View Full Version : Another question about fabric
HappyCamper
02-19-2008, 08:12
I'm planning to make my first hammock here in the near future so I've been reading posts about fabrics and how to tell nylon from polyester, all the coatings, sil, etc. Wishing I could make that $1 per yard nylon score at WalMart, but nothing yet. With all this reading, I'm still left wondering . . .
Why is nylon fabric better than polyester for the body of the hammock?
Youngblood
02-19-2008, 08:22
I'm planning to make my first hammock here in the near future so I've been reading posts about fabrics and how to tell nylon from polyester, all the coatings, sil, etc. Wishing I could make that $1 per yard nylon score at WalMart, but nothing yet. With all this reading, I'm still left wondering . . .
Why is nylon fabric better than polyester for the body of the hammock?
Nylon stretches more than polyester and that allows it to better contour to the shape of your body. Without that, you might get pressure points due to the fabric only being in contact with small portions of your body.
HappyCamper
02-19-2008, 08:35
Makes sense. Thanks!
HappyCamper
02-19-2008, 08:39
Why is it when I want polyester webbing, the only thing I can find locally is nylon. And when I want nylon fabric, the only thing I can find is polyester?
headchange4u
02-19-2008, 10:52
Why is it when I want polyester webbing, the only thing I can find locally is nylon. And when I want nylon fabric, the only thing I can find is polyester?
Sounds like your luck runs a lot like mine. :p
I personally like polyester for a hammock over nylon though the polyester does not stretch as much. The entire hammock distributes your weight by the simple sharing of forces that the shape of the hammock provides on it's own. I have made some pretty comfortable hammocks with it. JMHO
Mule
I'm with Mule on this. I've used silk and Polyester fabric
for all my hammocks so far. They don't stretch out of shape
and are comfortable. That's not to say nylon will stretch
out of shape, I just haven't tested it.
In the Fall and early Spring I often spend 12 hrs in the
hammock (cause it's dark and cold out, and I'm so comfortable
in the Hammock), I don't think I would spend 12hrs. sleeping
on the ground.
HappyCamper
02-19-2008, 11:41
Thanks that's good to hear because I've gotten the cheaper WalMart polyester material to practice my sewing skills on. A friend has sent me some and then last night at WalMart I found two kinds of that digital camo fabric on sale. Not in the $1 bin, but for $3. Marked down from $6.
The army digital (my son told me it was army) is the muted tan and green shades. It's not quite as heavy as the material used on my HH Backpacker, but it's close. It's not shinny and feels almost rough. When I tried to blow threw it, it was just barely, like the HH. I burned it and it melted black and smelled like chemicals so I'm assuming it's polyester. It beaded water for a second but then wetted.
The other material I got was the marine digital camo (again according to son) It's the darker greens and browns. This is shiny on both sides and very light and you can see your hand underneath it. Like onion paper. It burned to black and smelled like chemicals. You can breath right through it and it wets immediately so no coating. I have a Mountain Hard Wear Phantom windshirt and the fabric is much like that in weight, but you can't blow through the windshirt at all. Imagine that. :)
Both materials fray pretty easily.
I think I might have the same digital marine camo. Does your's have little USMC logos hidden in the pattern? I assumed it was uncoated 1.1 nylon (it's see-thru also) but I didn't burn test. Maybe it is polyester too? It has a small ripstop pattern. I used it in my quilt, I am way too heavy for a 1.1 hammock.
Good luck with your hammock. What kind are you making?
HappyCamper
02-19-2008, 19:01
Redtail,
Yes, mine has a small ripstop pattern. Did you get yours at WalMart? (And if so, how much $$$$$? Just being nosey!) I'm no expert but I was guessing mine is lighter than 1.1 oz. I'll have to check it for the little USMC logo.
I'm hoping to make an a-sym-like ;) netless hammock for bugless season with a pad pocket for winter that is light enough for backpacking. Since my only hammock right now is the HH Backpacker, I figure the netless with pad pock will be a great second hammock.
I'm still collecting material and pieces. Reeper sent me two cinch buckles which I'm excited to try since I still use the tree huggers and figure 8 with my HH. I stopped by Walmart and picked up some of that polyester webbing from the automotive department. It wasn't marked polyester so again I'm just guessing but it fits the description that others have described.
