Rigging a hammock with constrictor ropes (UCR's)...

[Albert Skye]

[...] brake line tubing [...]

Yes, another good source of toggle material (though 1/8" is rather small; I'd use at least 4:1). High-pressure hydraulic lines in aircraft often use titanium. Aluminum is common too (and easier to work with). Who's going to start making nice flared toggles for sale?

[RTR]

After reading through this whole post (i.e. 2 days) I have come to the conclusion that the Whoopie Sling is my best choice. Reason being is I get very stupid after a 14 mile day and have been known to just sit and stare at nothing for some time. With laughter from my partners being the thing that brings me out of my trance. So the "Set it and forget it" theory is what I like most. The extra weight of 3mm Amsteel Blue I will need to complete the loop in the Whoopie is of little concern to me, a little less than 2oz added to the whole setup. I like to pick apart every once I carry and I can't think of reason against the Whoopie's simplicity to go with a UCR to shave off the extra weight. Again as many have already said... Thank you all who have put into this thread! So far, for me, the best post out there as far as simplicity and a weight reducing application. (RTR bows in respect)

Thanks Frawg as I am going to use your buried slip knot loop to hold my toggle as well. Keeps me from figuring out how to keep that sucker from going into a black hole like so many socks.

Just delivered: 50' of 3mm Amsteel Blue. Guess what I will be doing tonight?

[Frawg]

Glad you found equilibrium, RTR! I like staring into space, too.

...
Thanks Frawg as I am going to use your buried slip knot loop to hold my toggle as well. Keeps me from figuring out how to keep that sucker from going into a black hole like so many socks.

I should mention a cautionary note -- that little nub at the end of the bury is important, and even just melting the end will do. If you don't secure those strands, the thing will disintegrate.

I got sloppy the other day and left the loose end of the bury unsecured. Within an hour the propogated force of the hang separated the bury's strands and dumped me on my butt. Fortunately I was only about 6" above ground at the time, but I'd fallen asleep and it took me a while to figure out what was going on.

Happy hanging!

[TeeDee]

Yes, another good source of toggle material (though 1/8" is rather small; I'd use at least 4:1). High-pressure hydraulic lines in aircraft often use titanium. Aluminum is common too (and easier to work with). Who's going to start making nice flared toggles for sale?

measured the toggles - 1/4" OD - man I totally forgot the OD I ordered and "assumed" it was 1/8" - never trust my memory.

[I Splice]

Ehh, i got Dental floss around, i use that to repair stuff on the trail or when i am traveling.
What do you think, it's pretty strong.

*EDIT*
I'm sitting here fiddling and i wonder, is it possible to make a fixed eye on the end
by "bury it" (make a bend and put the end in core for a bit) and then apply some stiches?
Will that hold for hanging?
And if so how long do you think i need to bury it?

*EDIT 2*
What i tried to describe was apparently "Samson Splicing Instructions for a Eye Splice 12-strand Class II"
Well, well i am slowly learning this.
And i also read somewhere on the net, that others have used the the dental floss trick

I've been burying my eye splices about 3 inches in 7/64 line then whipping near the loop for 3 or 4 years without a problem. In other words, I've been burying a little more than 1 fid length). Samson recommends burying 3.5 fid lengths - about 8 inches in 7/64 or about 27 inches in 3/8 line.

The Samson directions show stitches to hold the eye which should work just fine. The main thing is to have something that causes the line to cinch up when it is first loaded. Without stitches or whipping, you can get a situation where the buried line just pulls out when it is loaded.

[RTR]

Done deal, and I did tie a Double Overhand Stopper Knot at both free ends "Frawg". For some reason I don't like the extra tag left over from burying the free ends. Found out that my initial thought of two 25' pieces of Amsteel would be a great idea with all that adjustment. However when I hung my hammock in my usual spot with the perfect distance I had so much left over I was actually able to make a second Whoopie out of the the other half and still have the ability to go from 6' to 16". With My Tree Huggers (Clark's Tree Straps) that gives me a maximum of another 5' of play for a total of 11' of adjustability. And I have an extra 25' of Amsteel to come up with some fun use for. All I need now is to find some functional but cool (think "Bling") toggles. Not sure how strong it would be being it is hollow, but I think it is 7/11 that sells a reusable aluminum straw for a few bucks. Kinda burly so it may work out...plus they are anodized and come in a few diff colors. Also should be long enough for four toggles, I am only using two at the tree end as I was unsure of what else to use for the hammock side toggles. To make up for my lack of imagination I am using two carabiners, and if I cold replace those two Ozs with a few toggles that weigh close to nothing I will have cut my suspension down by 6+oz.

