Recenty I had a friend give me a hennesy hammock. He never got comforable with hanging so it's pretty much brand new.
I looked up the specs on the website and it lists the weight limit as 250lbs, I weigh 280. Should I not even bother trying to use it? Or are those weight limits set pretty low?
It is my belief that they error on the side of caution on those weight limits, but the wear and tear on the lighter fabrics is going to be much higher the more you push it. It also will not be as comfortable as it should be. Might want to offer a trade with someone looking to cut weight out of their pack. Even if it doesn't work for you, it gives your a 'trade-in' to start with.
Trust nobody!
It's all the joints and stitches you have to worry about. The webbing and rope can hold far more than 250lbs, but the hammock fabric cannot.
I have used a very lightweight hammock with a hole about the size of a nickel in the middle of the fabric. I would not want to trust it for long, or very high off the ground or very far away from civilazation. But I have seen no increase in the size of the hole or in the ability of the hammock to support my weight. This is not to say that overloading a hammock is nothing to worry about. But I suspect they are capable of significant added weight. The comfort of the body would suffer before the fabric would catastrophicly fail. I've had times where the stiches are stronger than the fabric I have sewn.
I would do some back yard testing with appropriate safety measures and see what happened.The way a HH is whipped and suspended the stress on stitch lines is minimal. The most vulterable place would be the bottom entry slit and that seems pretty well reinforced on mine.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
I slept 2 people in my DIY 1.9 oz untreated nylon hammock for a handfull of nights after I used it on my AT thru hike. The webbing broke (where the rings usually went) due to wear and the fact I was holding them to 100 lbs over their rating.
I would look at the webbing and where it attaches to the hammock for wear. Other than that I would go for it. I should warn that I don't mind putting my gear to the test or breaking it for a good story or to find the limits at times.
Is that too much to ask? Girls with frikkin' lasers on their heads?
The hanger formly known as "hammock engineer".
No problem with the slight overload .... you'll get a little more line stretch probably.
Try the thing a few times.
If ya like it keep it.... if not don't.
Heck, life is too short for uncomfortable shoes, an uncomfortable bed and crappy coffee. rk
"There's no accounting for other people's taste in love, fiction and huntin' dogs." ---Mark Twain
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks