I have been asked a number of times via pm about these dog bones. Mine are 14" long with 2.5" eyes.

What are they and why do I love them? How do you make them? Pretty simple really. Here's how I do them anyway.

I start with 30" of 7/64 amsteel. Coming in from the ends and marking the bury and the eye at 4.5" and 9.5" I do a locked brummel splice on one end and a McDonald brummel on the other end. The locked brummel is just like a whoopie eye. The McDonald is a little different, but just as easy.

http://l-36.com/mcdonald.php

I use them primarily as extension to my suspension. Just pass one end through the eye of your whoopie or tree strap, run one eye through the other and pull tight. Voila, your suspension is 14" longer.




I carry several with me on every outing. Last weekend I had an XL oak I had to extend my tree strap around, as well as a larger span than my extra tarp could reach over an area where I needed to get a group out of the rain so we could eat. Out come the dogbones to save the day.

I am also using these to attach my hammock to my stands. Girth hitch around the hammock and simply loop around the ridge pole. Love it!



And I've begun using them to hang the ridge pole with. It can be girth hitched and hung directly from the eye, or wrapped and hung by both eyes. Makes it adjustable.

Anyway, just thought I'd put that out there.

Cheers,
HFG


(Wow I just typed "ghouth" instead of "thought"... Is there adult onset dyslexia? )