First Hang Lessons

[Txfly]

ThorK2: Happy to help. I should also add that the staff at Wallace were very helpful and kind. No surly, apathetic rangers put out to pasture there. They were a delight to deal with.

P Chang: I'm with you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with some loose Lash-It and webbing and buckles. All the same, I am determined to get my deployment as fast and simple as possible. So now I've got 4 Dutch Fleaz on the way, along with 2 Dutch Wasps on 12 foot lines, some door hooks and some extra Lash-It. I feel that once I have a nice setup that's easy to adjust, I won't mind having to do so 2-3 or 27 times until I get better at eyeballing it from the start.

You'll love the Superfly. I took it out last weekend in some pretty heavy rain, and without seam sealing the pullouts, I didn't have a single drop come through. I didn't pull them out, so the seams weren't under tension, so I have some sealer on the way for those occasions. But if in doubt, don't pull out and you'll stay dry. I'm not going to make any of the obvious jokes about that last sentence. I won't do it.

[email protected]: For me, the inability for continuous, minute adjustments is unappealing. Ridiculous, but that's my modus operandi. Of course, I say that now and in 6 months, I'll be preaching the gospel of Python straps.

+1 on the Dutch Bling. It will make your tarp set up much quicker and much easier to dial in and change if needed. Been there in the rain many times where "good enough" works! Looks like you picked out a good place to hang.

[DanglingModifier]

Yeah, I had my head slightly lower than my feet, but I suspect is wasn't enough.

You are right. If you slip towards your feet and the center of the hammock, it is a sure sign the foot end needs to be raised. As others have noted start with 6-8 inches difference and then adjust it up/down to whatever is comfortable. It sounds counter intuitive, but 12 inches higher for my foot end is still far more comfortable than pitching totally flat. Your feet and legs stay put when they are higher because they are much lighter than your torso. Conversely, your torso is going to eventually find the lowest point in the hammock to settle in to. If you start with a 3-4 inch adjustment you may not notice any change and may wind up slipping towards your feet again.

For me, the inability for continuous, minute adjustments is unappealing. Ridiculous, but that's my modus operandi. Of course, I say that now and in 6 months, I'll be preaching the gospel of Python straps.

This isn't a vote for Python Straps per se (they are very HEAVY and bulky), but minute adjustments are entirely possible and not that difficult to accomplish by repositioning where the strap comes off the tree or by doing multiple wraps around a tree. Minute adjustments are fussier than nearly every other suspension solution out there with Python Straps, but it can definitely be done.

[seanhogge]

I have some seam sealant on the way and picked up a small foam brush at Hobby Lobby today so I can apply it to the tarp when it gets here. That's the first thing I'll do once it arrives. I can then go about sorting out the suspension issue for the tarp and hammock.

I have the Kammok Python Straps someone else mentioned. They're quite long, and I've been wrapping them around the trees twice rather than just once. It seems like when I do it once, the straps don't look quite as secure and I fear gravity will take its toll on them and they'll slide down the tree a bit...that has not happened when wrapping them around the trees twice. Of course, sometimes I'll hook up to a tree that the straps can only get around once. Still, they're rugged straps that are well-made and don't weigh or cost much.

Yeah, I'll be doing the same thing, though I might test using the pullouts without seam sealer if there's an opportunity. I'm betting that the seam sealer isn't necessary unless one is a bit too rough with them.

I have carabiners on the loop of my straps so that I don't have to loop the strap through the loop. For a lightweight option this would be the dutch clips. I also have whoopie hooks on a continuous loop with cinch buckles, this way I can completely remove it from the hammock without having to pull the strap through the buckle. Also it gives me a couple of water breaks.
Happy hanging! Your colors blend right in, nicely done.

Yeah, I got Dutch clips and cinch buckles. I haven't decided whether I'll do whoopies for the cinch buckles, but I'm leaning toward a permanent attachment. With the double ended stuff sack, it's pretty easy to Dutch clip, walk it out, do another Dutch clip and done. That's the way it works in my head, anyway.

Curiously, without any purposeful water breaks, even during some rather intense downpours, I didn't have any water issues. I suspect that may change when I change my setup, though.

[seanhogge]

+1 on the Dutch Bling. It will make your tarp set up much quicker and much easier to dial in and change if needed. Been there in the rain many times where "good enough" works! Looks like you picked out a good place to hang.

Yeah, the Dutchful tiny delights shipped today. I'm on tenterhooks.

What that photo doesn't show is the nest of bushes below with tons of thorns that I had to clear out. Getting from the trail to the hammock was a painful endeavor each time.