I also have some really light polypro rope recommended that I want to try too. Hanging might be a hybrid of different things -- just cuz I want to play.
I am also going to listen to some really good advice from Oh-No who told me not to hang any higher than I'm afraid to fall! :D You betcha!
HappyCamper
02-19-2008, 22:26
I think I might have the same digital marine camo. Does your's have little USMC logos hidden in the pattern?
Man, Redtail, you got a good eye. Yes, mine has that little logo in green just every so often. I almost missed it and I was looking hard. :cool:
It's neat how they worked that in there. I can't take credit for finding it on my own, I found out about it when I was looking at a marpat website to see what kind it was. I got it in the Walmart $1 bin. I just melted it, it was black after. Not sure what that means. Made a cool looking quilt though.
Are you planning to use your new buckles on your Hennessy or your homemade? I just put some on my HH, seemed okay so I went ahead and cut the rope.
HappyCamper
02-20-2008, 06:20
oooooooh, a buck! I knew it! You dog!
The WalMart clerk said the material in the $1 bin come into the store marked as a $1. She said that since this material was originally selling for about $6 / yard it would only go down to $3.
I bet it looks great as a quilt. Down or synthetic? I'm thinking of using this material for the pad pocket part of the hammock. The top side will be a really nice brown material that Oh-No sent and the bottom will be the marine camo material. Both tarps that I have are brown. If I use the black webbing, it's gonna be a really stealthy setup. :D
I'll put the buckles on this new hammock to see how I like them. If it works out, I may put on the HH. The only mod I've done on the HH so far is to cut the ridgeline and add a biner.
HappyCamper
02-21-2008, 20:49
I think I might have the same digital marine camo. Does your's have little USMC logos hidden in the pattern? I assumed it was uncoated 1.1 nylon (it's see-thru also) but I didn't burn test. Maybe it is polyester too? It has a small ripstop pattern. I used it in my quilt, I am way too heavy for a 1.1 hammock.
Redtail, you are right. My material is 1.1. :)
Redtail, you are right. My material is 1.1. :)
Cool. If you end up using it for your pad pocket/outer layer you'll have one stealthy hammock there. Makes a great quilt too.
I'm thinking of using this material for the pad pocket part of the hammock. The top side will be a really nice brown material that Oh-No sent and the bottom will be the marine camo material.
HappyCamper
That 1.1oz stuff you have would make a nice double layer (a la Risk's Zhammock) hammock.
However, if you use the brown material (probably 1.9oz)
and want to add a pad pocket, you might want to consider making the
pocket a little longer than your pad length and only sewing the pocket
material on the outside edge. Thus leaving the head and foot end of the pocket open.
According to others (Risk I believe) sewing accross the body of the hammock creates a weak point (weak line).
HappyCamper
02-22-2008, 08:37
HappyCamper
That 1.1oz stuff you have would make a nice double layer (a la Risk's Zhammock) hammock.
However, if you use the brown material (probably 1.9oz)
and want to add a pad pocket, you might want to consider making the
pocket a little longer than your pad length and only sewing the pocket
material on the outside edge. Thus leaving the head and foot end of the pocket open.
According to others (Risk I believe) sewing accross the body of the hammock creates a weak point (weak line).
Thanks. Good tip. Walmart didn't have enough of the 1.1 to make a double layer hammock. So I'll go with your advice on making one with a pocket a little longer than the pad.
Do people ever off center the pad pocket to be more up on the head end?. I have an Oware pad that is 60 inches in length and I'm 67 inches. I want to position the pad so it keeps my head and upperbody warm.
I do have enough material, I think, to make the pocket almost the length of the hammock body that won't be tied at the ends. Then I could slide the pad to where ever I wanted it. And also use longer pads in the hammock if I wanted since it is more of a winter hammock.
I do have enough material, I think, to make the pocket almost the length of the hammock body that won't be tied at the ends. Then I could slide the pad to where ever I wanted it. And also use longer pads in the hammock if I wanted since it is more of a winter hammock.
That is what I would try. That way you have flexibility in pad use , and of not having a dedicated head and foot end.