why would you use carabiners on webbing?

[zyhano]

Hey folks,

I have never used a carabiner on my setup and see no need to.
I use a loop I sewed on one end of my webbing to act as a channel for itself once it has been wrapped around the tree. This can also be done by tying a figure of eight loop in your webbing.

Lots of people seem to use a carabiner instead of the loop or a dutch clip instead of the loop.

I see no obvious advantage for this. It's heavier and bulkier. Is it because of the breaking strength and the loop becoming the weakest link in your setup? I use 500 kg breaking strength 1" webbing.

So why do people use carabiners?? I'd like to be informed about this.

If I need it at all, I use soft shackles (since I got myself a loooot of amsteel )

[Pro Vagabond]

I'm lazy. It's quick in the rain and the snow. I honestly believe HYOH, but old habits are hard to break .

[poker88]

It's easier to set up and remove the straps from the tree with the carabiner / dutch clip / soft shackle as opposed to having to thread it through a loop.

[JCINMA]

For many of us, it's also a hold-over from climbing. Webbing to webbing contact increases wear. Webbing to metal contact has much less friction.

[JCK]

I tried doing it the way you did before I bought some carabiners, and for me the carabiner made it very easy to clip on and off a tree. But then the blackbid has about 14 feet of webbing at each end so threading that through the loop took a while.

But if you're using whoopie slings, or rings like you are, I think that means your tree straps are alot shorter, so passing it through the loop wouldn't be too bad in that case.

[moimeme_81]

personally I don't even make a loop in the webbing (ok it's my first hammock) so I use knots only (sometimes 'binners) on webbing why I choosed that way... habit maybe (I'm a rock climber and everything that makes my ropes or webbing weaker scares me...) but someone told me once that when you sew webbing (or anything similar) without using a round needle you cut some fibers in it and it becomes weaker so I never sew my webbing anyway (anyway if I wanted to, my mom told me that the sewing machine she gave me wouldn't stand it so...)

chris

[flatline]

use of (in my case) a Dutch Clip gives the ability to leave the entire suspension attached to my hammock. the webbing does not have to be removed in order to be wrapped around a tree. the extra weight lets me sling the strap around smaller trees for a double wrap.

[Rug]

Wear & Tear.

I have noticed that the friction caused by running rope (even when unloaded)against the webbing causes premature wear.

As an extra benefit; 'biners are quicker, easier, and 'feels right'.

[Bubba]

Pulling through 15 feet of webbing through the end loop 4 times per set up gets irritating. It's kind of like buttons vs zippers. They both work but buttons take just a little longer while zippers are easier and faster.

[pig.slayer]

I just thread my webbing back through the sewn loop, ditched the carabiners way back.

Haven't hit the deck yet and don't seem to have any more wear than I did with the biner.