Tutorial: How To Make an UCR

**fallkniven** · 01-23-2016, 12:46

Originally Posted by rty1138

general question: why can't you substitute a prusik instead of the whole UCR ordeal?

If you did, you'd have to use something not as slippery as amsteel. Tthe small area of friction will wear your string down quicker. Also, once you put your weight on them, they tighten up a lot when using small diameter ropes, making it difficult to adjust. The ucr is just much easier to use.

**raggydoo** · 01-24-2016, 13:15

Just wondering if the Dynaglide ucr's take a few hangs to "break in"? I made a set out of Amsteel and a set out of Dynaglide and had no problems with the Amsteel ones, but the Dynaglide ones will hold for a while but eventually slowly let me down. I only weigh about 175 lbs and have a 7" constriction on them. Thought maybe it takes a bit for the slickness of the Dynaglide to wear off or something?

**fallkniven** · 01-24-2016, 21:03

Originally Posted by raggydoo

Just wondering if the Dynaglide ucr's take a few hangs to "break in"? I made a set out of Amsteel and a set out of Dynaglide and had no problems with the Amsteel ones, but the Dynaglide ones will hold for a while but eventually slowly let me down. I only weigh about 175 lbs and have a 7" constriction on them. Thought maybe it takes a bit for the slickness of the Dynaglide to wear off or something?

I used dynaglide ucr's for a while on my grand trunk ul. You'll need a bigger constrictor, I think 10" or so did it for me. Look back on this thread, I mentioned it already I think. Also, the dynaglide wore down pretty quick and needed to replace them.

**alianza86** · 01-25-2016, 11:44

Noob question here, what I dont understand that much is how with the whoopie sling of amsteel in almost every place I look in it says that you need 8 - 9 " for the constrictor part, and with the UCR's some people say 8", 12", 16" and finally 18", so if I want the shortest hang, how I determine the best constrictor lenght for me?
I want to change my set of whoopies to ucr's to get more weight with the same material, but I want to do it right and safe.

**tightwad** · 01-25-2016, 11:53

Originally Posted by alianza86

Noob question here, what I dont understand that much is how with the whoopie sling of amsteel in almost every place I look in it says that you need 8 - 9 " for the constrictor part, and with the UCR's some people say 8", 12", 16" and finally 18", so if I want the shortest hang, how I determine the best constrictor lenght for me?
I want to change my set of whoopies to ucr's to get more weight with the same material, but I want to do it right and safe.

The problem with the UCR is that if not milked carefully the constriction happens to one end of the constriction section only and when it slips it doesn't continue to constrict. This is combated by the prusik tied with the tail of the short loop, which serves to hold just enough to allow the entire consctrictor to work (from my understanding) and to allow milking the constructor. I am currently using 3.75x the fid (21*diameter) with success. For Zing-It (ridgeline) this means 5.4", for 7/64 amsteel that beciomes 8.6", for 1/8" amsteel its 9.8".

**alianza86** · 01-25-2016, 13:15

Originally Posted by fallkniven

I'm not fully grasping what your asking but I'll try to help.

You have two lines. One really long one. One end goes to the tree, the other dangles and gets finished with a backsplice.

Your other piece is the part that seems seems to throw people. I cut off about a 3' piece to start with. I'll start by splicing a fixed eye on one end. This will be the eye that connects to your hammock via whoopie hook by Dutch or what have you. I use his hooks so I only make a 2" eye.
Now the bury I had experimented with dynaglide and 7/64" amsteel. I found even a 12" bury would slip over night with the amsteel.
For 7/64" amsteel, I have been using an 18" finished bury with no slippage. Any shorter and it slips over night on me.
Now to the top end, the one you'll need to tie. The method I showed where I tie the prusik at the end, even with thatt backsplice right up to the knot, it would constantly loosen up on me. I saw where someone on here spliced a fixed eye first, wrap the prusik around the long line, the splice in your bury (the finger trap portion) and tried that when I changed out my lines from wear and tear. I like that way much much better. I have yet had it loosen up on me.

So what does fallkniven means when he says that he is using an 18" finished bury, is he talking about the constrictor bury or the total length of the short rope in the ucr?
Im confused because if he is talking about the constrictor bury the 8.5" that you round up from de 3.75 x Fid formula is way lower of what he suggest to avoid slippage.

Just want to be sure, because I wanted to use 9" for the constrictor but after reading this thread I got all confused and I dont want to end in the ground haha.

**daneaustin3** · 01-25-2016, 13:16

Originally Posted by alianza86

Noob question here, what I dont understand that much is how with the whoopie sling of amsteel in almost every place I look in it says that you need 8 - 9 " for the constrictor part, and with the UCR's some people say 8", 12", 16" and finally 18", so if I want the shortest hang, how I determine the best constrictor lenght for me?
I want to change my set of whoopies to ucr's to get more weight with the same material, but I want to do it right and safe.

Just like with whoopies it depends on several factors. Weight applied, type of cordage, etc. The other part is that more people use whoopies so the build has been dialed in. If you were to go back and find an original whoopie build thread I think you would find a variety of recommended buries as well.
Personally 8-10" has served me well.

**fallkniven** · 01-25-2016, 14:39

With a whoopie, your full weight bears down on both ends of the constrictor. With a ucr, only your hitch knot is holding slight tension on one end. That's why it tends to require a longer constrictor.
When I say finished bury, I mean the finished product. When you splice, 7/64 amsteel for example, mark out 10". Then run your second line through the first, starting at each point. Once you complete the constrictor, you'll find it's only 7-8" long. Expanding the girth, reduces the length (that sounded dirty...).

**Theguywitheyebrows** · 01-25-2016, 15:23

so i made a ucr out of a whoopie sling a while back, just because any piece of gear needs to be tested by all; i re-tested it teaching another person the glories of hammockry and it held like a champ. my constrictor is somewhere around 15", and there was no slippage but i noticed i used what looks like a different/modified version of the prussik on the end opposite the hammock end. [here's to hoping this picture thing works. i had a real hard time last time i attempted pictures]

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...1&disp=safe&zw

**Theguywitheyebrows** · 01-25-2016, 15:44

i think its got like an extra wrap early. like a warp, then two wraps the other way. i dunno, maybe its not different/modified but it totally doesn't look like the rest of my prussiks.