The Ten-Yard Hang

**kitsapcowboy** · 12-17-2016, 15:05

Here in the Pacific Northwest (even despite the unrelenting actions of humankind) we are blessed with a relative abundance of trees.

Often, our problem is not in finding two trees from which to hang our hammocks but rather in deciding from which two trees to hang.

Usually, the common obstacle for hammockers here in the Cascades and the Olympics is tackling old growth monster trees that can often exceed 9 feet in circumference. Amsteel dog bones can be your best friend...

However, sometimes in order to hang in that perfect spot you most desire, you have to span a considerable gap with your hammock suspension. This has led me over the past year to develop and experiment with three different backcountry hammock suspension kits for hanging a hammock longer distances between between two trees, while still preserving some degree of convenience and practicality in terms of weight, bulk, and ease of adjustability and deployment.

What suspension gear do you routinely use/recommend for a ten-yard (30-foot) hang?

NB: Given an average HWP adult male hanger in an 11-foot hammock with a 110" ridge line and an 18" sit height, with a correct "hangle" of approximately 30 degrees, one has to get the anchor points on the two trees approximately 10-1/2 feet off the ground! Some tree-climbing is virtually assured, but sometimes it's worth it...

There are four ground rules to this ten-yard hang thought experiment:
1) Your suspension set-up has to be able to span a 30-foot gap between trees, measured horizontally*
2) Your suspension set-up has to be able to accommodate a tree of at least 12" diameter (38" circumference) on each end.
3) Your suspension set-up has to hold safely a live load of at least 250 pounds
4) Your suspension set-up has to detach easily from the hammock at the gathered end (or CL at the GE)

* For example, a 6-foot whoopie sling deployed at a 30-degree hangle only covers about 5'2" of horizontal span.

tenyardh.PNG

My past and present solutions are:

Kit #1 (about 200 grams):
* Pair of Dutch Cinch Bugs on 8-foot 1" poly webbing straps (with sewn-on Dutch Clips)
* Pair of 6-foot 7/64" Amsteel whoopie slings
* Pair of 36" x 7/64" Amsteel dog bones
Pros: Fairly light weight, packs very small, deploys/detaches easily, multiple points of adjustability
Cons: Some assembly required for spanning really big gaps, most expensive

Kit #2 (about 210 grams):
* Pair of Dutch Adutchables on custom DIY 15.5-foot 1" poly webbing straps
* Pair of DIY 7/64" Amsteel soft shackles
Pros: Simple to use with one-piece construction for wide range of easy adjustment and attachment, moderate price point
Cons: Most bulk and weight of my three options, adjustment point is high up on the tree

Kit #3 (about 190 grams):
* Pair of 6-foot 1" poly webbing tree huggers
* Pair of Dutch Clips
* Pair of custom DIY 12-foot 7/64" Amsteel whoopie slings (or swap for 6' dog bones and 6' WS)
* Pair of DIY 7/64" Amsteel soft shackles (or swap for Dutch Biners)
Pros: Fairly light weight, moderate price point
Cons: Lots of components to misplace, moderately large pack size

Thanks for considering this application and discussing your ideas below.

**Otter1** · 12-17-2016, 15:29

"Routinely"?????

None

Never hung with First Down yardage. The Amsteel ladder must be packed too.

Anxiously awaiting responses.....

**kitsapcowboy** · 12-17-2016, 15:35

Originally Posted by Otter1

"Routinely"?????...The Amsteel ladder must be packed too.

Yeah, I know. At 6'2" with fairly long arms, I can stretch to slip my webbing up the tree to nearly 8 feet while standing on the ground, but for the big gaps I have to climb up or stand on something...

**jellyfish** · 12-17-2016, 15:43

My mind is blown right now. I am just trying to imagine. When you decide what to do, please post pics of this.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**johnspenn** · 12-17-2016, 17:07

Once you get your tree strap/hugger as high as you can just reaching, you might be able to use your hiking pole/locally found stick to nudge it up the tree to where you need it without resorting to monkery- just a thought.

**kitsapcowboy** · 12-17-2016, 17:33

Originally Posted by johnspenn

Once you get your tree strap/hugger as high as you can just reaching, you might be able to use your hiking pole/locally found stick to nudge it up the tree to where you need it without resorting to monkery- just a thought.

I will have to get good at finding nudging sticks, since I don't hike with poles, but that's a good tip for those instances where your anchor needs to be higher than you can reach.

**Dos** · 12-17-2016, 17:36

can you take a pic of using extra dog bones in this situation please?

**kitsapcowboy** · 12-17-2016, 17:41

Originally Posted by Dos

can you take a pic of using extra dog bones in this situation please?

If the weather stays fair, I will try to do a "backyard hang" with Kit #3 with the alternate dog bones and snap a long-lens photo of the set-up some time this coming week...

**BCBob** · 12-17-2016, 17:55

Unlikely I'll try to do a 30' span, but could with my....

Two Dutch 12' Dyneema/Polypro Tree Straps ($11.85)
Two Dutch Cinch Bugs ($22.00)

Plus two 4' 7/64 Amsteel Dogbones

Total Weight: 155 gms

**GadgetUK437** · 12-17-2016, 19:12

I use a single line of Amsteel running from my tree straps, a long dogbone, easy to extend, by larksheading on more dogbones (onto the amsteel leader or to extend treestrap). Like this,

Not as big as your trees though!

Hammock is attached to the single line with loop aliens. Like this,

And this system works with wide hangs,