How to hang a HH???

:confused:

So, I just received my HH EXP Deluxe Asym Zip today. I want to hang this sucker to test it out. I have read tons of posts but I am still confused.

So, do I hang the hammock at a 30 degree angle without any weight in it or do I hang it tight. I ask as I have watched videos on line and everyone seems to hang the Hennesy's at head height and about straight across between the trees and then they get in it. I have seen the warbonnet video and he says to hang at a 30 degree angle.

Which is right. Does weight matter. I weigh 240 and am 5'9". Any help would be appreciated. Thanks everyone.

Don't get too wrapped around the axle about the hang angle for now. You'll get it figured out with a little practice. For my Explorer UL I normally find two trees about 14' apart (5 paces or so) and put the tree straps about as high as I can reach. This seems to come out about right.

If you pull the hammock tight between two trees then hop in it will put a ton of pressure on the ridgeline. The lay should be exactly the same (that's what the ridgeline does) but it puts a lot of stress on everything for no reason.

One of the leaders in the scout troop does exactly what you described. He's about 250 and pulls his hammock banjo string tight but only hangs it about head high on the trees. I don't know how he hasn't snapped the ridgeline yet.

I used to pull mine good and tight, I guess I thought that was needed to stay high enough off the ground. But I think it say on the HH stuff sack something like " pull moderately tight". That is about all there is to it, not complicated. Once your ridgeline is straight, that is probably about right. If you get in and the RL is guitar string tight, you probably need to loosen it just a bit.

If I get in and the Ridgeline is nice and straight and keeping the net well away from my face- but NOT guitar string tight- that is probably about right. A little tighter or looser is probably OK also. The straight RL sets the correct hang angle.

As zukiguy said, too tight puts a lot of extra stress on suspension and trees. And back in my tighter is better days, I discovered that it was actually posible to stretch the RL when using a Hitchcraft device and probably with cinch buckles and rings. Tight enough to cause an obvious decrease in comfort. And some folks have snapped RLs by getting too aggressive.

While playing and experimenting, you could also start in reverse. Start out with a bit of sag in the RL. Get in and see if it is then straight and the net well controlled. If there is still some sag, get out and tighten up a little more until the line is nice and straight as you lay down but you can still easily move it with your fingers, and it seems comfy. Then after you do this a few times, you will know the feel of exactly how tight to pull the suspension when you set up. But the suspension tension does not have to be real precise. As long as you don't get gung ho and really put your weight/muscle into it! ;) Though there are probably folks who still like to go that route.

I was surprised to see how it was actually easier to stay high enough off the ground by hanging more loose and with the huggers higher on the trees.

What works for us is to put the tree straps at about head high. String the hammock tightening until the ridgeline is just starting to get firm...adle to twist about 100° with just the tips of thumb and forefinger. The suspension line should be at or close to 30°, check by extending forefinger and thumb like a gun. Suspension wil touch tip of finger and tip of thumb...this is close to 30°.

Raise tree straps to desired height, feet higher. When in hammock the ridgeline will be firm but still able to be twisted several degrees.

This is the way we hang our HH and our WBBB.

I tried hanging my HH nice and tight when I first got it and the line snapped. I was left with about 2 feet of frayed line so the HH went into storage. So I just went and bought a cheap Vietnamese made hammock and put a carabiner in each end and used a few yards of climbing tape. I have been researching the use of whoopie slings and seen on youtube how folk are fitting them to HH so I will try that. My advice is have a fair bit of slack on the HH when hanging it, just put it higher up the trees to account for your weight. The cheap hammock is a quick setup for when I am on training exercises in the army as it weighs 2/5 of 3/8 of bugger all! And when we are setup on a hillside I stay put while my mates are sleeping on rocks. Hey! anyone can do it hard in the weeds but not this old soldier!

Jason hit the nail on the head. Do it just like that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jayson

What works for us is to put the tree straps at about head high. String the hammock tightening until the ridgeline is just starting to get firm...adle to twist about 100° with just the tips of thumb and forefinger. The suspension line should be at or close to 30°, check by extending forefinger and thumb like a gun. Suspension wil touch tip of finger and tip of thumb...this is close to 30°.

Raise tree straps to desired height, feet higher. When in hammock the ridgeline will be firm but still able to be twisted several degrees.

This is the way we hang our HH and our WBBB.

---

The tip about checking the angle with your fingers is great thanks:D

The instructions are wrong on the Hennessey, and they don't really get into proper tension. The Warbonnet video is perfect. When my Explorer is set how I like it, the ridgeline is quite loose until you get in. Hennessy shows it strung like some kind of logging haul-back cable, and that is too tight. lol