Oh yea side note for those trying this out. I used 3mm Amsteel Blue and the same exact tools "SlowBro" used here . I used spankin new cord and made both in under an hour and then my third in minutes. I tried a few days ago with well used Amsteel and it was close to impossible. I did it but it took twice the time to make one. In conclusion...BUY NEW CORD you will thank yourself.

Glad you found equilibrium, RTR! I like staring into space, too.



I should mention a cautionary note -- that little nub at the end of the bury is important, and even just melting the end will do. If you don't secure those strands, the thing will disintegrate.

I got sloppy the other day and left the loose end of the bury unsecured. Within an hour the propogated force of the hang separated the bury's strands and dumped me on my butt. Fortunately I was only about 6" above ground at the time, but I'd fallen asleep and it took me a while to figure out what was going on.

Happy hanging!

[Gailainne]

I've just checked the ones I had made, they have a locked brummel, but no stitching, sounds like I better get my sewing kit out

[Frawg]

All I need now is to find some functional but cool (think "Bling") toggles. Not sure how strong it would be being it is hollow, but I think it is 7/11 that sells a reusable aluminum straw for a few bucks....

I'd keep the hammock very close to ground when experimenting with straws for toggles, until you're confident they'll hold. You can also fabricate toggles from aluminum gutter nails (file off the grooves), large knitting needles (also come anodized in various colors) or you can even cannibalize some of the cheap non-climbing carabiners. Just use a hacksaw to cut out usable sections and file the burrs off the ends.

BTW, old AmSteel line also gave me splicing fits, but I hated the thought of tossing out good used line. I have some nice blue & gray combination sets now.

Glad things worked out for you, RTR.

[moski]

The UCR is DONE ! (Thanks everyone!)


Picture taken with my phone.

I was a bit surprised, it was much simpler than i had ever thought.

Some confusion at some point , which end is what in the final product.
I can see that using 2 ropes with different colour could help.

The constrictor is about 18 inch long and it slips from time to time,
not really sure why it slips when it does.

Not a big problem at this stage!
What knot do you guys use as backup?

I tried a slippery overhand knot and even that was a pain to undo afterwards.

I put up some more pics when i get my new camera.
(my third Ixus just went up in smoke)

Setup 1 252gr

1. 2 pieces 4m Webbing
2. 2 Carabiners (7gr 400Kg)
3. 2 Cinch buckles (28gr)

Setup 2 156gr

1. 2 UCR's (1/8 Amsteel, 2.8 m capacity)
2. 2 Brandon's Tree Huggers (1,65 m)
3. 2 Carabiners (7gr 400Kg)

So a 96gr (3.3 Oz) gain.
I don't think i will give up my biners, i love them.
At this point i am not 100% sure i will stick with the UCR setup,
the cinch buckle setup is heavy but really hard to beat, it's so easy.

The gray amsteel would be a problem though - the white tends to disappear against the gray.

I didn't have a problem with white dental floss against my gray amsteel
and i redid some stiching at some times.

[Frawg]

Lovely setup, moski, and nice work on the splices!

The constrictor is about 18 inch long and it slips from time to time, not really sure why it slips when it does.

It was hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like the little eye is the 'loose' end of the constrictor section -- is that correct? If so, that end needs to have a little tension on it. You can hang a pair of shoes from that eye, for example. You could also make that partof the constrictor a little longer and tie a hitch with it to secure the loose end.

Not a big problem at this stage!
What knot do you guys use as backup?
I tried a slippery overhand knot and even that was a pain to undo afterwards.

I'm not sure where you are tying the knot, but if it's hard to undo it sounds like you're tying it on the working end of the constrictor. ... I use a rolling hitch, but I tie it in the loose end of the constrictor. Here's a pic where it's visible, but you have to zoom in to see it:



Note that in my pic above, the constrictor is at the hammock instead of at the tree, so the loose end is 'uphill' in my pic. When you put the constrictor by the tree, the loose end would be 'downhill'.

That's probably confusing, but I hope it helps some.