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  1. #1
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    I Could Use Some Advice on My Suspension Setup

    I've gotten nearly everything to do with my hammock rig ready to go, except for a means to link it to the treestraps themselves. I've been putting this off for last, since the two descending rings at each end of the hammock hang perfectly from my hammock stand hooks (by design).

    The hammock suspension is basically that of a bridge, with a continuous Amsteel whoopie/loop running from head to foot, a descending ring through it at each end is currently how I am hanging it from the stand. There is a structural ridgeline between them as well to hold the ring spacing at the proper distance and to carry a tarp.

    I have tree straps left over from my Hennessey Hammock days that I would like to use if possible (because they're already here), that are about 4ft long 2" webbing with a loop sewn in each end. I know that I need to come up with a way of linking those loops to the rings on the hammock, that is also adjustable for distance. Something in the vein of the single line suspension in the sticky, but adjustable between the straps and rings with splices instead of slip-knots (seems like it would be shorter and stronger)

    I have a couple ideas; please let me know if any sounds better than the others, or if you have any suggestions

    1: make two 10"-30" adjustable whoopie slings through the rings, and hook them to the tree strap loops with toggles. I don't know if a simple adjustable loop would work here, of if I'd have to put an eye splice at the ring end, and have a separate adjustable eye for the toggle/straps

    2: Somehow combine the ridgeline and the whoopie slings from (1) into the same section of rope (seems simpler, but I don't know if the rings can be held in the rope's midsection without de-rating knots being put into it. Perhaps a splice-based solution could do this*?). Possibly use soft-shackles or biners in lieu of toggles to join the rings/loops if they would be up to the task.

    1 seems a bit simpler to do, 2 seems simpler to use. Other than the knot issue that may or may not be a problem, I would rather have as few sections of rope as possible. Has anyone tried something similar to either with success?

    *Amsteel experts; My thought was to run the Amsteel through the ring, possibly loop it around a couple times, and then pierce the end back through the middle of the Amsteel before continuing along to the whoopie. The ring would be held in the middle of a section of cordage without knots, but I don't know if this would result in rubbing/cutting of the pierced area of cordage that would de-rate it. The rings are about 3/8" in diameter, so the bend around them wouldn't be super tight, at least. I read about the clove hitch method of accomplishing something like this in the Single Line Suspension thread, but I would prefer something that doesn't come loose and requires readjustment each time I set up (I'm stupid and lazy at the end of a long day)

    EDIT: I need to test my equipment for an upcoming trip, so for now I'll essentially copy the single line suspension setup which uses clove hitches in the ridgeline to hold the rings secure (the clove hitch seems like it would be unlikely to add much stress to the cable) and make large adjustable whoopee splices in the excess since there aren't many better ways to tie off Amsteel. If the Amsteel loop is larks' headed through the tree strap webs, does it seem likely that it would saw through them?

    TCB
    Last edited by SteelToe; 08-25-2013 at 21:15.
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  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    I think I would keep the amsteel separate pieces. That way the rings act as a water break.

    If you larks head the fixed eye of the whoopee to the ring the variable eye can go over a marlin spike hitch in the Hennessy strap. There are also ways to use a strong toggle and link a loop on the strap with the whoopee. All in all you might be better off with 1 in webbing but I like the 2 in too.
    YMMV

    HYOH

    Free advice worth what you paid for it. ;-)

  3. #3
    Senior Member Caveman's Avatar
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    Why not just use whoopies (or ucrs) and attach them next to the rings with a whoopie hook? It would be quick and easy.

    You could splice the whoopies onto the straps if you wanted to.
    If you ain't havin' fun, you're doin' it wrong

  4. #4
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    I MacGiver'ed a test hang today, after transplanting the hammock stand compatible ridgeline with the new one that has long adjustable whoopee sling loops at its ends. I attached a diagram of the setup, and the "loose ends" I still need help wrapping up.

    I have all the connections worked out (and they also performed admirably) except for those with the big gawdy arrows pointing at them. These are areas where a closed loop from the lower suspension needs to connect to the closed loop descending ring. And because the upper suspension lines are already larks-headed in place here, there is no way to do the lower that way anymore (I think)

    One possibility; super-impose the upper/lower cable loops atop eachother and larkshead them simultaneously as one loop --I'm not sure if the Amsteel would like this or not, it sounds kinda sketchy

    Second possibility; the one I did to get off the ground today, bend the cable through the ring and use a toggle to larkshead to itself. It worked, but I can imagine easily losing those toggles. And there is no reason they would ever need to be removed either, so having to replace them every time is obnoxious complication.

    A similar conundrum faces me with the "shear line" halfway down the ridgeline that helps keep my head elevated (a holdover from the earlier suspension design, but still important for attaching my bugnet to). Its a webbing bight that needs to connect to a descending ring. The ends of the strap are both sewn to the hammock body, but should I use a larks' head with webbing?

    And lastly, the ridgeline whoopee terminations need to connect to the tree strap loops somehow. As I said, I used toggles on all these locations (5 total ), and while the Unnecessarily Complicated Hammock 2.0 lives up to its name, 5 toggles seems Excessively Complicated, and thus outside the scope of the project

    Anxiously awaiting even more great advice (the big trip's this weekend )

    TCB
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  5. #5
    Senior Member SteelToe's Avatar
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    Well, I was able to larks head 3 of the five connections (though I don't like larks heading webbing, this is only temporary), and with the surprisingly stable clove hitches in holding the rings to the ridgeline, the end product sets up much like a gathered-end with a structural ridgeline and whoopies at each end that toggle to tree straps. Easy peezy. And far more adjustable than I would have thought, by playing around with the rings' locations along the ridgeline, as well as the length of the lower suspension lines (now adjustable since they are closed splice-loops)

    We'll see how I feel about this rig after 3 nights... If things stay dialed-in hang to hang, I'll have no problems and love it. If, however, I have to play with the setup for an hour each time the tree spacing changes, I'll will be rethinking the setup. I am utterly burnt out on DIY camping gear at the moment in preparation for this trek, but I will be taking lots of notes along the way for improvements to incorporate when I am more inclined to mess with this stuff again

    TCB
    www.hammockforums.net --I get it!

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