Never had a ridgeline

**Kiwidad** · 07-14-2007, 08:19

I don't use a ridgeline and have been fortunate as the trees where I hike are only about 4-5" in diameter and I can always find 2 that are about 4 meters apart (approx 12-13 ft). Just wondering about the possibility of only finding trees further apart. I'm thinking of putting an Alpine Butterfly loop at each end on the tie outs (near the ends of the hammock) so when necessary I can attach a line to the loops to form a ridgeline which should maintain the correct set of my hammock? I'd appreciate any feedback as I'm trying to extend the flexibility of my setup.

**headchange4u** · 07-14-2007, 08:52

A ridge line is required on all of my hammock. It makes setting up easier and assures that you get a comfortable nights sleep every time you hang your hammock. Most people here use a ridge line on their hammock.

**Ewker** · 07-14-2007, 10:27

Originally Posted by headchange4u

A ridge line is required on all of my hammock. It makes setting up easier and assures that you get a comfortable nights sleep every time you hang your hammock. Most people here use a ridge line on their hammock.

do you mean most people with a HH have a ridgeline?

Speer hammocks don't have one even though I thought the bugline could be used as one. I still can't get mine setup without ending up on the ground sometime during the night.

**Hooch** · 07-14-2007, 10:31

Originally Posted by Ewker

I still can't get mine setup without ending up on the ground sometime during the night.

If I were troubleshooting that problem, the first thing I would ask is what are you using for suspension? Of course, it's no big mystery to anyone here that nylon S T R E T C H E S a lot, repeatedly. Even polypro has some stretch to it. I use polyester and have ZERO stretch from it. Also, if it's a fairly new hammock, sometimes the material can have some stretch to it until you're used it a few times to get the initial stretch out.

**SteinbergerGPPRo** · 07-14-2007, 12:51

It sounds like it would work to me. I definitely reccomend adding a ridgeline. It makes setting it up much faster, easier, and more consistant for a very small weight gain usually. It also allows for many other conveniences such as: suspened bug nets and other types of covers, place to hang often accessed small items, and allow you to use snake skins more effectively.

Originally Posted by Hooch

If I were troubleshooting that problem, the first thing I would ask is what are you using for suspension? Of course, it's no big mystery to anyone here that nylon S T R E T C H E S a lot, repeatedly. Even polypro has some stretch to it. I use polyester and have ZERO stretch from it. Also, if it's a fairly new hammock, sometimes the material can have some stretch to it until you're used it a few times to get the initial stretch out.

I had always heard that nylon webbing stretched less than polyester webbing. I read somewhere that nylon fibers will stretch by 25% at their breaking strength and polyester fiber stretches 30% at it's breaking point. The advantage to using polyester was that it wouldn't absorb water like nylon. I could be wrong, but that's what I had heard...

**headchange4u** · 07-14-2007, 17:10

Originally Posted by Ewker

do you mean most people with a HH have a ridgeline?

Speer hammocks don't have one even though I thought the bugline could be used as one. I still can't get mine setup without ending up on the ground sometime during the night.

ALL my hammocks have a structural ridge line. If you they don't have one when I buy or make them I add one.

**slowhike** · 07-14-2007, 17:38

Originally Posted by headchange4u

ALL my hammocks have a structural ridge line. If you they don't have one when I buy or make them I add one.

and i was thinking that the speer hammocks came w/ a ridge line, even though it has a section of shock cord instead of a solid line.

**Ewker** · 07-14-2007, 23:18

Originally Posted by slowhike

and i was thinking that the speer hammocks came w/ a ridge line, even though it has a section of shock cord instead of a solid line.

The bugline (orange cord) has shock cord on the end of it. I thought that could be a ridgeline but folks on here with a lot more exp. than I said it wasn't

**Ewker** · 07-14-2007, 11:05

it is a Speer Hammock with the webbing that comes with it from Ed

**Shadowmoss** · 07-14-2007, 11:19

ewker:

I have extra rings and we could borrow the rest of the setup from my HH (webbing/biner) to temporarily put a ring buckle system on your hammock if you want to see if it works better for you. Just PM me and I'll get you the stuff to try. You wouldn't need to modify your current setup in any way to try it, just kinda tie it out of the way.