Here are the concept photos
I like the idea of a hardware-free setup but I seem stuck on using marlinspike hitches and toggles. The hitch itself uses up a lot of webbing and the toggle is a small piece that just doesn't seem to jive with what an ideal setup might be like.
One alternative I want to propose is what I am calling "swiss straps" because the strap is full of holes, like swiss cheese. I'd like people to see if they can figure out if this suspension concept has any potential or if it's completely unsafe.
To create a swiss strap, I would use 1" polyester seatbelt webbing with a sewn loop in one end. This webbing is supposedly good for something like 3000lb before considering any derating factors. The end of the webbing without the loop would have holes punched/drilled/melted every few inches from the end. This will obviously derate the webbing a good deal, but I don't know how much.
To use, a camper would wrap the strap around the tree and thread the free end through the sewn loop and pull tight. This would result in a number of available holes with which to attach a whoopie sling.
The adjustable end of the whoopie sling can then be threaded through any of the holes. To prevent the whoopie sling from pulling back out of the hole, the tail of the swiss strap is threaded up through the loop formed by the end of the whoopie sling, effectively creating a stopper when the loop is pulled back through.
To release after putting a load on it, the tail of the strap can be pulled on, which creates enough leverage to pull the whoopie sling through a bit and allow it to be opened. The tail of the strap is then removed and the whoopie sling will just pull right out.
Possible advantages:
- No knots
- No hardware
- Less wasted webbing than marlinspike hitch
- Holes in webbing might actually save a few grams
- No toggles to keep track of
Possible disadvantages:
- Unknown derating of webbing when holes are punched
- Whoopie sling must take a smaller radius turn compared to being looped around a MSH, which will derate the whoopie more
- Unknown effect on trees - will this hurt the trees more? Might be negligible
- Higher amount of abrasion on whoopie sling
- Not sure if the webbing will get sucked through the hole when load is applied
I don't have the ability to test this setup, so this is merely a proposal and request for comments. I don't know how much the webbing or whoopie will be derated and I don't have the opportunity to actually hang from it and see if it will hold.
I don't know the best way to create the holes in the webbing. I used a soldering iron and just melted my way through, which also sealed the edges. However, it did form a rough/jagged edge, which I trimmed down with diagonal cutters, but I could see this being a source of abrasion that might affect the whoopie sling.
Does anyone out there have the ability to create a set of swiss staps and load test them to see if they'll hold up?
For the record, I am using 1" polyester seatbelt webbing from strapworks.com and 7/64" amsteel blue in the photos (and in the field).
Here are the concept photos
Thoughts?
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