Noob structural ridgeline question.(well several)

**Doody** · 06-02-2011, 13:00

Ok more noob questions. I am converting my Hammock bliss no seeum no more hammock to a web suspension and was wondering about adding a structual ridgeline. Where do you attach it? To the cinch buckles? The amsteel that the buckle is tied to? Also, would 1/8 amsteel blue be ok for the ridgeline or would that be overkill? I'm in the process of ordering my materials and am wondering how much amsteel blue to buy. I have seen the 83% of hammock length info and am thinking a yard for each end for connecting the buckle to the hammock ends. Am I missing anything?

**Bubba** · 06-02-2011, 13:16

The issue with your hammock is the bugnet is suspended above the level of where a structural ridgeline (SRL) would go and so the SRL would cut down on the head room provided by the suspended bugnet. You could put the SRL on and suspend the bugnet from it somehow or connect it from the inside similar to the Warbonnet Blackbird.
It sounds like you are going to replace the stock suspension with amsteel loops and cinch buckles? If so, a yard per side is too much. You only need a 12 to 18 inches or so to make continuous loops for the cinch buckles. Once you have the loop made and the cinch buckles on them, it's simply a matter of feeding the loop through the end channel of the hammock and then feed the other end through itself (larkshead). To attach the SRL to the amsteel loops, you can make loops on each end of the SRL either with a locked brummel or even a simple overhand knot and then larkshead the loops around the amsteel just where it comes out of the hammock. If you attach it further up the suspension it would allow more of the bugnet to be suspended.
1/8 amsteel is too much for the SRL but if its what you are using for the suspension then no worries. A large majority of us use 7/64 for most things. 10 feet would be enough to make everything you need although it would be good to order more in case you get bit by the DIY bug and want to make your whoopie slings or soft shackles.

**Doody** · 06-02-2011, 13:29

Thats what I needed to know. I can still use the bugnet tie-outs if the SRL doesn't keep it high enough. What I am going for is quickest, easiest setup. I am making the setup from the webbing primer video from Grizz. He says 30 inches to connect the cinch buckle to the hammock but maybe that is total length. So I take it the 1/8 amsteel is too much for my tarp ridge line then?

**Bubba** · 06-02-2011, 13:44

Originally Posted by Doody

Thats what I needed to know. I can still use the bugnet tie-outs if the SRL doesn't keep it high enough. What I am going for is quickest, easiest setup. I am making the setup from the webbing primer video from Grizz. He says 30 inches to connect the cinch buckle to the hammock but maybe that is total length. So I take it the 1/8 amsteel is too much for my tarp ridge line then?

You can use less or more. Just depends on how long you want the loops to extend from the hammock. Mine extend about 4 inches.

Yeah there are smaller less expensive options for the tarp ridgeline plus it has a slick coating which is not as conducive to holding knots.

**shumway** · 06-02-2011, 13:52

1/8 is definitely much more than you need for a tarp ridge line. Even 7/64 amsteel would be over kill. Many folks here are using Zing It in 1.75 mm or 2.2 mm for tarps. There's a video on Whoopieslings.com showing how Opie's ridge line is tied without knots. He's using a knot-bone in one end a and a figure-9 on the other to tension it. I tried copying that but I'm using a knot bone on both ends. The figure 9 slipped on me a lot so I didn't like it. Mind you the line I tried it with isn't Zing It, it's Cypres Loop line as is used on parachute rigs, so it may or may not be more slippery.

**Doody** · 06-02-2011, 14:03

Ok so is the 7/64 amsteel strong enough for the cinchbuckle loops too??

**jraffini** · 06-02-2011, 14:07

I used the same hammock before I made my own, and I used to attach my ridge line to the ring buckles. That put the ridge line higher up which allowed for more head room. The issue is that there is lots of extra netting hanging down in your face if you don't pull the net up pretty far. If you do that, make sure you don't make your ridge line 83% of just your hammock length. It needs to be 83% of the length between your attachment points. Find that length by laying out your hammock flat after attaching the rings then go with 83% of that. You can also check out this post http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=5045 for info on how to run the ridge line through your netting. I believe they put enough netting on this hammock for folks to hang with with very little sag and pull the net up a uniform amount. The problem I had was with the proper angle, when I pulled the center of the net up fairly tight, the netting at the ends was not pulled up much at all, leaving a lot of extra. Good luck to you as you experiment with your own best solution!

**Doody** · 06-02-2011, 15:30

Thanks to all for the quick info. Since the price and weight isn't much different I just went with the 1/8 Amsteel and ordered a few extra feet for playing around with. It should be a bit of an improvement over the slap straps.