Whoopies & Marlin Spike Hitch - am I doing this right?

[Hairball]

Kind of like the recent thread asking if there's a concussion in my future

I've had my hammock (my first one mind you) for all of a few days now. I've been hanging in my garage using straps and the original biners that came with the hammock. A friendly forum member here mailed me my first set of whoopie slings - thanks Flangler! - and last night I decided to give them a shot.

I went from the original setup that came with the hammock:


To this using the whoopie slings:


And then attached the whoopie sling to the straps using a Marlin Spike Hitch and toggles made from a branch

Front of the toggle:


Back of the toggle:


I tested this out for about an hour while intentionally swinging the a little and doing some serious shifting around in the hammock. Everything seems to hold just fine. The only concern I have, but didn't get a picture of, is that the toggles seem to "angle" a bit. By that I mean when first set they make a perfect "T" in the strap, perpendicular to the strap, but after a while they angle one way or the other off the perpendicular line. Is there any chance they could angle too much and drop me on my ***? I'm not sure that's really a problem since the whoopie is hooked around the knot, but still I'm paranoid.

Anything amiss with how I did this or am I good to go?

[Chattooga]

Looks good to me, and as long as the whoopie is on the knot and not the toggle, a little angle shouldn't be a problem. I should add that I don't recall my toggles shifting though. Shugg's "slow mo" video on the marlin spike is a good resource for a little reassurance. It is in one of his noob series videos, though I don't recall which one.

[Raul Perez]

looks good to me as well

[raiffnuke]

Looks good to go.

[inspectorguy]

Okie dokie!

[Bubba]

Good to go!

[EnglishBob]

well thats how I do it , so if it's wrong that makes two of us

[taylo]

Check out Dutch Biners. I used to use toggles but switched to putting the Dutch Biners at the end of webbing tree straps (with loops). I just like the extra security of a biner.

[hppyfngy]

After setting the toggle in the marlinspike hitch, put two fingers straddling the webbing and really pull down on the toggle holding it straight across as best you can as you do this. It won't move much after that.

[DemostiX]

Well, yeah, the knot is asymmetric. When you come to this after perceptions of beauty in a knot from something similar but symmetric, the lark's head / clove hitch, all your life, it DOES look like it might be wrong.

Not to mention that the root is by another name that despised SLIP KNOT, which we grew up knowing any dummy could tie (and do damage with.)

So, dress up that that common slip knot into a marling spike hitch with a hollow carbon fiber, seamless steel or titanium tubing, or other high zoot toggle. Some of us are finding secondary uses for the toggle, stashing a prized love note, favorite prayer, calming psalm, family jewel, or emergency $20 in one.