I've actually been playing with a similar system, I just haven't had the opportunity to rig it up and sleep in it. I'm using 8mm static climbing rope, with 6mm rope for the Prusiks. I did find that the Prusiks needed 4 full wraps instead of the traditional 3 wraps.
You could take a look at Grizz's video on youtube. I think he covers what you are looking for and some alternatives that may give you more ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGRAnzEoXZI
His single line suspension is similar to what I'm aiming for, but using line instead of rings for connecting the hammock to the single line. Basically, I'm looking for the continuous loop that's larksheaded into the ends of my hammock to also be connected directly the the single line suspension.Originally Posted by tnrdnck
The closest I've gotten so far is a prussik on one side, with a separate prussik on the other side, carabinered into that end of the hammock. My knowledge of knots is still elementary, so I've not been able yet to get two prussiks on because when I pull the entire hammock and suspension through the second fixed one to complete it, it pulls one side of the prussik inside out since the suspension line also goes through because it's already tied in to the other side.
That might make more sense with the below pictures:
Overall look:
overallshot_zpsad7d4108-1.jpg
The prussik side, with extra whoopie length tied off the the suspension to act as extra rain drips:
prussikside_zps8a531e79-1.jpg
The carabiner side, into another prussik:
binersidedetail_zpsd66a4614-1.jpg
Overall, I'm pleased with the single line suspension itself, which makes the hang and ridge line simpler. I'm sure there's a way to knot in the gathered ends of the hammock, but again, I'm pretty new to this, and I figured I'd consult here before I drop myself on my head. I'm not married to the adjustability of the prussiks; they're just what I used since that's all I know to use to make an attachment point in a line without knotting it and compromising its strength. A wise man learns from his mistakes. A smart man learns from others' mistakes
Last edited by Teufelhunden; 01-26-2015 at 13:05.
Grizz also has a video on a hardware free hammock suspension. I think it is done from a single line.
Prusik might slip when you want it to grip but might work, with enough wraps. A splice in the "middle of the rope" might not work to well as it will not be pulling directly in line with SLS. I've not tried this and you can try 1/8 amsteel with alpine butterfly loops. I don't think they will slide along SLS and the 1/8 should give enough safety margin to cover some weakening of amsteel. If you want to try alpine butterfly loops as a quick test on 1/8, you can insert a smooth toggle in the knot where the loop exits and after a test hang remove toggle and knot will untie without jamming. Good luck.
I didn't see the need to start another thread for a related question.
My connection between the end of the whoopie sling and my tree straps is a carabiner right now. I've been using 1" high quality webbing I got from Dutch in my last Amsteel order, and have been wrapping it around trees and securing it with a triglide. I considered just larks heading the whoopie sling around the webbing of the tree strap to cut out one element and simplify things further, but my concern was that I know lines made from threads like Dyneema or Spectra can saw through materials, especially if they're weighted and moving like a hammock is. Is this a legitimate concern?
The issue may be resolving itself though, as I ended up taking the webbing to a tailor yesterday to have loops sewn in one end. I would've just bought Dutch's tree huggers, but my plans are evolving as I play with stuff, and I hadn't planned on this configuration when I put the order in. My plan is now to have the fixed eye side be used to larks head onto the tree in a more typical tree hugger fashion, and I will use the tri-glides from Jack's R Better to set a loop on the other end wherever I need it. Since my loop can be opened on that side before setting it with the tri glide, I can drop the end of my whoopie sling into it and everything will be attached. I'll still have Amsteel running over the webbing, but my thinking is that in this configuration, the movement of the swinging hammock will be at the sewn loop of the tree huggers, not at the interface between the Amsteel and the webbing. The only time the Amsteel will be rubbing across the webbing is when I'm adjusting my whoopie slings to length, but at that point, there won't be much weight on the Amsteel. I considered larks heading the Amsteel over the webbing loop, but then it won't run freely so I can adjust my whoopie sling length.
This is the first time I've played with not using hardware at the connections between elements of the suspension, so I'm asking a lot of questions in an attempt to avoid being dumped. In sum, is a single strand of Amsteel 7/64's loop running through a loop of 1" webbing a solid weight bearing connection, or am I risking cutting through the webbing either by friction, or by applying so much force to the webbing only across 7/64th's of an inch?
Last edited by Teufelhunden; 01-28-2015 at 11:27.
Great pix! Did the prusik grip without sliding when you hammocked ?
Yep. I "Set" them first by pulling them laterally away from the hammock to tighten them, and then pulled them towards the hammock without any slippage, and got in the hammock without any slippage. For experimental purposes, I loosened them back up and tried to see if they would tension enough quickly enough if I didn't set them first, and they did not. Applying a load first on the hammock without setting them did result in slippage. but only a few inches, not enough to make me hit the ground. Still a little exciting ...
I may pull the prussiks off and try the Klemsheists that WV linked to just to see if they work too. All in the interest of experimentation
The Prussik should not slip. It is designed for climbing up a rope.
I tried hanging on amsteel with amsteel 5 or 6 wrap prusik instead of whoopie slings. Good news is it held great BAD NEWS very hard to adjust as it came close to JAMMING--it took too much time too loosen prusik enough to adjust . Maybe it would work better with less wraps but I do not think it will hold without skipping, so I'm working on other suspension ideas.
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