Who's Had their Suspension System Snapp???

OK, so I was wondering,

How many people have had their suspension system snap while hanging in the hammock. I'm talking about either the amsteel, dynaglide, any cord or strap ripping or giving way while in the hammock. I've had straps fray on me before but never completely give out. And that was due to a lot of use of the straps and abrasion from the trees. And I am NOT talking a hard wear failure, or a knot failure, or a toggle failure or the strap slipping through the rings, but the actual cord or strap ripping or snapping at night under load. If so what cord were you using, how much do you weight, when was your last inspection of the suspension and where did the failure occur.

I am just curious, thanks for the replies.
LRR

And please don't leave out the hang angle, so our mathematicians can spit out numbers on why it failed if there were no other obvious signs...

Thankfully not yet for me - and its been on dyna, amsteel and the spectra from Hennessey (as well as straps from Warbonnet).

Never had one snap but had one put my arse on the ground ... cause some old dumbie didn't properly place the whoopie on the toggle ... or it came off while I was fiddling with the hammock. Definitely operator error. :woot:

I had the suspension on my Hennessey Expedition snap, but that was because one of the trees that I was hanging from fell over.

Had the stitching give way on a DIY hugger one evening. User error, wrong thread and insufficient stitch pattern. I was also hanging from a Single Line Suspension at the time which imposses greater loads on the huggers.

I had some 600kg polypropylene webbing snap on its first use. I was hanging from some rocks and the hammock was strung really tight to avoid hitting the floor. The webbing snapped cleanly away from any abrasion on the rocks -it was a case of too much force.

I was 100kg/220lb at the time.

My two descents were operator error & slippage, not material failing.

Grand Trunk Double, stock suspension. Had a knot cut right through the rope. Looked like a knife cut it.

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Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Never had one snap but had one put my arse on the ground ... cause some old dumbie didn't properly place the whoopie on the toggle ... or it came off while I was fiddling with the hammock. Definitely operator error. :woot:

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O n
t h e
k n o t,
n o t
t h e
t o g g l e :lol:

No suspension failures yet, only fabric.

I snapped a set of the harbor freight yellow tie straps 2nd time I used them as webbing. Also had a buckle blow out on me. Its a real attention getter.

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Originally Posted by Rune

O n
t h e
k n o t,
n o t
t h e
t o g g l e :lol:

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Not the problem ... it just come off ... pretty sure it was while I was futzing around with the set up and didn't check to see it was seated. I never forgot to do that one last check after that though!

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Originally Posted by Fish<><

And please don't leave out the hang angle, so our mathematicians can spit out numbers on why it failed if there were no other obvious signs...

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That would be good to know thanks for pointing that out.

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Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Never had one snap but had one put my arse on the ground ... cause some old dumbie didn't properly place the whoopie on the toggle ... or it came off while I was fiddling with the hammock. Definitely operator error. :woot:

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OUCH!!! Sounds painful, hopefully you were not hurt.

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Originally Posted by grannypat

I had the suspension on my Hennessey Expedition snap, but that was because one of the trees that I was hanging from fell over.

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:scared: Yeah when the tree comes down I don't think any suspension is going to keep you suspended.

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Originally Posted by olddog

Had the stitching give way on a DIY hugger one evening. User error, wrong thread and insufficient stitch pattern. I was also hanging from a Single Line Suspension at the time which imposses greater loads on the huggers.

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Thankfully that has not happened to me (yet hopefully I did not just jinx myself) (however I have purchased all my straps)) but I do check the stitching after every trip as well as the tree strap itself for any fraying.

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Originally Posted by turnerminator

I had some 600kg polypropylene webbing snap on its first use. I was hanging from some rocks and the hammock was strung really tight to avoid hitting the floor. The webbing snapped cleanly away from any abrasion on the rocks -it was a case of too much force.

I was 100kg/220lb at the time.

