Amateur Going Wild

[GrizzlyAdams]

What if the hammock is too loose? Can I use this knot to tighten it or do I have to retie a knot and hope for the best?

You have to retie the HH wrap, which is a bit of a pain.

Here's one thing you can do that will accelerate your setup. Get thee to a Lowes or Home Depot and buy a couple of metal rings, diameter 1.5 or 2 inches, with weight ratings in the multiple hundred pounds. (It is better to get descending rings, or lightweight climbing carabiners, but time is short here. Or maybe you have weight rated carabiners already...

What you're going to do with these is place them on the suspension rope as an anchor for tying off the suspension cord. Remarkably, all you need to do is wrap the suspension line around the device about 3 times. When the rope is under tension it stays put, and when the rope is not it is easy to loosen the wraps and move the device to where it is needed.

To hang the hammock thread the cord through the tree hugger loops just as you would to begin the HH wrap, but instead of wrapping bring the working end of the cord down to the ring/carabiner, thread the cord through it one more time, and then fasten off. An easy knot to tie and untie there is to put in a slippery half hitch (sllippery===the last step push in a bight rather than the end of the cord, and then through the loop of that bight push in another bight, and tighten up. That will hold, and a good yank on the free end will take it all apart. Or use a full-turn with two half hitches, the last one being slippery.

I made a couple of videos on using cord suspension, the business about the ring on the rope is on this one, around 1.15.

Grizz

[GrizzlyAdams]

Okay...I was without a computer last night so sorry for late replies.

I tried the HH below my deck last night. I don't have trees, but hope to find a couple in a friend'd yard today or tomorrow for a better more true set up. I did manage to take a good hour nap in it yesterday with a howling wind. Certainly can feel the chill as I had no covers. My knees hurt from being locked. Gotta get used to it.

People often find it more comfortable to put a small pillow or stuff sack with spare clothing under their knees. That's more to buffer from the suspension ridge down the center of the hammock, but maybe that's what you're talking about. I can curl on my side in my HH...maybe that would help?

My normal hammock sleeps two. So now my new questions:

1. The knot. If I use the Hennesy knot, will it allow me to add more tension as needed? I found myself having to retie twice.

answered in a post made before I saw this question...

2. The tree strap slips. If I us one loop on the strap to tie the rope to intead of the recommended two, how long will it last? Seems like a lot on one loop.

It does double the stress but you may be OK. For small enough trees/deck posts you can try wrapping the hugger around twice before threading in the cord.

3. When not it the hammock, how good is the velcro? Do you find bugs in the hammock when you turn in for the night?

Velcro is fine but you might try to close it up when you're not in the hammock.

4. In regards to a ccf pad, can I just pick up a cheap blue one from wal-mart? Does this really reflect the heat like an emergency blanket would?

Two different things going on there. Yes you can pick up a blue Walmart pad....probably you'll want two. The second one to cut, orient 90 degrees, and place at the top of the other (use duct tape!) to give you more coverage at your shoulders. 20" is pretty narrow in a hammock.

Some folks use the insulated foil-like windshield protectors, they are strong enough to lay on directly. An emergency blanket would just crumple.

I can see getting into a bag, while keeping the pad under you, while getting into the hammock would make for a great blooper video. Looks hard.

Is hard. Can be done with practice.

5. The rainfly is kinda small. I will consider an alternative or just use my tent when expecting rain.

If you are easy walking distance from a car, there are lots of easy cheap heavy alternatives. You could just make a DIY tarp from a polyurethane sheet, using cord to tie at the cords. Or one of the sheets that have grommets. A good tarp is a thing of joy, if this hammocking thing works out for you that would be a good investment.

6. I guess I could just hang my 20lb bag from the line holding the hammock up?

Huh?

Grizz

[Ramblinrev]

First... you don't need the hammock strung tight. Everything is going to stretch the first coupld of days. The most typical mistake first time HH users is the try to crank the thing too tight. Don't do it. You want the ridgeline taut but not tight. If you sag too much then you need to raise the tie off points higher off the ground. Usually I hang the tie offs just above head height.

The lashing is, IMO the poorest part of the suspension and I swapped it out for a ring buckle system. However it is light and serviceable once you get used to it. Wrap the huggers around the tree/post a full turn. The the ends don't come back around well the rope will bridge the gap and tighten up nicely.

The tarp _is_ small but remarkably effective. Learn to put it up close and tight to the hammock and it will keep you dry. I have a larger tarp but I am not a gram weenie.

Open the sleeping bag up and use it as a quilt. Saves a lot of gymnastics. The Super Shelter is an excellent HH system for under insulation. _For the price_ it is the best option IMO. Certainly not the only option but a very good buy.

Edit.. make sure you lie on a hard diagonal that will help the knees as will introducing more sag into the system.

[Wendigo]

Ok, after all this don't you dare come back without pics or video....just kidding guy, have fun and always close that velcro when you get out.