I have had sketchy straps break. The straps were of unknown type and I assumed (poorly) that pretty much any 1" strap would be ok. Luckily it was in backyard testing at heights I was ok falling from.
I have had sketchy straps break. The straps were of unknown type and I assumed (poorly) that pretty much any 1" strap would be ok. Luckily it was in backyard testing at heights I was ok falling from.
My PVC Hammock stand let me down.
It was built based on this: http://www.instructables.com/id/Free...Hammock-Stand/
None, so far, but I just knocked on wood.
I sewed up a hammock, wrapped the end in paracord, cut off the excess cord, burned the ends....and at the same time burned a hole in the hammock under the knot. Ruined the strength of it. Ripped when I leaned over the side.
Get lost in the woods and find yourself again. A vacation,to me, is working with your hands and surviving because of the fruits of your labor. In the business world I teach;in the natural world I learn.
Marlin spike hitch dumped me more than once. I tried Dutch buckles for a while, but eventually switched to Dutch Whoopie Hooks.
I also experimented with 1.1 ounce hammocks - after two failed, I dumped 1.1 ounce hammocks and went with something stronger. So far my triple-stitched, channel end tablecloth hammocks have been holding up well.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Turtle dog stand, completely my fault but a good lesson. Too much swing getting in, and the tapered top rail section buckled. Kind of funny, the metal bending lowered me slowly but surely to the ground. Version 2.0 has a pvc sleeve to slide over the connection point when assembled.
I made a Hennessy clone out of 1.9 military grade ripstop PU coated, I got at a surplus store. I pleated the ends, instead of just gathering them with a channel. Big mistake. Was able to get into it cautiously several times, and thought it was going to be ok. Then, I got into it, and it INSTANTLY snapped off clean at one end against the pleated stitch bunch. It was like a gun shot. No tearing or shredding, just like it was cut off with scissors. Haven't tried to repair it, as it would be pretty short after that.
Since I retired, some times I stay awake all day, some times all night.
I've lost count of how many times I've been dumped on the ground in 13 years of hammocking. I will say that in every single case it was due to operator error and not equipment failure (DIY or otherwise).
Made a turtledog stand using chainlink toprail. Layer it and looked at the rail arching considerably upward. Well a few movements later I was on the ground and the rail was creased.
Another time my son and I were demonstrating his hammock setup for his scout troup. It was wet. We grabbed a 1/2 stick to use as the spike in a msh. It crushed as he got into it. I grabbed another stick thinking he wasn't on the knot and it crushed. Tried a third one before using my pocket knife as a spike. After that we switched to using biners for spikes.
People who get dumped on a MSH are usually because they hook up one side of the hitch then go to the other side and set up that side and never go back to the original side to make sure that the load is on the knot and hasn't slipped onto the stick when they were setting up. I've made the mistake once. And only once.
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