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Yep that will do it. Hopefully you were not hurt and you were able to continue with the rest of your trip safely.

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Originally Posted by WV

My two descents were operator error & slippage, not material failing.

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Ouch, hopefully that does not happen again.

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Originally Posted by dragon360

Thankfully not yet for me - and its been on dyna, amsteel and the spectra from Hennessey (as well as straps from Warbonnet).

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Glad to hear, I wish I could say the same.

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Originally Posted by reckless

Grand Trunk Double, stock suspension. Had a knot cut right through the rope. Looked like a knife cut it.

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How did that happen? So just so I understand, you had tied a knot in the rope and the rope split where the knot was tied? Or was their already a knot tied in the rope? Hope you weren't injured and your back to hanging safely.

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Originally Posted by lazy river road

OUCH!!! Sounds painful, hopefully you were not hurt. ....

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Just my pride! :woot:

I haven't had a failure yet, thankfully. Interesting set of experiences to read, though!

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Originally Posted by Hogg Tyed

I snapped a set of the harbor freight yellow tie straps 2nd time I used them as webbing. Also had a buckle blow out on me. Its a real attention getter.

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As I mutter in a sheepish voice, "I'm hanging on those straps!" At least for now :eek:

Were there any extenuating circumstances like hanging at less than 30* or juggling in your hammock like Shug?

1/8" Vectran, rated to 2000 lbs if memory serves, single line suspension set up, too taut because I hung between trees that were maybe 25 ft apart and I didn't bring my Dutchware titanium micro-stepladder along to push the webbing way up the tree. Snapped at a knot when I dropped into the hammock.

Knots + geometry + dynamic forces can push the stuff we use into the danger zone.

This happened before I learned to splice and avoid knots where possible.

Lesson learned that day...

In the past 15 years of hanging this has happened to me on two occasions. # 1
WalMart poly webbing double ring set up broke right on the compression point of the rings. #2 Hennesey suspension rope broke right at the connection point on the foot end, in a downpour. Ended up in the truck for the balance of the night. If I had been backpacking on that trip I would have had to do some scrambling to recover as the rain had formed quite a puddle that I went into. Totally soaked,but managed to keep the down mostly dry. It broke under the cover so there was no way to check it ahead of time. Now hang on 7/64 Amsteel whoopies and MSH. :scared:

I put poly webbing through the ends of one of my ENO in the hopes of making tree straps and suspension one piece. It gave way in about two minutes!! I think it was a combo of bad angles and cheap junk webbing. I plan to retry it this summer. No toggles, no knots, no messing around. Pull straps until ridgelne is right and done. True one minute setup.

Well I never have been dropped, but I have to confess to dropping my wife :eek:

The whipping on the end of the hammock pulled off from the larks head attachment to the whoopie sling.
No injuries resulted, I was just in the time out chair for a bit :lol:

I also dropped Macentyre 2 times in one night :scared:

He was sleeping in our place, on the way to MN, hanging from straps I had used for years from the ceiling joists.
First one failed, then a bit later the second failed. Glad I had provided a thick crash mat under the hammock.

I guess they were not good webbing, something I had found when I first started hanging.
He made some loops from Mule tape that was hanging on the wall and now I use them instead of unknown strap material

Remind me never to get into TZBrown's hammock! :eek:

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Originally Posted by MAD777

Remind me never to get into TZBrown's hammock! :eek:

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+1

TZ must not want others in his trees :D

I had a strap failure with cinch buckles. I did not pay attention to the buckle, it was twisted slightly, and it cut through the strap. I landed on the small of my back and compressed L5-S1. Spent 6 weeks in bed eating Dilaudid. I felt ok after the fall, it was during the 4.5 hr ride home that the pain set in.

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Originally Posted by MAD777

Remind me never to get into TZBrown's hammock! :eek:

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hahah..+2....If the webbing strength is unknown, I would consider it unsafe. I have a role of webbing that is rated for 600-800 lbs breaking strength but looks and feels almost identical to my other role of webbing that is rated for 3800lbs breaking strength. I am using the lower strength for making my utility straps for gear.

