UCR mod (built in soft shackle)

**kerryandjane** · 03-06-2014, 00:05

I haven't seen this around, and thought I might be onto something. Before I go ahead and use my almost irreplaceable amsteel/dynaglide. (I live in Taiwan.... amsteel lives in US) I want to know if anyone has tried it and how it worked out.

My idea has 2 parts and at this point no photos.
1. At the suspension end: Replace the fixed loop with a diamond knot on the UCR. (like the right side of the photo.)
2. At the hammock end: Make the continuous loop/dog bone with a (like the left side of the photo.) and larks head it around the gathered end/sewn in channel.
image from l-36.com

Part 1 is easy enough to make. It'll be a fixed loop cut at the center and tied into a diamond stopper knot.
Part 2 shouldn't be much harder but still simple. Make it like soft shackle but instead of the second locked brummel just bury it.

Just like using a soft shackle to hold up a hammock this shouldn't slip/or break right?

I make and gift a few hammocks to friends/family and the benefit I see is I wouldn't need to buy/use a carabiner/Dutch whoopie hook/toggle or whatever and setup is still virtually instant. Also almost no weight/bulk gain. Anyone seen this before? Care to share your thoughts or a link?

**gmcttr** · 03-06-2014, 01:02

I'm not positive on how you intend to attach this to the hammock, but if you are asking about opening the sliding eye (that would normally hold the stopper knot ) and placing the hammock end inside it, I do not expect this to work well.

When used as a soft shackle, the sliding eye normally closes a set amount around the rope to hold the stopper knot, but because it is not actually constricting tight on the rope the stress on both legs equalize.

If you place the sliding eye around the larger diameter of a gathered hammock end, only one leg will be taut, the other will be slack and excessive force will be placed on the area of the slack leg where the other passes through it. This photo is not the best but I hope it helps to explain my thoughts.

IMG_0286 (Small)noted.jpg

I would use a conventional fixed eye in the hammock end of the UCR and larks head it directly to the hammock.

IMG_0284 (Medium)noted.jpg

Let me know if I misinterpreted your thoughts and I'll rethink it.

Splicing a fixed eye with a locked brummel, cutting it and tying a diamond knot could work. Dress the knot carefully to equalize the pull on both legs. How do you intend to connect this to the rest of the suspension?

**kerryandjane** · 03-06-2014, 02:07

Thanks for the response GMCTTR.

I really didn't explain it correctly. My bad.
The UCR will be on the tree strap.
The UCR will also hold the diamond knot.

The Dogbone will be larksheaded around the hammock. The dogbone will be with one fixed eye and 1 end like the soft shackle a dogbone hybrid if you will.

so the soft shackle is in in two parts. Locking eye on the dogbone/hammock. Diamond knot is on the UCR/Tree Srap.
Like this (very crude drawing I just did on Costco spam.)
Hammock is to the left tree to the right.

Originally Posted by gmcttr

If you place the sliding eye around the larger diameter of a gathered hammock end, only one leg will be taut, the other will be slack and excessive force will be placed on the area of the slack leg where the other passes through it. This photo is not the best but I hope it helps to explain my thoughts.
...
Splicing a fixed eye with a locked brummel, cutting it and tying a diamond knot could work. Dress the knot carefully to equalize the pull on both legs. How do you intend to connect this to the rest of the suspension?

**kerryandjane** · 03-06-2014, 08:52

Originally Posted by Boston

Instead of making the loop tightening just use a botton hole approach. Make a fixed eye for the stopper knot to seat in. When under tension it will not be able to slip. Size the eye to the knot to make it difficult to slip off when unloaded.

The fixed eye around the knot seems scary to me. It's not hard to test though. I'll give it a crack. Thanks for the response.

The idea was eating at me so I decided to commit.
This is the hybrid dogbone/soft shackle. For the hammock end.

This is the 78" UCR with diamond knot.

So the relaxed position of the eye end is closed. The "give" is just enough to push the knot through. It'll make it easier to put in and takes nothing to lock the shackle.

Final result:

With the dogbone shackle hybrid I'll still be able to use whoopie hooks and soft shackles on standard whoopie slings too.

The ucr weighs 12grams.... Will test once all this stink weather has gone. If all goes well I'm gonna do it in dynaglide.

**Boston** · 03-06-2014, 12:01

I take my previous comment back, what you are doing is different than what I was imagining.

**Tendertoe** · 03-06-2014, 12:17

Any thoughts on forgoing the soft shackle and just using a continuous loop on the hammock and girth hitching the continuous loop behind the diamond knot on the UCR?

**gmcttr** · 03-06-2014, 13:48

Originally Posted by kerryandjane

...
I really didn't explain it correctly. My bad.
The UCR will be on the tree strap.
The UCR will also hold the diamond knot....

DUH...thumps self on forehead.

It seems so obvious now. That should work. Other's have reported using a stopper knot in one fashion or another to hang. Like you, I'd feel more comfortable connected to the soft shackle end than to an open eye.

Originally Posted by Tendertoe

Any thoughts on forgoing the soft shackle and just using a continuous loop on the hammock and girth hitching the continuous loop behind the diamond knot on the UCR?

Only that it will lock down tight and possibly be a bit more difficult to release.

**e_2** · 03-06-2014, 18:20

Clever. I like it.

Perhaps I'm seeing this wrong, but are you integrating the UCR and the tree strap? Is this a common thing to do?

**kerryandjane** · 03-06-2014, 18:39

Originally Posted by e_2

Clever. I like it.

Perhaps I'm seeing this wrong, but are you integrating the UCR and the tree strap? Is this a common thing to do?

I'm new to UCRs but from what I found via Google the ucr larks headed around the tree strap is common. Instead of the recommended 1" tree strap more often than not I saw 1/2" mule tape being used.

**kerryandjane** · 03-07-2014, 03:26

As expected, it works. That it works "Great" was unexpected but yeah I like it. Easy in, easy out, stable....
I'll make a dynaglide version this weekend. I also might make a diamond knot with a loop of amsteel to fit on a whoopie sling. (Replacing the bead/whoopie hook.) To be used with the dog bone/shackle hybrid at the end of the hammock.