A Risky Perspective 2005-2012

[Risk]

I've been engaged in a hammock marathon reading session for the last several days, and it might be interesting to write down my take on what has changed since I last did much writing about hammocks on my webpages.

The only new projects I took on during my hot-weather siesta in Texas were:

A down and ripstop version of my WarmHammock. It ended up weighing 14 oz including about 8 oz of down. It has an integral set of down filled tubes in the center 4 feet of the hammock which is single layer - probably 1.9 oz ripstop.

Using loop tie-outs for my 60 in wide tarp, allowing four stakes and 8 tieout points for strength in heavy winds.

And a very light down summer quilt made with 1.1 oz ripstop and 6 oz of down.

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Now here is what I have learned from y'all:

My researach over the last few days included reading a BUNCH of threads and the instructions for a lot of projects. I also read Derrick's "The Ultimate Hang". Y'all write very well and Derrick's book is just what the community needed to update Ed Speer's classic book.

In 2004, I had tried some experiments with mule tape as standard Speer type hammock suspension webbing. I did not like how it got caught on the bark of trees and gave up. I really like what Sgt Rock (and likely others) are doing with it as the tree attachment for what can be described as the 4th generation hammock suspension.

Gen 0: Rope tied to a tree with two half hitches
Gen 1: Speer type 1 inch webbing with the 4 wrap lashing
Gen 2: Hennessy style Spectra cord going to a looped tree hugger, using an overlapped figure 8 Hennessy knot.
Gen 3: Tri-glide type hardware solutions pioneered by JRB et al. This includes many hardware solutions such as carabiners, rings, etc.
Gen 4: Whoopie slings and UCRs looped over a marlinspike hitch.

I had played with a very small diameter spectra cord in 2004 http://www.imrisk.com/thinline/thinline.htm, but it needed to be tied and it set very hard in its knots. I really, really love what y'all are doing with DynaGlide and other arborist lines, including splicing the lines instead of knots. This 4th generation of suspension will reduce my pack weight by more than 4 ounces. I have ordered some line and will cut my remaining 12 foot piece of mule tape in half to start learning how to use this suspension.

I am excited with the work that y'all have been doing with structural ridgelines. I am looking forward to playing with this much more than I have in the past.

I really like the look of Shug's Frankinquilt. I am going to have to build a partial length underquilt that is non-integral and let it slide up and down the suspension lines. I also learned from one of his videos about putting a piece of insulation inside the footbox. That solves a long-term problem that I had never found a good solution for. I wish I could ride a unicycle as well as Shug does. I'm still a beginner.

Footbox hammocks have my attention. I think I will have to try building an asymetrical footbox hammock based on a 42-48 in width hammock body made from 1.1 ripstop.

Finally, I need to build a winter sock and a bugnet sock which is held up by the ridgeline.

It's going to be a fun winter.

[Catavarie]

Welcome back to the fun, Risk. My experimental hammock currently has an integrated bug net using your quarter weight idea for the open side instead of a zipper like many folks use. But I too have found that I prefer a non-integrated net as it does make adjusting the UQ easier to adjust.

If you haven't gotten to it yet be sure and check out the TED style net/sock that has been developed here. I think it is a ingenious design that is serving many people very well.