View Full Version : Ridge Lines
jakethesnake
01-21-2007, 00:38
What ratio do you use for your ridge lines. I just finnished hammock #4 and thought I would try using a ridge line. This hammock is 10' from knot to knot. I set it up today and thought I would see what other people are doing. A couple of things I learned doing this one.
1: It is much easyer to just ask my wife to hem the edge and it looks better then when I do it.
2: Don't use a ridge line that streches.
Right now mine is around 8.5 feet if that helps. But I have a long hammock. It is about to get shorter soon though.
It basically comes done to comfort. Hang the hammock to where it feels comfortable. Then measure and hang your ridgeline that length. This way your hammock will always hang the same way with the same sag every hang (all other things equal).
My opinion:
Set up the new hammock with 30 degrees sag angle and measure the distance.
Or
Sleep in the new hammock, adjusting until you find the "perfect" set up.
Then measure and make a ridge line.
Miles of Smiles
Tom
blackbishop351
01-21-2007, 09:13
I cut a length of ridge cord about a foot longer than my hammock material - that's the max you'd need, plus room for knots. I tied a bight in one end and put in on the head end of the hammock via a larkshead. I put a small (but rated) 'biner on the foot end of the hammock and tied the other end of the ridge cord to it with what I call a 'slipping two half hitches'. Then I got in and tested. Then slipped the knot loose, adjusted, and retied. Repeat as necessary.
jakethesnake
01-21-2007, 10:44
I tyied a couple different lengths and was just supprised how short the ridge line was. Mine currenly is about 2' shorter then the hammock.
I just (accidently?) tested how the length of a ridgeline makes a difference. I decided to switch to the ring buckles like at http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearRingBuckleSupports.html
I used spectra cord as my combination ridgeline/support rope. In order to make the rings work, I had 2 choices: #1 cut of the spectra cord at each end, leaving me with 2 rather short pieces of spectra. #2 measure the ridgeline length, untie EVERYTHING & then try to re tie at the correct length.
I chose option #2, I mis-tied, the ridgeline was ONE INCH longer. BIG difference, tried it 2 nights, slept ok, but not as well as nights past (my back hurt). This AM I re-tied, & tho I sort of suspect that I will have to retie due to over correcting the first error, my conclusion is: a change in the ridgeline as small as ONE INCH can make a difference in how well you sleep. So: if not comfy, re-tie your ridgeline. I Humbly suggest you start with a ridge that seems too short & go up from there. It may take a few nights to fine tune it.
BTW: the ring buckle suppports are a great way to hang.
slowhike
07-13-2007, 19:44
I Humbly suggest you start with a ridge that seems too short & go up from there. It may take a few nights to fine tune it.
sounds like an adjustable ridgeline might not be a bad idea?
headchange4u
07-14-2007, 08:11
sounds like an adjustable ridgeline might not be a bad idea?
After reading Doctari's post I thought about a ridge line with loops tired every inch or so on one end of the ridge line. Using a small biner or quick link, just hook the ridge line on a different loop to adjust the length.
My ridge line is now back to it's original 8' 7.5" & I slept like a log last night. :p
I don't know how long my hammock is, it's a "Skeeter Beeter" I got from Sportsmans Guide. I think it (looks like) may be about 10' - 11' long or there about, counting the short atachment ropes.
Doctari.
rigidpsycho
07-15-2007, 12:35
Question for all you guys who are former military personnel. I spent 6 years in the Army reserves and Ky national guard. I was wondering if what we called Ranger rope would be strong enough to use for a ridgeline?
warbonnetguy
07-15-2007, 13:45
if its nylon, which it probably is, it is probably strong enough, but you wouldn't want to use it, because of its stretch, it would not hold an exact length when weighted, but would stretch, unless its real fat, and wouldn't stretch as much under the same weight, but if you are unsure of its strength, its probably not that strong. tie a 5 or 6 foot piece to something and hang your body weight from it (cord hanging straight down, not horizontally like on a ridgeline) if it holds up to some light bouncing its probably plenty strong, this will also tell yo how much it stretches. if it stretches, you don't want it.
Question for all you guys who are former military personnel. I spent 6 years in the Army reserves and Ky national guard. I was wondering if what we called Ranger rope would be strong enough to use for a ridgeline?
Just Jeff
07-15-2007, 16:55
If this (http://cgi.ebay.com/Nylon-Ranger-Rope-120-1-1-4-circum-Military-issu_W0QQitemZ110147916760QQcmdZViewItem) is what you're talking about, it's strong enough and I doubt you'll notice much stretch...b/c it's 1.25" diameter. Which makes it much bulkier and heavier than you need.
If you're talking about 550 cord, then no...it's not strong enough. I've broken it twice that way.
rigidpsycho
07-16-2007, 16:20
If this (http://cgi.ebay.com/Nylon-Ranger-Rope-120-1-1-4-circum-Military-issu_W0QQitemZ110147916760QQcmdZViewItem) is what you're talking about, it's strong enough and I doubt you'll notice much stretch...b/c it's 1.25" diameter. Which makes it much bulkier and heavier than you need.
If you're talking about 550 cord, then no...it's not strong enough. I've broken it twice that way.
It is the 550 cord that I was talking about. I used to use for a litle bit of everything, even thread my dog tag chain thru it for a bit of comfort in the summer months.
