Changing to Ring Buckles - a How-To

[Shadowmoss]

First of all, apologies for this taking so long to post. A few weeks ago I mentioned my ideas for putting ring buckles on my (then) new $16 hammock. Grizz suggested that I use a monkey head knot on part of the setup, and a couple of folks posted links to sites that showed how to tie it. I played with it with some cord I had here, and had some (small) success. Grizz graciously then said that he had felt obligated to see just how well it worked on some cord he had, and offered to send me what I needed already tied. I jumped on it. The next weekend I actually did the rest of this, but haven't taken time to pull the pics off the camera till today. This is my first 'How-To' so bear with me.

First a picture showing the original suspension and the cord Grizz sent me:



The supplies I used to attach the rings:



I also used a plastic cable tie. I use pre-made 12" climbing loops, usually the ones made by Black Diamond. That way I'm not really stressing one of my own knots at any major point.

First I took the stock cord out of the channel. I don't really like using a channel since I think that puts too much stress on the sewing. I know that a lot of the hammocks are done that way, though. Then, I spread the end of the hammock out flat and center the new cord with the knot out.



I gather the hammock up, keeping the cord centered. Then I secure it with a plastic cable tie.



I attach the climbing loop to the rings:



Then I use a larkshead to attach the loop to the hammock behind the cable tie.



I currently have a temporary ridgeline attached with carabiners to the loops on the cord so I can find the best length.



Those loops could also hold stuff sacks clipped into them to keep items up out of the way.

I haven't hung in this hammock yet. That was one reason I hadn't posted this. It is basically how I've attached rings before, except that I ran the climbing loop through the channels before. As I said, I want to get away from that. At one point I had thought that I'd offset the inside cord a bit to help with an asym hang, but I think that it would have minimal effect of the final hang after all.

If I don't like the way the hammock is gathered (sides too high or too loose) I can always loosen the larkshead, cut the cable tie and try again. All I'm out is the cable tie, and it's cheap.

So, let me know what you think. And thanks to Grizz for sending me the cord that got me moving on this. Now I just have to get out and use it.

[Shadowmoss]

Ok, guess I should have used the entire link for the pics. They don't enlarge now. Someone want to verify if that is what I need to do before I go in and mess it up more?

The pics are in my gallery...

Edited to say I fixed them now.

[slowhike]

Good job Shadowmoss!!
Even though people have been using the channels successfully for a long time, I'm a little weary of them too.

Looks like the "monkey head" knotted cord for the ridge line should work.
I used something similar for the actual hammock support once. The knot was just on the opposite side of the gathered hammock end.

It didn't do so well, but the way you're using it for the ridge line should be fine.
But I would keep an eye on it if you put full stress on the ridge line.

[pure_mahem]

Those monkey fists can be real trying on your patience to tie. I found they're easier to tie if you stuff a bit of cloth inside them before you tighten them up. Someone told me that they use to put marbles in them. I didn't put no marble in mine just some scrap pieces from an old cotton socke and it's now a key fob made out of 550 cord. I played around with this and some other knots for a while when trying to figure out how that survival 550 bracelet was made. figured it out and decided to make the key fob instead. One of my buddies who was in the navy told me they had to do this as part of their training for midshipmen years ago and this not is used to throw light weight line from one ship to another.

[Shadowmoss]

Monkey head, monkey fist, whatever. Yeah, it's easy to tie, a bi...errr, difficult to tighten up. I didn't go back and use due diligence in checking my facts when I wrote the post, obviously.

Hmmm, put something inside them, now that's an idea.

SlowHike, wow, that was some hole that got put into the hammock. I don't see how you had it so that it put a hole in the material. Was it just caused as the knot was pulled through the whipping, or was the knot somehow pulled through the fabric? I need Grizz to tell me about the relative forces it will have while holding the ridge line. I do tend to pull my current hammock tight with the ridge line. My original intent was to use larger cord, more the size of the original suspension, and just tie an overhand or something to give it more bulk. I may end up doing what I have now, only with larger cord on the, uhhh, 4 or 5 other hammocks I now have.

[slowhike]

SlowHike, wow, that was some hole that got put into the hammock. I don't see how you had it so that it put a hole in the material. Was it just caused as the knot was pulled through the whipping, or was the knot somehow pulled through the fabric? I need Grizz to tell me about the relative forces it will have while holding the ridge line. I do tend to pull my current hammock tight with the ridge line. My original intent was to use larger cord, more the size of the original suspension, and just tie an overhand or something to give it more bulk. I may end up doing what I have now, only with larger cord on the, uhhh, 4 or 5 other hammocks I now have.

The knot didn't pull through the whipping. It just pressed so hard against the tightly stretched hammock w/ me in it that the knot made a hole in the hammock.
Remember I was using that large cord w/ a knot to support me in the hammock rather than to hold a ridge line, but depending on how you use it, a ridge line can be under quite a bit of stress too.
It was a DIY hammock from non-ripstop, $1.00 fabric that seamed plenty heavy enough. Maybe partly because the type of fabric & partly because I had it stretched pretty tight (not much sag).

[hdbint]

What rings are you using? Are they descender rings?

Thanks

[Shadowmoss]

Yes, the rings are SMC descender rings. I buy them 12 or 16 at a time. I seem to use them up, buying hammocks and changing them over to the ring buckles.

[oldsoldier]

I have a question regarding this setup: I am modding my DD hammock, as my nephew ties knots in the original tapes, then cut them. So, the tapes are removed. I am doing the ring buckle mod this week, and want to test it this weekend. I ran some 5mm line through the channels, tied a blood knot, or double fishermans knot (I think they are the same thing), and essentially have a loop of cord to attach the ring buckle to. The test strength of all the cords is at LEAST 500 lbs, so, I am not concerned about cordage snapping. However, I AM concerned that the channel can potentially separate. Should this be an issue of concern? the loop is pretty tight, the hammock is fairly gathered at the ends. The cord running through the channel is 5mm bluewater line, the cord for the rings is 3mm or 4mm (I dont recall now) bluewater line. All knots are off to the sides, so as to be out of the way. My main concern is failure of the hammock itself.

[GrizzlyAdams]

I have a question regarding this setup: I am modding my DD hammock ... I ran some 5mm line through the channels, tied a blood knot, or double fishermans knot ... However, I AM concerned that the channel can potentially separate. Should this be an issue of concern?

I wouldn't worry. The DD material is considerably heavier than parachute nylon, and cords narrower than your 5mm have been used to run through channels of parachute hammocks, e.g. I've hung in one that uses 3.8mm cord through the channel. No evidence of undo stress on the seams or fabric.

Grizz