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I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but do y'all think this Spectra would be ok for a structural ridge line and/or attaching cinch or ring buckles to a hammock? Would you go with a heavier Spectra? I've been watching BPL and they've been out of stock on it for months. :thumbdown: Any other good Spectra sources?
Spectra is what I use. 7/64 or 1/8". Available at APS. I think someone said they were having a sale on Amsteel Blue.
Cool......thanks for the heads up. The Spectra at APS is price comparable to the Spectra at AGG. I do believe I'll order some of the 1/8 inch so I can put a structural ridgeline on Dancer's hammock for her. I think it would be good to use for the cinch buckles on our hammocks as well, instead of the cordage that comes with the ENO hammocks. The ENO cordage is pretty thick and kinda difficult to knot. Thanks again for the advice! :thumbup:Quote:
Originally Posted by headchange4u
You might want to consider stronger line. It depends on whether you hang tight or hang loose. A loose hang has angles of 30 degrees or greater at the trees. A lower angle (tighter hang) stresses the static line more than you would expect from the weight of the victim...er, I mean, resident of the hammock. The stress on the hanging lines transfers to the static line as the angle decreases. Even the 5/8" static line on HHs will snap if you hang tight.
Actually the Amsteel is way overkill when it come to breaking strength. The 7/64" is 1600lbs and the 1/8" is 2500lbs breaking strength.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spock
I just bought some AmSteel 7/64 and 1/8 from Defender.com. The 7/64 was $0.26 and 1/8 $0.41.
Good stuff. Pretty much the strongest cordage in the world for the weight and size :D
Just ordered 40' for the 3mm (1/8") gray Amsteel to make a structural ridgeline for Dancer's hammock and change out the cordage for our cinch buckles for both our hammocks. Yay! It's Amsteel time! :woot::drool::thumbup:
I almost wrote a thread similar to this one earlier today, with a slightly similar question. I was curious about materials also, but more so what the advantage of cord over webbing was, for a structural ridgeline?
If that's a seemingly "stupid" question, please forgive me newb-ness; such obvious things aren't often discussed in the plethora of posts around here, but assumed knowledge. :)
Wow... "Stronger than AmSteel; Much stronger than steel" for $0.26/foot? Am I reading those stats right? 1600lbs "average strength"?! That's actually... affordable? And capable? What am I missing here?
The big advantage that cordage like Spectra, AmSteel, etc has over webbing for structural ridgelines is weight and it's ability to be easy to work with. IMO, those are two of the most important considerations for picking a structural ridgeline material.Quote:
Originally Posted by bukkit
I can see that, Hooch, but once the SR is tied... it's fairly static, right? So how much adjustment would it need? The weight difference is obvious, but enough to be a concern? How long is an SR; 8'? :shrug:
Bear with my questions; I'm only trying to understand better the advantages of the uber-sexy spectra and amsteel. :)
The structural ridgeline is static once it's weighted, yes. You shouldn't need to adjust a structural ridgeline at all, once you find your sweet spot and a length for it that works for you. You'll find that most folks ridgelines are different lengths. This is because no two hangers like the exact amount of sag in thier hammock for comfort. The length of the ridgeline takes some playing around and experimenting with to find your comfort zone.
As far as the weight difference being a concern, that's up to you. Are you hiking or car camping? I'm no gram weenie or uber-lighter (NTTATWWT), but I don't want my pack to be any heavier than it has to be, either. I use a Spectra structural ridgeline for my hammock and am going to add an AmSteel ridgeline to my girlfriend's hammock as soon as it comes it. Get what works for you, just bear in mind that if you do go with a webbing structural ridgeline, get a material that isn't going to stretch like nylon. Avoid it at all costs. If I were to use webbing for a ridgeline (and I wouldn't), I'd use polyester. But that's just me. Happy hanging no matter what you choose.
Word, Hooch.
I certainly wasn't being critical of any setup; I'm waaaaaaay to green to even have an opinion! I'm just trying to understand the automatic usage of cordage over webbing for the structural ridgeline. Sure, it's easier to use and slightly lighter, but it's also a lot more expensive.
Thanks for your reply! :)
Just for me, I'd rather pay more for the cordage and not have to worry about it. Not to mention the ease of use. Even good cordage like AmSteel is still pretty cheap, if you ask me. And although it is still more expensive than webbing, most folks here will tell you that good cordage is well worth what you pay for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by bukkit