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Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Never had one snap but had one put my arse on the ground ... cause some old dumbie didn't properly place the whoopie on the toggle ... or it came off while I was fiddling with the hammock. Definitely operator error. :woot:

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+1 on the that:eek:

I never had straps or line fail, but once a toggle broke in two, and down I came. I selected a piece of wood that looked like it was thick enough, and the theory is that the whoopie holds to the strap, not the toggle. But the weight of the subject (myself of course) was too much for this wooden toggle. I could not for a minute figure out what had happened there in the dark, inside my HH expedition. Now I use a metal toggle.

Knock on wood I've not had a failure. In all threads I've read over the years, it's usually user error or poor products that cause problems.

I have a feeling we'll not see an outright break in a strap or line without some kind of mitigating factor which is a good reminder to check your suspension frequently for wear as well as check it before entering your hammock.

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How did that happen? So just so I understand, you had tied a knot in the rope and the rope split where the knot was tied? Or was their already a knot tied in the rope? Hope you weren't injured and your back to hanging safely.

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I was trying to improve how the stock suspension connected. Had already had the s-clips slip out on a day hike once before. So I tied some knots in it where it connected to the s-clips. Hoping to keep it from slipping.

I still have the knot stashed away on my wall of shame. I'll try to get a pic of it this evening.

Had a tree snap once but never suspension.

I haven't had a problem with suspension failure, not because I am too smart for that to happen, but because so many others have tried, tested and proven suspension perameters that just WORK, and safely. Thanks to all who have contributed to my hanging safety.

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Originally Posted by Catavarie

No suspension failures yet, only fabric.

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Yeah that's a possibility as well. I think I'll start that thread next. Thanks for the idea.

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Originally Posted by Hogg Tyed

I snapped a set of the harbor freight yellow tie straps 2nd time I used them as webbing. Also had a buckle blow out on me. Its a real attention getter.

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OUCH....How did the straps snap? Was it a clean break, any idea as to the cause of the breakage. And a buckle blow out, their has gotta be more to this story. Did the actual buckle break or did the strap slip through somehow?

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Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Just my pride! :woot:

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Well that ain't to bad, hopefully you've regained it back :laugh:

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Originally Posted by breyman

I haven't had a failure yet, thankfully. Interesting set of experiences to read, though!

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Yeah I thought so too. I hear lots of talk about the mathematics of it but was looking for personal experiences. Thanks every one for sharing, hopefully this will help out others and prevent them from thumping on the ground.

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Originally Posted by MAD777

As I mutter in a sheepish voice, "I'm hanging on those straps!" At least for now :eek:

Were there any extenuating circumstances like hanging at less than 30* or juggling in your hammock like Shug?

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I wonder this too....

How long have you been hanging on your straps and is their any obvious signs of wear, I wonder why one set would snap and the while another holds perfectly well. I am sure their are an infinite number of possibilities.

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Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams

1/8" Vectran, rated to 2000 lbs if memory serves, single line suspension set up, too taut because I hung between trees that were maybe 25 ft apart and I didn't bring my Dutchware titanium micro-stepladder along to push the webbing way up the tree. Snapped at a knot when I dropped into the hammock.

Knots + geometry + dynamic forces can push the stuff we use into the danger zone.

This happened before I learned to splice and avoid knots where possible.

Lesson learned that day...

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Good advice, I prefer anything spliced to anything tied, I am sure knots have their place but I simply do not trust myself to tie them.

