Tautline Hitch Question

[ccathcart72]

I have read in the forums about many people using the tautline hitch for tarps and such but are there some of you out there that use a tautline hitch in your hammock suspension line for hanging and adjustment? I have a Hennessey with stock suspension ropes and was wondering if this would work. The idea is to tie the tautline hitch in both ends of the suspension and use carabiners or nacra biners to connect it to the tree straps. This way you could leave the tautline hitch permanentely tied into the suspension.

I know Whoopie Slings would be the best solution but was wondering if this might work also.

Thanks in advance for your input.
Chris

[raiffnuke]

It would work, but you would have to add a bunch of wraps to prevent it from slipping. IMHO there is too much rope in the stock suspension for this to work properely. You could get it set up once, but if you try again with different spacing between trees, you would have to untie and retie it. It will be difficult to untie after loading with you in the hammock. my 2 cents.

[richtorfla]

A taught line hitch works on securing your giudelines and the tieouts on the shockcord, but don't use it to hang from. It will slip on you. One of persons in our boy scout troop thought that he could use it instead of using the HH figure 8 lash. He found out the hard way it does not hold a persons weight (down he went). Better off using the figure 8. Really not that hard to master and I found I can really lash it quick. The only pain is re-adjusting the hammock if you want to reset the lay.

[ccathcart72]

Thanks for the info guys.

Another question - Has anyone had any experience with Blake's Hitch. Is it better / worse than a tautline?

[shumway]

You can make a tautline hitch hold better by adding extra wraps. I tried that with my Hennessy but still didn't like the stock ropes. Switched out to whoopies and it's much easier to hang and adjust.

[TrailH4x]

Blake's Hitch will probably not fair much better.

Most, if not all, of the "sliding friction hitches" will slip due to the substantial load applied and non-equal distribution of that load within the wraps of the hitch. Since your weight is not hanging straight down on the suspension, a substantial more amount of force is required to be held than just your body weight (Many posts in various forums here between mathemagicians regarding the trigochronology involved in load calculations). If a weight indicator were to be placed in line of the suspension, it would show that your are supporting half a ton or more on the rope simply by placing one body in the hammock. Constrictor hitches (as used in UCR's and Whoopie Slings) compensate for this be spreading the load most effectively on the full exterior of the ropes for a distance of 6"-7"+ in most configurations you will see.

Feel the AmSteel.