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  1. #1
    Senior Member sir_n0thing's Avatar
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    Figure 9 failure

    I spent the holiday weekend at the in-laws' place up near La Crosse, WI. I of course put up my hammock and spent the three nights outside!
    I had my Speer winter tarp up, using an "over the top" ridge line made of Dyneema. The tarp attaches to the ridgeline via prussik loops. I have shock-cord tensioners at all tie-out points.
    For stringing up the thing I use a mini-biner at one end and a small plastic figure 9 at the other end.
    On Sunday we had a steady wind with gusts up to around 25MPH pretty much all day. At around 3:00pm I just happened to go outside for some reason, and was standing near the hammock when the Figure 9 snapped! Guess the wind gusts were too much for it.

    Good to know not to trust those plastic Figure 9's when I'm NOT 20 yards from the house. I replaced it with the next size up Figure 9 in metal.
    "I know the feeling - It is the real thing - You can't refuse the embrace!" | "Go n-éirí an bóthar leat."

  2. #2
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Like those plastic toilet handle flushers .... gonna break on ya' .....
    Man ... there is a lot of crappy stuff put out there it seems.
    Give me quality!!!!!!
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  3. #3
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    Was it cold? I've had plastic stuff snap in the cold before, and with the pressure of the tarp, wind, and tension, that could have put it over the edge.
    NO SNIVELING!
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  4. #4
    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    You most likely didn't need to go a size up for the metal one.


    "Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."
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  5. #5
    Member Dalton's Avatar
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    i bought a 4 pack of plastic figure 9s from REI one time (not paying attention that they were plastic, they were on sale) when i was doing mods to my tarp, i set it up with one and it snapped, from pulling on it to hard,
    dont trust the plastic ones, even if they are on sale

  6. #6
    Senior Member SGT Rock's Avatar
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    I've been playing with some. I've had a tarp up in the yard for 3 days using one. So far no issues, but I will probably go with a truckers hitch instead - or something similar.
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  7. #7
    Dutch's Avatar
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    Far from failing but many of my metal figure 9s are a little bent. I wouldn't trust those plastic one for anything.
    Peace Dutch
    GA>ME 2003

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  8. #8
    Senior Member animalcontrol's Avatar
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    I'd guess the bigger the tarp, the bigger the combined force from wind gusts...and the SWT is a good sized sail (err, tarp!)
    "Every day is a new day to a better future"
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  9. #9
    Senior Member Widerstand's Avatar
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    Sounds like simple plastic fatigue to me.
    Some of my freight hopping adventures on film over at my YouTube Channel... Oh and there is other stuff there as well!

  10. #10
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    I can't imagine this happening before the tarp or tabs rip. I have had mine up in these Georgia storms for a week now (won't get dry enough to take it down). It is still completely dry inside and no figure 9 failures.

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