Best webbing/straps?

[ikemouser]

I use polypro, lighter, less stretch, good wear.

[pgibson]

I use polypro, lighter, less stretch, good wear.

Actually polypro has more stretch than polyester, is lighter and will wear faster then polyester. Generally polypro will also be about 1/2 the strenght of a similar weave polyester, and 1-2 gram or so per foot lighter in weight.

Edit: of coarse either polypro or polyester have less stretch than Nylon which may be what Ike meant.

[BurningCedar]

These days I worry as much about volume as I do weight. How do polypro and polyester compare in terms of volume (thickness of strap)? Is there any real difference?

[ikemouser]

polypro is thicker, yea paul meant nylon =P, polyester is the thinnest.

[charley]

I just had my wife help me check. The straps don't move at the rings. The hammock goes from 113 inches knot to knot, to 115 inches knot to knot. That is only 2 inches max stretch. That doesn't seem excessive. My butt was 12" off the ground. I forgot to measure the webbing from tree to rings. My ridgeline is 97" or 98"and the diagnal lay seems comfortable. I'll try again tonight.
I slept in it last night in rain. I slept fine til 5:30 when it started to storm. I lay for awhile and the ridge seam started leaking a bit. I resealed that today with silicone thinned with mineral spirits. I brought my tq and came in the house after awhile. The hammock didn't get very wet from the leak.
Thank all of you for the great amount of info.

[Cranky Bear]

I just had my wife help me check. The straps don't move at the rings. The hammock goes from 113 inches knot to knot, to 115 inches knot to knot. That is only 2 inches max stretch. That doesn't seem excessive. My butt was 12" off the ground. I forgot to measure the webbing from tree to rings. My ridgeline is 97" or 98"and the diagnal lay seems comfortable. I'll try again tonight.
I slept in it last night in rain. I slept fine til 5:30 when it started to storm. I lay for awhile and the ridge seam started leaking a bit. I resealed that today with silicone thinned with mineral spirits. I brought my tq and came in the house after awhile. The hammock didn't get very wet from the leak.
Thank all of you for the great amount of info.

Depending on the strap that sounds about right, wet and damp straps just like silnylon can and will stretch more than dry, but 2" of stretch when wet is actually pretty good! usually once the strap's stretch out that's it for the stretch (most times, all depending what type of strap you have)!

[charley]

I measured today and my straps stretch about 4" on each side. I may just tighten a cpl inches on each side and stretch it a bit before trying to get in. Lots of stuff to play with. I hope to get it dialed well enough to go on a two day overnight backpacking trip next week. I also have the nylon to make another dl hammock.

[Cranky Bear]

I measured today and my straps stretch about 4" on each side. I may just tighten a cpl inches on each side and stretch it a bit before trying to get in. Lots of stuff to play with. I hope to get it dialed well enough to go on a two day overnight backpacking trip next week. I also have the nylon to make another dl hammock.

With most if not all straps you will have some stretch but just like hammocks once you get the initial stretch out it's good from there! It can take a couple time's for the stretch to work out! One way to get it out is hang using all of the strap (max distance) a couple times and that will get all the strap and hammock!

[FarStar]

Actually polypro has more stretch than polyester, is lighter and will wear faster then polyester. Generally polypro will also be about 1/2 the strenght of a similar weave polyester, and 1-2 gram or so per foot lighter in weight.

Edit: of coarse either polypro or polyester have less stretch than Nylon which may be what Ike meant.

I was confused by the frequent use of "poly" in this thread, which does not differentiate between polypro and polyest. I thought my Speer has polypro straps, but a visit to the Speer website informed me they are polyest. A visit to a couple of rope websites informed me that polyest is the best webbing in terms of stretch and abrasion resistance. Polypro is light, but weak and degrades from UV exposure.

[Peter_pan]

Speer Hammocks ( Now at TTTG) and Jacks R Better have been using 1 inch Poly Pro for years for good reasons and with great results...Lightest, of three, low stretch, low absorbncy, adequate strength, reasonable if not lowest cost.

Pan