Suspension Ideas

[Hooch]

Well for the time being I have made a zip line inside my apartment out of the 50 foot tubular webbing. I'll post some pictures before I take it down later, but I need to clean up first.

I took the 50 foot and ran it between two structual columns and used a descending ring on the webbing to slide, and a baseball bat for the handle. It is a lot of fun, but it is too short of a zip line. Would be cool to have at a campsite, if I had a lightweight handle.

In all seriousness though, I have done this to help remove some of the initial stretch in the fabric. As everyone has pointed out the nylon stretches, after a few runs down the line it sags, and I tighten it back up.

Nice idea, but it probably won't work. And this is why: nylon webbing has a low memory stretch. This means that after you stretch it, it doesn't stay there, but goes back to its original size. So once you stretch this webbing it'll do the same. I had the ENO SlapStraps that were made from nylon. And every time I used them, they stretched and strecthed, eventually winding up with my butt on the ground. I appreciate your ingenuity, but in all likelihood it's not going to work. Learn your lesson the hard way if you must, like I did. But don't say we didn't offer alternatives to you. In short, we told you so!

[stoikurt]

Hooch is correct when he says that climber's ropes need to have stretch in them and are designed to do so.
The stretch is a shock absorber.
If you fell while climbing and your rope didn't stretch it would snap when suddenly put under load.

Or snap you if it held.

[Ramblinrev]

"Whether the stone hit's the pitcher, or the pitcher hits the stone... It's going to be bad for the pitcher." Tevya... Fiddler on the Roof.

[6 feet over]

I know it’s not good, but $17.50 is a relatively cheap lesson.

This site is like a double edged sword: They often save you money by helping you avoid unsuitable items, but they also provoke you into buying things you never would have thought of!

6

[nickelanddime]

These fellows are answering your question of how they would use your components to create a suitable suspension and I think it's very creative that one step in that process is bartering or selling off unsuited things to achieve the end goal... they just haven't told you the final steps.

Personally as my final step in the process I'd go with 2000# polyester webbing (seatbelt or ratchet tie down, whatever) and two carabiners sewn into loops at the end, but that's just me

and yeah, Hooch is right, it'll never stop stretching

[warbonnetguy]

the stock nylon webbing on your claytor is relativly short correct? you will notice much less stretch from it than you will from a 15 foot piece. the amount of stretch from a foot or so will be minimal, 15 feet on each end would add up to several feet of stretch which will be noticeable. you might as well replace the stock webbing too while you're at it though.

also, why not replace the ridgeline with a non stretch line that will hold your sag angle? this will allow you to keep a consistent sag and hang lower on far apart trees if needed.

i don't see prussics working on webbing but it's worth a try i guess. i have hung from autoblocks/klemheist (like a prussic but better) on line before and they held, but let several inches as they tighten and are hard to loosen once weighted. you don't want to tie knots? if you take the time to learn some decent knots you will find they are barely more time consuming than ring buckles or whatever. knots are better suited to tree straps and line though. if you are dead set on using only webbing, 2 cc buckles will be lighter than your 2 oval biners, and much easier to adjust. you would have to tie a knot or hitch to use the biners unless your prussic idea works.

the 2000# camo polyester from owfinc.com is really nice too. what colors does the 1.5" strapworks poly come in?