Mule tape suspension system?

**Mrknot** · 03-04-2015, 18:21

Hey there.
Just got my first hammock a few days ago. I am on a serious budget and have worked out a suspension system using mule tape with Marlin Spike hitches...
Have tried it out for some brief backyard/park hangs and it seems to work pretty well. The mule tape is strong, relatively light, doesn't stretch, and I have tons of it...
My question is: have any of you ever used it before? If so, how does it hold up long term?
It is such a simple solution right now that gets me hanging. Moving forward, what are the advantages to other systems, whoopie slings specifically? What am I missing?
Thanks in advance for any input.

**doctor patches** · 03-04-2015, 19:02

It should be good, make sure you're using 1" wide straps for the trees, otherwise the small surface area of the tape on the tree bark can damage the tree. Other than that, the benefit of a whoopie sling vs webbing/mule tape is that the whoopie sling is spliced, so it's self-adjustable, whereas with the tape you'd have to tie a new knot or something to tighten up the extra slack for varying distances between trees, height off the ground, etc.

**Mrknot** · 03-04-2015, 19:07

Thanks!
Yes, it's 1" tape.
I am still using the stock carabiners on my GT hammock, (will replace them with something lighter weight as funds allow, they're heavy!), and use them as the "toggle" for the marlin spike. Pretty easily adjustable.

**DrPhun** · 03-04-2015, 20:34

I have used it. The mule tape I have is a looser weave than webbing so it seems to abrade more on the bark of the trees. Not sure how that will translate into how long it lasts.

**tnrdnck** · 03-04-2015, 21:43

Take a look at antigravity gears mule tape suspension for ideas

**geneaut** · 03-05-2015, 17:16

Luckily decent polyester webbing is inexpensive when you decide you may want to upgrade. My major problem with mule tape is that it wants to rollup across it's narrow axis, and it gets 'fuzzy/abraded' the more I use it. I still keep hanks of it in my gear, but I've replaced it for suspension purposes with poly webbing. Dutch has 25' of 1 inch poly for like $7-$8. eventually you will want some Dutch gear and at that point just grab a hank of it on your order and make your own straps ( I cut to the length I want and tie a figure eight on a bight on one end ).

P.S. I use cinch buckles from Dutch's site on all my hammocks. For $5 it's a low cost solution to an adjustable suspension system. I've never bothered with whoopies.

**BackpackerGuy** · 03-05-2015, 17:41

1" mule tape? How do I get 16 feet of it??

**MDSH** · 03-05-2015, 17:48

It's good stuff. Traded a couple of Foster's pots for a nice bunch of it and will use it for a long time.

It even holds paint enough to dull it in the woods. Yes, I like it very much.

**mophead** · 03-06-2015, 00:21

Depending on how much muletape you have to spare... you might be able to trade some extra in the marketplace here. A lot of people probably have extra amsteel on hand, and where 0.5" is readily available in my experience 1" wide muletape is harder to come by unless you buy a large amount (that may be the reason you don't see more people using it). If I had the extra amsteel I'd do it.

**Mrknot** · 03-06-2015, 01:03

I probably have about 150' of it. My best buddy used to work laying underground cable, he was able to walk away with a few hundred feet...
What I have, I use pretty often, in all honesty, I really wouldn't want to part with any...
Does that make me a bad person? :-)