Alternative support for clark

**NickJ** · 11-08-2009, 07:16

I have an NX-250, and I'm thinking about ditching the poly rope completely, and feeding one of these http://www.proclimber.co.uk/catalogu...roducts_id=115 through the hammock end to the curved section sits in the nylon, leaving the flat section of the "D" available for strapworks webbing. In other words, ditching all rope.

I've looked at the descending ring sytem and that looks fairly elegant and simple but I'd rather try this with cinch buckles as the adjustment. Does anyone have any thoughts about doing this?

here in the UK, cinch buckles are not called cinch buckles (it seems), and I'm having a devil of a job findind that **** things on the internet!

the other thing i m considering is using something like amsteel blue or dyneema and a belay device for the adjustment like a petzl reverso or similar. Any thoughts on that?

**RAW** · 11-08-2009, 07:41

Check this out.

And this

Both systems worked out much better for me than the stock rope.

**NickJ** · 11-08-2009, 08:47

Interesting. I'm no engineer, but I'm not sure of the load distribution effect of using the parabiner compared to the way the stock rope is used at the hammock? In using the parabiner, you're changing that load distribution, and I'm not sure that it would or would not have an effect on the fabric etc?

I thought about using a maillon so that that the curved part of the "D" effectively replicates the load on the stock rope, but the strap would sit on the flat part of the "D". The strap part is easy obviously, but you wouldn't believe how hard it is here to get either strong alloy tri-glides, or cinch buckles.

I like your amsteel set up, it's very neat and tidy, though I guess a slipknot is essential. I'm wondering about a belay device though in alloy, then you'd just need a half hitch to secure. Might pop out to the climbing shop near me and have a chat with them and a play with some rope.

**bear bag hanger** · 11-08-2009, 09:16

I'd vote for the aluminum descending ring sytem. I've been using them for years without any problems. I got some cinch buckles with my last hammock and they work OK, but not as good as SMC rings. One night, the cinch buckles slipped (I didn't think I needed a back up knot) and I found myself going to ground very quickly. The rings have never slipped on me. The weight of the cinch buckles and the SMC rings are almost identical, with two rings weighing one tenth of an oz less than one cinch buckle.

Don't think I like the Maillon Rapide semi-circular things. The nut used to close the gate looks like it's going to eat into your hammock frabric or the straps you use and something may fail after a dozen or so uses.

**NickJ** · 11-08-2009, 11:11

I just spent an hour in my local climbing shop, and played around with belay units and various other things. Anyway, I've come away with 2 of these
http://www.completeoutdoors.co.uk/Pe...mbing-Ascender

so so simple. two ways of doing it:

1) tie rope to hammock (like the way it is when its delivered). put tree straps around tree. hook carabiner through tree strap. hook tibloc onto carabiner. slide rope through tibloc and pull to desired length. pull hammock end of rope. this locks the rope into the tibloc with the carabiner acting as both a marlin spike and the tree strap link. thats it!

2) remove rope from hammock and replace with carabiner. thread tibloc onto carabiner. anchor the rope to your tree straps with a bowline or a bowline/carabiner or whatever. thread rope through the tibloc (which is close to the hammock in this method. proceed as in (1). absolutely brilliant.

The tiblocs are rated to 2.2 tonnes.

Another one we tried which worked perfectly was with a Petzl reversino (a belay device). worked just as well, but the tiblocs are lighter and cheaper.

I'll post a pic when I can set it up at home, or a video if i m feeling adventurous. So no need for descending rings, or seperate lines, or buckles, or webbing etc.

**NickJ** · 11-13-2009, 11:00

ok here's a close up. carabiner attached to a tree strap on the left, and the tibloc just slides onto the carabiner at the other end. Hammock is to the right. when force is applied to the hammock (ie me in it), it pulls the dyneema up into the teeth of the tibloc. what also happens is the tibloc is pulled slightly right as the teeth grip, and the steel shank of the 'biner is then forced against the cord, which traps the dyneema against it, and up into the tibloc. it works a bit like a belay.

The are used for emergency stops for climber falls etc, and for ascending instead of using prussics. To adjust it, simply lift the right hand end of it to release the teeth, and push or pull your cord either way to adjust. then just sit down and thats it! This is a bombroof solution. there is no physical way that the cord can slip through the tibloc assuming you use the recommended width of cord (which is anywhere between 8mm and 11mm). If you were feeling a bit paranoid you could put a loop directly above it in the cord, but it's not neccessary. I've used 10mm dyneema here, which is total overkill. I might switch it for 8mm.

So clearly the adjustment here is at the tree end. the cord is secured to the hammock with a bowline and a stopper knot. you could do this the other way around if you expect heavy rain during your set up. just thread a carabiner through the hammock end (where the stock rope goes through) and attach the tibloc to the other end of the biner. at the tree end, you could use straps and another biner (bowline in cord obviously) or just a marlin spike hitch. then you can make your adjustment whilst under the tarp.

**Pak-Man** · 11-13-2009, 11:11

Ok,

This looks interesting...

What do they weigh?

What sizes do they have? Are you going to be stuck with using 8MM cord or higher?

Nice idea.

**pgibson** · 11-13-2009, 11:13

Tibloc's are awesome

but way over kill for a suspension. I played around with them and other vertical gear for a wile when I first got into hammocks. If we could get Petzel to make a tibloc for 2-3 mill cord then we would have the quickest adjusting suspension system out there. HMMM??? I'm on it!

**pgibson** · 11-13-2009, 11:16

Originally Posted by Pak-Man

Ok,

This looks interesting...

What do they weigh?

What sizes do they have? Are you going to be stuck with using 8MM cord or higher?

Nice idea.

They weigh about an ounce or so each, they only make the one size, it is meant for climbing a fixed rope (think emergency backup to a caving or climbing ascender) so yah it is not meant for any rope smaller than 8mm

**NickJ** · 11-13-2009, 11:29

8 mil dyneema would be fine though. even with the 10 its easy to adjust. you just lift up the back and pull. I wasnt looking for huge security when I started looking, it was more for an elegant solution which didnt involve long straps/tri-glides or descending rings. the tibloc/'biner combination can just live on the rope with perhaps a knot at the very end to ensure it didn't slip off in transit etc.