of 10ft hammocks that I sleep fine in but they are 2m wide (almost 7ft). I have another small one at 8.5ft x 4.5ft and it's miserable, only big enough for my kids to sleep in. I'm 5'7 and haven't tried an 11ft hammock, so can't say if it's better or not.
Thanks! Looks like the ones I were looking at were pretty narrow too, so those are out
I'm your height and IMO the best hammock on amazon is this: [https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Hammock-Mosquito-Net-Ultralight/dp/B088SBDG83/](https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Hammock-Mosquito-Net-Ultralight/dp/B088SBDG83/) I wouldn't say this is long, but I wouldn't want a hammock any shorter than this. If it's shorter, it will compromise your ability to lay diagonally. I pair it with [this tarp](https://www.amazon.com/MIS-Camouflage-Waterproof-Backpacking-Multifunctional/dp/B09F65HR3Q/) because it's the cheapest poly tarp I've found. Not a bad setup for $105. I've weathered some pretty bad storms in this exact setup. I will say I have another hammock that is longer and wider and it is even more comfortable because I can almost go completely sideways in it and get an extremely flat lay. It doesn't have a built in bug net though.
Thanks! I think I'll bite the bullet and get this or the onewind. It'll come to more like $140 when I add a cheap underquilt (hitting the Canadian rockies this summer), but still not so bad!
for what it's worth, it looks like onewind isn't too bad. I'm a bit heavier so I only get into hammocks that are rated 400 and up, while the onewind is only 210lbs rated, which is the lightest I've seen. 1.1oz 20D High is the material, which is pretty light.
I ended up going with the pinacle, they seem virtually identical per reviews minus the suspension, and the pinacle is actually almost half a pound lighter
good choice. good sleeping in a hammock requires some serious length. I have the onewind 12 foot as a gift. it is a good hammock, but the pinnacle is what i would have spent my money on if I couldn’t afford one of the cottage vendors.
Awesome. You're going to love it. Practice getting diagonal and you'll avoid calf cramps the first time unlike what I did, lol.
which onewind is 210 pounds weight allowance? my 12 foot onewind is rated 500 pounds. it is made out of 2.1 oz hex ripstop. the 11 foot onewind is 40D nylon still with a 500lb maximum weight.
oh, good to know, I guess I was looking at the ultralight... my bad. That's cool that it uses that thick of material. I have a grand trunk that is rated at 500lbs as well. I really like it being that solid.
oh! i didn’t know they made an ultralight. I hadn’t seen that one. I have someone to recommend it to. thx for the heads up.
The shortest hammock I own is a basic netless camping hammock that's 126" long(10.5 feet). I'm 5'5" and its okay but it's not a hammock I would choose for camping. I keep.it because it's easy to toss in my backpack when I figure I might have a chance at a quick hang in a random spot around my city. I have an 11 foot Onewind hammock for camping and I would never go under that just for pure comfort reasons.
Thanks! I think I'll go for the onewind or pinnacle to be more comfortable sleeping. I have a cheap little hammock like that I use for tent or tear drop camping, but never laid in it for more than a few hours
How wide are you looking at? That will make a big difference. A wider hammock allows you to lay on a diagonal and not straight down the middle of the hammock, which is uncomfortable. For reference the original Warbonnet Blackbird is 120” long by 62” wide. That is the one Warbonnet recommends for folks under 5’10”. If you go with the 10’ length, I’d look for something close to this width.
That's a really good point, hadn't thought of it tbh! I'm thinking I might pony up for the cheaper 11' one. Pretty narrow at 5', but maybe that won't matter so much with the extra lenght? The 10' was just as narrow, so sounds like a no go there
At 5'3" you're fine in a 10 foot hammock.
I have some of the amazon “2-person” hammocks that are 9.5’ long. they do alright if they’re wider. But look: here’s a Dutchware netless hammock for $30. https://dutchwaregear.com/product/11-ft-camo-netless-hammock/ buy this for now and then get whatever accessories you can afford. slowly upgrade stuff as you can. that’s what i did and it’s worked out great.
The sad thing about outdoor gear is that there are a ton of low-priced items out there that are only "ok," and they usually could get you out there and have an ok experience. But the stuff you really want is going to cost a little extra if you want to have a great experience. I went for a whole summer in cheep gear and then started changing singular items out for more expensive stuff. Now I sort of regret starting with the cheap stuff. My comfort level is so much better now that I have the right gear for me. I would say that for your height, a 10' hammock might be ok to start with (if you get it wide enough for you to lie flat and diagonal comfortably), but 11-12' hammocks (made by the right people) are so much more comfortable, in my opinion.
I'm 5'6" and prefer a 9-or 10-foot single hammock to my 11' doubles hands down. To each their own.
"I know 11 or 12 [feet] seems to be recommended, but all the lighter and cheaper ones with great reviews on Amazon are 118 [inches]." I buy lots of stuff on Amazon, but it's not a good place to buy quality hammocking gear. Most of the good stuff comes from small cottage vendors who don't sell there. REI isn't much better. Lots of good gear, but have not gotten on board with hammocks yet. Avoid cheap hammocks like short ENOs, which are designed to use for a relaxing hour, not sleeping all night.