Going to webbing for my hh ulbp any suggestions?

**Hugger** · 04-21-2009, 13:52

I have finally had it with "Tree Huggers"...the Hennessy kind that is. Those things slip off the trees,don't wrap tight and im friggin using my teeth to hold up one end of my hammock to tie the stupid things to get the hammock centered. I have put in an honest effort to use them (reading up on hf and trial and error) but i have decided that adjustable webbing is going to be the way to go.
I currently use a Maccat deluxe tied with a separate ridgeline for my tarp and then i setup my ulbp underneth (to keep out of the rain).Trying to center the hammock under the tarp and keep it with the proper tension seams impossible with the tree hugger and lashing style that Hennessy recommends.So i thought that i would try doing this.....Buy two camlock style 1" poly webbing tie downs (REI) and tie one to each tree on either end choker style.Then cut the hammock support lines leaving just enough to tie on an 1.5" smc repelling ring to each end of the hammock.Lastly using a quick release knot tie off the support line (tie down from the tree) to the ring.Bingo full adjustablility!!! This should eliminate alot of slippage down the tree and allow me to center the hammock easily under the tarp.Then when it comes to a take down i just wrap the hammock in the snakeskins,pull the quick release knot and hit the camlock buttons to release the huggers on the trees and bingo its done all without the need to inflict pain on my little frozen fingers on cold days.
We'll this all sounds good in therory but i want to know if anyone has tried this or if maybe someone has any other suggestions.

**Ramblinrev** · 04-21-2009, 14:18

I use a ring buckle system with a biner at the loop end. Wrap around the tree and clip the biner and pull to adjust the tension. To undo.. unhook the biner and pack up. Whatever floats your boat but I wouldn't bother with the cam locks.

**lori** · 04-21-2009, 14:21

Why do they have to wrap tight? I always just tied mine in a simple hitch around the tree and slipped a biner through the loops, then did the Hennessy wrap on the biner. Maybe you're using trees with smoother bark or something?

You're right about adjusting the hang, tho, definitely quicker with a different setup. Not sure I've seen repelling rings used that way, tho. Have you looked through the forums for examples of ring buckle options?

**Ramblinrev** · 04-21-2009, 14:43

Originally Posted by lori

. Not sure I've seen repelling rings used that way, tho. Have you looked through the forums for examples of ring buckle options?

Typically SMC descending are what a used for ring buckle systems. Other options are talked about in the various threads but I would venture to say the SMC descenders are the most common.

**Hugger** · 04-21-2009, 14:55

Yes, to Lori's question i do tend to hike in areas where there are alot of beech trees which have exceptionally smooth bark.And to Ramblinrev's question as to why the huggers need to be that tight is just as i said the bark of that tree is like really "slick"!! I just thought the cam locks would be a really good choker to hold my position on the tree....just putting it out there.....
Thanks for the posts!!! Keep em comin!

**Take-a-knee** · 04-21-2009, 18:21

Last week I carried one tree hugger of 3/4" orange poly. I found a roll of it on the side of the road, I think it is the stuff the powerline guys use. I tied a fisherman's knot with a bight large enough slip a carabiner through on each end. That way I can swing the end of the hugger with the Treklight biner attatched around the tree, catch it with my other hand and slip it through the loop on the other end and cinch it down against the tree (the hennessy huggers have loops way too small to do this). I use TeeDee's carabiner hitch on one end and I made a slapstrap of sorts out of the hennessy rope at the other end. Not quite as fast as ring or cinch buckles but a lot faster than the stock hennessy set up and several ounces lighter than an all webbing set up.

**riverkeeper** · 04-21-2009, 19:37

Originally Posted by Hugger

I have finally had it with "Tree Huggers"...the Hennessy kind that is. Those things slip off the trees,don't wrap tight and im friggin using my teeth to hold up one end of my hammock to tie the stupid things to get the hammock centered. I have put in an honest effort to use them (reading up on hf and trial and error) but i have decided that adjustable webbing is going to be the way to go.
.

Don't get this ... hung hundreds of nights and many on Red Alder trees which are almost but not quite as smooth.

A few days ago I demo'd hammock skills to outdoor store personnel using one 7" dia smooth tree of unknown specis and a 6" dia aluminum street lamp post --- about 3-4 wraps with a 1" wide hugger+binner .... No problem tho they were about 20 ft apart.

The left over length of hugger arms are wrapped around each other in opposite directions....like the first wrap of a square knot. The hugger is tighter on the tree than it otherwise might be.

**Thijzzz** · 07-20-2009, 15:56

I use this setup:

On one end of the tree hugger, I permanently attach this kind of biner to the loop:

On the other loop is a carabiner that is flat enough to fit through the first biner. This solves the problem of having trees that are too small for going round once, and too thick for going twice. The first biner also keep the tree huggers nice and flat.

The second biner also makes it easier to attach to the HH ropes by several possible knots.