i had an idea for making a hammock out of silk. what would i have to go with to have silk be as strong as say 1.9 ripstop? i dont know much about cloth so i may be asking the wrong question. also silk as a tarp? dipped in silicone of course. but im open to options and ideas.
So, I made a hammock out of silk it weighed only 2oz. I was so proud of it! During its 5th use on the last day of a 3 day backpack trip it ripped crosswise and my butt hit the ground. Luckily I hang 2 inches off the ground! It was 8:30 pm and I had hiked 14 miles! So exhausted! It leaves a lot of questions that I can't answer but I don't think silk as a fabric has the tensile strength for hammocking and mind you I am a 125 lb. female.
Good thing you were hanging low so you did not get injured.Originally Posted by Swingingirl
I've never heard anything good about silk with regards to hammocks.
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Ralph Waldo Emerson
I made one a few years back for someone who hangs full time It's a double layer Silk inside and 1.1 outside.. She weighs 125ish, and has been using the hammock every night close to three years. She wanted the feel of silk on her skin, with the support of the nylon. Her first attempt was silk alone.. and it ripped quick.
I wouldn't suggest silk by itself for a hammock.. nor a tarp, It won't last. If you want light weight and strength, go for something like HyperD 1.0 for a body material, and cuban or Membrane for a tarp..
Years before I hammocked, a fellow ultralight hiker made a few hammocks using silk in his quest for weightlessness. They were certainly light, but they didn't last. And he was not a big guy at all.
Mike
"Life is a Project!"
Hk2001. Where do you find hyperD 1.0 and what is it?
2 good choices for light wt, hammock suitable fabrics
http://ripstopbytheroll.com/ -- HyperD, poly Ripstop, ripstop, taffeta
http://www.dutchwaregear.com/diy-stuff/ --Argon, PolyD, NylonD
And don't forget
http://diygearsupply.com/shop/
The right silk would last fine. Silk fiber is very strong but you are talking about some serious thickness. Bear in mind that as silk fabric gets thincker you will lose the wonderous feel silk is noted for. Raw silk fabrics are very nubbly. I doubt you would gain much in terms of weight and the price would not be even close to comparable. The other problem with silk is as a natural fiber it is subject to damage from the elements, but then the synthetics are subject to UV degradation so that might be a wash.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
http://ripstopbytheroll.com/collecti...-ripstop-nylon
It's a lightweight material very suitable for hammocks. It feels really nice on skin, and breathes very well .
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