Ridgeline Help Needed

**GREEN THERAPY** · 10-08-2007, 15:06

Yes to what Hogin8tor said. When I posted I assumed that you were just using it for a ridge line attached to your main hanging rope. 200 lbs is not enuff for a main rope. I wouldn't go with less than 1200 lb breaking strength for a main rope.

**nogods** · 10-08-2007, 16:08

Apparently I'm missing the concept on a structural ridgline. i thought it was just a support rope runnign between trees to which you attached the hammock. I took a look at jeff's page for attaching a structural ridgline but can't follow it. First he says to tie "an overhand on a bight, and [slide] this over the hammock support." O.K., that's easy. Then he says to "Pull the ridgeline to the other support and wrap it around. Then pull it tight until you like the amount of sag you get." Wrap what around what? One wrap? Pull what tight? That's where I get confused.

Then I saw this pic in the forum and it seemed rather simple. http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...php?i=1086&c=4

Tie one end of the rope to a tree. Tie two Alpine knots in the rope at the distance you want to hang your hammock. Hang your hammock on the Alpine knots. Adjust the distance between the Alpine knots to get a good hang.

So what am I mssing?

**Hooch** · 10-08-2007, 16:26

Originally Posted by nogods

Apparently I'm missing the concept on a structural ridgline. i thought it was just a support rope runnign between trees to which you attached the hammock. I took a look at jeff's page for attaching a structural ridgline but can't follow it. First he says to tie "an overhand on a bight, and [slide] this over the hammock support." O.K., that's easy. Then he says to "Pull the ridgeline to the other support and wrap it around. Then pull it tight until you like the amount of sag you get." Wrap what around what? One wrap? Pull what tight? That's where I get confused.

Then I saw this pic in the forum and it seemed rather simple. http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...php?i=1086&c=4

Tie one end of the rope to a tree. Tie two Alpine knots in the rope at the distance you want to hang your hammock. Hang your hammock on the Alpine knots. Adjust the distance between the Alpine knots to get a good hang.

So what am I mssing?

The way you attach a ridgeline, as far as I'm concerned, is strictly a matter of personal preference. I attached one to my ENO DoubleNest recently and love it. I used some cordage the Cerberus gave me at the September SEHHA Hangout (Dyneema?) and attached it with prussik knots. While I'm sure that there is a wrong way to attach a ridgeline (The way that doesn't work or fails), there is more than one corect way of doing it. Just experiment and see what works for you.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 10-08-2007, 16:31

Originally Posted by nogods

Apparently I'm missing the concept on a structural ridgline. i thought it was just a support rope runnign between trees to which you attached the hammock. I took a look at jeff's page for attaching a structural ridgline but can't follow it. First he says to tie "an overhand on a bight, and [slide] this over the hammock support." O.K., that's easy. Then he says to "Pull the ridgeline to the other support and wrap it around. Then pull it tight until you like the amount of sag you get." Wrap what around what? One wrap? Pull what tight? That's where I get confused.

Then I saw this pic in the forum and it seemed rather simple. http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...php?i=1086&c=4

Tie one end of the rope to a tree. Tie two Alpine knots in the rope at the distance you want to hang your hammock. Hang your hammock on the Alpine knots. Adjust the distance between the Alpine knots to get a good hang.

So what am I mssing?

Not sure that's the way I'd read that picture.

But here's another, of a Hennessy hammock. Look at the one with a guy in it. There is a structural ridgeline inside of the hammock that extends from end to end, it is also holding up the bugnet. That line ensures that even if the suspension lines are pulled very tight, the ends of the hammock are guaranteed never to separate by more than the length of the ridgeline. So the JJ instructions you're reading are on tieing that line between the ends of the hammock, only on the outside (HH can put them inside during production).

hope this helps. The whole idea of a structural ridgeline is to ensure that you have a minimal sag...the more tightly you tie the suspension lines, the less sag you have, up to the point where the ridgeline keeps the sag from getting any smaller.

