Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25
  1. #1
    New Member RonW's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    North Central PA
    Posts
    10

    Hennessy newbie question- Ridge line tension??

    Hi: I just purchased an Explorer Deluxe, and was wondering just HOW tight the ridge line should be. On my first setup it was quite tight, but luckily didn't break. It seems to me that the tighter I string the hammock, the tighter this ridge line will become. I was just wondering what the 'safe' range is. Is shock cord on the ridge line a possibility to allow a tighter hang without breakage? I strung it up to have ever so slight sag unloaded. TIA. RON W

  2. #2
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Milton, PA
    Hammock
    Hennessey Explorer Ultralight
    Tarp
    Hennessey Hex
    Insulation
    HH Super Shelter
    Suspension
    ring buckle
    Posts
    7,945
    Images
    101
    I pull my ridgeline so there is little sag and I can feel some tension on the line. It is not taut and there is no guitar string resemblance. What is more important in my experience is how high I tie the straps on the support. The is an initial sag in a HH setup which many people try to take out by tightening the suspesnion assuming the ridgeline should stay where it is. On the vbasis of what I have read ere I take an opposite approach. I plan the initial drop into the hang and let it happen. The height of the huggers from the ground is much more important. The ridgeline is there to set the sag and by the time I am ion and relaxed they s often some slack in the ridgeline.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

  3. #3
    Senior Member HappyCamper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    WV
    Hammock
    WB Blackbird 1.1 dbl
    Tarp
    JRB11x10 Z-P cuben
    Insulation
    Yeti JRB WestMtg
    Suspension
    webbing, Dutchclip
    Posts
    3,527
    Images
    88
    My ridgeline is always quite tight. I definitely get guitar string twang. (Don't know what is right or wrong -- just making a report.) No problems with it. I did cut mine when I first got it to allow me to get netting out of way for chair sitting. Tied ridgeline back with a little S-biner. Still no problems. (fingers crossed)

    I don't have problems with comfort.

  4. #4
    Senior Member oldsoldier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    MA
    Hammock
    Warbonnet Ridgerunner
    Tarp
    WB Cloudburst
    Insulation
    AHE Ridge Creek UQ
    Suspension
    buckles
    Posts
    476
    Mine is quite tight as well. Have used it about 7 weekends in the past year, and no issues with it.

  5. #5
    Senior Member GrizzlyAdams's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Illinois
    Hammock
    GrizzBridge Ariel
    Tarp
    HG Cuben Winter
    Insulation
    DIY UQ
    Posts
    4,777
    Images
    564
    once the ridgeline has no sag in it, it is doing everything it is supposed to do. From that point of view, a thread would serve as a ridgeline, just to show you what the right length of suspension cord from hammock to tree should be in order to set the sag. You don't use a thread because once the angle of the line from hammock to tree is too flat the forces on the thread will snap it.

    So what a strong ridgeline gives you is a certain flexibility in the angle of the line from hammock to tree, a wider range of angle between the largest one where the ridgeline has no sag, and the smallest one you can have without snapping the ridgeline or suspension cord.

    Practically speaking then, it means that you can guesstimate the height at which you put your tree huggers, hang the hammock loose so that the ridgeline sags, then crank up the suspension line tension until the ridgeline is just past the point where it sags. But cranking up the tension is decreasing the length of the line from hammock to tree, which raises the hammock. Doing it this way leaves you with whatever height you have. Here then is an advantage to having "connection to tree" system that is easy to loosen and move.

    When I used ring buckles and cranked up the tension really tightly (before learning on HF that I didn't need to), I would have a little trouble loosening up the webbing from the rings. Doesn't happen when there is sag enough in the suspension lines but the ridgeline is still sagless.

