Maximum load for whoopie sling setup

[Sevens]

Im just curious. Would Whoopie slings hold up a fellar around 300 lbs.? I want to get my Blackbird lighter but it seems, at my size, I'd hear "zzzzzziiittt!" then I'd be on the ground??

Thanks for the info.

[joemcc]

I think it would hold you just fine. Sit in it slowly!

[bigbamaguy]

I am a proud "big" hanger and I use whoopies, 7/64, and they hold me with no slippage. I will admit the first time was a bit of a "what am I doing moment!!!!" but they have not failed me. I did make my buries and slices a little be longer just for the heck of it though.

[SmokeBait]

7/64" should easily hold up to the hammock's weight rating. You could always move up to 1/8" if worried.

[Rain Man]

Sevens, professional riggers (think cranes, tree surgeons, etc) often use a 10-to-1 rule of thumb for safety. That is, every "link in the chain" must be rated at ten times the weight of the load. One reason is how knots, bends, splices, and etc weaken the line. Other reasons include geometry and physics (think leverage) and dynamic v. static loads (think jumping up and down on bathroom scales).

However, Amsteel takes some of this into account with its weight ratings (it tests spliced rope), so a 5-to-1 ratio is reasonable.

In short, if you weight 200 lbs, then you want every part of your rigging to be rated for at least 1,000 lbs of strength.

Not all hammock hangers go by the above, nor frankly do all understand the science and math involved (I don't profess to understand all the calculations). It's each hanger's own backbone hanging over those rocks and roots, so each gets to decide his or her own comfort level.

Rain Man

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[SilvrSurfr]

7/64" should easily hold up to the hammock's weight rating. You could always move up to 1/8" if worried.

Amen to that - I just ordered some 1/8" Amsteel and was surprised that it ain't much bigger than the 7/64" Amsteel (don't know why I was surprised - they differ in size by 1/64", although the 1/8" is 12-strand and 7/64 is 8 strand).

[DivaB]

Just go for the 1/8 amsteel and have no worries what so ever.

[AaronAlso]

I proudly just weighted in this past monday 8.5lbs lighter than 3 weeks ago, I'm still at 301lbs though. I have been hanging on an All In One whoopie sling from whoopieslings.com. Even months ago when I was two babies and a small dog heavier, I never even hesitated to plop down in the hammock; talk about dynamic load. No slippage, no breaking or fraying. However, I am starting to see signs of wear & elongation. I suspect I'll get another year or more out of them before I have to resling the rig.

I understand all the science envolved, but I also know that calculattions can only get us so far. Eventually, experimentation becomes the only way to know for sure.

[pgibson]

At 300 your still on the lighter side of hangers We have made slings for hangers over 400 pounds and we have done both real world and laboratory testing to over 600 pounds. Get some good ones and you will be fine.

[Sevens]

Very cool. I just can't wrap my brain around how that bury can hold me. We'll give it a try.

Much thanks.