What's the idea behind hammock guy outs / guide outs?

[Sander]

Hi there from Berlin,

so I just finished my first DIY hammock yesterday mainly following Dave XTrekker's instructions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_PBm_2THwk). The only thing I didn't do yet is adding the guy out points because I'm still wondering why to do this.
I did some searches on the forum but couldn't find answers to the following questions:

1. Are the guy outs solely for preparing the diagonal lay so you can just jump in fast and find your lay instantly? Or are there any other (dis)advantages?

2. If they are there mainly for the lay, the placement depends on your lay diagonal angle and if your head/feet are either on the right or lift side, right?

3. In what angle measured from my ridge line do I pull out my guy out lines? Do I pull out on the extend of my lay line?

Thanx a lot for feeding this forum with useful information!
Sander

[sidvicious]

good question.

they help with bugnets, primarily. they provide displacement to keep the net formed, thus preventing the inward sag. other than that, it seems mostly asthetic.

as far as true functionality and facilitating the diagonal, its minimal. some people like them; i have several hammocks with guylines. personally, i rarely, if ever, use them.

cheers,

sv-

[brianb]

I've made many hammocks, and I've never added them. I've never missed having them. Good luck.

Looking forward to the game today against Poland. Should be a good one.


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[dakotaross]

Yeah, I think its when you have a net attached to the hammock, so that when the hammock material flops on the side it doesn't bring the net down with it. While held up by the ridgeline, the net and hammock sides would tend to drape down from the ridgeline instead of flopping on the sides like an open hammock would. From the video, it does look like you need them. However, many don't employ them in the winter so that the UQ will be more inclined to wrap around you.

Otherwise, if not an integrated net hammock, I don't see the point. I suppose it could be used instead of knotty mods on an open hammock, but that's just more lines to trip over IMO.

[Caminante]

I've made my all of my hammocks per the Xtrekker vid and have also left off the guy outs. I couldn't see the need to carry more stakes and lines or have more lines to trip over in the night. I was also concerned there could be some interference with my UQ.

I just completed an integrated zippered bugnet a week or two ago, also using Xtrekker's vid as a guide, and I have no issues with sag. When I'm laying in the hammock, my head and feet are essentially achieving what the guy outs would do in terms of putting some tension on the net.

I'm totally baffled by hammock guy outs. Maybe some people don't like to rock.

[Sander]

Thanks for all the replies. Adding them for aesthetic reasons would only drive up costs, weight and work.
I will try out my hammock without the guy outs on a trip to France, Spain and Portugal next week and see how it goes.

@Caminante: did you sew your hammock sides together near the channel ends as shown at 4:45? My thought was that the tension on the suspension and ridge line would create pressure on the stitching which could lead to failures, so I didn't do this (yet).

[sidvicious]

I'm totally baffled by hammock guy outs. Maybe some people don't like to rock.

same here. i wouldn't be surprised if, at least in part, the guy lines gained popularity is a adjunct to marketing. they make the pics cool.

[Caminante]

@Caminante: did you sew your hammock sides together near the channel ends as shown at 4:45? My thought was that the tension on the suspension and ridge line would create pressure on the stitching which could lead to failures, so I didn't do this (yet).

I did, a 1" bar tack will hold pretty well. I probably won't do it going forward unless I am adding a zippered bugnet or cover, though. I'm not really sure what the purpose of that bar tack is unless you're wanting to sew on triangles for zippers.

[Grumpy Squatch]

Hi there from Berlin,

so I just finished my first DIY hammock yesterday mainly following Dave XTrekker's instructions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_PBm_2THwk). The only thing I didn't do yet is adding the guy out points because I'm still wondering why to do this.
I did some searches on the forum but couldn't find answers to the following questions:

1. Are the guy outs solely for preparing the diagonal lay so you can just jump in fast and find your lay instantly? Or are there any other (dis)advantages?

2. If they are there mainly for the lay, the placement depends on your lay diagonal angle and if your head/feet are either on the right or lift side, right?

3. In what angle measured from my ridge line do I pull out my guy out lines? Do I pull out on the extend of my lay line?

Thanx a lot for feeding this forum with useful information!
Sander

Guy outs have some other uses besides just the bugnet tensioning mentioned here. When used with strong shock cord, they can dampen sway, particularly for side-sleepers or people who roll around a lot. Many people like the gentle rocking of a hammock. Others hate it - guy outs help stop it. Also, with a corresponding loop in an underquilt, they serve to hold the quilt in place and prevent the dreaded "sitting on only the quilt" and hitting the ground.

I probably use mine 50% of the time.

[kitsapcowboy]

Personally, I really appreciate the corner tie-outs I ordered on my Simply Light Designs Trail Lair hammock. They do a good job of maximizing the space inside the integrated bug net, and even with my double layer TL the tie outs really help to keep a sleeping pad wrangled and straight in the pocket when I choose to use one instead of the underquilts. Perhaps most importantly here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, when I am using my gram-conscious SLD Simplicity Asym tarp, I noticed that the tie-outs keep the hammock fabric aligned, taut, and dry under the rain fly. I also noticed that the tie-outs serve a similar purpose on my daughter's Hennessy Cub, which also uses a rather svelte parallelogram tarp. I think the tie-outs cost me a whopping ten bucks when I ordered my hammock, so for me they seem well worth the investment. I use shock cord tensioners on my TL, and the HH Cub comes with shock cord on the tie-outs, distress on the seams and material is a non-issue.