Whipping or Sewn Channel on DIY Hammock

[S3ymour]

Ok, after I bought my first hammock about a month ago I got bit by the DIY bug bad. I've built snake skins, stuff sacks, gear hammock and a few other odds and ends. Recently I decided I wanted to make my own hammock. Is there any reason not to sew a channel at the ends of the hammock to hang it from or is whipping more secure?? I can definitely sew it just as well as my Travel Hammock is sewn so I'm undecided. Any help would be great!

[GrizzlyAdams]

Ok, after I bought my first hammock about a month ago I got bit by the DIY bug bad. I've built snake skins, stuff sacks, gear hammock and a few other odds and ends. Recently I decided I wanted to make my own hammock. Is there any reason not to sew a channel at the ends of the hammock to hang it from or is whipping more secure?? I can definitely sew it just as well as my Travel Hammock is sewn so I'm undecided. Any help would be great!

Whipping gives you some control over how the hammock lays, particularly the sides. A general recommendation is to pull the sides of the hammock through the whipping a little farther than the center. But the main point is that with whipping you can try different ways of pulling the fabric so as to get the lay you like best.

With a channel, what you have is what you have forever. It might make a difference whether the U the channel forms when tightened opens up (like the U) or down. Maybe someone who uses those kinds of hammocks more regularly than I can comment.

Chances are that the fabric you are using is just fine for a channel. I've used 1.1 on a couple of hammocks and I would not trust a channel to hold on them.

Grizz

[S3ymour]

The fabric I'm using is two layered 1.9oz ripstop...strength wise I'm not too worried. I've just never done a whipped hammock before so I don't really know the difference. I think I'll go ahead and sew the channel, then whip it to see if I like it. If I do, no loss, if not I can then try using the channel. The nice thing is, since I'm building this for fun, it doesn't have to work great, although it would be nice. Anyways, thanks for the input.

[GrizzlyAdams]

The fabric I'm using is two layered 1.9oz ripstop...strength wise I'm not too worried. I've just never done a whipped hammock before so I don't really know the difference. I think I'll go ahead and sew the channel, then whip it to see if I like it. If I do, no loss, if not I can then try using the channel. The nice thing is, since I'm building this for fun, it doesn't have to work great, although it would be nice. Anyways, thanks for the input.

strengthwise you are surely fine.

In my last hammock I put in the channels (on 1.1 fabric), look at it, asked "are you out of your mind?, that will never hold") and whipped it.

have fun! Tinkering around with this stuff is addictive. Talking about tinkering around with this stuff is addictive. Reading what other people say about tinkering around with this stuff is addictive ....

Grizz

[slowhike]

Whipping gives you some control over how the hammock lays, particularly the sides. A general recommendation is to pull the sides of the hammock through the whipping a little farther than the center. But the main point is that with whipping you can try different ways of pulling the fabric so as to get the lay you like best.

With a channel, what you have is what you have forever. It might make a difference whether the U the channel forms when tightened opens up (like the U) or down. Maybe someone who uses those kinds of hammocks more regularly than I can comment.

Chances are that the fabric you are using is just fine for a channel. I've used 1.1 on a couple of hammocks and I would not trust a channel to hold on them.

Grizz

I agree w/ what grizz said here, but if you're going to go ahead & sew the channel, you're right ... you can still try it both ways & see which works best for you.

[S3ymour]

I went ahead, sewed the channel, then whipped it anyways. I'm quite happy with the whipping on it turned out great and is the perfect size hammock. I think next project is going to be either a tarp or under quilt. Probably under quilt as I don't have one of those yet.

[bry961]

I went ahead, sewed the channel, then whipped it anyways. I'm quite happy with the whipping on it turned out great and is the perfect size hammock. I think next project is going to be either a tarp or under quilt. Probably under quilt as I don't have one of those yet.

I prefer the whipped hammock simply because of its adjustability. I fell like you get a better lay in a whipped hammock

[S3ymour]

I prefer the whipped hammock simply because of its adjustability. I fell like you get a better lay in a whipped hammock

So far I would have to agree. I like my skeeter beeter pro by travel hammock, but with my homemade whipped hammock, I was able to cut down the size quite a bit and whip it so that it conforms better to me personally. I do notice that I lay in it quite a bit better and that I don't get as much squeeze from the sides. Overall I'm very happy with the whipping!