New product for Figure 9 users

[Rapt]

My temptation is to use 4mm static cord... Its plenty strong even accounting for wear and loss of strength from binding around things... And its a little easier size to use/handle than the finer ones...


I use diamond tips on my dremel they come in inexpensive sets of a bunch of shapes and work well on everything. The outside large curves will shape faster with a good sized file than with a dremel. I work on stuff like this while watching TV... So time is less critical than noise. Use a small saw to get close in cutout.

[stoikurt]

I don't know, I'm just not convinced this is better than rings or buckles.

Yeah, you can save some weight but certainly not time. If you'r still using huggers without the biner you have to thrread one end of the hugger thru the other end. The smaller the tree - then the longer piece of hugger extending towards the hammock - meaning you have to choose trees farther apart - the farther apart the trees the higher up the tree you have to wrap the hugger.

So far the only advantage I see is the weight and I'll gladly carry the extra couple ounces for the added convenience.

[Rapt]

Should be less bulky too... 4mm cord takes up a lot less space than 1" webbing.... Now you only need 3' of webbing at each end instead of 12'... the rest can be cord.

The idea being its as easy and fast as rings or buckles.... Of course you'd need to to side by side testing to verify...

[GrizzlyAdams]

Should be less bulky too... 4mm cord takes up a lot less space than 1" webbing.... Now you only need 3' of webbing at each end instead of 12'... the rest can be cord.

The idea being its as easy and fast as rings or buckles.... Of course you'd need to to side by side testing to verify...

I've enjoyed watching the figure-9 thread take off and lead to metal being cut. But I likely will not use these...I could mod a large figure-9 to kinda sorta join the party, but I won't.

Minimizing setup time is not my objective. Safety, functionality, weight, ease of use are my priorities, more or less in order of importance. I won't say the anchor hooks are unsafe. But there is an aspect of "consequences of misconfiguration", a.k.a. user error, that does weigh in. The rings can slip we're told, and in a heart-beat one can throw a hitch in to protect against that. Even if they do slip they won't abruptly, it would be more of a glide to the ground. The cinch buckle might jam if you pull things too tightly, but that's not a safety issue. I imagine that a Hennessy knot that is "close" might slip, but it wouldn't be a flat out drop. The hitches that seem to work for the anchor are simple, but look to me like if something went wrong it would be a bad kind of wrong. I've not thought about it enough to be able to point out the kind of user error I'm talking about, perhaps they are so simple that the only kind of hitches that look right are right. Perhaps there is something like the extra hitch for safety that could be thrown in for the anchor to provide a fall-back solution if the hitch on the anchor gives way for some reason. I'll leave it to the anchor guys to kick that around if they want to.

I'm all for the weight and bulk savings of using cord rather than webbing though, and have started doing that. Means something else plays the role that the anchor or rings or cinch buckle plays. I like using mechanical advantage to take the pressure off the final point of attachment, and there are posts about that; that's as easy as rings and buckles. I know I can do what I'd like using an SMC ring on the (short) webbing and a ring on the line....that's 4 for the hammock at a weight cost of 1.6 oz, shoot, make that 2 oz because I'd use a little more cord than an approach that doesn't use mechanical advantage. I get a connection with lower consequence of failure (short of rope failure), it is very easy to adjust, and is light. It isn't the lightest or the fastest, but those are further down my prioritized list of objectives.

but have at it anchor gizmo guys. Maybe if Dutch sees me with cord, and rings used differently for mechanical advantage it won't be so last week, maybe only so yesterday, and I won't have to huddle, well you know, Down There.

Grizz

[Rapt]

For me speed isn't about "racing" through anything its about convenience. I also have safety high up my list, .... But generally I'm happy to rely on me as being mostly reliable... And yes an extra hitch would be a feasible safeguard with these....

That said, I'd probably be just as happy using a couple rings and biners and using a Klemheist type locking knot... I think at least one ring in the sequence with a drip tail permanently attached is a must have...

Because keeping dry is part of safety for me. Especially since I solo trip (canoe) a fair bit. When you're days from anywhere and by yourself where you're not likely to see another person, keeping healthy is keeping safe.

I just like design exercises I'm personally playing around with asym design ideas and cat cut tarps right now (along with building my next canoe.)

[slowhike]

sorry guys... but rings & clips ain't obsolete yet
i'm watching & liking what yall have cooking, but i still like the convenience & security of my ring buckles just fine

[FanaticFringer]

sorry guys... but rings & clips ain't obsolete yet
i'm watching & liking what yall have cooking, but i still like the convenience & security of my ring buckles just fine

Could'nt agree more. Love my cinch buckles and webbing. You guys can have those tree huggers.

[stoikurt]

I've enjoyed the thread and by no means do I intend to discourage anyone from continuing to experiment. I think that's what a lot of it is all about; just experimenting and trying different things. If we don't continue to do that then we can't advance science of hammock hanging. I'm just not there yet on this idea, but keep going.

[Dutch]

I have been laughing and laughing at the last few posts. I'm not out to convert anyone from jingling through the woods with your rings and buckles. Actually every suspension is fast and easy including knots. When I strung up last night I was over concrete and didn't have 100% trust in them yet either. I tied off the loose ends just to be certain. I think one of me biggest concerns is that you can set it up good, but get out and without weight on the hammock it could come undone. I think if I was in a race with rings, strapping and biner hanger I would lose by about 20 seconds. And I trust the buckles 100%. I just hate putting a suspension system in my pack that weighs the same as the hammock. Although we are getting a little crazy and should probably make them a little bigger in the hook area for safety.

Some of the posts sound like my ground dwelling friends....I don't wanna fall....A tent isn't that heavy....I like the convienence of my tent.

And of course if you really don't like the anchors it was all Turk's and Warbonnetguy's idea.

[FanaticFringer]

I have been laughing and laughing at the last few posts. I'm not out to convert anyone from jingling through the woods with your rings and buckles. Actually every suspension is fast and easy including knots. When I strung up last night I was over concrete and didn't have 100% trust in them yet either. I tied off the loose ends just to be certain. I think one of me biggest concerns is that you can set it up good, but get out and without weight on the hammock it could come undone. I think if I was in a race with rings, strapping and biner hanger I would lose by about 20 seconds. And I trust the buckles 100%. I just hate putting a suspension system in my pack that weighs the same as the hammock. Although we are getting a little crazy and should probably make them a little bigger in the hook area for safety.

Some of the posts sound like my ground dwelling friends....I don't wanna fall....A tent isn't that heavy....I like the convienence of my tent.

And of course if you really don't like the anchors it was all Turk's and Warbonnetguy's idea.

I find your post quite amusing as well.