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  1. #1
    New Member TKD_Dusty's Avatar
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    Talking My DIY Taslite Hammock

    For fun and grins, I made a stab at my first major DIY project outside of stuff sacks and the fleece mummy sleeping bag that can also double as a liner that I made sometime last year. I'm VERY happy with how this came out, especially with my lack of real sewing skills. Thread injectors and I don't get along too well haha

    So here she is. It weighs in at just a touch over a pound with the suspension and stuff sack. Stuffed, the whole kit measures in at 8" long x 7" wide x 5" high. I would like to change this stuff sack out and make a bishop that's slightly bigger...This stuff sack wasn't designed originally for the hammock, just a test sew job I made to carry some medical equipment. I found a bunch of taslite at Walmart for just under $2 a yard and figured why not! I'd seen others on the hammock forums make hammocks and tarps etc..so it seemed like it would work well. It was also a great break into the DIY world for me. I've been a ground dweller since I started backpacking, but one of my good friends thru-hiked the AT last year and hung the whole way - she talked me into joining the hanging world. So far I'm in love. I have a Bilgy tent that I will continue to use until I can get the rest of my hanging gear under my belt, but this is a good start and I can just go by the Susquehanna (as seen in a photo below), and hang for hours if I wanted to. So relaxing.

    I made end channels even though it was more sewing work. I wanted to give myself some options and whatnot. Since it's mine, why not try different things to see what works best for me? Especially since it's my first hammock since I was a kid. I actually like the way this came out. I double looped the whoopie slings thru the channels like Stuart did on the whoopieslings.com youtube video with the ENO channels. While I need to more refine my sewing skills more, I'm so happy with this and can't wait to go hanging some more with it. Trust me, there was no greater relief than not going flat on my tail the first time I hung it and tried it out haha The photo near the river was my first official hang with this system. I must have stayed there for over an hour munching on a snack and enjoying the scenery. The other hang photo is at my moms. She wanted to see how it all went together and try it out. In her words..."This is SO cool!!!". Now she wants one LOL!!!














  2. #2
    Senior Member Brimstone's Avatar
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    Re: My DIY Taslite Hammock

    Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

    I wish I was more proficient at sewing. My wife is going to have to teach me so I can work on UQs.
    Go Tigers!

  3. #3
    New Member TKD_Dusty's Avatar
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    Haha same here, Brimstone. I'm learning but ugh what a pain. Glad I can bounce questions to my mom lol She used to sew all the time along with other crafty artsy things...Her sewing knowledge has come in handy lately. I too want to make my own UQ and TQ. Heck I would love to do the whole setup myself...Next on my list tho is the bugnet...I'm a skeeter magnet LOL!

  4. #4
    New Member ATL4S's Avatar
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    My DIY Taslite Hammock

    Well done! I'm in a similar situation. Trying to improve my sewing. My ideas are there just no skills. Keep up the good work.

  5. #5
    Senior Member Klaussinator's Avatar
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    Hey, very nice work there! That looks good!

    I'm one of the guys who made a Taslite tarp and did the DIY waterproofing. Been very happy with it, it's working great. In fact, the last time I was out it rained pretty good, and I still haven't seen the first leak or seep thru the tarp.

    I've thought about making a hammock from this stuff too... I assume yours is single-layer? Do you notice any stretch in it?

    Question on the first "river-side pic" ... Looks like you have a ridge line going from the left end of the hammock to the right side tree? Maybe I'm seeing something wrong?

    -Klauss
    My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson

    "But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"

  6. #6
    New Member TKD_Dusty's Avatar
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    Thanks Atl4s!! Same here though I'm trying to add to my sewing skills list little by little. Started with stuff sacks and have been branching slowly out...Don't give up though! Start small and work up :-)

    Hi Klauss!! Yes and I friggen LOVE your tarp LOL!!! I so want to do that...Or beg ya to make one for me for some monetary compensation of course LMAO

    Yes, single layer hammock. Kept it pretty simple for a starter hammock. Wow it's comfy too! I don't have much to compare stretch to since I've never really had a backpackers hammock like this one. Most of my hanging as a kid was on one of those flat hammocks with the 900 ropes coming from each end holding it to a stand... haha For me, I don't notice it if it is stretching out.

    The river pic, yes I have an amsteel ridgeline on it but it's going to the toggle though as I was trying to figure it out and put it on just for the "OMG I'm excited" pic before fumbling with it too much. The one tree is in the foreground and not the one I'm connected to on the right. Bad angle and an excellent optical illusion hahaha. Now though I know how better to adjust it and where the hell to put the ends after a few hangs hahaha. Was my first time hanging with anything like this, so I wanted to see what it would do and how to work with it. Loving the learning curve between ground dwelling to being a monkey in a tree LOL

  7. #7
    SnrMoment's Avatar
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    Nice work. Taselite is nice fabric to start with. It's easy to work with and it's cheap. I've used it to make some odd ball items as prototypes before dropping larger amounts of $$$ on fabrics.
    Love is blind. Marriage is an eye opener.

  8. #8
    gunner76's Avatar
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    Nice job.

    I got some of that fabric at Wallyword last year and also used it to make a DIY, only I made mine a double to hold my weight. Used straps on mine
    I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !

  9. #9
    New Member TKD_Dusty's Avatar
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    Hey guys! Thanks Glad you enjoy this.
    Lol Gunner Thankfully I don't need much to hold me. When I saw someone make one that said it held 200 pounds, I figured 130 would be fine.
    When I get some more sewing experience under my belt, I wouldn't mind moving on to some other materials, also when money suits me better haha. "Strapped" and bare bones for now with some major bills coming in and losing my job recently...Gah! **** that puts a crimp into a hiking budget! So I'm glad I could make this as it was only about $7 in fabric and some nice heavier duty thread (definitely NOT Walmart brand there tho hahaha Wasn't tempting going on my butt with that hahaha). I guess whatever gets one out into the woods I suppose huh?

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