    Grizz

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Doraville, GA
    Posts
    946
    Images
    23
    Quote Originally Posted by RonW View Post
    Hi: I just purchased an Explorer Deluxe, and was wondering just HOW tight the ridge line should be. On my first setup it was quite tight, but luckily didn't break. It seems to me that the tighter I string the hammock, the tighter this ridge line will become. I was just wondering what the 'safe' range is. Is shock cord on the ridge line a possibility to allow a tighter hang without breakage? I strung it up to have ever so slight sag unloaded. TIA. RON W
    Shock cord won't help.

    I don't think you have to worry too much about the ridgeline breaking unless you pull the suspension lines as tight as you possibly can, get in the hammock to take out initial stretch, and then get out and tighten it again and again to raise the hammock itself. That happens sometimes when folks don't attach the hammock suspension lines up high enough on the trees to start with. How high you attach is a function of your hammock, your size, and the span (the distance between the trees).

    Taller folks will usually want to tie off a little higher and you always want to tie off higher for longer spans. I'll attach a diagram I made up because often they explain things easier but you shouldn't get too hung up about exact dimensions on that drawing, they are not cast in stone.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Youngblood AT2000

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Austin, TX
    Posts
    142
    The purpose of the Hennessey ridge line is to make the hammock sag the same every time you set up, within a wide range of set-up conditions. Without it, if you set up tight, the hammock will pull too tight. But the ridge line keeps the critical distance between the hammock end the same. The only time it fails is when the trees are too close together. If you tighten (shorten) the ridge line, you put more sag into the hammock. If you want more sag, fine. Otherwise, leave the line alone. If the line sags when you set up, it usually means the trees are too close. If you adjust the ridge line tightly then, the body will keep that sag the next time you set up.

    Some folks, taking Hennessey's set up instructions too literally have broken their ridge lines - usually this happens when they set up too close to the ground and they have to pull the hanging lines tight to keep their bottoms off the sod. This puts enormous strain on the ridge line and sometimes breaks it.

  8. #8
    New Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Carmel, IN
    Hammock
    Hennessey Hammock
    Tarp
    One I made
    Insulation
    Underquilt I made
    Posts
    6
    Spock has it right. The tension line keeps the hammock in the proper shape no matter how far apart the trees are so long as they are far enough apart to pull the tension line tight when initially setting up. The only time I've heard of a tension line breaking was when the owner draped himself over it "to check the tension."

  9. #9
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Milton, PA
    Hammock
    Hennessey Explorer Ultralight
    Tarp
    Hennessey Hex
    Insulation
    HH Super Shelter
    Suspension
    ring buckle
    Posts
    7,945
    Images
    101
    There are many many discussions of this on the forum. Depending on the span I will sometimes not pull the ridgeline tight . The longer the span the higher the tree huggers need to be on the tree. If I have to use my treking pole to move the tree hugger up the tree for a particularly long span I will intentional sag the support lines The structural ridge line is straight, not droopy but hardly tight. The increased sag in the suspension straps means less initial sag in the hammock system on loading. So I still sleep at a reasonable height off the ground, but can be rather sloppy loose after I get in.

    On a short span or one close to minimal I will put some tension on the ridgeline, but not a whole lot. I pay more attention to the height of the tree huggers than the ridgeline.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

  10. #10
    Senior Member Lorethian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Independence, MO
    Hammock
    Black Bird
    Tarp
    Warbonnet Superfly
    Insulation
    Yeti Under Quilt
    Suspension
    Slings/straps
    Posts
    135
    Usually I keep my ridgeline very tight. Have never really thought about it or had any issues.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Replies: 20
      Last Post: 11-02-2017, 18:52
    2. Newbie Ridge Line Question
      By mrguyterrifico in forum General Hammock Talk
      Replies: 4
      Last Post: 08-03-2013, 23:30
    3. Setting ridge line tension
      By BigBearCamper in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 2
      Last Post: 07-10-2013, 22:43
    4. Ridge Line tension
      By flight_chick in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 03-25-2012, 22:51
    5. Newbie Question about Ridge Line's
      By makpac in forum Suspension Systems, Ridgelines, & Bug Nets
      Replies: 14
      Last Post: 04-06-2009, 23:27

    Tags for this Thread

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •