Biner as Marlin Spike?

[mitchellisdumb]

I use a biner with a marlin spike hitch....but then I just clip my suspension into the biner.

That's not a good idea. The Marlin Spike Hitch is designed for the knot, not the toggle, to take the load, which compresses the webbing against the toggle and keeps everything in place. When the weight is on the toggle directly, the knot doesn't compress—in fact, the tension works to the opposite effect, pulling the toggle/carabiner away from the knot.

If you're going to clip into webbing with a carabiner, it's best to use a standard fixed loop knot. An overhand on a bight would work, but a figure 8 on a bight would be easier to untie after being tensioned.

As for the original idea, it seems like it would work except that the carabiner would end up oriented the wrong way. I would trust the long side of a carabiner not to slide through a Marlin Spike, but not the short side. Perhaps a better solution would be to slide both a standard toggle and a carabiner through the loop of the Marlin Spike. That way the toggle can keep the knot in place, and the carabiner could turn longways in order to attach the tarp.

[kunzman]

Got mine last week with some 4' huggers. This setup is so much easier than huggers, whoopie slings, marlin spike hitch, and toggles. Speed hooks and leads are larks headed to the huggers. Run hugger around tree and run speed hook and lead through the free loop end and tighten hugger around the tree. Then hang hammock onto the speed hook, adjust height and loop free end around speed hook back to fix in place.

[Yojimbo]

That's not a good idea. The Marlin Spike Hitch is designed for the knot, not the toggle, to take the load, which compresses the webbing against the toggle and keeps everything in place. When the weight is on the toggle directly, the knot doesn't compress—in fact, the tension works to the opposite effect, pulling the toggle/carabiner away from the knot.

The MSH was developed to allow sailors to add a Handle to pull the line while splicing. So a strong toggle certainly can handle the weight. Hence a climbing rated biner can be used as a taggle as suggested or as a clip on point as also suggested. I have doneboth on multiple occasions.

Hammockers have adopted the MSH to work with woopies but it certainly was not developed to be used as we do. I have also seen it used to make rope ladder with wooden rungs.

[GoatHanger]

+1 on using the excess webbing for a toggle. I haven't found it difficult to undo, unless there was only a small amount of webbing to use as the toggle. The trick is to roll it short and tight, so the knot can't pull the webbing into it.

Since switching to whoopie hooks and speed hooks, I don't even use a MSH anymore. I put a slipped sheet bend through the fixed eye.

[Wkerber]

I've used a biner as the toggle in a MSH for a couple of years and it is rock solid. My guess is that it's more reliable over the long term that the loop on the knot.

[Tacoma96]

The proper biner will work fine with a MSH.

[matjbrown]

I like the biner because it's can be used for other things as well. I know they weigh a few more grams than toggles, but I like having them.

[Hoosierhammock]

That is a pretty good idea. Especially for me when I am hanging one of my older DIYs for family to use on vacation and they don't understand how the Whoopie sling sits on the MSH with a toggle.

[NickR]

I use biners in my MSH all the time. I like having them around while backpacking to attach things to my pack if needed.