suspension toggles

[kayak karl]

before all these metal thingys everything was attached with knots. tree strap and rope is all you need really.

[zooshooter]

before all these metal thingys everything was attached with knots. tree strap and rope is all you need really.

That's what I thought, and what I started with. Then I was reading about how knots can reduce the strength of the rope and I thought that maybe the toggles were an attempt to increase the radius of the bends in the ropes so as to decrease the potential loss of strength. Can anyone confirm/deny that knots with tight bends in them decrease rope strength and that toggles may be an effective way to combat that loss?

[Mouseskowitz]

That's what I thought, and what I started with. Then I was reading about how knots can reduce the strength of the rope and I thought that maybe the toggles were an attempt to increase the radius of the bends in the ropes so as to decrease the potential loss of strength. Can anyone confirm/deny that knots with tight bends in them decrease rope strength and that toggles may be an effective way to combat that loss?

I think you're on the right track with your thinking. Although it was probably not the original intent, putting a loop around a MSH gives you an okay radius. In isolation a 1:1 bend takes you down to 50% strength and 2:1 gives you 65% strength.
It's only been in the past couple of months that I've started to see hard numbers on what knots do to Amsteel. My thought is that whoopies and MSH originated for the ease of infinite adjustability. The secondary effect is the nice radius the MSH creates.

[aidanpryde18]

I started with toggles and decided to try the Dutch Buckles and I absolutely love them. Having the shockcord retainer to hold the whoopie on, as well as using it to wrap up the straps for storage is a great feature. They are well worth it for their ease of use and security.

[Boston]

You can tie directly to the tree strap, but then you have to UNTIE a knot that's been loaded. Not the quickest or easiest thing to do.

With a marlin spike hitch (which requires the toggle) you tie the knot and hang the whoopie off the knot (NOT the toggle). When you break down camp you pull the toggle out and yank on the free end of the strap and the knot comes undone easily.

If you always tie to a loop at the end of the strap, then as tree diameter varies, so does your minimum hang distance, because you always need to tie to the end of your strap. Or you need to wrap the tree a bunch, which can be a PITA, and you still get length variation.

[nsutherl]

You can tie a carabiner to your suspension at at any point with any number of hitches (clove hitch, girth hitch, marlin spike hitch...). I like the clove hitch because I am familiar with it, but all of these are easily adjustable. You can tie it right up at the trunk when the trees are close, or way down near the end of your suspension webbing when the trees are far apart. Obviously, your whoopie slings could just clip right into the biner.