Noob Suspension help.

[t3db0t]

Hi everyone just joined the forum, great place.

Completely new to hammock camping and knots. I just picked up an HH Ultra-Lite backpacker, 2 tree huggers, and a bunch of carabiners (7ish)

I am having trouble with the suspension systems, because there are so many and I'm unfamiliar with the knots.

I was considering the Ring buckle + Girda Hitch suspension because it seemed easy, but i ran into problems.

1) i couldnt find rings at my local REI. Can i use carabiner's instead?
2) i read that the Ultra-lite cords are too thin for this type of suspension.

If i cannot use the Ring buckle suspension, What would be the quickest, strongest, easily adjustable suspension setup you guys recommend if you just had tree huggers, a similar hammock, and carabiners?

[raiffnuke]

The HH method of "lashing" the hammock is pretty simple, it just takes a few minutes to accomplish. Alternately, if you go on WB's site, he has a video on how to use 1 ring and a buntline hitch...you could do the same with your carabiners. just my 2 cents.

[pgibson]

All in all the Garda Hitch has been decided to not be a good system as it puts a lot of pinch pressure on the cord which can cause failure. Rings with webbing though is still a good viable choice. Carabiners will usually not lay flat enough together to pull this off.

The most popular suspension by far at this point is the whoopie sling set up. Easily works with tree straps/huggers and a carabiner for each end to attach the slings to the straps. You can save some weight and bulk (if it matters to you) to ditch the carabiner and use a toggle and the marlin spike hitch.

[olddog]

Been using headchange4u's single line suspension(SLS) with muletape and have been pleased with it. It made finding ridgeline lengths and folding of gathered ends easier. I do have amsteel ordered so will be trying it. Oh, Welcome aboard from Florida.

[t3db0t]

It looks like i just might go with the original Hennessy lashing, but seems hard on adjustability.

The whoopie sling and marlin spike, looks awesome, but requires some DIY work.

Thanks for the suggestions guys ill just browse through the stickies

[Jcavenagh]

You would be surprised how easy it is to make whoopie slings. Pick up some amsteel 7/64" rope, watch the videos posted on this site, and do it. It takes like 30 minutes the first time and about 5 minutes the next time.

Converting a HH BPUL to whoopie slings takes maybe 45 minutes the first time, and that includes looking at the videos and following along slowly to make sure you get it right.

I was afraid at first to clip the plastic zip loop and open up the lashing part of the HH. But after I did it I was surprised how easy it is.

[pgibson]

but requires some DIY work.

Only DIY needed is to attach the slings to your hammock....They are available to purchase from a number of the cottage shops here. Cough..

[timabababaluka]

Love those whoopies and toggles! If I can make 'em you can bet that just about anyone can. Still, it took me a good 6 months before I felt up to the challenge, so if diy, at this stage in the game, seems a bit out of reach, you can get them quickly from your closest cottage vendor (since Paul is so unassuming, I will mention that Arrowhead Equipment, located in Idaho, is just a hop, skip and jump away from CA ).

You might also consider finding a group hang, and checking out what others are doing--good news for you, seeing as there is currently a socal hang being organized for mid august. You oughtta check it out... http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=36073

Good luck. Nice to have you on the forum!

[t3db0t]

Great Suggestions guys.

I bit and went down to my local marine supply and picked up some amsteel 7/64. They only had it in silver so i was bummed, but @ $.27/ft and no shipping I couldn't complain.

You guys are right. Making whoopie slings was superrr easy once you learn the "milking" technique and Figure out the correct direction of the splices.

The problems that I got was i couldnt figure out where the adjustable bury went. (Close to the hammock, in the middle, near the end). I put mine closer to the hammock so it would be a 15" min to 6' max as suggested by another thread.

My suggestion is that it is important to attach the fixed eye to the hammock before making the adjustable bury. I tried to make it without attaching it to the hammock first and got myself confused on the placement of the adjustable bury.

Going for my first hang next weekend, and ill let you guys know how it goes. Ill be the only hanger with 10 or so ground dwellers. LOL. I do have an extra Eno DN with slap straps. I dunno if i can convert anyone because I dont have any quilts, tarp or net for the Eno, but ill try.

[LeDude]

for some reason REI has bee out of those SMC rings for months now.


I found similar items at a couple of marine supply stores for about the same or less $$.

I like using a loop at either end of my hammock, makes for a clean setup and you can hang different things from it,
and it can also act a water / rain barrier if any H2O works its way down your whoopie sling / suspension strap \ line.



I made my own suspension parts by buying some 1" and 9/16" tubular webbing, they weight a bit more but I know they won't fail on me. Made a 4' and 6' set.

I also made my own whoopie slings from amstell 7/64, which is rated at 1600 lbs, those aren't going to fail either unless you manage to cut them somehow. I made a few different size sets, 3', 6', 10'. I use one of the long ones as my ridge line or combine two of the smaller ones when using the longer ones.

I made a couple toggles out of some aluminum tent repair tubing, REI has those for .50 cents each.

You can check my setup here: Grand Trunk Setup

Took me a day or two to dial everything in and get the right setup, be patient and try different settings until you find that sweet spot/setup for your weight/hammock etc...

good luck....