I also go with the webbing + whoopie sling combo. I have a 5ft hugger and a 6ft hugger and have never used the whole length of them yet. Then again, most of the places I camp have a lot of small trees and I rarely have a problem finding a camp with trees that fit my size range.
When necessary you can extend your tree straps with pieces of Amsteel or similar strong rope and simply insert "toggles" (i.e. branches you've picked off the ground) between the rope and the tree bark. It won't take many, and you shouldn't need to do this often. If the tree strap doesn't go more than half-way around the tree, you should probably look up and see how many 8" diameter dead branches are waiting to come down on your rig.
Another poster mentioned the problem of underbrush. I have occasionally taken a spare tarp tie-out (12' of braided mason line, in my case) and pulled the top of a bush to one side to make room for the hammock. It usually ties off to the same sapling that my hammock and tarp tie to. Next morning I can release the bush after packing up and think, "Yup. Leave no trace."
David
WVHammocker, that's a pretty clever use of the extra line most of us probably carry anyway. I'll keep that in mind.
.. truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. - Herman Melville
I might be getting a little off topic here but I just weighed the straps, ring buckles, and rope that connects the ring buckles to the whipping of by BB at 8oz total (both ends). Going with 5' tree huggers (x2) would cost me about 3.5oz (round up to the nearest 1/10 to account for string, etc.). That would leave 4.5oz less the weight of the whoopee sling as my potential weight savings. Considering the weight of the BB straps, it looks like the weight savings for the whoopie sling mod is going to be minimal at best.
Yes the difference is not huge, a few oz's over the webbing based system, but Whoopies are Cool
I have a few options in webbing straps, both for full suspensions and for tree huger straps as well as by the foot and you do the thread injecting. The Black Plolypro weighs 4.5 grams to the foot - about 6 feet per OZ and the camo that I have in Polyester comes in at 6 grams per foot - about 4.5 foot per OZ.
Paul
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I got my two 10' whoOppie slings yesterday (one red and one grey to distinguish the head end). I went with the 10' because with the weight of the amsteel and knowing I could always make it shorter later, I wanted to experiment with some real world hanging before committing to a specific length. My two slings weighed in at just about 2.5 oz. If you add in the 3.5 oz for my 5' straps from strapworks that puts my total suspension weight at 6oz for a two oz weight savings. However, I am also going to use the Marlin Spike Hitch connection method which will eliminate the need for the beaners I was using, making it a 3.5oz weight savings and no more need to tie a backup knot. Also, I have fool-proof head-end distinguishment. BTW my total hammock weight including suspension for the WBBB D1.1 is 25oz.
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