how low / high do you hang

[Roe Ring]

I've only set up my hammock a couple of times so I cant comment on the tarp getting in the way, but I have noticed that a combination of my short reach and the trees being quite far apart has meant that the hammock suspension is a bit lower which puts more tension into the RL.

My SL is a 2.2mm Dyneema from Whoopieslings and is good up to 650lb. They are designed to keep the sag constant whilst the suspension angle changes, so the tension in the SL is expected to change from hang to hang. When I set mine to 83% on my last hang it was also guitar string tight even with my tree straps as high as I could reach.

It worried me a little but I've since convinced myself that it would be impossible to get a constant tension in the RL without adjusting its length each hang, and that goes against the reason for having it there in the first place.

Hope that helps.

Mark

[jraffini]

i do have a SRL on the hammock and your right having less of an angle on the hammock suspension does allow me to hang the tarp lower / closer, the only thing is that when hung in such a manner the SRL becomes guitar string tight. is it possible to hang the suspension at too low an angle generating to much force on the suspension lines?

I'm no expert on the forces exerted, but I know it does increase the forces on the suspension. I'd suggest playing with the angle a bit and see what happens. I'm a big boy (250 lbs) and have had my suspension pulled nearly horizontal to the ground a couple of times with the webbing from a ratchet strap and a whoopie sling. I haven't had a failure yet. Other folks here with a little more experience might have a more informed opinion on the pitfalls of using this method.

[exup]

I hang my tarp ridge line above the tree straps, follow the hammock suspension down. Hang the ridge line loose so when its tied out it makes for a nice taut ridge line. That's the warbonnet method. I've had 0 luck with the lines under the suspension in a V shape. Hammock suspension still gets in the way for me.

I hang my hammock high, or maybe I'm just short. Haha. Feet can't touch the ground.

[Shug]

If your staying dry your doing all right......
My tarp touches my suspension sometimes....I get in the hammock and it comes down and is usually fine.
Shug

[DJPyro]

I think some of it can be attributed to the feeling of being exposed that a lot of people mention.

My stock asym fly was about 4" above my hammock rigline when I got in it (touching when I wasn't), and I just woke up after weathering a viscious thunderstorm. I was going to toss my tarp on a separate line, but my tarp slings weren't long enough, so I left it on my suspension. I'm also inclined to agree with thexuprising, leaving your ridgeline a bit loose, tighten your guylines and then snug up your ridgeline seems to work well for me to get the tarp nice and close.

I sat up and watched it out the side of my hammock for an hour. I was worried I would get wet, but decided to just see what happened, and although I could see clearly out the hammock under my stock fly, and I was sure I would get wet, my hammock was dry as could be, and after checking a few times for peace of mind, and watching the light show for a bit, I went back to sleep. Woke up dry as could be to the birds chirping

[cinnamon]

If I understand your problem correctly, the problem is that your tarp ridge line is a good bit longer than your hammock, so the angle of your suspension forces you to hang your tarp higher than you'd like to avoid the suspension hitting your actual tarp, not your tarp suspension. The grand trunk ultra light is fairly short, while the maccat deluxe has a fairly long ridge line.

you are correct sir

Have you tried offsetting your hammock and tarp? Have hammock come off one side of the tree and the tarp come off the other? This should give you some more space to bring the tarp ridgeline down a bit further so that you can get the sides lower as well.

this i haven't done but have the feeling that it would put the hammock suspension even further into the tarp

Are you using a v for you tarp where the crl goes around the tree and back and the hammock suspension goes up through the v?

I would think with the Maccat deluxe that you'd have enough coverage. You said you felt like you didn't have enough, but did the wind blow the rain in or did you have any actual ill effects.

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=33730

as for the V in the tarp suspension yes i had one. while the rain was at times very heavy it thankfully was falling for the most part straight down. if it had been as windy as it was the following day.... i don't know.............

If your staying dry your doing all right......
My tarp touches my suspension sometimes....I get in the hammock and it comes down and is usually fine.
Shug

when getting into the hammock the suspension did come down to where it was just touching the tarp as apposed it being buried in it.

[ciphoto]

I think you'll find you'll be okay. For the rain to be blowing at an angle that would hit the hammock it would have to be blowing really hard, specially if you pull them down at a 45* angle or less from the ridge line. The few times I've hung I set the side that up wind steeper than the downwind side.

After all it really doesn't hurt anything is the lines touch. You hammock generally isn't going to be swinging a lot.

[Ramblinrev]

I think the main issue would be the rain from the tarp running down the suspension lines to the hammock. That is easy to fix with a break of some sort in the suspension. For example I use webbing and cinch buckles. The cinch rings form a natural break in the flow. I don't know how whoopies would work but I'm sure someone will chime in on them. Drip strings, drip rings lots of inventive tiems have been used to redirect the flow of water along the suspension lines.

I can't even tell you what happens when I hang mine. I don't worry about it. I've been through some wicked storms and stayed dry so I must have done something right.

[cinnamon]

If your staying dry your doing all right......
Shug

and that i did............

thanks for the replies everyone, i'm sure that sooner or later i'll get it all dialed in to where i like it just takes practice.

~cinnamon

[Rain Man]

Are you using a v for you tarp where the crl goes around the tree and back and the hammock suspension goes up through the v?

I would think with the Maccat deluxe that you'd have enough coverage.

I have a MacCat Deluxe and that's what I do, except my "v" is above my HH whoopie slings. I run the tarp line under the tarp.

I rig my tarp high enough to stand under and my hammock high (or low) enough to sit in like a chair. Have been in some good rain with no problems of getting wet.

Rain Man

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