No more falling on my butt please

**DemostiX** · 06-28-2011, 17:05

Originally Posted by Arok

For my eno I use a seat belt. I sewed a loop on both ends and use the buckle as a toggle. I have had my wife, my 9 year old son, and myself in the hammock-- works great. I got the seat belt from an old car at a scrap yard.(free) it's not ultra light but it want break on you.

Exactly. Dunno if the Strapworks seat belt material is 1st rate, as the stuff that meets DOT standards must be. The listed price is rather low, and I don't recall seat belts that were just 1" wide, too narrow not to cause its own injury in a crash or roll-over. But, maybe it is stapping that meets tough standards for restraint of child carriers, which would be cool.

An expert in this stuff is going to know how the OP's strap failed; and that person could know, the same as experts on metal failure know from looking a broken part where the break started and how it happened.

I'm pushing seat-belt strapping. because there are properties of fault-tolerance beyond breaking strength. For example, it is woven, so it won't rip or tear easily (at all?) And it is not heavy. Lengths? Sew on it well and right, and trust the stitching as you do the loops sewn in 3/4 - 1" polyester straps.

**Knucklehead** · 06-28-2011, 17:11

Originally Posted by DemostiX

Dunno if the Strapworks seat belt material is 1st rate, as the stuff that meets DOT standards must be. The listed price is rather low, and I don't recall seat belts that were just 1" wide, too narrow not to cause its own injury in a crash or roll-over. But, maybe it is stapping that meets tough standards for restraint of child carriers, which would be cool.

I just ordered some 1" seatbelt webbing from strapworks so hopefully it will work out without any problems.

**Paladin03** · 06-28-2011, 17:42

I emailed strap works to see if they could stitch end loops for me! They have a slightly more expensive webbing that can take up to 3800#

**ChrisH** · 06-29-2011, 16:25

Seatbelt webbing is in fact quite heavy compared to the other choices mentioned in this thread. It's also quite difficult to use the MSH and toggle with. HH's come with a 2" webbing that seems to be seatbelt webbing, I changed mine out before I even hung the hammock the first time.

**Knucklehead** · 06-29-2011, 23:21

Originally Posted by ChrisH

Seatbelt webbing is in fact quite heavy compared to the other choices mentioned in this thread. It's also quite difficult to use the MSH and toggle with. HH's come with a 2" webbing that seems to be seatbelt webbing, I changed mine out before I even hung the hammock the first time.

i agree that 2" webbing would be quite difficult to use a toggle with, but i have used it before. the webbing were talking about here is a seatbelt weave in 1" width. i dont see how it would be any more difficult than any other webbing.

**ChrisH** · 06-30-2011, 02:28

Yeah, that was a response to Demostix post, forgot to quote it. I agree, the 1" stuff is great for our purposes.

**DemostiX** · 06-30-2011, 11:01

Use a longer toggle. Duh. If the toggle is such as an CF arrow shaft, the difference is a few grams.

Cant use a marling spike hitch? I just went out to 4 cars to see what your problem could be. Ran out of cars and couldn't find any difference in the webbing.

I'm responding to the subject of the thread and the OP's situation: questionable webbing that failed. Because of enforced regulations, seatbelt webbing doesn't suffer bursting failures, and is likely otherwise less fragile.

Lighter can always be found or made. That's what another hobby, road bikes, can also be about. For a couple of reasons, one of the governing racing authorities has a minimum total weight of 15 lb. Can an 8 lb bike be built? Yes. Cost: High. Will unsupported amateurs crash if furnished them? Yes. Why? They'll be too heavy for the frame; and because durability isn't expected at that weight; so, fatigue failure.

If I were using the fine JRB tri-glides, or otherwise had an investment in solid 1" hardware and 1" strapping, I'd stay with it, and not suggest to the OP a change. Firms like JRB, Warbonnet, and others stay in business by exercising QC, getting to the bottom of equipment failures, not buying from suppliers who don't do the same.

For capacity, seatbelt webbing is NOT heavy. Find the specs to convince yourself. Too much weight? Shorten the straps. I have a rig in which the 1" poly strap is just 1 meter; and it is supplemented with an inarguably stronger and lighter Amsteel loop. See above digression on bikes. Wannabe's remove all the brake pad material they won't be using for a time trial. They persuade themselves, and try to persuade others, that the.01 second time difference over a 50km race could be a podium position. Indeed.

**ChrisH** · 06-30-2011, 15:09

I didn't say you can't use a MSH, I said it's difficult. And it is, compared to using the 1" stuff. He said he got the webbing from one of the dealers on this site, they all take QC very seriously. What happened to him and his girlfriend was something that doesn't happen often by any means, if it was a QC issue I would think it would happen with some regularity. Just my opinion, don't take it to heart and HYOH.

**Paladin03** · 07-07-2011, 18:09

Well, I got new straps, but I've been thinking, even with new straps trees will still be able to cut them up. So I got to thinking, does anyone put anything between the tree and their straps? I was thinking of maybe wrapping a couple of feet of strap in duct tape. Or buying this from REI http://www.rei.com/product/719270/sp...rope-protector

what do you guys think? or should I just carry an extra set of straps.

**Ramblinrev** · 07-07-2011, 18:13

Ijust can't see bark damaging the straps. I've hung on all sorts of trees and the only thing that damaged my straps is using my hardware incorrectly. That cover would be ok for rope but I don't see it working on webbing. Just my opinion.