Dual Ridgeline

Okay, I still haven't gotten my HH yet, but reading previous posts has led me to a question.

Do I understand correctly that if you removed ridgeline, the bug net will lay flat on the hammock and you basically have a top loader?
If so, will this damage the net?
Could the hammock be turned over to have the net on the bottom side?
And then you could use the hammock with an over the hammock sleeping bag?
And then re-attach the structural ridgeline?
Or could you intially have two ridgelines, one permanenlty tied outside of the net, and a second detatchable inside the net?

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

Do I understand correctly that if you removed ridgeline, the bug net will lay flat on the hammock and you basically have a top loader?

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Yes. Don't remove it completely, though, just cut it and tie the loose ends to a small rated biner or a screwlink. That way, you can take down or use the ridgeline at will.

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

If so, will this damage the net?

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No.

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

Could the hammock be turned over to have the net on the bottom side?

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Yes, that's actually the better way to use it.

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

And then you could use the hammock with an over the hammock sleeping bag?

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Yes.

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

And then re-attach the structural ridgeline?

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Yes, see the ridgeline description above.

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

Or could you intially have two ridgelines, one permanenlty tied outside of the net, and a second detatchable inside the net?

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That's certainly a possibility, but I haven't seen it done before. I would just make the existing one removable instead.

That's a lot of questions in a short space.... :)

Cool. So, there's an opening to allow the ridge line to pass either inside or outside? Or does this have to be done also?

And what is that on the monkey's back?

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

Cool. So, there's an opening to allow the ridge line to pass either inside or outside? Or does this have to be done also?

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No, there is not an opening. By modifiying the ridgeline, I meant that you can just cut the internal ridgeline and tie those loose ends to something like a quicklink so that it can easily be disconnected to hang loose. That will let the netting lay flat against the body of the hammock. While it is that flat, you can lounge on it, use it as a chair, use an overbag, etc. Then, when you want to use the bugnet again, just reconnect the ridgeline.

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

And what is that on the monkey's back?

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A jetpack!

Thanks for the explanation. I can see me adding an extra set of small outside loops to allow a quick chang. So when you cut the ridgeline, do you generally cut both ends or just one?

Of course it's a jetpack, what was I thinking?

I had wondered about the monkey... it was either a jet pack or some sort of futuristic warhead... either way it was cool.

The only way it could be better is if you had a whole army of jetpack monkies on some sort of flying pirate ship:)

Cajun Hiker - where you intending to sleep in the hammock with the net on the bottom/top loading? I haven't done this as I don't have a hennesy, but I can imagine that you would put something similar to a prusik loop on either end of your hammock over the whipping maybe and connect your newly cut ridgeline to that so that you woudn't be cutting anyholes anywhere. I hope that was what you were going for, sorry if it wasn't
:o darn simultaneous posting

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

So when you cut the ridgeline, do you generally cut both ends or just one?

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I cut in the middle of the ridgeline, inside the hammock.

Most of the time, I'll probably be using the net. I just thought it would be a nice option to go toploading/overbag for colder (bug-free) times of the year.

Yes, that's what I had in mind with the ridgeline. Existing ridgeline to be cut 1/2 to 1 foot from each end (I'm speculating here) and then adding quicklinks or biners for re-attachement. Additionaly, you'd add a new set of 1/2 to 1 foot ridgline ends and attach them ouside of the netting.

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Originally Posted by CajunHiker

Yes, that's what I had in mind with the ridgeline. Existing ridgeline to be cut 1/2 to 1 foot from each end (I'm speculating here) and then adding quicklinks or biners for re-attachement. Additionaly, you'd add a new set of 1/2 to 1 foot ridgline ends and attach them ouside of the netting.

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Why cut the ridgeline in more than one place? Letting the free ends just hang loose inside the hammock isn't a problem, IMO.

You might try using the HH without an outside ridgeline, CajunHiker... You may find it to be comfortable without having to bother. And, you can add one later if you like.

I use a cheap ($40~) netless extra-wide hammock (a Treehugger, same as an ENO or a Treklite) in the late fall/early spring/winter when the bugs aren't out. Only weighs a pound. When I need a bugnet, I take the HH Explorer Deluxe; heavier, but still probably the most comfortable hammock I own.

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Originally Posted by angrysparrow

I cut in the middle of the ridgeline, inside the hammock.

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Did you maintain the original length of the ridgeline? How? You said you use a biner to re-attach the ridgline, what kind of knots to you use to attach the ridgeline to the biner. Does the hammock lay the same in top loader mode? Any issues with the entry slit?

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Originally Posted by angrysparrow

Yes. Don't remove it completely, though, just cut it and tie the loose ends to a small rated biner or a screwlink. That way, you can take down or use the ridgeline at will.

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AngrySparrow,
Did you get that screwlink at Lowes or Home Depot, or just at a small local Hardware store? About what size has worked for you?

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Originally Posted by rpettit

Did you maintain the original length of the ridgeline?

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Yes

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Originally Posted by rpettit

How?

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The length of the screwlink I use is long enough that it makes up for the length of cord that was used for the knots.

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Originally Posted by rpettit

You said you use a biner to re-attach the ridgline, what kind of knots to you use to attach the ridgeline to the biner.

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Bowline Knots

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Originally Posted by rpettit

Does the hammock lay the same in top loader mode?

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It has a little less sag without the ridgeline, but that can be adjusted easily with the other suspension components. I only use it with the ridgeline down for lounging/camp chair use, and put the ridgeline back on and climb inside to sleep.

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Originally Posted by rpettit

Any issues with the entry slit?

