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  1. #1
    Senior Member scum's Avatar
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    Strap suspension idea

    I'm sure I'm not the 1st to think of this but I've not seen it posted here so thought I'd share.

    I made a couple of hammocks for my kids. Very simple, just overhand knots at each end. I had intended to get around to making full woopie sling suspensions for them but haven't made the time yet. Instead, I have a couple of 15' ratchet straps I bought from harbor freight for cheap. I cut the hardware off and attached to each end of the hammock using the larks head knot. Wrap around the tree and tie it up using the ol' Henessey Hammock method. Works - simple and easy enough for my kids to do. But a REAL pain when it comes to adjusting height - untie, adjust, retie, assess, repeat.

    Last week I took them out camping and had an idea that worked really well. I pulled the straps off the hammock. Each strap has a loop tied on one end - just like very long tree huggers.

    1. wrap the strap around the tree like you would a regular tree hugger when doing the marlin spike hitch method.
    2. at the loose end of the strap - at the height you want the hammock end, do the marlin spike hitch knot. But INSTEAD of putting a spike/toggle in it, throw the knotted end of the hammock in the knot.
    3. If you need to adjust, pop the end out and redo the knot in the right spot. Throw a slippery half hitch over the marlin spike hitch to ensure it's locked in.
    4. Done.

    It's not as quickly adjustable as the whoopie sling method. But it's cheap, easy, light and quick to setup and adjust. I laid in it w/ my 260lb butt and it held just fine. I DID NOT sleep overnight in it. So I don't know if it would slip overnight or if it would make the knots impossible to undo. My assumption is that it would be just as strong and easy to undo as the normal marlin spike hitch method. Can't see why it wouldn't be.

    Thought I'd throw it out as another alternative to a simple suspension method.
    -scum

  2. #2
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    Why didn't you just keep the ratchet hardware & use that to adjust it?

  3. #3
    Senior Member scum's Avatar
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    weight of the hardware.
    A simple knot eliminates the need for the hardware.

  4. #4
    Senior Member scum's Avatar
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    I should note also. I'm fairly confident that I could setup a hammock faster using the above method than using full ratcheting hardware.

    The only reason for the ratchet at all was it was a cheap local source for poly webbing at the time I was making my kids hammocks. Normally i just pick up straps at backwoods daydreamer's website for excellent prices.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Amelander's Avatar
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    You could also use a few carabiners to put into the MSH

  6. #6
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    I use carabiners as spikes with my current MSH w/ whoopie sling setup.

    What I'm talking about is connecting the hammock directly to the MSH instead of having a sling between the hammock and MSH.

    I may not be seeing what you mean, unless your talking about the big carabiners that come attached to the ends of the ENO hammocks?

  7. #7
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    I think I see what you're getting at - you're basically tying the strap in a knot around the end of the hammock - not sure the MSH is the ideal knot for this - wouldn't a simple noose be quicker?

  8. #8
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    Alright. Using my epic paint skills to demo what I'm trying to explain. Hope this helps. When I get time to setup my kids hammock, I'll try to take some pics to help clarify.


  9. #9
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    wouldn't a simple noose be quicker?
    That's entirely possible. I'm a simple man with limited knot knowledge. I use the marlin and prussik knots in almost everything I do so those are the knots I remember. I like the marlin since once I pull the 'spike' out the knot pops out and I can retie higher or lower very quickly. I'm sure there are other knots out there that would serve the purpose.

  10. #10
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    You're putting all your tension on the end of the "marlinspike" - in a normal MSH the tension is across it, tightening it up, this is trying to pull the "spike" out.

    I wouldn't trust it - try a sheet bend

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