Grizz

**Nest** · 10-08-2007, 16:42

Originally Posted by nogods

Apparently I'm missing the concept on a structural ridgline. i thought it was just a support rope runnign between trees to which you attached the hammock. I took a look at jeff's page for attaching a structural ridgline but can't follow it. First he says to tie "an overhand on a bight, and [slide] this over the hammock support." O.K., that's easy. Then he says to "Pull the ridgeline to the other support and wrap it around. Then pull it tight until you like the amount of sag you get." Wrap what around what? One wrap? Pull what tight? That's where I get confused.

Then I saw this pic in the forum and it seemed rather simple. http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...php?i=1086&c=4

Tie one end of the rope to a tree. Tie two Alpine knots in the rope at the distance you want to hang your hammock. Hang your hammock on the Alpine knots. Adjust the distance between the Alpine knots to get a good hang.

So what am I mssing?

Hey, that's me! Still haven't gotten the girls yet. That ridgeline is what I use, and it is completely different than any other I have seen. I made it so that the hammock can be removed from the ridgeline in a couple of seconds for washing, using without a ridgeline, or using the ridgeline as a bugnet line when I go to ground. The problem with it is that the rope has to be very strong, mine is 2000 lb test. I also don't tie it directly to the trees. The two ends have cinch buckles on them, and I attach them to polyester straps that wrap around the tree. Oh yeah, I also only weigh 150 lbs, so I can get away with using my ridgeline as a support line. That means my ridgeline at the point past my hammock supports a lot of weight, and is why I use such a high test.

Hooch, I think that stuff is Dyneema. Don't know if I told you, but it is rated at 1400 lbs. Just in case you wondered how well it will hold.

**nogods** · 10-08-2007, 18:11

Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams

Not sure that's the way I'd read that picture.

But here's another, of a Hennessy hammock. Look at the one with a guy in it. There is a structural ridgeline inside of the hammock that extends from end to end, it is also holding up the bugnet. That line ensures that even if the suspension lines are pulled very tight, the ends of the hammock are guaranteed never to separate by more than the length of the ridgeline. So the JJ instructions you're reading are on tieing that line between the ends of the hammock, only on the outside (HH can put them inside during production).

hope this helps. The whole idea of a structural ridgeline is to ensure that you have a minimal sag...the more tightly you tie the suspension lines, the less sag you have, up to the point where the ridgeline keeps the sag from getting any smaller.

Grizz

Looks to me like the ropes tied to the end of the hammock are then tied to the trees, and the "ridgeline" is just a strand of rope tied from one end of the hammock to the other. If you tighten either of the ropes that are tied to the tree, the sag is reduced. If you tighten them enough your hammock will be in a straight line. How does the ridgeline regulate sag?

**nogods** · 10-08-2007, 18:33

Is this drawing the basic concept of a ridgeline? It looks line a ridgeline merely keeps the support ropes from being pulled any tighter than that allowed by the length of the ridgeline.

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...php?i=1792&c=3

**GREEN THERAPY** · 10-08-2007, 18:52

Originally Posted by nogods

Is this drawing the basic concept of a ridgeline? It looks line a ridgeline merely keeps the support ropes from being pulled any tighter than that allowed by the length of the ridgeline.

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...php?i=1792&c=3

Thats correct. That way when you tighten the support lines the ridge line becomes tight as well which means that once the ridge line is set for a certain sag, it is allways the same every time.

**nogods** · 10-08-2007, 19:01

Originally Posted by GREEN THERAPY

Thats correct. That way when you tighten the support lines the ridge line becomes tight as well which means that once the ridge line is set for a certain sag, it is allways the same every time.

Thanks for all your help - now that I got that clear in my head i have another question about knots that i'll ask in a new post. Thanks agin.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 10-08-2007, 19:04

Originally Posted by nogods

Is this drawing the basic concept of a ridgeline? It looks line a ridgeline merely keeps the support ropes from being pulled any tighter than that allowed by the length of the ridgeline.

http://www.hammockforums.net/gallery...php?i=1792&c=3

perhaps more to the point, it keeps the droop in the hammock (a.k.a. sag) from being flattened out any more than allowed by the length of the ridgeline.

Grizz