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  1. #1
    waddy's Avatar
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    Back to the stock Clark ropes and rings

    After I got my new NX-250, and reading about all the super nifty Whoopie Slings, tree straps, assorted hardware both simple and somewhat troublesome, biners , buckles, wingers, ringers, and flim flam magic whing dingers, I am going back to the simplicity and total reliability of the original equipment Clark stock ropes and drip rings. The rope is soft enough that there is no worry about tree bark damage, even with the Quaking Aspen, which has a very tender bark. Care is required, of course, but that applies to anything used. Utilizing the drip rings as a trucker's hitch for adjustment in the way Clark recommends could not possibly be any simpler. Yes the rope is a little heavier than a Whoopie Sling, but after adding tree straps, carabiners (or even the magical and lovable Dutch Biner), some sort of drip preventer, etc. the weight difference becomes pretty small, and the simplicity goes WAY up. I'm pretty simple, as well, so it suits my style well. I admit it is still fun playing with all the different ways and methods of supporting and adjusting hammocks, and I won't stop that, but for ruggedness, reliability, dependability, and simplicity, the stock Clark ropes and rings are for me. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!!

  2. #2
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
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    May 2010
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    Whatever works for you I always say.
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

  3. #3
    Senior Member bigbamaguy's Avatar
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    Jan 2009
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    Good luck and have fun sticking to your guns on this one!!!!!!!
    Par Si Vis Pace Para Bellum

  4. #4
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by waddy View Post
    After I got my new NX-250, and reading about all the super nifty Whoopie Slings, tree straps, assorted hardware both simple and somewhat troublesome, biners , buckles, wingers, ringers, and flim flam magic whing dingers, I am going back to the simplicity and total reliability of the original equipment Clark stock ropes and drip rings. The rope is soft enough that there is no worry about tree bark damage, even with the Quaking Aspen, which has a very tender bark. Care is required, of course, but that applies to anything used. Utilizing the drip rings as a trucker's hitch for adjustment in the way Clark recommends could not possibly be any simpler. Yes the rope is a little heavier than a Whoopie Sling, but after adding tree straps, carabiners (or even the magical and lovable Dutch Biner), some sort of drip preventer, etc. the weight difference becomes pretty small, and the simplicity goes WAY up. I'm pretty simple, as well, so it suits my style well. I admit it is still fun playing with all the different ways and methods of supporting and adjusting hammocks, and I won't stop that, but for ruggedness, reliability, dependability, and simplicity, the stock Clark ropes and rings are for me. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!!
    Me too for all of the above! I really enjoy the speed of adjustment of some of my suspension mods, and enjoy making the mods. But sometimes I feel just real happy with the essentially stock Claytor netting, which is quite unpopular here. But, it is ultra-light and low volume/bulk, and nothing could be simpler once you solve the water wicking problem by:
    1: putting a couple of extra over hand knots or whatever in the rope on each side of the channel ( seems to work good so far with water hose tests or all night rains) or
    2: a:cutting the rope, running a short piece through the channel, putting a bowline or figure 8 loop on each side of the channel after putting each loop first through an ascending ring- or just clipping in a biner, then
    B: tying the longer rope to the biner/ring and then running it around the tree and back to the biner with a slippery 1/2 hitch or 2. Either works like a charm. The stock Claytor suspension has no hardware and adjusts just as fast as anything else I have used. As long as you have enough knots to keep the water out, biners and rings are optional. I mostly use them, but I also went a long time without any.

    Speaking of sticking to basics, I have some HH suspensions I have never changed. The other day while hanging in my Safari, I finally decided to try something I had been considering for a long time. I put the webbing on the tree as for a MSH for Whoopies. But instead of making a MSH, I just ran the HH rope through one loop. Then instead of doing all of the figure 8 HH lashing stuff, I just tied off a slippery 1/2 hitch, and another 1/2 hitch or 2 for backup. I did put a stick in the knot for just in case.

    It worked perfectly! It never slipped a bit, and was easy to undo. On one end where I did not use a stick, it was pretty tight, but still tugging on the slippery 1/2 hitch for a bit and it came undone easily enough. I have had cinch buckles be tougher to undo if I started with them pulled pretty tight. And it was fast to set up (fast enough anyway) and had I needed to adjust it would have been fast enough to undo and tie again.

    Why haven't we been using this technique for ropes and huggers? Am I missing something? It is basically the Claytor approach except with rope into separate tree huggers, rather than Claytor webbing. Which goes around the tree and back to a bowline at the hammock and THEN slippery 1/2 hitches. It seems like the HH lashing- though simple as dirt once you have done it correctly a couple of times- is often a stumbling block for new hangers. A hard concept to teach for the brand new folks. This makes me wonder why we bothered with all of that? (Brandon/WBG has a simple knot also, but I don't have that one down to 2nd nature yet, like I do 1/2 hitches)

    For that matter, even if I do the regular HH lashing technique in the future, I think I will just do one figure 8 and go right to the slipper 1/2 hitches after the 1st fig. 8. I suspect it will hold just fine.

  5. #5
    Senior Member NCPatrick's Avatar
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    Nothing wrong with that -- whatever floats your boat. I'd make sure that the cordage doesn't damage the trees, but otherwise "all systems go".


    "Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities."
    - Mark Twain
    “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.”
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  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    I use th AIOS from Whoopieslings for my Clarks, but if I had to use separate whoopies and treehuggers with a toggle I would rather use the stock ropes.

  7. #7
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
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    Waddy: You are quite right. Clark got it very right in combining a cheap and fairly light polyester rope and fairly small drip ring. The setup is very simple and very fast with almost any knot.
    The rub IS a rub, though. In another thread recent thread here we were also shown how easily adjustments were. OUCH. Nothing gentle about the rope rubbing the bark.

    So, I'd suggest that at the cost of less than an ounce total that the rope be augmented as follows.

    Buy 6 feet of any lightweight poly webbing, cut it in half, and sew three rope-loops on the same side of each. Thread each suspension rope through the strap-loops. Those will be the protective straps that will go against the tree.

  8. #8
    New Member phan-tom's Avatar
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    simple = happy

    +1 for the stock clark ropes and drip ring method for easy setup and easy adjustment. Difference is, I purchased the tree straps (I'm a tree lover!) with my clark tropical 2 which are wide, only take seconds to put up and fully protect the tree bark, even on trees with fragile bark... and they cost next to nothing which is great seeing the piece of mind they provide.

  9. #9
    waddy's Avatar
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    Agree on the straps. I already have a set of the Clark wide straps, as well as some DIY straps with Dutch Clips. If I detect ANY damage to tree bark, I will use them. However, in my country, I will be doing a lot of hanging in Cedar and Pinyon country and can't see any problem. I think I will probably use straps on the Aspen trees though. I want the simplest set-up with the fewest pieces and parts to fiddle with that I can get. I appreciate all the suggestions and comments.
    Love your enemies, but keep your gun oiled!

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  10. #10
    Senior Member mph5's Avatar
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    I like the stock ropes on the Clark as well.
    I use tree straps and use the drip ring to adjust.
    Works great!

    Marti

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