Whoopie sling sizing and help [Archive] - Hammock Forums - Hammocks and hammock camping

View Full Version : Whoopie sling sizing and help

Snow-Ape

11-29-2012, 13:52

I picked up a tarp line for my OES Deluxe and my HH Survivor and love them both but I was hoping for some pointers that could be dumbed down, romper room, barney style for me.

For starters, I'm a large farm animal at about 6ft and 265. No issues with the ridgeline except for it not being long enough to suspend over my hammock when I've got it hung all the way out on my 10 ft. whoopies. Which brings me to the root of my problem... I picked up an "all in one system" with 10 foot whoopies. I'm actually limiting the places that I can hang because my whoopies are so long. And when I'm hanging in places where my whoopies aren't completely tightened, I run into the first problem. Now all of that being said, I also get to the point where the whoopies are almost TOO tight... is this because I'm a person in a pig suit, or is it common? I'll push my huggers up the tree 7 feet or so, and tighten and if I hang it at that 30 degree mark, I usually end up on the ground?

I realize this probably is a combination of my not being able to follow simple directions and being a barrel chested (and assed) animal.

Snow-ape

SilvrSurfr

11-29-2012, 14:11

Which all-in-one suspension do you have?

adkphoto

11-29-2012, 14:26

I'll take a stab at answering your questions and hope that I am understanding them correctly.

First, it sounds like you may not have your hammock ridgeline in the right place. If you have the Dutchware all-in-one system, you should have continuous loops larks-headed around the end of your hammock. Slip the continuous loops through the fixed loops on your ridgeline, and pull the ridgeline toward the gathered end of your hammock. The ridgeline should be right next to the gathered end.

With whoopie slings, how long they are doesn't determine how short they can be. That is determined by the bury length and fixed loop end. Most whoopie slings can be shortened to about 12-14" long. Any extra will just hang to the ground.

How long are your tree straps? If they are too long, wrap them around the tree again, or use a Marlin Spike Hitch to connect your whoopie instead of the loop on the strap.

It sounds like you may also be putting tension on your whoopies. They shouldn't be tight. Try just tightening them to the point where there is no longer sag in your hammock ridgeline (which shouldn't be tight either, just not sagging).

I can't figure out why you would end up on the ground unless it relates back to where you have your ridgeline.

I hope that helps.

David

adkphoto

11-29-2012, 14:38

Stu has a video showing how to use all-in-one system here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKZuj0XFtTY&feature=player_embedded). It's not much different than the Dutchware version.

David

Snow-Ape

11-29-2012, 14:45

I've got a HH Survivor and the All in one whoopie slings that have the huggers running through the stainless eye on the whoopie. I always run the tree straps around as many times as I can and use a light weight biner to clip it back onto (per the instructions).

I guess I just feel like I have to gorilla tighten the whoopies to keep it up off the ground even when I'm wrapping it at 7 feet or so. I feel like there is just a ton of stretch in the lines? I'll play with it tomorrow some behind my work and try and snap some pics.

Snow-Ape

11-29-2012, 14:46

adkphoto

11-29-2012, 14:55

Pics would definitely help.

How far apart are the trees that you're trying to use?

David

Snow-Ape

11-29-2012, 15:00

Pics would definitely help.

How far apart are the trees that you're trying to use?

David

Depends... I'm all over the place. I've hung it here in VA and in Panama in the last month so it differs. I had gotten the longest "all in one" through whoopie thinking it would give me the most options, but I'm starting to thing that it actually may limit them? I feel like I need to get too high on the trees when I've got them extended all the way out and crank the whoopies slings tight... so tight its very hard to get them to free up when I break down.

adkphoto

11-29-2012, 15:21

Snow-Ape

11-29-2012, 15:36

Something's not right if you have to crank your whoopies tight like that. I can't visualize why you would need to do that when you are putting your tree straps so high. I can't even reach 7' high :) It seems to me that your hammock would be too high off the ground.

Try to get it to look like Derek's illustration here. (http://theultimatehang.com/2012/07/hammock-camping-101/)

David

Its only when I'm WAY far apart where I've got to go up high, and I have to do so to try and get that "30 degree" angle that I'm supposed to have. I'll see if i can duplicate it tomorrow when I come in with my hammock. I appreciate all the help though!

MAD777

11-29-2012, 15:45

Bring a tape measure to do some testing. Find two trees that have only 13' clear between them. You'll have to use marlin spikes in the straps and set them right next to the tree. Then hook your whoopies over the spike and shorten them almost all the way (but leave enough of a loop to get a couple of fingers into). Finally adjust the whoopies to get a 30* angle (FROM HORIZONTAL). Then post a picture for us.