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Not at all.

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Originally Posted by BillyBob58

Did you get that screwlink at Lowes or Home Depot, or just at a small local Hardware store? About what size has worked for you?

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I think I got it at a local hardware store (it's been quite a while since I bought it, hard to say). It's probably the same size as these.

Moved from "RL snapped thread"

There is a new Harbor Freight about 4 miles from my house. I got a couple of those screw links AngrySparrow uses. The smallest they had has a 650 lb working load. I didn't weigh it, maybe about an ounce. I cut my Ridge line, and installed the device. I measured the RL before and after, I ended up within about 1/4" of the original length, so it should have about the same sag. I came up a little short of RL after I tied bowline in the RL, even after the extra length of the screw links, so I had to add a couple of inches of extra line to the cut RL.

I'll play around with it tomorrow, and see if my knots will hold ( I used a double sheet bend to connect the thicker extra line to the original HH RL, and bowlines to attach line to screw link) , and see what the chair is like with the RL disconnected. Although, I have always had a great chair just by hanging the HH loose until bed time. We will see if this is better.

But the main reason for doing this is to see if my PeaPod will work with the HH Explorer UL once I get the net out of the way.

Boy that RL is thin. I'm surprised they don't snap all the time. I wonder what it is made of? It is very thin and black. I don't think it is any thicker than the orange 250 lb Spectra that Ed sells for tarp use. ( or maybe not even as thick)

Well, I have been playing around with the new RL disconnect. I'm not sure it will be worth the effort for me. But remember, I did not really have any complaints about the HH as chair. If I just loosened it about 6", the RL then did not cause any discomfort for me, it actually provided a fair back support. Now, with the RL disconnected, the chair comfort is about the same. But there is of course zero discomfort caused by the RL digging into my neck or back. But, like I said, I didn't consider that a big problem anyway, not with a loose hang. And getting rid of the ridge line being into your back is probably the number one reason to do this modification. At least for most folks.

It is superior when you kick back to lounge. With the RL in place, my laying platform is a bit more narrow than it is when the Ridgeline removed. So that might be worthwhile for some folks.

About where I'm afraid it's going to fall short is simply using it as a top loading hammock. But first I need some advice. Do I need to turn the hammock upside down so that the net is underneath me? To avoid damaging the net? Even with the hammock turned upside down, it seems to me like there is a fair amount of stress on the net. Though nothing has shown any signs of giving way yet. I have not yet attempted to lay straight down on the net, because it seems to me that the even more stress on the net. But maybe not. So I'm seeking advice from other people that have done this. Net underneath the hammock, or is it okay to lie on top of the net with the hammock oriented in the normal fashion?

But when I turn the hammock upside down, with the net underneath the hammock, I lose all characteristics of the feel of the Hennessy hammock. It becomes a very narrow hammock, with absolutely no diagonal positioning available. I can get my knees pretty comfortable by laying with both of my heels outside of the edge of the hammock. I have experimented with different amounts of sag, but without a lot of success so far. Maybe I need to do the "duel ridgeline approach", adding a separate structural ridgeline outside of the netting with a preset length that is providing exactly the original sag of the Hennessy hammock. But I'm not sure that would make much difference. If I get in the hammock in the normal fashion, but without the ridgeline attached, the feel and positioning of the hammock feels pretty close to normal. Except of course for the Net sagging down in my face.

Now I can tell it's going to work great with my Peapod. I'm fixing to go try that now. But I don't know if I can get an adequate comfort level for a long night laying in this narrow hammock. For one thing, I'm a little paranoid that I might manage to slip out of that thing during my sleep. Again, great for lounging in the daytime, but I don't know about sleeping all night this way.

Since it lays in a normal fashion when I get in from the bottom but without the ridgeline attached, I suspect it might lay pretty normal if I got in on top of the net. But again I haven't tried this yet for fear of damaging the net. So anybody with any experience with this situation please fill me in. If it's safe to lie on top of the net then I'll go give that a try.

Yep, just as I suspected. This more narrow hammock works fantastically with the Peapod. I don't really know why the Hennessy Hammock becomes a skinny hammock once you turn it upside down, but it does. So that means I have very little or no hammock edge coming up above the level of my body (which is not exactly skinny in certain areas, if you know what I mean).

Not being down in a bathtub, as I more or less am (depending on the amount of sag) with my Speer hammock, allows the top layer of the Peapod to lie down directly on my body in most areas, and much closer to my body in all areas. In addition, for what ever bizarre reason, I had much more luck on the very first adjustment regarding Peapod sag and potential air gap underneath versus loft compression. In other words, I felt underneath and it was essentially no air gap, then I felt around from the outside and to my amazement I appeared to have virtually full loft underneath my back and behind. I felt from the top side, spots where the Peapod was lying directly on top of me in contact with my upper body, and pressed down. It was apparent I had, at least in some areas, over 3 inches of loft over me. It didn't take but a minute -- with 60° weather outside -- to I had to come out of that thing. Before I burst into flame. I'm sure it looks silly enough to my neighbors when they look at their window and see me levitating in a sleeping bag. It would surely push them beyond the brink if I burst into flames from spontaneous combustion, and they would have to call the authorities. So I came on in the house to file this report and to see if there was yet any advice here about lying on top of the Hennessy hammock net -- yes or no?

I'll also post this last part over the Peapod review.

I've always just turned the net over on the bottom side, and it hasn't caused any discernable problems for me. I haven't tried laying directly on the netting, but I don't see how it would hurt anything, as long as you didn't rip it somehow (sharp object in pocket, etc).