Help with Grand Trunk Air Bivy before this weekend

**NewtonGT** · 06-30-2011, 03:35

I have a friend who bought one of the grand trunk air bivy hammocks at the local camping store and is going to go camping with me this weekend and I want to be able to make sure his first lay in a hammock is aweasome. now ive learned alot in my time here and I do own a grand trunk UL. and I believe they have the same rope and hook type suspension? if so Is there anyway I can make it a little better like bringing my ropes from my UL to help extend his so he can get trees farther apart so the hammock wont be so tight. or what? It might just be me but I just feel that its hard to get really comfy with that type suspension. and again i could be all wrong about what kind they come with. and feedback AT ALL is appreciated. thanks guys

**PDA** · 06-30-2011, 10:46

An important factor for both of you is to have tree straps (huggers). These will a) protect the trees and b) effectively extend your GT tree ropes by a few feet. Ideally, you should replace the GT suspension with Amsteel plus tree straps. super ideally, the amsteel would be in the form of whoopies. But it's a bit late for this weekend. The GT ropes will work OK with tree straos. You can get sets of tie downs from Home Depot/Lowes to make tree straps. carefully cut off the ratchets, there will be a sewn loop in one end, tie a loop using a figure eight knot at the other end if you don;t have access to a sewing machine.

**DemostiX** · 06-30-2011, 11:48

Have extra toggles or toggle material. Marling spike hitches reduce frustration of tying and untying knots. And extra carabiners, if you could care less about weight. They also reduce frustration.
Put all loose bits in one or more baggies.
Make a $1 1 weekend set of snakeskins out of $1 nylon panty hose.

Best, is a full dress rehearsal with that kit, so you're not deciding under any stress how you're going to hang it and pack it up. You can pack it so you have in hand the part you want, when you want it.

**bigbamaguy** · 06-30-2011, 13:13

If your friend got the GT ABES(skeeter beeter hammock/funky forest tarp combo) and he is over six feet tall he is going to get some shoulder squeeze. I have one of these and my 10 yr old daughter loves it, but she is only like 4' 10". Ditch the stock suspension and change over to whoopies or straps w/buckles or rings. To hang the bugnet don't use the shockcord the way GT shows it, it can and will hurt if you let go of it........ask me how I know!!!!!!! Take some short lengths of the SC and suspend the bugnet from the Tarp Ridgeline attachments. Also be careful this hammock can be "tippy" for broader shouldered people, ask me how I know!!!!!!!

**NewtonGT** · 06-30-2011, 15:02

haha thankyou for all the replies. yea I know whoopies would be the best solution if I had the time and Ive been here for awhile and have never messed with them. so I think I might bring a spare set of tree huggers for him. and your saying I can tie a not with the included rope through the loops of the tree hugger?

**rigidpsycho** · 06-30-2011, 17:21

I have the Skeeter Beeter Pro. I made me a tree hugger and use a marlin spike with toggle and the original suspension ropes. This helps to give me a little extra play in where I hang.

**NewtonGT** · 06-30-2011, 17:40

Originally Posted by rigidpsycho

I have the Skeeter Beeter Pro. I made me a tree hugger and use a marlin spike with toggle and the original suspension ropes. This helps to give me a little extra play in where I hang.

so one tree hugger on each side and do you tie a marlin spike with the original ropes or what?

**rigidpsycho** · 07-01-2011, 06:16

I use the marlin spike just like everyone does for the whoopie slings.
I just put the suspension rope over the toggle. There is a pic of my setup in my gsllery under the 2010 Hoosier Hang. If you look at the suspension on the tree on the left of the picture it shows how I did it.

**PDA** · 07-01-2011, 09:36

If your tree huggers have a loop at each end, wrap them around the tree so that both loops are towards where the hammock will be.
Thread the GT rope loop through both hugger loops.
Thread the other end of the GT rope set through the GT rope loop.
Pull up tight.
Now the GT rope set is looped through the tree huggers and the knotted ends go down towards your hammock.
Hook the hammock onto the rope at the best knot.
Repeat for the other tree.
Finally, adjust the hooks to the best knots to give a good, even hang for the hammock.

Here's a video which more or less shows what I am writing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgkSm7Qgz00

Here's another showing how you could modify using tree huggers and 2 mm spectra rope (dynaglide e.g.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkiuO...eature=related

**NewtonGT** · 07-01-2011, 11:27

Originally Posted by PDA

If your tree huggers have a loop at each end, wrap them around the tree so that both loops are towards where the hammock will be.
Thread the GT rope loop through both hugger loops.
Thread the other end of the GT rope set through the GT rope loop.
Pull up tight.
Now the GT rope set is looped through the tree huggers and the knotted ends go down towards your hammock.
Hook the hammock onto the rope at the best knot.
Repeat for the other tree.
Finally, adjust the hooks to the best knots to give a good, even hang for the hammock.

Here's a video which more or less shows what I am writing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgkSm7Qgz00

Here's another showing how you could modify using tree huggers and 2 mm spectra rope (dynaglide e.g.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkiuO...eature=related

wow thanx alot man! I was on there website and read that they came with the new tree slings but I assumed they still were talking about rope. it all makes a little more sense now