Just one more thought to add...cordage looses strength in the turns (knots, hitches), the tighter the turn, the greater the loss, and especially when cut or damaged...climbers check their lines every day, if not every pitch. Make sure you keep it in good shape and look for fraying. Those SMC rings are meant for climbing, what I use and they won't fail you, btw.
That's what I originally was going for, but between my weight and the stretch of the polypro, I ended up about 5" off the ground even with the straps about 8-9' up the tree. The only way to get it a good 2' or so off the ground was to tighten the angle. Like I said though, hopefully the Amsteel won't give as much so I can hang it at a better angle. From reading the specs on it it looks like it has next to no give.Originally Posted by BillyBob58
mak, what is the span of your trees?? Any polypro rope I've used had minimal stretch. as well as any polypro webbing. Nylon on the other hand stretched a mile.
If your tree span is overly large (+20 feet), try a support pole closer to the hammock. Or find a better location.
You broke a strap
not a tri-glide
Ambulo tua ambulo.
I have had this exact experience. Polypro straps for me have been very sturdy, have not stretched a bit. Stock nylon on the other hand, whew! I use polypro straps from Northwest River Supplies to tie down gear in my canoe and then use them with the hammock, double duty. They are 1 inch straps, I am 6-2" and 250 lbs. and have had no problems at all. I think they are rated to 1800 lbs. I have actually towed vehicles with them.
“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
You'll find the Amsteel won't stretch.Amazing stuff!
"The more I carry the happier I am in camp; the less I carry the happier I am getting there" - Sgt. Rock
Please make sure you review the threads on the idiosyncrasies of Amsteel Blue and some of the other super strong cordage. Knots that you may be willing to trust your life on have been known to be very problematic because of the slippery nature of these highly technical performance ropes. I'm not saying don't use them. I saying make sure you are very familiar with their properties.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
And as the hammock is probably nylon, how much stretch/sag does that contribute?
I always shoot for the minimum allowable distance between the trees. A few feet seems to make a major difference in how high I need to attach to the trees.
But, it is remarkable the difference in sag between the different hammocks. My first attempts with my HH, I would hit the ground unless starting ridiculously high in the tree.
I have been playing with ( and finding the new things to appreciate) the Speer 8.5 lately. But I am reminded of how it always seems to have pretty significant stretch to deal with, even though I hang it pretty loose with a good amount of sag. That is with the stock polypro webbing.
At the other extreme, my 22 oz Claytor dbl layer No Net seems to have the least sag of any hammock I have used, even if pay little attention to how I hang it. Usually when I sit in it, it only moves a few inches lower than I what I start with. But you know what is wild? On one end, I have a cinch buckle set up with Harbor Freight Polyester yellow webbing, so no stretch expected there, right? But on the other end I have the stock " 1/2 inch" webbing, which I believe is NYLON! But sag is nearly zero concern with this hammock, the best I have in that regard. And my 220 lb son uses that webbing on BOTH ends. I don't know how much sag he gets, but even as a new hanger last year, he has never mentioned any problem.
Finally, my JRB BMBH, when new, had almost unmanageable sag. I could not keep my 205 lb self off of the ground unless the trees were the minimum distance apart plus attached high. Still, I would often start out OK but end up touching the ground after some time passed. This is with the stock polypro webbing. I was getting ready to change out the webbing to Amsteel, but the problem finally resolved itself. There is still some sag, but it seems pretty normal now and I at least never have any more trouble staying high enough off the ground.
This stuff is crazy!
BillyBob, you make a great point. The hammock itself does stretch a bit, and I know the trees that I have been using as my "test trees" are pretty far apart. I am leaning towards still using the tree straps, but switching out the line with 3/16" Amsteel and SMC rings with clove and gardahitch as seen on JustJeff's page. That'll loop and attach to a carabiner that will hook into the tree straps. I think overall, it'll be a much stronger, sturdier setup and make it very easy to set up, take down and adjust on the fly with minimal retying and toying around.
I'll post my results in the next several days.
Mak and hogtyed... Now granted Im not as heavy as you guys. Im 6'3, 265.
Here is a set of slings I just made out of 7/64 Amsteel thats run in the channel of my ENO...
I think the 1/8 would be plenty for both of you.
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