It is the 550 cord that I was talking about. I used to use for a litle bit of everything, even thread my dog tag chain thru it for a bit of comfort in the summer months. I'm inclined to agree with Just Jeff, 550 cord, even the good stuff, isn't strong enough to use for a structural ridgeline. If you were using it for a non-structural ridgeline, it's a different story, I think that would work just fine.
On a separate note, when I was in the Marines, we'd use 550 cord for a little of everything. We'd cover dog tag chains with it, like you described, make weapon slings with it braided, attach our magazine pouches and canteen pouches and the like to our LBE. It made handy and hi-speed looking boot laces to go in jungle boots and we'd cut off the metal attachments off our LC-2 suspenders and replace it with 550 cord so it wouln't make noise. The uses of the stuff are pretty much limitless.
rigidpsycho
07-16-2007, 16:37
I'm inclined to agree with Just Jeff, 550 cord, even the good stuff, isn't strong enough to use for a structural ridgeline. If you were using it for a non-structural ridgeline, it's a different story, I think that would work just fine.
On a separate note, when I was in the Marines, we'd use 550 cord for a little of everything. We'd cover dog tag chains with it, like you described, make weapon slings with it braided, attach our magazine pouches and canteen pouches and the like to our LBE. It made handy and hi-speed looking boot laces to go in jungle boots and we'd cut off the metal attachments off our LC-2 suspenders and replace it with 550 cord so it wouln't make noise. The uses of the stuff are pretty much limitless.
I haven't quite decided yet if I'm going go with a structural ridgeline or just go with a non-structual. 550 cord 100mph tape is all a soldier needs to rig things up in the field.
I haven't quite decided yet if I'm going go with a structural ridgeline or just go with a non-structual. It really depends on what the purpose of your ridgeline will be. Do you want it to keep a constant sag to your hammock for comfort or do you want it to hang socks with at night? I've learned how to keep my sag pretty consistent, so I don't use a structural ridgeline. If I were to go to a ridgeline, it'd more likely than not, be non-structural. Right now, I'm happy without. If I decide to go to one, J & H Lanmark is just a couple miles away. :D
550 cord 100mph tape is all a soldier needs to rig things up in the field. A Marine just needs the 550 cord, we'll leave the tape to your Army boys. :p Seriously, the 100mph tape came in handy more than once.
rigidpsycho
07-16-2007, 16:52
It really depends on what the purpose of your ridgeline will be. Do you want it to keep a constant sag to your hammock for comfort or do you want it to hang socks with at night? I've learned how to keep my sag pretty consistent, so I don't use a structural ridgeline. If I were to go to a ridgeline, it'd more likely than not, be non-structural. Right now, I'm happy without. If I decide to go to one, J & H Lanmark is just a couple miles away. :D
I may be going with non structural just to hang a tarp over for cover. Same here if i decide to go structural I'll go to J&H or Phillip Gall's
rigidpsycho
07-16-2007, 16:53
A Marine just needs the 550 cord, we'll leave the tape to your Army boys. :p Seriously, the 100mph tape came in handy more than once.
Hey I was the guy with the access to all of the 550 cord and tape. Us supply guys are pretty stingy with our toys
Hey I was the guy with the access to all of the 550 cord and tape. Us supply guys are pretty stingy with our toys Our supply guys gave us what we wanted, within reason. Besides, I had one roommate who was an air delivery specialist and another who was a corpsman, so I had about anything I needed from 550 cord to IV fluids after a hard night out pretty easy.
GREEN THERAPY
07-21-2007, 22:13
When making a new hammock and setting the ridge line I use two biners to connect to the hammock supports. I tie one biner on solid, and make a few knots in the ridge line at intervals that I think are "close" to being correct. The knots are larger than the tie area in the biner and jam there making it easy to change lengths until I get it right. When I hit the correct length I untie the unused knots tie it off at that point. Has worked well so far.
Mountain Dog
07-22-2007, 15:44
I'm modifying my HH. I plan to replace the outside lines, those that go from the ends of the Hammock to the tree, with a cinch buckle and 1 inch straps (I'm using ideas posted elsewhere on the site). I am doing this to stop the tremendous sag I have experience over the years, regardless of how many times I stretched and retied the HH before going to bed for the night.
The HH line under the tarp/bug net and between the hammock's ends, is a smaller line which I was not planning to replace. My thought is that the line between the ends of the hammock are not going to affect the hammock's sag at night. It looks like, if anything, the inside line actually has reduced strain when I get into the hammock and the sag would be the same regardless of the strength of the inside line or even if I left it out completely. I guess what I am asking is, is there any advantage of replacing the line between the hammock ends if I am currently happy with the "initial" sag to total ridgeline length?
angrysparrow
07-22-2007, 19:23
I'm modifying my HH. I plan to replace the outside lines, those that go from the ends of the Hammock to the tree, with a cinch buckle and 1 inch straps (I'm using ideas posted elsewhere on the site). I am doing this to stop the tremendous sag I have experience over the years, regardless of how many times I stretched and retied the HH before going to bed for the night.
The HH line under the tarp/bug net and between the hammock's ends, is a smaller line which I was not planning to replace. My thought is that the line between the ends of the hammock are not going to affect the hammock's sag at night. It looks like, if anything, the inside line actually has reduced strain when I get into the hammock and the sag would be the same regardless of the strength of the inside line or even if I left it out completely. I guess what I am asking is, is there any advantage of replacing the line between the hammock ends if I am currently happy with the "initial" sag to total ridgeline length?
No, if you're happy with the HH ridgeline there's no need to replace it.