My Take On DIY Hennessy Hammock. A Tutorial.

[Jodster]

OMG!!!! Thank you Headchange4u!

I have been canoe camping for 20 or so years. I have been making/mod'ing gear for a few years now and this thread is right up my alley. So far I have re-worked all the wood on my 15 year old canoe and I have made about 5 paddles for my son, my wife and myself. I am always on the lookout for ideas to make/mod my equipment. I am not as concerned about weight as most people here, but the older I get ..... the lighter I like it.

I first took my son at the tender age of 5 and he now has about 12 trips under his belt. 2 years ago I borrowed HH's from my brothers. My son and I fell in love with the hammocks! Ryan will NOT sleep on the ground anymore. I have experimented with a bridge hammock but didn't seem to succeed with it. I now have in my possession some camo rip-stop that I am going to start sewing in about an hour. This is exactly the design I want to try.

My question is about the rip-stop ...... I originally created a bridge type but it seems to be very stretchy. I can't seem to get it to support my weight. Is there a technical name/designation that I can take to the fabric shop? We have a local one that has/can get anything.

Thanking you in advance!

[headchange4u]

If you ask for ripstop they should know exactly what you are talking about. Most ripstop is made from nylon which is prone to stretching. Using the hammock a few time will help to alleviate some of the stretching. A better choice would be polyester as it has less stretch, but it is much harder to find.

BTW,
Welcome to Hammock Forums.

[sclittlefield]

My question is about the rip-stop ...... I originally created a bridge type but it seems to be very stretchy. I can't seem to get it to support my weight. Is there a technical name/designation that I can take to the fabric shop? We have a local one that has/can get anything.

Thanking you in advance!

Just a couple notes... nylon stretches some, no matter what kind you get. Polyester has a very minimal stretch comparatively. However, generally speaking, some stretch is good. Most hammocks are made from nylon.

A good starter hammock, with this design, ought to be 1.9oz Uncoated Ripstop Nylon (in my opinion). That's 1.9oz per square yard, but just say 1.9oz and they'll know what you mean. It will be strong enough for most anybody, and give you a proper amount of stretch (gathered end hammocks stretch differently than bridge hammocks).

The thinner you go with the fabric (1.7oz, 1.1oz) the stretchier it will be. I'm sure the weave has a lot to do with it as well but I really don't knot too much about that.

Oh - and welcome to the forum! Don't hesitate to ask any and all questions, the folks here are fantastic, full of great hammocky information, and really quite nice.

[Jodster]

Thanks for the quick reply. I am reading (and re-reading) the folding and whipping info ..... lots to learn for a noob ...... but what a reward.

[Jodster]

Well .... just finished my first attempt at this hammock (my son's) and I am pleased. It is done in camo .... as per his request. I made a couple of my own mod's and spent a bit of time trying to get the gathering and whipping right. The bug screen and fly may have to wait until after our camping trip.

I am going to set it up tommorrow and get some pics of it.

One thing I did note (with the help of a very particular/scientific friend) is that the further the tie off points are apart, the more the hammock drops. At least the area we frequent has lots of tree.

I also found a great local manufacturer/supplier of cord. Got 200 feet of 5mm braided poly with nylon core for $20.

What a great day it has been.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and the answers.

[Ramblinrev]

One thing I did note (with the help of a very particular/scientific friend) is that the further the tie off points are apart, the more the hammock drops.

To put it another way that is more commonly used on this forum.. the farther apart the supports are the higher you need to tie off.

[thecook]

I've been playing with this design. Thanks for posting such great instructions! Not having a HH myself, I don't understand why the side tie outs are located 26 on center. The flatest and most comfortable lay I have achieved is with the tie outs very close to the ends. Basically I put a full length pad in the hammock and put in a temporary tie out where the corner of the pad came to the edge of the hammock. Having the tie outs closer to center must serve some purpose but I don't know what

[Pitch]

Was looking into parts and pieces for making one of these and ran into this place for Zippers:

http://www.seattlefabrics.com/zipper...r%205%20Vislon

Two-Way Separating 110" Sleeping Bag Zipper

$14.50 each - not bad

[Ramblinrev]

but when your hammock fabric is 120"+ they just aren't long enough.

[jeffjenn]

but when your hammock fabric is 120"+ they just aren't long enough.

But remember you sew an 8" tube on each end & the tieouts eat up a little. They may very well work.