Need some expertise...

**OrionFyre** · 03-09-2010, 07:01

So the boyfriend had been laughing about my recent obsession about hammocks. And a few weeks ago when I was getting ready to camp outside in the back yard (sub freezing weather) he said I was insane. Well I convinced him to sit down in the hammock take his shoes off and climb in and get comfy.

<-- that was him.

So he looked around at the different options and nothing has tickled his fancy for what he wants to use it for.

He does lots of running. And during the summer he does some long treks like for 4 or 5 days. he always coordinates his distances with towns where he can stay at a hotel or B&B for the night. And once he laid in my hammock he envisioned spending a few nights outside and new route possibilities if he doesn't have to make it to a town.

Well none of the options I showed him sounded good. He is concerned about weight. And if you all think you've met a weight weeney. . . you're wrong. His hydration pack had (like all of them) a nylon webbing handle at the top. Yep not any more. The adjustable shoulders? Not so much, he cut the plastic pieces off and permanently sewed the straps to cut off the excess.

So I went and done did something stupid. Told him I was thinking about making my own underquilt and supplemental gear for my clark. He wants me to fashion him a hammock that will meet his demands.

This hammock would only be for nice summer nights. Doesn't want a tarp and weight is the ultimate consideration. He weighs in at a paltry 145 "on a bad day" as he puts it. I have ZERO experience working with the materials so this is the point of the post.

With his ultimate consideration for weight in talking with him about the materials he is convinced he wants the 1.1oz ripstop fabric for the hammock body. I come from a father who always taught me the value in "over-engineering for strength" LOL. My worry is that the material will not be sufficiently stong. Ultimately if he wants to try it he will but i'd like input from more experienced peoples.

I'm guessing for simplicity probably just a gathered end hammock. any input?

EDIT: the 7/64th amsteel I had received for making various gadgets and doodles as you all know... We tested that out for strength and looks like we'll be using that for his supports. He can't believe how strong that "tiny little rope" is. He was swinging on it underneath the porch :O He tried to get me to try but I abstained out of fear for my own life and bodily well-being.

**Ramblinrev** · 03-09-2010, 07:43

1.1 nylon ripstop will hold my 250 lb lard butt off the ground with total safety. It does stretch a bit but that's cause I have a 250 lard butt. IMO the biggest fly in the ointment regarding his request is the "no tarp". I've seen Nebraska thunderstorms come out of nowhere in no time and I would expect he could use a minimal tarp for coverage. Hennessey made a "Racer" model which was designed for trail runners. It is discontinued now I believe but if you could track down the measurements of it it would give you an idea of what size would be good for the purpose.

**opie** · 03-09-2010, 07:53

If he's a real gram weenie, use dynaglide for the suspension. You can make whoopies with it and has a rating of 1000#. I've been hanging using it and I'm 270#.

**OrionFyre** · 03-09-2010, 08:07

Ok well. Thats just the two posts I was looking for! LOL

I'm a worry wort and I've been trying to convince him he needs to take a tarp, even if it is just a minimal amount of coverage. "John you're being a worry wort again." he tells me.

One thought that came to mind was something along the lines of perhaps using 1.1oz silnylon for the body. And fashion some sort of zipper or cinching method along the two sides so that it can be turned into a single long peapod like creation if the weather turns south?

**Ramblinrev** · 03-09-2010, 08:11

using silnyl for the body would be very undesirable IMO. It does not breathe, a feature you very much want in a hammock body. Other wise you can wake up in pool of sweat. However, if you want to use that idea look into the Grand Trunk All Terrain Hybrid Hammock. It was designed with that idea in mind. I personally am not a fan of the design but there are others who think it is fine.

**Just Jeff** · 03-09-2010, 08:25

Yeah - if he's sleeping outside, he definitely needs to have a tarp available. There's a reason shelter is on every single "10 essentials" list you'll find anywhere. And it's only a few ounces for the minimal ones. Find a HH Backpacker tarp that someone has replaced and is willing to sell.

If you have a full tarp, 1.1 sil might be ok if he doesn't have the sweat issues Rev talked about. But if you get water in it b/c the tarp is too small (or not there), it'll be like a bathtub.

I'd recommend a Grand Trunk Nano or making one from 1.1 oz ripstop, coupled with a small tarp. Be sure to use tree huggers, regardless of the couple ounces!

**TinaLouise** · 03-09-2010, 08:29

during his many runs... has he never been caught in the rain??? Sounds like you're gonna have to "ease" him in slowly to the tarp-hammock idea!!! And yes, if you can get him into carrying a hammock and stopping to camp somewhere, he's gonna need a tarp. Maybe try finding a camping spot where he can start his run at location "x" but you can drive around, park and walk into the camp site. That way you can have the hammock & tarp all set up and have "dinner" waiting. In the beginning you would be having to do all the work of getting the gear out there and setting up. But if he got used to it, maybe then he would start planning longer trips where he carried his own gear. Maybe you could pass off his carrying the "extra" weight as a training run!! Say that because you're carrying this weight, that when you do any more of those runs without the weight, that you'll be that much stronger of a runner because of when you did carry the weight.

TinaLouise

**OrionFyre** · 03-09-2010, 08:50

Thanks for the input folks

love you all.

I just gotta talk sense into him I guess. I know that shelter is important. but this boy counts grams and reasonably so for the distances he covers. but i'll talk to him.

@Tina: I've got no car, I just get around by bicycle everywhere (or walking, don't even have a license). And while I'd love to ride as support for him.... He runs more in one single day than I care to bike in two days! Last summer he went running off and did 4 days of running and averaged 60 miles a day! *passes out* Plus his runs like that are more of a spiritual thing for him. He doesn't really like to be around people during.