When the tree is too big

[Pipsissewa]

...and your webbing just won't make it around. This happens to me occasionally. All my webbing straps are five feet long. Up til now, I just find another place to hang. I don't want to carry extra straps.

Has anyone ever attached their whoopie sling via marlin spike hitch THROUGH the strap loop? In other words, pass the loop of the whoopie sling through the webbing loop to add girth around the tree, then used a marlin spike hitch up against the tree to attach to the webbing. This just occurred to me this morning, so I haven't had a chance to try it yet. I can see that it'll be harder (if not impossible) to adjust the whoopie sling length, but other than that, I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Any problem with passing the whoopie sling loop through the webbing loop? Any problem placing the marlin spike hitch right up against the tree? Would 7/64th inch amsteel cut through the webbing?

[krugd]

Some of us use a soft shackle to attach the whoopie to the strap. I just started doing this, but haven't had any problem with wear yet. I don't see why your way wouldn't work.

I try to keep one of my straps longer than the other, reasoning that I usually won't have two large trees.

[nothermark]

No reason why a marlinspike hitch would not work. The issue is that the spike could take the load so you need a good one. Carbon arrow shaft might not cut it. ;-) Good sized solid stick probably will.
Another problem is that the friction through the loop around the spike will tend to lock the whoopie under tension. Should be surmountable problem. ;-)

[Pipsissewa]

No reason why a marlinspike hitch would not work. The issue is that the spike could take the load so you need a good one. Carbon arrow shaft might not cut it. ;-)... .

Are you saying it's different than using a marlin spike hitch "in the middle" of the suspension line to connect the whoopie sling to the tail of the webbing? I don't see how it could be any different. And that's my usual set-up. In fact, laying the marlin spike up against the tree makes it easier to ensure the amsteel stays "on the knot--not the spike".

I do see now why I never thought of this before. I went out to a spot with a big tree I've always wished I could hang from. And--with this idea in mind--just stood there, holding the whoopie sling in one hand and the webbing in the other. Just staring at the tree... ...Tree...whoopie sling....webbing...tree ....whoopie sling...webbing... Couldn't figure out WHAT to do!!! Finally did figure it out after ten minutes of head scratching!

Seems okay although I had to come in and haven't lain in it yet I see that the whoopie sling MIGHT conceivably hurt the bark of the tree in an extreme case. In this case, the whoopie only has to make up about eight extra inches, so I don't think it's even going to touch the bark under load. We'll see. More to come....

[rip waverly]

Check into the 8minute mark of the video in this thread

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=46013

Not a marlin spike, but I presume it will function similarly

[FireInMyBones]

Check into the 8minute mark of the video in this thread

http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=46013

Not a marlin spike, but I presume it will function similarly

I like that idea. I've been curious about this for a while and just found another tree.

[lazy river road]

Or you could larks head the dead eye end of the woopie to the strap wrap around tree and feed adjustable end of woopie through. Attach adjustable end of woopie to hammock using a dutch woopie hook or biner

[nothermark]

Are you saying it's different than using a marlin spike hitch "in the middle" of the suspension line to connect the whoopie sling to the tail of the webbing? I don't see how it could be any different. And that's my usual set-up. In fact, laying the marlin spike up against the tree makes it easier to ensure the amsteel stays "on the knot--not the spike".

>snip<...

I am saying you will not have a knot to hang against so you will be relying on the strength of the toggle. That is what the video shows. His toggle was the buckle.

Toggle management could also be an issue. I would look for a piece of limb with a branch part way from the end so the stub branch would act as a keeper to stop the "spike" from falling though when there is slack in the system.

Now if you tie a knot in the end of the webbing instead of using the loop you can put the sling on the knot, not the toggle. ;-)

[Pipsissewa]

Now if you tie a knot in the end of the webbing instead of using the loop you can put the sling on the knot, not the toggle. ;-)

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. And it works fine. I put my whoopie sling through the loop of the webbing and brought the tag end of the webbing around the tree, just like in Rip's video. Only instead of a buckle, I tied a marlin spike hitch in the tag end and hung the loop of the whoopie over the marlin spike hitch. The whoopie sling's loop made up about ten inches around the tree that the webbing couldn't get around. I was even able to adjust the length of the whoopie--no problem.

This is a good method for using trees that are otherwise too big to hang from. I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner! But I'm glad I have a back-up plan that doesn't require carrying anything extra! YAY!

P.S. THANKS for the video reference, Rip. That's exactly what I did (except MSH in place of buckle).

[nothermark]

Yeah, and I figured out the knot last night.