Snapped my ridge line. Why?

[Pipsissewa]

Here's a drawing of an ultra light-weight level I made. I laid it out on a plastic margarine tub top. I drew two 30-60-90 degree triangles side by side and cut it out with an x-acto knife and ruler. I punched a hole in the middle. I hung it up on a line and checked that it hung level. I shaved minute bits of weight off the heavier side with a block sander. Once it was level, I hung it from the ridge line with a bread twistie tie.

Hammock level.png

It shows me what's level and also gives me the 30 degree angle of the suspension lines. It weighs virtually nothing and packs right up with the hammock. Plus, it's fun to watch it dance in the wind. Happy hanging!

[Gqgeek81]

Zilla, I disagree. This is the old confusion of what a structural ridgeline is. There are two types of ridgelines being used by hammockers, and what you say applies to ones that are not intended to control the sag angle of the hammock. If the OP likes the feel of the hammock when the ridgeline is taut, he should be using a stronger line.

This is kind of what I'm getting from this. I'm just not seeing a ridge line that's not completely tight having any ability to offset the tension on the main suspension lines.
The tree's I was hanging from were on the close side if anything and my hang angle 30+. It seems odd that's when it snapped. It also seems odd it didn't snap all the times I was using trees too far apart. Oh well.

[Countrybois]

This is kind of what I'm getting from this. I'm just not seeing a ridge line that's not completely tight having any ability to offset the tension on the main suspension lines.
The tree's I was hanging from were on the close side if anything and my hang angle 30+. It seems odd that's when it snapped. It also seems odd it didn't snap all the times I was using trees too far apart. Oh well.

OK, if indeed your hang angle was 30°+, then your ridgeline is shorter than the standard of ~83%. Otherwise, with that hang angle, there would be little to no tension on the ridgeline. Actually, it would have been slack when you were in it. Since you 'dropped' when it broke, there is no arguing this point.

Two trains of thought on ridgelines.... Either you use your ridgeline as a guide to get the right hang angle and pay attention to how taut it is when you sit in the hammock. (by using your fingers to see if you can twist it 90°). In this case 1.75 zing-it /lash-it or any other light line will serve you fine.

OR

You rely on your ridgeline to set the lay of your hammock with less attention payed to your suspension angle. In this case you want something stronger, say 7/64 amsteel.

Personally, I combine the two trains of thought and use 7/64 amsteel in case there is a situation where I need to hang tighter than normal, but I try to keep extreme tension off of it so as to put the least stress on my gear and the trees.

In between those 2 options are 2.2 lash-it /zing-it and dynaglide. Figure out which camp you tend to fall in, then decide how much of a safety factor you want in your line and that will determine what line you should use.

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[Phantom Grappler]

Sometimes I hang at less than 30 degrees. My 1/8 amsteel hammock ridgeline can be taut. I do not hang suspension in a horizontal line because due to the force on suspension--it could snap and drop me on my head. The real danger for hanging way off of 30 degrees or almost flat horizontal--is a tree can be pulled over and kill me or worse-leave me crippled.


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[Secondmouse]

noob question - for the 83% of hammock length where do you measure the hammock?

my Grand Trunk Double has a listed length longer than the actual material. do I measure the material, or at the ends of rope used to gather the end?..

[pgibson]

noob question - for the 83% of hammock length where do you measure the hammock?

my Grand Trunk Double has a listed length longer than the actual material. do I measure the material, or at the ends of rope used to gather the end?..

Measure the hammock laid out flat.

[La Picker]

Measure between the two points to which you're going to attach the ridgeline. If (like me) you have long continuous loops with rings attached to the ends and tie your ridgeline into those, going by the length of the hammock itself will cause your ridgeline to be too short.

[Gqgeek81]

My hammock has continuous loops through each end channel. I used a lark's head to attach the ridgeline at one end. I then hung the fixed loop at that end over a doorknob in the house and opened the lark's head enough to slide the end of a tape measure in and cinch it all down.
This made it super easy to walk backward with the tape measure, hammock and ridgeline in hand and get all my numbers.

Or you know, just get a friend to help. Man, I must need more friends.

[Zilla]

Zilla, I disagree. This is the old confusion of what a structural ridgeline is. There are two types of ridgelines being used by hammockers, and what you say applies to ones that are not intended to control the sag angle of the hammock. If the OP likes the feel of the hammock when the ridgeline is taut, he should be using a stronger line.

Maybe your right but i have allways used my rl's for more of a guidance tool and not to hold actuall weight,,, i set my rl's up like Papa Smurf does in his video and allways have , using zing it or lash it, i just cant see having more pressure than 400 lbs on it.

[WV Mountaineer]

People will have their own ideas about the right way and the wrong way. Here's my thoughts.
Mi use a structural ridge line to obtain the proper sag. I like it a touch more droopy than the standard sag. I'm short too. Trees are not always 13 feet apart. So, I hang the hammock as high as I can on long gaps and let my suspension and my ridge line do the work. That's why I use Amsteel for my purposes.

At times, I am way under the 30% guideline. Sometimes my ridge line is very tight. I use a line with the ability to carry the load. God Bless