Marlin Spike Toggle...

[Wentworth]

Hi All,
I've been playing with my new whoopie slings and toggles. Does anyone know exactly what percentage of the load the toggles receive? I understand to place the whoopiesling on the knot, not the toggle, but it seems that some force must be placed on it, as it holds the knot. Any ideas?

Also, I saw a thread which used an accessory biner simply clipped to a loop of webbing and this was used as a toggle. Without the marlinspike hitch, it seems that the accessory biner would be receiving the entire load. I must be mistaken.... can someone fill me in?

[GrizzlyAdams]

Hi All,
I've been playing with my new whoopie slings and toggles. Does anyone know exactly what percentage of the load the toggles receive? I understand to place the whoopiesling on the knot, not the toggle, but it seems that some force must be placed on it, as it holds the knot. Any ideas?

All the force is on that toggle. Every single Newton of it (well, less friction, in classic fashion just ignore that for now.) BUT the force is distributed, to a first approximation, evenly over the contact surface area of the webbing on the toggle.

I can put a toggle in an Amsteel line using an MSH and use it pretty much the same way. But because the surface area of the line on the toggle is so much less, the toggle has to be so much stronger than what one can get away with putting an MSH on webbing

Also, I saw a thread which used an accessory biner simply clipped to a loop of webbing and this was used as a toggle. Without the marlinspike hitch, it seems that the accessory biner would be receiving the entire load. I must be mistaken.... can someone fill me in?

if by toggle you mean "hard object somehow resisting a loop of cord", and the loop of cord is simply passed through the biner, then yes indeed the biner is taking the whole load. Climbing rating biners only need apply.

[SmokeBait]

Editing to say Grizz is the man on this stuff and that is a darn good explanation.

[MedicineMan]

doesnt carry any weight on mine since i switched to soft shackles

[Wentworth]

Thanks GrizzlyAdams.
How do we know that it is safe to trust an arrow shaft, or a stick? It holds, but 550 paracord will hold for a while. Does the material used for the toggle even matter?
I'm probably being overly concerned, but I want to feel assured before I use them on my partners hammock.

[MacEntyre]

The reason that seemingly fragile sticks from the ground can be used as toggles is that by putting the whoopie sling on the webbing knot, you concentrate the force onto the area of the toggle covered by the webbing. The webbing, which completely encircles the toggle, is compressing the toggle, not pulling it apart.

When you put the whoopie sling on the toggle, it is just outside the webbing. The webbing in the center of the toggle pulls one way, and the whoopie sling pulls the other way. Snap!

Almost any arrow shaft is strong enough to work, if you put the whoopie on the webbing, instead of on the toggle.

[Wentworth]

Thanks MacEntyre Slowly wrapping my head around this.

[NCPatrick]

Almost any arrow shaft is strong enough to work, if you put the whoopie on the webbing, instead of on the toggle.

Hi Mac!

I like how you said "almost", which leads me to ask which arrow shafts have you had that did NOT work?

For myself, I've had a carbon fiber arrow shaft (thanks MM!) get crushed in the middle from the pressure exerted by the webbing, so I guess that's one.

[drewboy]

I've had numerous trips over this past year using whoopies with toggles. Mostly I use a section of aluminum arrow shaft, but have also used sticks off the ground with great success. It's also possible to use a small rock if you're really concerned about breaking. I have never had any breakage issues at all. Some of the sticks I used were pretty dry and brittle. Like folks have said, just make sure to place the whoopie behind the knot so it is supported by the strap, and not on the toggle itself.

[Hawk-eye]

Editing to say Grizz is the man on this stuff and that is a darn good explanation.

Now that's an understatement! He is the professor!