Becket Hitch Suspension; Idea and Questions

**mophead** · 08-18-2015, 14:03

Originally Posted by SGT Rock

OK, so a little clarification on my last post and hopefully some help from guys like the Phantom Grappler. I saw this post yesterday https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...Tied-Cordlocks

So I got this idea that may be hair-brained of maybe inspired. What if I had a sliding "soft toggle" on the dynaglide line. The idea is something like a fat double diamond knot made from something with a high coefficient of friction like spyderline or amsteel which has the dynaglide main support line going down its center. So now I have it above the hammock leader on the line and pull the line on a bite through and over the stopper knot, then finish it with a half hitch.

Sound plausible? I'm a knot novice so I have no idea if this would actually work.

I played some with a 6-8in piece of dynaglide folded up as a toggle replacement for a while on the becket hitch. I imagine spyder line might work better since its not as slick. If you can get away with a six inch section attached some way you might get from about 1.1g to 0.75g depending on your toggles. Dynaglide worked so-so but in the end I opted for a hard toggle.

**MDSH** · 08-18-2015, 14:27

Originally Posted by ksbcrocks

Oh, that's a whoopie hook, not a dutch hook. I was surprised when you said you had a dutch hook at the tree.

You're right, of course.

Have a Dutch Hook on my UL tarp suspension.

**SGT Rock** · 08-19-2015, 02:51

Originally Posted by Redoleary

Ok so this isn't vastly different from the other day, but after seeing SGT Rocks system I thought what if the dynaglide wasn't hooked to his strap permanently and the toggled bight was used to hook them together. That makes more sense in the video... I hope.

I have throught of that system, I think it doesn't change much what I am thinking of other than where I put the toggle. Normally when I hang I only wrap the tree once, but in my back yard I'm wrapping multiple times just to take up length on the straps in order to keep the fixed eye-to-dynaglide connection in the optimal spot for experimenting. The main drawback I see to putting the 6' piece directly on the hammock is water flow during a rainstorm - you will need to attach a redirect line onto the main line if you do not create a break closer to the hammock.

Originally Posted by mophead

I played some with a 6-8in piece of dynaglide folded up as a toggle replacement for a while on the becket hitch. I imagine spyder line might work better since its not as slick. If you can get away with a six inch section attached some way you might get from about 1.1g to 0.75g depending on your toggles. Dynaglide worked so-so but in the end I opted for a hard toggle.

I did too LOL. I started with making a couple of square key fob style soft toggles to use them the same way as a hard toggle, that did not work well at all. Yesterday I took some spyderline and a dynaglide line to work and made a mock up of what I envision just to play with it while on break. The good news is it works very well to hold the simulated hammock up, the bad news is it is currently hard to untie when you are ready for tear down. Right now I have hard toggles that weight only 0.9 grams and that is something that works well and I can live with, the soft toggle idea is just a crazy idea I had. I have no idea if it would ever be viable.

**mophead** · 08-19-2015, 08:17

That was why I went with arrow toggles for the becket hitch too. You could use trail sticks or cordage to jam the bite but since they deformed, or were not perfectly smooth and strait, you couldnt simply slide them out, you had to work the knot open with them to pull them out. I have still not gotten around to trying the toggled girth hitch redoleary showed, but I am thinking of trying trail sticks. Since the continuous loop is compressed between the suspension line and the toggle I am thinking the tiny bit of compression into the wood might reduce the pinching of the dynaglide. Have you tried trail sticks much with it? and if so what do you think?

**SGT Rock** · 08-19-2015, 15:06

I have not tried trail sticks yet. I would expect performance just like you suggested

**Theguywitheyebrows** · 08-19-2015, 16:20

Originally Posted by fastfoxengineering

Been out of the loop for a little while now and haven't stayed up to date. Are you guys still using two different sized lines (amsteel and dynaglide) to get these hitches to hold?

I'm interested in a simpler suspension. Right now, I have to kevlar huggers and two 8" amsteel cl's on the hammock. Need something new to connect the two.