SilvrSurfr

11-29-2012, 20:34

Stu has a video showing how to use all-in-one system here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKZuj0XFtTY&feature=player_embedded). It's not much different than the Dutchware version.

David

After watching that vid, I can see why Snow Ape has a problem. He's not using a marlin spike hitch or anything to shorten the tree straps. Therefore, he's truly got to wrap the webbing around the tree as the only way to shorten the webbing, and even then it's probably too long.

Dutch's all-in-one suspension works differently. You wrap the webbing around the tree, then feed the webbing (and larksheaded whoopie) through the sewn loop at the end of the webbing. Clip Whoopie hook onto your continuous loop, adjust whoopies, and you're done. I've been using his system for a year with 4-ft. tree huggers with no problems.

KTwhvd5ibR4

I can see how 10 ft. tree straps would be a pain in the butt and majorly unwieldy (note: I started with 8 ft. tree straps before deciding that 4 ft. was all I needed in the Northeast). With my 4 ft. straps, if the tree diameter is too great, I just larkshead a continuous loop onto the sewn loop to extend the tree hugger.

Like you, Snow Ape, I thought longer tree huggers had to be better, right? However, that's not necessarily true, as you have discovered. You're cranking your whoopies so tight trying to compensate for overly long tree huggers.

If you were using a marlin spike hitch and toggle (or even a Dutch buckle), you'd have much more flexibility. You could make the tree hugger as short as you want based on where you place the MSH or Dutch buckle.

Here's a vid on the Dutch buckle where you see it placed very close to the tree (same would apply to MSH). Your attachment point for the whoopie sling is probably much further away from the tree with your system.

DJcUbNl9nrU

So consider shorter tree huggers with your system, or get another system.

Snow-Ape

11-30-2012, 09:29

Alright, so I set everything up this morning but... no camera. That being said, I think Silver surfer may be right regarding managing the tree huggers. Additionally I didn't admittedly make an honest enough effort to get that nice 30 degree hang. I made sure this morning it was close and found I didn't have to "crank it" like I had. I do think this would be easier to manage if I had elected the shorter whoopies and huggers...

+1 on the dutch stuff though... I had seen plenty folks as advocates for them over the past year, and I visited the website, but until I watched a couple of youtube videos on how they work, it didn't click... they're pretty slick!

Thanks all for the help!

SmokeBait

12-02-2012, 20:53

Bosman

02-20-2013, 20:50

Who sells 10' whoopies?? Most I've seen Are 5 or 6 '. 10' whoopies are long enough to wrap around trees. Ok ok like others say and like I've done with ditches 6' whoopies I double back the tree straps making them 3' instead of 6' when trees are small. The other way is to put the loop where your suspension connects to the whoopies at the center part of where the tree is facing your hammock and wrap it around and slid the two loops so they face your hammock I like my way better. I use a marlin spike with a biner however so it's a little diff than permanently larks heading your whoopie to the strap.

hawghangar

02-21-2013, 09:06

Snow-Ape, I'm not sure who's all in one system you have. We don't make one with either 10' tree huggers or 10' whoopie slings. If the webbing portion is too long for you, you can tie a marlin spike hitch in the webbing and instead of using a gobble, place your carabiner where the toggle would go. Then, after running the webbing around the tree, just clip the carabiner to the body of the webbing (pic attached). If it is our system, you can send it back to us to have the webbing shorted. PM me for details.

+1

I utilize the All-In-One suspension also (8' tree huggers + 6' whoopies) and had the same problem as Snow Ape this past weekend. The tree circumference was too large to get two wraps of the tree huggers but with only one wrap of the tree huggers AND the whoppie shortened as much as possible, my suspension was too long.

The marklin spike hitch described above easily solves this problem.... just may not be intuitive if someone hasn't seen it done before.

ninjahamockman

02-23-2013, 23:04

No one needs 10 ft in whoopies 8' is already pushing it. I say 6' is good enough. Marlin Spike and the larks head are knots that a hanger should try to memorize by memory

yaddayaddajoe

02-24-2013, 02:15

I hang between posts in on my porch that are a little close together. When I need to make the whoopies shorter than they go I double them over. Not quite as easy but it works. I've even looped them 3 times before as well at a different house. I use carabiners at each end instead of the marlin spike though which make that an option.