The Hammock virus strikes again

[Full_timer]

Well, I have a confession to make. First, I don't consider myself to be a crafty kind of guy. You know the friend you don't hand the saw to and say just cut three inches off of that since it will likely come back crooked. The one you won't let near your thread injector.

So I am planning on buying some tablecloths to make some extra wide and long hammocks. While asking questions about bug nets and long hammocks and searching through posts I discover a post by SilvrSurfr that makes the case that buying a bias 11' hammock is nearly as cheap as making one. The logic was so simple and obvious. What was I to do but order one of their hammock kits with knotty mod and a buginator bug net as a back up plan.

Beware this virus is potent and highly contagious. Your closets will never be empty again if you catch this virus...

Seriously, thanks for all the great ideas. Looking forward to trying a longer hammock.

Andy

[CamRuns]

based on that website, buying a tablecloth and making your suspension is much cheaper than buying that plus the knotty mod.

[Full_timer]

Absolutely true. The tablecloth also has the advantage, depending on your point of view, of being Taffeta not rip stop nylon. Probably, the tablecloth will be more comfortable for day in and day out use and heavier. Surfr's comparison was for building a rip stop v rip stop hammock if I remember correctly. The Bias will give me a professionally built 11' hammock to compare my tablecloths with. It seems like a fantastic deal. Hopefully, the Knotty mod will help keep the sides from vibrating in the wind and making a lot of noise like my ENO DN does. I'm very curious to see if the Knotty mod does tame the sides in the wind.

Andy

Hammock link:

http://www.buttinasling.com/cahaallin1.html

[jbrianb]

Absolutely true. The tablecloth also has the advantage, depending on your point of view, of being Taffeta not rip stop nylon. Probably, the tablecloth will be more comfortable for day in and day out use and heavier. Surfr's comparison was for building a rip stop v rip stop hammock if I remember correctly. The Bias will give me a professionally built 11' hammock to compare my tablecloths with. It seems like a fantastic deal. Hopefully, the Knotty mod will help keep the sides from vibrating in the wind and making a lot of noise like my ENO DN does. I'm very curious to see if the Knotty mod does tame the sides in the wind.

Andy

Hammock link:

http://www.buttinasling.com/cahaallin1.html

We got a few tablecloths for testing... sort of our experiment with a cheaper consumer line (as if we aren't already a cheaper consumer line!). I "like" the tablecloth, but I don't love it. 1) The weight is pretty substantial. 2) If you don't shred one or buy some fabric elsewhere, you don't get a nifty matching bag. 3) On close examination in the light, some of the "crinkles" looked like they'd weakened the fabric. I know this happens with any fabric, but it's also why we use ripstop. 4) Did I say heavy already? Nevermind. 5) I did find it "crinkly" and slightly noisy versus a soft taffeta like that used in a GT Ultralight (I do mean "slightly"... nothing insane, but something that I noticed).

That said, for the money, it's pretty doggone hard not to recommend it to someone who's not worried about weight and who has some basic sewing skills or who likes whipped end hammocks. I view it as a terrific entry-level project and the hammock is perfectly acceptable for a camping rig. That said, I wouldn't want to haul it in my backpack.

I hope that one day I can get my hands on some .75-.9 oz. polyester ripstop (with a taffeta or smooth feel) to play with. With polyester's strength and low-stretch qualities, that should make a good, lightweight hammock for someone up to 200 lbs. The problem is procuring the fabric at an affordable price. I've tried the polyester taffeta marketed as "lining" material, but it doesn't have ripstop properties and while cheap, it's not any lighter than 1.1 ripstop nylon. I fear what would happen if it were punctured.

[L.D. Cakes]

You made me look up the cost of suspension accessories at AHE to compare with what you get included with the BIAS hammock. A good deal indeed & they're on sale for 55.00!
Factor in:
Tablecloth----------13.00
Whoopie Slings -----15.00
Aluminum Toggles----2.50
7' Tree Straps ------ 7.00
Adjustable Ridge Line13.50
Total= 51.00

[SilvrSurfr]

When I started looking at a DIY 1.1 oz. hammock, 11 ft. long and 60" wide, I kind of stopped at the point where the fabric was $38.90, plus thread, Amsteel continuous loops, and a stuff sack when I said, "Geez, I could get a BIAS Weight Weenie Micro for $46.95?"

Why would I DIY: to save $8? Some people take a great deal of pride in saying, "I made it myself." Personally, I take a great deal more pride in saying, "I got a sweet deal on a great product." I don't think BIAS is gonna be selling hammocks for that price forever.

As for the tablecloth hammocks, I bought three 60" wide ones which are arriving tomorrow. The thread injector is ready and waiting to sew channels on the ends. The Dutch Whoopie Hooks arrived today for my whoopies, and I have already made continuous loops to go through the channels. I doubt I'd ever carry a tablecloth hammock on a hike (too heavy), but $12.99 for a hammock? I will proudly say "I made it myself," even though that's kind of only half true.

I wish they had tablecloth hammocks a couple of years ago when I was a newbie hanger (even though I still classify myself as a newbie now).

