How short did you cut your straps?

[mitch]

After switching to whoopie slings, how short did you go on the straps? I know it sounds silly, but I don't want to be caught short. I've been sitting here with scissors for far too long. Every time I get close to cutting I
think "what if that is too short?" HELP! I was thinking about 6 feet long.

[opie]

6' is about the most popular.

Youre best bet, before you go Edward Scissor Hands on your straps, is to head out and take some measurements on the trees in the areas you like to hang. Get an average and go from there.

Rarely is there a time where you cant find 2 trees that will work with 6' straps. You may have to hunt a little... But strap length is pretty region specific. Here in MI 6' is plenty. I hear up in Canada, 6' wont cut it.

[exdiver]

I cut mine to 4.5 feet some time ago. On the Hoosier Hang I found it to be a problem.
I had enough to BARELY get a marlin spike tied on a toggle. Worried all night if I would wake up on the ground. I will be switching out mine to the remainder of my original slings. They measure just under 9 feet. Not sure the weight gain but I won't get caught "short" again.
PS I think 6 foot would be an ideal length.

[SmokeBait]

6 foot is what I carry and since I use a marlin spike hitch I use most of it. For the average trees here (Oak mostly) I'll only have a foot or so of unused strap. I like that little bit of extra as a cushion.

[Shug]

I have gone from two 4' to one 4' and one 5'. Came up short on some terrific spots a couple of times.....
Shug

[Bleemus]

I have two six footers and so far I am good. Prefer to hang under the smallest trees that will support me and I don't harm the tree. Reasoning is that the small trees don't have huge widow makers.

[Leifo5343]

Living in the NW, I have 15' straps... The length sucks, but I know I can hang on any tree. The perfect trees on my college campus take up 13' of the strap.

[stormcrow]

I use 4' straps and there are many times that they are too short. So I dig out the couple of extra sections of amsteel I keep with me to make up the rest of the "strap". The Marlin Spike Hitch works just as well (for me) in the amsteel. As long as I keep most of my strap oriented to the backside of the tree where most of the forces are, things are fine.

[wisenber]

Lots of old growth around here. Some of those will eat 10' real fast.

[khai]

But strap length is pretty region specific. Here in MI 6' is plenty. I hear up in Canada, 6' wont cut it.

That might be an East/West thing moreso than a North/South thing. I wasn't a hanger back then, but when I lived in Ontario there were always a lot of trees with a fairly small diameter - here in the PNW (Vancouver, BC) not so much. If you're hanging in SoCal with the Giant Redwoods you might bring 30' huggers and still find them short!