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Originally Posted by ezhiker

In the past 15 years of hanging this has happened to me on two occasions. # 1
WalMart poly webbing double ring set up broke right on the compression point of the rings. #2 Hennesey suspension rope broke right at the connection point on the foot end, in a downpour. Ended up in the truck for the balance of the night. If I had been backpacking on that trip I would have had to do some scrambling to recover as the rain had formed quite a puddle that I went into. Totally soaked,but managed to keep the down mostly dry. It broke under the cover so there was no way to check it ahead of time. Now hang on 7/64 Amsteel whoopies and MSH. :scared:

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Glad to hear you had a bail out close by. And this is one reason why I carry an extra dynaglide woopie sling and dutch biner with me on back packing trips. In case either I have a strap or woopie failure I have a back up.

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Originally Posted by Mikeinajeep

I put poly webbing through the ends of one of my ENO in the hopes of making tree straps and suspension one piece. It gave way in about two minutes!! I think it was a combo of bad angles and cheap junk webbing. I plan to retry it this summer. No toggles, no knots, no messing around. Pull straps until ridgelne is right and done. True one minute setup.

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Yeah quality webbing is certainly important. Glad you figured out a safer suspension system.'

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Originally Posted by TZBrown

Well I never have been dropped, but I have to confess to dropping my wife :eek:

The whipping on the end of the hammock pulled off from the larks head attachment to the whoopie sling.
No injuries resulted, I was just in the time out chair for a bit :lol:

I also dropped Macentyre 2 times in one night :scared:

He was sleeping in our place, on the way to MN, hanging from straps I had used for years from the ceiling joists.
First one failed, then a bit later the second failed. Glad I had provided a thick crash mat under the hammock.

I guess they were not good webbing, something I had found when I first started hanging.
He made some loops from Mule tape that was hanging on the wall and now I use them instead of unknown strap material

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HUM, yeah if I ever come over for a sleep over TZ Ill bring my own hammock stand :D

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Originally Posted by Darby

I had a strap failure with cinch buckles. I did not pay attention to the buckle, it was twisted slightly, and it cut through the strap. I landed on the small of my back and compressed L5-S1. Spent 6 weeks in bed eating Dilaudid. I felt ok after the fall, it was during the 4.5 hr ride home that the pain set in.

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:scared: Now these are the kind of stories that scare me when I am backpacking and hanging. Hope you have made a full recovery.

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Originally Posted by ag1024

I never had straps or line fail, but once a toggle broke in two, and down I came. I selected a piece of wood that looked like it was thick enough, and the theory is that the whoopie holds to the strap, not the toggle. But the weight of the subject (myself of course) was too much for this wooden toggle. I could not for a minute figure out what had happened there in the dark, inside my HH expedition. Now I use a metal toggle.

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hopefully you were able to enjoy the rest of the trip. Glad to hear you got a metal toggle.

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Originally Posted by reckless

I was trying to improve how the stock suspension connected. Had already had the s-clips slip out on a day hike once before. So I tied some knots in it where it connected to the s-clips. Hoping to keep it from slipping.

I still have the knot stashed away on my wall of shame. I'll try to get a pic of it this evening.

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Pictures would be great

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Originally Posted by old4hats

I haven't had a problem with suspension failure, not because I am too smart for that to happen, but because so many others have tried, tested and proven suspension perameters that just WORK, and safely. Thanks to all who have contributed to my hanging safety.

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And a big oll +1 on this. Many people deserve thanks and gratitude for helping suspend a community of hikers above ground.

Very interesting thread, Lazy River you sir add another interesting insight and look into the conundrum.......

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Although as much as I would love to add a horror story, I have not yet had the pleasure of having a suspension break on me. Sorry pal!

I guess I haven't been hanging long enough (3 years) to have a suspension failure. My whoopies used to come off the marlin spike hitch and toggle, which is why I don't use MSH and toggle anymore. Dutch whoopie hooks give me peace of mind, as does splicing. Nice to know a few knots, but I'll go with the manufacturer recommendation that splices retain more breaking strength.

have yet to have the suspension snap on me thought i have had a toggle fail and it dropped me to within a hairs breath of the floor. carbon fiber toggle from an arrow shaft. was hanging in a friends garage just lounging and someone decided to join me in the hammock. the added weight caused the MSH to crush the toggle.