[dirtwheels]

You made me look up the cost of suspension accessories at AHE to compare with what you get included with the BIAS hammock. A good deal indeed & they're on sale for 55.00!
Factor in:
Tablecloth----------13.00
Whoopie Slings -----15.00
Aluminum Toggles----2.50
7' Tree Straps ------ 7.00
Adjustable Ridge Line13.50
Total= 51.00

Tablecloth -13.00
50' - 7/64 Amsteel from Westport Marine - 13.00 for soft shackels, ridge line & whoopies
2 - 12' lashing straps (straps are 1000# rated) - 6.00
2 - bamboo toggles (neighbors patch) - free

$32.00

[L.D. Cakes]

We got a few tablecloths for testing... sort of our experiment with a cheaper consumer line (as if we aren't already a cheaper consumer line!). I "like" the tablecloth, but I don't love it. 1) The weight is pretty substantial. 2) If you don't shred one or buy some fabric elsewhere, you don't get a nifty matching bag. 3) On close examination in the light, some of the "crinkles" looked like they'd weakened the fabric. I know this happens with any fabric, but it's also why we use ripstop. 4) Did I say heavy already? Nevermind. 5) I did find it "crinkly" and slightly noisy versus a soft taffeta like that used in a GT Ultralight (I do mean "slightly"... nothing insane, but something that I noticed).

That said, for the money, it's pretty doggone hard not to recommend it to someone who's not worried about weight and who has some basic sewing skills or who likes whipped end hammocks. I view it as a terrific entry-level project and the hammock is perfectly acceptable for a camping rig. That said, I wouldn't want to haul it in my backpack.

I hope that one day I can get my hands on some .75-.9 oz. polyester ripstop (with a taffeta or smooth feel) to play with. With polyester's strength and low-stretch qualities, that should make a good, lightweight hammock for someone up to 200 lbs. The problem is procuring the fabric at an affordable price. I've tried the polyester taffeta marketed as "lining" material, but it doesn't have ripstop properties and while cheap, it's not any lighter than 1.1 ripstop nylon. I fear what would happen if it were punctured.

I usually recommend the GT to a newbie because they go on sale often for 20 bucks. Then have them make whoopies/toggles/straps like dirtwheels has pointed out to cut down on cost. But not everyone likes to splice cord so I wind up doing it for them and don't always have the time. I really like your all-in-one rig (now that I've been enlightened). Also an 11 foot hammock is sweet.

This is a good thread.

[CamRuns]

We got a few tablecloths for testing... sort of our experiment with a cheaper consumer line (as if we aren't already a cheaper consumer line!). I "like" the tablecloth, but I don't love it. 1) The weight is pretty substantial. 2) If you don't shred one or buy some fabric elsewhere, you don't get a nifty matching bag. 3) On close examination in the light, some of the "crinkles" looked like they'd weakened the fabric. I know this happens with any fabric, but it's also why we use ripstop. 4) Did I say heavy already? Nevermind. 5) I did find it "crinkly" and slightly noisy versus a soft taffeta like that used in a GT Ultralight (I do mean "slightly"... nothing insane, but something that I noticed).

That said, for the money, it's pretty doggone hard not to recommend it to someone who's not worried about weight and who has some basic sewing skills or who likes whipped end hammocks. I view it as a terrific entry-level project and the hammock is perfectly acceptable for a camping rig. That said, I wouldn't want to haul it in my backpack.

I hope that one day I can get my hands on some .75-.9 oz. polyester ripstop (with a taffeta or smooth feel) to play with. With polyester's strength and low-stretch qualities, that should make a good, lightweight hammock for someone up to 200 lbs. The problem is procuring the fabric at an affordable price. I've tried the polyester taffeta marketed as "lining" material, but it doesn't have ripstop properties and while cheap, it's not any lighter than 1.1 ripstop nylon. I fear what would happen if it were punctured.

Yeah, the BIAS is definitely a good deal. I just thought the OP was more concerned with price than weight. I got a tablecloth and it was my entry into DIY. Having done that, I bought some 1.9 Ripstop nylon and am trying a bigger DIY task. Would definitely shoot for the BIAS deal if I kind of didn't really enjoy the making it myself. I think it almost adds a level of attachment to the hammock knowing you put some hard work into it. Definitely wouldn't backpack with a tablecloth though. Car camping is another story and I think it may keep you a bit warmer in cooler temps.

[Full_timer]

Yeah, the BIAS is definitely a good deal. I just thought the OP was more concerned with price than weight. I got a tablecloth and it was my entry into DIY. Having done that, I bought some 1.9 Ripstop nylon and am trying a bigger DIY task. Would definitely shoot for the BIAS deal if I kind of didn't really enjoy the making it myself. I think it almost adds a level of attachment to the hammock knowing you put some hard work into it. Definitely wouldn't backpack with a tablecloth though. Car camping is another story and I think it may keep you a bit warmer in cooler temps.

Being a nerd I like a good deal as well as the next tightwad. But, my concern wasn't so much price as convenience and lack of confidence in my diy skills. I have tremendous respect for those of you who are members of the secret society of diyers. I was very good at designing, troubleshooting, and repairing the hardware and software between the front and rear panels of electronic items. But, you definitely didn't want me drilling the holes in the panels.... I hope my tablecloth diy introduction disproves my lack of confidence in things artsy. There are a lot of neat hammock projects on this site. It would be great to step up my game and diy skill set.

It seems to me, that the tablecloth hammocks will be great car camping and home consumable hammocks. When they wear out you throw them away and spend another $13. The BIAS hammock strikes me as a serious step up in durability and pack ability, I can see my self taking the BIAS bike touring or backpacking. I don't think I would do that with a tablecloth. Horses for courses.

Thanks for all your great posts and ideas silvrsurfr. Very helpful. I think the buginator will work for both the BIAS and the tablecloth. Your description of a bottom entry net was very interesting, enlightening, and compelling.

Andy