Will an amsteel bury slip more when wet/cold/icy?

**DanglingModifier** · 11-03-2014, 18:25

I tested some new UCR-style Zing-it tarp guy lines while camping on Halloween. Two of the four underperformed in some heavy rain, by which I mean the bury slipped so much during the night it left the tarp on the floppy side despite shock cord tensioners being present. I'm uncertain if the rain was a contributor to the problem, or if I just didn't make long enough buries in my lines for either wet or dry conditions. When they are dry and I tug on them they hold, but they haven't been under constant tension overnight in dry conditions. The rainy night was their first field test.

Is an amsteel bury known to slip more when wet, or for that matter, when cold/wet/icy?

**Just Bill** · 11-03-2014, 19:04

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...R-rain-trouble

Consensus was it shouldn't slip on dynaglide or Amsteel.
So far my UCR hasn't slipped again- I think it needed to wear a bit.

**Firesong** · 11-03-2014, 19:04

This is the second slipping ucr topic in the last 2 weeks re: rain. Do you use an oring or something to secure the top?

**DanglingModifier** · 11-03-2014, 19:30

Firesong, I'm not exactly sure where you'd be expecting an o-ring or how it would relate to slipping of the bury.

Maybe UCR isn't the exact right term to use. The guy line has a locked brummel on either end. One side gets a larkshead to the tarp D-ring. The other side goes around the stake. Between the brummels are both an adjustable 3.5" bury on one end, and a self-tensioning section with shock cord on the other. The ones made with 4.5" buries held fine during the night/rain. An obvious solution would be to make longer buries for the two which slipped, but it'd be good to know if wet or cold are expected to play a role in slippage. If so, what holds up when tested at home may not hold up on the trail.

See enclosed photo for what each end of the guy line looks like.

IMG_3050.jpg

It works like gangbusters when it isn't slipping. I like not having to rely on hardware for tensioning, and so far no tangling problems.

**DanglingModifier** · 11-03-2014, 19:50

Originally Posted by DanglingModifier

Is an amsteel bury known to slip more when wet, or for that matter, when cold/wet/icy?

I just tested my theory.

With dry guy line I locked the bury, put fingers through each brummel and tugged. My fingers were on the verge of being cut before I released. The bury held. My finger meat was going to go first.
With the bury still locked I ran cool water over the bury from the sink for a few seconds. Sore fingers went in brummels again and tugged moderately hard (but not hard enough for fingers to hurt). Bury slipped.

Conclusion: A wet bury will definitely slip faster than a dry bury. Ergo a longer bury is necessary for wet conditions than for dry conditions.

Bill, If you want to confirm for yourself make a 3.5" bury in 1.75mm amsteel. That is just around enough bury to hold so-so against a tug when set, but not great. It didn't hold at all against a tug when wet. The ones I made with a 4.25" bury held wet or dry against my tug. That's a lot safer than experimenting with your suspension and your body weight.

**Thumbs** · 11-03-2014, 19:54

I don't think that is a proper way to do a whoopie type bury. There is no tension on the free end of the outer part of the bury to keep it cinched.
It can just relax (what the rain is helping it do) and slip.
On a whoopie the end of the outer part of the bury is under tension keeping it from slipping.
What I mean is there should be tension on both ends of the outer part (sheath) of the bury to keep it cinched around the inner adjustable part.

**DanglingModifier** · 11-03-2014, 19:55

They just went in the freezer for a while to see if that changes how well they hold.

**DanglingModifier** · 11-03-2014, 20:05

Originally Posted by Thumbs

I don't think that is a proper way to do a whoopie type bury. There is no tension on the free end of the outer part of the bury to keep it cinched.
It can just relax (what the rain is helping it do) and slip.
On a whoopie the end of the outer part of the bury is under tension keeping it from slipping.
What I mean is there should be tension on both ends of the outer part (sheath) of the bury to keep it cinched around the inner adjustable part.

That makes sense, and likely is a contributor to why the buries I made are slipping. They do need to be milked locked more than a whoopie bury. It hadn't sunk in why. That said, more bury is holding much better than less bury in this scenario, dry holds better than wet, and they make great guy lines. If an extra inch or two of bury keeps them solidly locked overnight, they will still beat a whoopie for weight and they are definitely less tangle prone. Worst case in a slip is a loose tarp, not a fall. I'm going to keep experimenting with them after retrofitting the two with shorter buries.

With that in mind it does seem premature to conclude that wet=more slip for any type of bury. Perhaps it's only for my style of bury with these guy lines.

**Thumbs** · 11-03-2014, 20:12

Wet won't hurt a properly made whoopie much if any. If it freezes wet you may have it locked or very slippery.
Try one with the adjustable stake end as a longer loop made like a whoopie and I bet it won't slip on you.

anatomy-of-a-whoopie-sling.jpg

**Floridahanger** · 11-03-2014, 20:15

It looks very neat and tidy, and I like the way you made the tensioner. May need to "borrow" that.

That said, I think this is an area most will overthink and overcomplicate things.

A simple hookup for the guyline is usually the best method sometimes. K.I.S.S.

You can attach a prussic to the D ring and connect your guyline that way. Also, it won't slip in rain or cold.

With Zing-it, make a small continuous loop to keep it tidy. 3" loop should be enough.

I use braided mason's line with a fishermans knot for the prussic loop and guy lines. No slipping for 3+ years now.