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  1. #1
    New Member
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    Jun 2012
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    WV, USA -- Temporarily displaced from Alaska
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    Making my first camping hammock! Input would be appreciated.

    Hello everyone,

    I am new to the forum and posted a little about myself at the thread, New To the Forum.

    Anyways I am going to make my first camping hammock and was looking to a little input. I am trying to spend as little as possible first time around because either I Will really like camping this way and will upgrade or will not like it and give it away.

    I am getting ready to place an order from Arrowhead for all of the below except for the nylon. These are some of the questions I have prior to ordering.

    1- The first thing that I am needing help with is finding some ripstop nylon. I could not find any locally so I guess I will have to order online. I did some research and found that there are two types, a Nylon 6 and a Nylon 66, with the 66 apparently having twice the strength. So I suppose that is what I would be looking for. I will also need to make a tarp so I will need some sort of treated stuff as well.

    2- Next is how long would you make each completed whoopie sling attachment on your suspension set up? We are in a pretty well forested area so I should be able to find two suitable trees but I don't want to short change myself. Seems like somewhere I saw that you should try to find trees that are 12-15 feet apart so that would give me some idea. Really I am just trying to find out how much Amsteel to order.

    3- How much tree strap would you suggest having after wrapping around your tree? I plan to buy the webbing with one sewn loop and using those with a toggle.

    4- Can I use 550 cord for my ridge line since I already have gobs on hand?

    5- Is there anything else I overlooked? Should I add more things to the set up?

    Any input would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Ripstop

  2. #2
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Gainesville, FL
    Hammock
    DIY Gathered End
    Tarp
    DIY Asym
    Insulation
    DIY Modular Quilt
    Suspension
    Whoopies/MSH
    Posts
    4,471
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    14
    1.) DIY Gear Supply is a wonderful source for nylon. Scott is a member here, and he offers great customer service.

    There are multiple kinds of ripstop, most of which is differentiated into two categories: coated (water-resistant/waterproof/not breathable) and uncoated (breathable). For the hammock body, you want breathable nylon--this helps prevent you from waking up in a pool of sweat or condensation. Warbonnet has an handy guide for hammock comfort vs. occupant weight vs. nylon weight per square yard (as an aside, you'll often see nylon marked by "denier" or "d"; 30d is approximately 1.1 oz/sq yard before any coating while 90d is approximately 1.9 oz/sq yard before any coating; coatings add weight).


    2.) Not sure; I've not used whoopie slings. However, there's a great tutorial (with pictures!) over in the Suspensions section of the site.


    3.) Depends on the trees in your area. Down here in FL, six feet would be my minimum if I was to go over to whoopies and straps rather than a straight strap system. The usable trees down here tend to be on the large size.


    4.) You can, but it's not really desirable for that. Nylon (which is what 550 is made out of) stretches: great for arresting a fall (either climbing or parachuting) since it absorbs shocks; not so great for holding a static load in the same place all night long. The CRL is good because it doesn't let your hammock get longer than its set length. I'd recommend getting either some extra Amsteel when you order yours for your whoopies or some of the 1.9mm Tech Line that DIY Gear Supply sells when you get your nylon (which is the same stuff as the Amsteel, just a narrower diameter). Neither will stretch on you.


    5.) Depends. Are you going to want a bug net for the warmer months? From what I hear, Alaska is...impressive for about three months out of the year with mosquitoes. If so, it might be worth looking into the various designs here and deciding if you want an attached bug net, a removable one, or something in between. Do you have a tarp? What about insulation? Anyway, it's worth thinking about.


    If you've got specific questions about anything, I'd be more than willing to answer a PM!

    Hope it helps!

  3. #3
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    SW Ontario, Canada
    Hammock
    WBBB 1.7 SL
    Tarp
    WB Superfly
    Insulation
    WB and UGQ
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    Whoopies or Straps
    Posts
    7,184
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    248
    Quote Originally Posted by Ripstop View Post
    Hello everyone,

    I am new to the forum and posted a little about myself at the thread, New To the Forum.

    Anyways I am going to make my first camping hammock and was looking to a little input. I am trying to spend as little as possible first time around because either I Will really like camping this way and will upgrade or will not like it and give it away.

    I am getting ready to place an order from Arrowhead for all of the below except for the nylon. These are some of the questions I have prior to ordering.

    1- The first thing that I am needing help with is finding some ripstop nylon. I could not find any locally so I guess I will have to order online. I did some research and found that there are two types, a Nylon 6 and a Nylon 66, with the 66 apparently having twice the strength. So I suppose that is what I would be looking for. I will also need to make a tarp so I will need some sort of treated stuff as well.

    2- Next is how long would you make each completed whoopie sling attachment on your suspension set up? We are in a pretty well forested area so I should be able to find two suitable trees but I don't want to short change myself. Seems like somewhere I saw that you should try to find trees that are 12-15 feet apart so that would give me some idea. Really I am just trying to find out how much Amsteel to order.

    3- How much tree strap would you suggest having after wrapping around your tree? I plan to buy the webbing with one sewn loop and using those with a toggle.

    4- Can I use 550 cord for my ridge line since I already have gobs on hand?

    5- Is there anything else I overlooked? Should I add more things to the set up?

    Any input would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Ripstop
    Can't help with the nylon but in terms of suspension. 6 foot whoopie slings and 6 foot of webbing should be adequate for most woods. It you are in a area with sparse or really large trees you may want to make them longer. For one 6 foot whoopie sling you'll need about 13 feet of amsteel.

    You could use 550 for the ridgeline however it can stretch. The stretch is not a big deal depending on how you use it. I use a structural ridgeline as a yard stick to get my sag so it ends up being not too taut. I personally can't feel the difference an inch or two makes but some can.

    Where a structural ridgeline is handy is for supporting a bugnet and also to keep your sag consistent depending on the angle of your suspension. If you have trees too far apart and you cannot get your webbing high enough on the trees to maintain a 30 degree angle, the ridgeline will be pulled very taut but you'll have the same sag. If you used 550 it would stretch and change your sag a little.
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

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