Failure

[Slugger]

If you look at the diagram the webbing to the hammock comes out of the hook towards the thicker base side. You had your set up with the webbing at the tip which is the thinnest point...hence the failure. Also, your tree take off position is exactly what the diagram says it should not be...another reason for the failure. A self-inflicted wound.

In the future, I would just flip it over so the thickest part of the clip is supporting the weight. And yes...Dutch says the hook can be used in either position, but err on the side of caution and let the thickest part of the clip bear the weight.

Dutch - you are a magnificent beast when it comes to customer service...that's why people keep buying from you! Kudos!

[LowTekk]

While it would seem this thread is probably closed, I'm interested in getting a pair of Dutch clips to simplify the hanging of my new hammock, but I too am concerned with failure. I have 10' tree straps and cinch buckles on my Circle Beard and would love to secure the straps to trees without having to take them off the cinch buckles. Trouble is, I weigh over 340 pounds, and they seem to have a 300 pound rating.

[Doctari]

Firewalker sort of bent his to near destruction. I have a pair Ive used for about 10 years (I think) & they are still unchanged from when I got them from Dutch. But as mentioned before, you MUST do the "P" around the tree, so there is minimal stress on the clip. if you center it on the tree, there is an INCREDABLE amount of stress on the clip &,,,, well, you get firmly acquainted with the ground. :-) That is how Firewalker destroyed his.

[heyyou]

Think about slap straps that are suspending an occupied hammock with just the friction from the untied straps which go around the side of the tree a couple of times. On them, a plastic hook on the end would keep the strap from falling down, and no one would expect the plastic to take any of the weight. Dutch clips are strong enough to only have one loop going around the side of the tree, but the strap still needs to be positioned like slap straps.

When the straps with the Dutch clips are properly positioned on the trees, as shown in the directions, it is each strap around the tree that is taking the weight, not the clip on the end of the strap. A poorly positioned strap could put much of the weight on the clip and little on the strap, causing the clip to fail due to improper positioning.

If the trees are large, the hanger could wrap both straps from left to right as he is facing each tree, which would center the hammock but at a slight diagonal angle. That is far safer than having the straps come off of the middle of each big tree with high stress on the clip.