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  1. #1
    Senior Member millergear's Avatar
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    Ridge Line Strength?

    I want to add a ridgeline to my Speer. Given that it will be structural does anyone know, or know where I can find, the safe breaking strength required?

    I'm play with some Kelty Tease (188 pound breaking strength rating) I have but it doesn't give me the warm fuzzies!

    Steve

  2. #2
    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    300 lb. test should be plenty, assuming you're ~ 200 lbs. I haven't tested different ridgeline materials yet - I'm working with the stock HH ridge and haven't added a ridgeline to my Speer type yet - but I cut my HH ridge and added a small 'biner. The 'biner is rated to 300 lbs. and hasn't showed any signs of stretching at all, even though I generally hang my HH very tight and almost horizontal. Stands to reason, then, that 300 lb. test line should work fine.
    "Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson

  3. #3
    Senior Member Certain's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackbishop351 View Post
    300 lb. test should be plenty, assuming you're ~ 200 lbs. I haven't tested different ridgeline materials yet - I'm working with the stock HH ridge and haven't added a ridgeline to my Speer type yet - but I cut my HH ridge and added a small 'biner. The 'biner is rated to 300 lbs. and hasn't showed any signs of stretching at all, even though I generally hang my HH very tight and almost horizontal. Stands to reason, then, that 300 lb. test line should work fine.
    Oh crap...I didn't even think about putting a biner that had an actual weight rating on my cut HH ridgeline. I just tied both cut ends to a couple of those mini JRB biners, because I thought the HH ridgeline was non-load bearing....fixed, but not what held the brunt of the forces in regards to suspension. Am I wrong about this?

    On that note, I'm assuming you tied both ends of your cut ridgeline to one biner right? What kind of knot did you use? Do you have a pic? I...ahem...."improvised," and ended up with some f'ed up knots...but they worked!
    This is my signature.

  4. #4
    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michele View Post
    Oh crap...I didn't even think about putting a biner that had an actual weight rating on my cut HH ridgeline. I just tied both cut ends to a couple of those mini JRB biners, because I thought the HH ridgeline was non-load bearing....fixed, but not what held the brunt of the forces in regards to suspension. Am I wrong about this?

    On that note, I'm assuming you tied both ends of your cut ridgeline to one biner right? What kind of knot did you use? Do you have a pic? I...ahem...."improvised," and ended up with some f'ed up knots...but they worked!
    Yup, just one 'biner. You're right in assuming that the ridge doesn't take near as much force as the supports, but it IS load-bearing. That's the difference between "structural" and "non-structural" ridgelines. I haven't sat down and calculated the actual load for a while, but I think about 1/2 the support load is a safe bet - if you take the hanging angle into account when figuring the support load.

    I used figure-8 follow-throughs on both ends of the ridge. I also added a piece of stock HH support spectra in there, though. I knew the knots in the ridgeline would take more cord than I freed up by inserting the biner. What I didn't count on was how short the ridge was when I got it. So I ended up lengthening the ridge overall, by a few inches. Just until the bugnet was taut.

    I think Jeff took pix of this mod at Hot Springs. If not, let me know and I'll see if I've got some lying around here.
    "Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson

  5. #5
    Paracord/550 cord is an easy solution, and easy to find. I use it as a structural ridgeline without any problems.

  6. #6
    Senior Member blackbishop351's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chazmo View Post
    Paracord/550 cord is an easy solution, and easy to find. I use it as a structural ridgeline without any problems.
    That's what I'll be using on my Speer-type, unless I find something lighter that's pretty cheap. I like 550 for a lot of applications, but it's just so dang HEAVY...and I'm not nuts enough to strip the core out of it like Sarge
    "Physics is the only true science. All else is stamp collecting." - J. J. Thompson

  7. #7
    Senior Member headchange4u's Avatar
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    I use 2mm climbing rope.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by blackbishop351 View Post
    That's what I'll be using on my Speer-type, unless I find something lighter that's pretty cheap. I like 550 for a lot of applications, but it's just so dang HEAVY...and I'm not nuts enough to strip the core out of it like Sarge
    stripping the core out is no big deal - go outside and tie the core to a tree and start walking straight while shucking the sheath down - when get to end of line go back to the tree and do it again, and again, and again, ... its a nice way to get in a half mile walk

    btw I have some reservations about using a nylon line for the ridge line - seems to me it would tend to stretch considerably under load

  9. #9
    Senior Member Arkwater's Avatar
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    I use Samson Amsteel 7/64. 10 ft weighs 14 grams. At 13 cents a foot its a good buy. I also have used it for support lines. If I remember correctly it has a 1200 lb break strength.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    I've used paracord for a ridgeline before. It stretches quite a bit so I had to hang it tighter, but it worked fine. Plenty strong.
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

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