First hang in DIY hammock

**HappyCamper** · 02-24-2008, 22:14

My material was 1.1 polyester. As far as connecting the webbing to the hammock, I just made it up. The knot slipped under the whipping and down I went! Can someone give me some links to pictures? I'm a visual person and pictures work best for me. I'll take as many different links as you wanna give me.

**slowhike** · 02-24-2008, 22:26

see if this link will take you to a larks head...
http://www.animatedknots.com/girth/i...matedknots.com

**FanaticFringer** · 02-24-2008, 22:43

Crash pads are a must when testing new hammocks IMO. I know from experience.

**Cannibal** · 02-24-2008, 23:37

Originally Posted by FanaticFringer

Crash pads are a must when testing new hammocks IMO. I know from experience.

That old air mattress for car camping in a tent is the best crash pad out there!

**Miguel** · 02-25-2008, 02:55

I've been doing this long enough to know better but I wound up going to the ground just last week...unintentionally I should add. The culprit.....carelessness. As I put up the hammock I noticed the material was not lying entirely flat in the cinch buckle and I didn't want to be bothered to fix it. Fortunately it was a slow motioned descent and the only thing slightly bruised was my ego.

Miguel

**Oh-No** · 02-25-2008, 08:41

Originally Posted by Youngblood

I made one out of some type of polyester(?) one time and I had to bundle it so it was progressively shorter starting from the center to get it to lay comfortably.

I do essentially the same thing by making a cat cut on each end.
It might better be described a a reverse cat cut, because each
end of the hammock fabric is rounded (convex) rather than
concave like tarps with cat cuts..

This makes for a very comfortable hammock. The only drawback
is once you cut you are committed. Adjustments can be made
but usually at the expense of shortening the hammock some.

**HappyCamper** · 02-25-2008, 12:25

Originally Posted by slowhike

see if this link will take you to a larks head...
http://www.animatedknots.com/girth/i...matedknots.com

Thanks! I'll use it!

**Bulldog** · 02-25-2008, 12:56

Just one advice, when hang your first DIY hammock, don't do it over exposed roots. Yea, that one was pretty painful. So try and avoid that situation is possable.

**oetzi** · 02-25-2008, 13:37

Originally Posted by Peter_pan

HappyCamper,

Sooner or later every hammocker make at least one unplanned return to ground.....
Pan

Just make sure your friends and family are not watching when you want to demonstrate them how comfortable a hammock is by entering it (on one side) and promptly leaving it on the other side wih a big "thud"

**froldt** · 02-25-2008, 15:08

I'm still waiting to test my first DIY hammock, but I've got a perfect spot out on the back porch. I can lay down a few pads underneath me, and even without, I'll only be a few inches above the boards anyway.