toggles

[RTR]

Dutch= It is ok to use sticks for toggles but you need to use little huggers on them. And the little huggers weigh more then a toggle so you might as well just carry the toggle.

Actually I like the idea of selfcontained suspension. Although i am probably going to wind up with trail sticks.

Ok - what you mean is that you just don't want to have to rely on anything other than what you carry.

Reasonable and highly desirable.

+1 to both
Exactly why I carry the Toggles...if one breaks I can always find a stick.

[TeeDee]

I would hate to hit the deck in the middle of the night due to the failure of a scrounged part.

I once worked with an engineer who designed control panels. On every project, when we were on the way to acceptance testing by the fabricator, he would discover that he left out some push button or toggle switch. he would then to go Radio Shack and buy the device he needed. Nearly every client ended up with one part from Radio Shack. We crossed our fingers and prayed that we would never hear about some Bhopal type incident resulting from that unique feature.

You wouldn't hit the deck because of the scrounged stick toggles if you are using the marlin spike in the webbing correctly.

The webbing of the tree hugger holds the forces of the hammock not the stick. The only forces on the stick are the compression forces of the marlin spike.

If you look closely at Grizz's video, you will note that the hammock suspension should never touch the stick, only the webbing.

[MacEntyre]

Gotcha! I understand!

[Dutch]

TeeDee I am not yet very experienced with this so take that under concideration. I totally see what you mean with the force being applied to the webbign an not the toggle with the spike hitch. However I would think with the whoopie sling there would be somewhat more on the toggle b/c it isn't cinched down like the MSH. It is still compression but it is applied by the webbing in the center and the sling on the outside or vice versa. If not then the tinyist twig could work. Although I know the twig is an extreme example, but by my logic, the whoppie sling applies more force on the toggle then the MSH. Would be interestedin your opinion b/c you have been doing this much longer. Actually I ahve never really used either in a hiking situatin yet. I got to get out more.

[TeeDee]

TeeDee I am not yet very experienced with this so take that under concideration. I totally see what you mean with the force being applied to the webbign an not the toggle with the spike hitch. However I would think with the whoopie sling there would be somewhat more on the toggle b/c it isn't cinched down like the MSH. It is still compression but it is applied by the webbing in the center and the sling on the outside or vice versa. If not then the tinyist twig could work. Although I know the twig is an extreme example, but by my logic, the whoppie sling applies more force on the toggle then the MSH. Would be interestedin your opinion b/c you have been doing this much longer. Actually I ahve never really used either in a hiking situatin yet. I got to get out more.

Don't really know what MSH means.

I have used the marlin spike with both my SLS using a bowline and my MSLS using a Whoopie Sling. Both work the same as far as the marlin spike is concerned and in neither suspension does the suspension rope touch the toggle/stick in the marlin spike.

Also, the suspension rope doesn't need to be cinched down on the marlin spike, just looped around the marlin spike. The marlin spike ends up as a big "knot" of webbing either above or below the suspension rope. The real purpose of the marlin spike is provide that big "knot" of webbing that won't slip through the suspension rope loop. Think of it as something of a "monkey fist" knob in the webbing that holds the suspension rope loop.

You are not hanging off the toggle/stick in the marlin spike when the marlin spike is used correctly.

But for the rest of your question: The tiniest stick will work. I typically use a stick about the thickness of my little finger or less, i.e., about 1/2" or less. Lots of times a lot less. I have used sticks down to about 1/8" diameter and had no problem and with no visual indication that the stick was bent or stressed.

I have used those 1/8" TI shepards hook stakes also. So I guess if you want a multi-purpose toggle, you could just use a stake.

[angrysparrow]

Don't really know what MSH means.

Presumably MSH = Marlin Spike Hitch ?

[TeeDee]

Presumably MSH = Marlin Spike Hitch ?

Sounds reasonable, but then I read this:

...........However I would think with the whoopie sling there would be somewhat more on the toggle b/c it isn't cinched down like the MSH. .....

Which makes me think that I don't know again. If Dutch had wrote "on" instead of "like" then ... ????

[Dutch]

Sounds reasonable, but then I read this:



Which makes me think that I don't know again. If Dutch had wrote "on" instead of "like" then ... ????

Just when I think I'm going to be coining a new abreviation. I get foiled by my bad grammer.

[domromer]

Just a quick question on Marlin spikes. From watching the suspension video it looks like the toggle just spreads the webbing so it can absorb the load from the line that attached to the hammock. Am I right in thinking that the toggle is not really a load bearing part of the suspension and a dinky 1" stick will work fine to support my 280LBS?

[Hooch]

Just a quick question on Marlin spikes. From watching the suspension video it looks like the toggle just spreads the webbing so it can absorb the load from the line that attached to the hammock. Am I right in thinking that the toggle is not really a load bearing part of the suspension and a dinky 1" stick will work fine to support my 280LBS?