I'm pretty heavy--about 370 lbs. I've been dropped in the field twice--both times by situations outside the area of this thread (fisherman's knot slipped, crushed toggle when I used a "found" stick). However, the one time that I straight out broke some Amsteel 7/64 it was in my own home with a new rope. The rope broke right as it entered a knot, and was therefore making a sharp right-angle turn. As best I can calculate, the rope was very close to or even above its rated strength.

I've had ceiling hooks in the basement for awhile. However, to test out a bridge hammock, I needed to get the attachment points lower. I'd seen a thread where people were making suggestions about hanging a bridge in a small room, and one guy used floor hooks with heavy-duty chains between the ceiling and floor, and then could put the attachment at any height.

I didn't happen to have any chains, but I did have a spool of Amsteel. So I put a couple of hooks in the wall and tied a couple of loops at eye-level in the near vertical ropes. The bridge hammock then formed an "H" shape along with the two ropes tied wall-to-ceiling. The break occurred on one of the verticals, just above the knot forming the tie-off loop.

In hind sight, I don't recall worrying too much about the wall hooks, although they were anchored well. After I calculated the forces on each piece of the system, I determined that all the hooks had the better part of a ton applied on them. I no longer use the wall hooks.

I've estimated the distances and angles involved, and used rough numbers for calculations. The resulting calculations estimate that my Amsteel broke at a couple hundred pounds higher than the rated strength. I think it more likely that the angles were a little less, the hammock a little lower, etc., and that the rope was very close to 1600 lbs.

By the way, if your wife is in the room above you when you break this stuff, she will be very upset. It literally sounded like a gunshot.

I haven't had any line snap, and it's interesting because I'm using a 550 cord suspension system, typically the line mostly likely to snap and hence why people are generally steered clear of it for suspension. Maybe I'm just lucky? I expected to see at least one snap in this thread from 550 cord though and there isn't.

Edit* now I am NOT just using a single piece of 550 cord on each end and calling it good. I took(for each side) two 12 ft pieces, folded them in half, then proceeded to tie knots down the length to act as attachment points for the hammock hook. They have a loop at each end where the two pieces were folded, thus allowing me to use them as tree huggers. Anyone got any ideas as to why this works. Did I essentially make a 2000+ lb breaking strength strap by using two pieces ad folding them in half?

I've never had any of my suspensions fail, amsteel or dynaglide. However, my oldest daughter managed to snap a 1/8″ amsteel whoopie last night, right in the middle of the adjustable loop. The only possibility I can think of is that she pulled the suspension tight to get the hammock up high, and jumped in with considerable force. She's maybe 115 lbs, so I'm not sure how she managed to generate that much force. :eek:

Michael

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Originally Posted by TheIrishmanCometh

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Edit* now I am NOT just using a single piece of 550 cord on each end and calling it good. I took(for each side) two 12 ft pieces, folded them in half, then proceeded to tie knots down the length to act as attachment points for the hammock hook. They have a loop at each end where the two pieces were folded, thus allowing me to use them as tree huggers. Anyone got any ideas as to why this works. Did I essentially make a 2000+ lb breaking strength strap by using two pieces ad folding them in half?

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Combining four lengths would add strength but the knots in each will derate that strength. I don't know by how much but in some cordage a knot can decrease the breaking strength by 50% or even more.

Watched my cousin roll out backwards down a hill because one his DIY whoopies didn't cut it and got a real good laugh out of it

Just slippages and stupid's here. Never a material fail.

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Originally Posted by Bubba

Combining four lengths would add strength but the knots in each will derate that strength. I don't know by how much but in some cordage a knot can decrease the breaking strength by 50% or even more.

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So with that said would it be safe to say that even if the strength was decreased by 50% that I would still have a 1000+ lb strength strap on each side?