If this is the case where you need two different diameter cords too have enough friction, anybody try 7/64 and 1/8 amsteel combo?

i have 1/8 amsteel leaders to 7/64 CLs and the mopshead knot is working for me, also on another setup with 1' poly strap and 1/8 CLs. in from underneath, wrap twice, pull a bight through the first loop. however, not the easiest to adjust if you end up hanging too low.

i have 1/8 amsteel for leaders offand

**fastfoxengineering** · 08-19-2015, 19:28

Originally Posted by Theguywitheyebrows

i have 1/8 amsteel leaders to 7/64 CLs and the mopshead knot is working for me, also on another setup with 1' poly strap and 1/8 CLs. in from underneath, wrap twice, pull a bight through the first loop. however, not the easiest to adjust if you end up hanging too low.

i have 1/8 amsteel for leaders offand

any reason your using 1/8 on the leader? It would make more sense to use less of that material on the continuous loop to save weight. Obviously a 7/64 leader with a 1/8 loop would be the lighter setup, maybe by only a couple grams.

Once again, any reason your doing one over the other?

I have two 7/64th's 8" loops on the my dutch hammock. I have two 4' Kevlar straps at the tree. I need a new suspension as I can't hang right now (suspensionless) and have a backpacking trip coming up. Either gonna get some mule tape for a typical becket hitch or try with AmSteel. However, because time is of the essence and I cannot test, I must go with a reliable solution.

I wish I could spend more time testing hammock gear, but as a full time engineer.... I don't really have the brain capacity to crunch more numbers at night. Or maybe that's just these Long Trail IPA's getting in the way.

My job will be letting up soon, and I have the wood to build my indoor hammock stand. This winter, I'll be hanging full time next to the wood stove. So in the evenings and at night, I'll be able to do some serious research and testing if anyone wants to throws ideas my way.

**SGT Rock** · 08-19-2015, 19:52

Originally Posted by fastfoxengineering

any reason your using 1/8 on the leader? It would make more sense to use less of that material on the continuous loop to save weight. Obviously a 7/64 leader with a 1/8 loop would be the lighter setup, maybe by only a couple grams.

Once again, any reason your doing one over the other?

I have two 7/64th's 8" loops on the my dutch hammock. I have two 4' Kevlar straps at the tree. I need a new suspension as I can't hang right now (suspensionless) and have a backpacking trip coming up. Either gonna get some mule tape for a typical becket hitch or try with AmSteel. However, because time is of the essence and I cannot test, I must go with a reliable solution.

I wish I could spend more time testing hammock gear, but as a full time engineer.... I don't really have the brain capacity to crunch more numbers at night. Or maybe that's just these Long Trail IPA's getting in the way.

I find that stout and the occasional bourbon does that to me too.

My job will be letting up soon, and I have the wood to build my indoor hammock stand. This winter, I'll be hanging full time next to the wood stove. So in the evenings and at night, I'll be able to do some serious research and testing if anyone wants to throws ideas my way.

I like your solution my friend. I would love to have an indoor stand to test with. Maybe if I can talk the wife into it...
A

**fastfoxengineering** · 08-19-2015, 20:11

Originally Posted by SGT Rock

I find that stout and the occasional bourbon does that to me too.

I like your solution my friend. I would love to have an indoor stand to test with. Maybe if I can talk the wife into it...
A

Don't want to derail this great discussion because progress is being made in the ultralight movement. However, a hammock stand is a cheap and wise investment as you probably know sir.

If I could have your input, I know you have been using mule tape for quite some time. Would you say that muletape with the beckett hitch is reliable? I'm looking to connect the gap between my straps and my cl's. Don't have time to make my own so I was going to go with AGG's premade mule tape straps. I also don't want to go back to whoopies or hardware.

This cord to cord idea looks promising, and will soon show itself worthy or not. However, as of right now, I cannot trust such a system to get me through a few days in the woods.

I love the fact.. that as we the hammock community tries to get lighter. Things become simpler and cheaper. Amsteel and some knowledge on knots is all we really ever needed huh?

Sorry.... dutch!