I got the best deal ever...

**NCPatrick** · 06-21-2011, 11:38

Originally Posted by stefprez

In all honesty, the hype on here about Slap Straps being like bungee cords is quite inflated. I used nylon climbing spec webbing for over a year. Does it stretch a little? Sure. Can you use it just fine anyway? Yes. I never once woke up with my butt on the ground or anything.

First time I met Hooch was at a Hot Springs hangout. He went to bed early, and his hammock was suspended at a "normal" height. A little while (couple of hours) later as I was walking by, I noticed his hammock was a bit lower to the ground. I thought maybe he got up and adjusted lower. Later that (early) morning he said that he woke up with his posterior on the ground and had to get up and tighten up the suspension. Just a little true story about Hooch's ENO Slap Straps, but YMMV.

**Ramblinrev** · 06-21-2011, 11:41

IMO using slap straps with a Clark would be like when Pontiac was putting Chevy engines in their upper end cars. The engine made the car go. But it certainly did not improve the performance.

Slap Straps are fine IF you have an absolutely consistent regular distance for your hang. For example, if you always hang from the same stand or from the same set of trees so you can dial in the sag and the rest of it without having to worry about changing it with every hang. In that case they can be very nice. Quick to unhook and put the hammock away. Quick to re-hook and be set up right.

But on the trail that is usually not possible. In that case they are a pain in the proverbial to set up to your "just right" hang. You are much better off using an "infinitely adjustable" system like ring/cinch buckles or whoopie slings or something along that line.

**stefprez** · 06-21-2011, 11:42

When I first started hanging, I usually couldn't put my feet on the ground when I sat in the hammock like a chair. Sometimes even a foot away or more. I realize that's a bit higher than most do it, but you more or less compensate for what you've got. I agree though, YMMV.

**PackBacker81** · 06-21-2011, 16:03

Originally Posted by stefprez

In all honesty, the hype on here about Slap Straps being like bungee cords is quite inflated. I used nylon climbing spec webbing for over a year. Does it stretch a little? Sure. Can you use it just fine anyway? Yes. I never once woke up with my butt on the ground or anything.

I don't think it's just that the straps are nylon... it's the way they are woven that also contributes to the stretch IMO.

**stefprez** · 06-21-2011, 16:06

That is a good point. I'm sure that has some part in the amount of stretch.

**LazyMan** · 06-23-2011, 16:58

When a used my slapstraps to hang a few weeks ago it rained over night and I ended up an inch from the ground. Not my Fav.

**Doctari** · 06-23-2011, 17:55

Hey, you got yourself a good (not great) set of Pack leashes for hanging your pack from a tree as you set up camp.

I got a set as a "gag gift" at the Hoosier hang earlier this year. I laughed & laughed.

Used a (different, loaner) set for about 1 hr, ended up about 1' lower than when I started, total length of slap strap used, about 2.5'. I was at work hooked to eye bolts in the wall put there for my hammock.

Welcome to HF, where we will do our best to keep you off the ground.

**DemostiX** · 06-23-2011, 18:40

1. Is the stretch in the nylon or in the weave, so that the first time it is heavily loaded the weave sets, and after that the stretch is just according to fraction of load?

2. Won't these work fine if the tree permits multiple wraps, or will the load cause the straps to creep during the hang?

3. Even spectra-based rope can creep by amounts that are nothing to hammockers, but which raise havoc in systems not designed to accomodate the smallest amount of slack. That's one reason why there are blends of fibers in ropes.

**Doody** · 06-23-2011, 18:59

I used slap straps all last year. I liked them for ease of set up compared to all knots. The first time I used them there was quite a bit of stretch but much less after that. I was using a spreader bar type hammock which simplified things. Just hook to the tightest loop I could. I much prefer the cinch buckle setup I use now, however.

**Ramblinrev** · 06-23-2011, 19:41

Originally Posted by DemostiX

1. Is the stretch in the nylon or in the weave, so that the first time it is heavily loaded the weave sets, and after that the stretch is just according to fraction of load?

2. Won't these work fine if the tree permits multiple wraps, or will the load cause the straps to creep during the hang?

3. Even spectra-based rope can creep by amounts that are nothing to hammockers, but which raise havoc in systems not designed to accomodate the smallest amount of slack. That's one reason why there are blends of fibers in ropes.

The stretch is in both. Once the weave is stretched it will stay stretched. However nylon has an excellent "memory" and wants to return to it's original size. So the nylon will continue to stretch for quite some time.

the point behind slap straps is to eliminate the need for multiple wraps. The stretch of the nylon is somewhat dependent on the length of the working end so it may help some. But why have to wrap multiple times when a better strap will only need one wrap.

Fibers all react differently and there is little you can do about that. Some fibers co-exist nicely. Some fibers don't play well with others.