hammock/whoopie sling help

**kayaknut01** · 01-28-2010, 21:30

looking to save on wieght, was wondering if anyone has good photos of a wbbb or other hammock in use with whoopie slings and tree hugger set up, is there a "kit" for full conversion? do you still have the hanging range as you did with the stock webbing/triangle set up meaning lenght between trees, what are the tree huggers made from and how??

**opie** · 01-28-2010, 21:43

Originally Posted by kayaknut01

looking to save on wieght, was wondering if anyone has good photos of a wbbb or other hammock in use with whoopie slings and tree hugger set up, is there a "kit" for full conversion? do you still have the hanging range as you did with the stock webbing/triangle set up meaning lenght between trees, what are the tree huggers made from and how??

Certainly...ENO

On my traveler

I also have a couple sets of straps and biners if you are looking for an all in one. Or I can throw in some wood dowel if you are looking to go the Marlin Spike Hitch.

**pgibson** · 01-28-2010, 21:47

Hey Kayaknut I have a couple pictures on my site that show how to attach Whoopie Slings to a BB, they are in the tutorials section and I use one of the Chain Links rather than WS but the process is exactly the same. I have not put them in a full kit as there are just so many variables to pick from, I do them in 2 sizes of amsteel(7 colors each), have 5 choices of webbing, carabiners or toggles (5 wood ones, a bunch of aluminum ones)

Range wise yah you can get just as much as the stock straps, just depends on how much webbing you want to pack for tree straps and how you set them up.

Material wise you want a ploypro or polyester webbing. Basically the same as the stock webbing on the BB but with loops sewn in both ends and normally folks use 5-8 foot of webbing rather than the full length ?15 foot? that Brandon dose normally.

**kayaknut01** · 01-28-2010, 22:11

so you still have to use biners? is that correct? and if i follow you paul you use the huggers for not just wrapping around the tree to protect it but also they act like webbing from the stock wbbb webbing if that makes sense, do you adjust the hang with the whoopie sling or the length of tree hugger, do you need to use rings or triangles or cinch buckles

**opie** · 01-28-2010, 22:14

You dont have to use biners. You can use the Marlin Spike Hitch. But Biners, IMO are easier.

**pgibson** · 01-28-2010, 23:10

Hey Kayak,

You are on the right track. The tree straps can be used to give you more length to work with (if needed) if they are longer than the diameter of the tree you are hanging from. It is all how you attach. If you are using toggles you can put them any place along the length of webbing--shortening or lengthening them from the tree as you may need. The main adjustment and tweaking is still going to be with the WS just like you said, but you do have some flexibility with the webbing in how you use it.

You don't need any thing else like buckles rings or what not to use the WS's. Just a set of slings, some tree huggers and some way to attache the two. Carabiners are quick and easy (they weigh a bit more but not a lot) you just have to play around some to get the length of tree hugger shortened or lengthened out if you should need to. But that is easy, shorter-just rap the hugger around the tree more and more to use up the length. Longer- just pass one end of the strap though the loop in the other end and pull it all tight, then just clip into the end of the free end.

I am going to go out tomorrow and shoot some pictures and maybe some video for the tutorials section of my site and can include some of this for you.

**Oms** · 01-30-2010, 08:25

Originally Posted by pgibson

Longer- just pass one end of the strap though the loop in the other end and pull it all tight, then just clip into the end of the free end.

Choking the strap lowers the rating quite a bit. Seems to me that I remember HH saying not to choke the tree huggers, but instead basket them. How much weight can it safely hold that way?

**BillyBob58** · 01-30-2010, 09:04

Originally Posted by Oms

Choking the strap lowers the rating quite a bit. Seems to me that I remember HH saying not to choke the tree huggers, but instead basket them. How much weight can it safely hold that way?

Is "basket" the original HH method? Where you ran the rope through one hugger loop and then through thr loop on the other end followed by the figure 8 lashing?

So, that is significantly stronger than running the webbing around the tree and back through it's own loop?

**oldgringo** · 01-30-2010, 09:41

Before I knew better, I really choked down on my tree straps. They never failed, leading me to believe this is a non-issue. Gringo the Empiricist.

**Oms** · 01-30-2010, 10:52

I read somewhere that you measure the strength of a strap end to end. Basketing doubles the load limit and choking reduces it to 3/4 of the load limit. I was unable to find anything quickly. Whenever I rig very heavy equipment I always basket it or double the straps to be safe even though the straps are rated very high. My concern is the loop strength on the tree huggers.