Little faith in my hammock

**andybenton** · 12-28-2015, 23:09

After my first attempt at a hammock hang using the straps that came with my eno clone(present from a family member this year) only to have the stitching on the loop end of one of the straps fail as soon as the hammock bore any of my weight. Which in turn resulted in a quick acceleration followed by a far more abrupt deceleration and a cold, wet, sore bottom. I have some reservations about using the actual hammock now.

Not so much hammocks in general, just this one in particular. If the strap failed, can the hammock still be a decent one?

So on to the point here. Eno clone debates aside, the material seems nice enough (could be junk for all I know, total new guy here) and the stitching LOOKS good. Would any of you have reservations about using it? In my eye and mind the strap stitching looked good also.

Could I have done something wrong in hanging it to out an unreasonable amount of stress on that strap?

Is there anything I should look for when I inspect a hammock for purchase or when inspecting for maintenance purposes?

As an aside, I purchased a set of eno atlas straps to replace the ones that came with it. Had I seen some of the other systems available I may have chose differently. However I feel good about those straps. But this is another topic for another time.

**Campdavid** · 12-29-2015, 12:02

Chances are you won't have a second fail on the hammock side....just does not seem to happen all that often.

As for how you set it up, if you set it up too tightly, not enough angle on the straps, it could have put too much stress on the loop. Make sure to check out the proper distance and angles on the Ultimate Hang diagram.

**justme2** · 12-29-2015, 12:34

This should help with the angle( it should be appr 30*), distance between trees, height of tree straps etc. For the ridgeline measurement, it's 83% of your hammock's fabric's length. You might want to just try tying a overhand loop in the end of your strap and then using a Marlin Spike Hitch ( hang on the knot not on thee toggle) to connect it to the hammock. Good luck and have fun.

http://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/

**Canoefor2** · 12-29-2015, 21:31

I hand the same straps fail at 2:00 am at the same point. Throw the straps away and order the strap kit from Dutch gear and you most likely have no problem.

Just so you know the eno straps not only stretch but the clips pull against the stitching of the loops

**Rolloff** · 12-29-2015, 21:50

I actually popped threads on the loop of a HF Cottage vended, tree stap, the first time setting it up. It was just a blown stitching job. It can happen to anyone.

They offered free repairs, but it was quicker just to stitch it myself. All the rest of the loops were just fine, as was the injecting work on the hammock. Still using the repaired strap and all the rest of the OME as my goto.

**andybenton** · 12-30-2015, 17:40

it really can happen from any manufacturer.

im looking into other suspension options, but honestly I like the atlas straps... I do want a ridge line so I can get a consistent hang, although im not super familiar with any of the techniques for DIYing one up yet,

im a big fan of DIY projects, id like to outfit this one with lots of diy mods. too bad I cant sew

maybe ill figure it out one of these days...

**andybenton** · 12-30-2015, 17:41

Originally Posted by justme2

This should help with the angle( it should be appr 30*), distance between trees, height of tree straps etc. For the ridgeline measurement, it's 83% of your hammock's fabric's length. You might want to just try tying a overhand loop in the end of your strap and then using a Marlin Spike Hitch ( hang on the knot not on thee toggle) to connect it to the hammock. Good luck and have fun.

http://theultimatehang.com/hammock-hang-calculator/

and thanks for the link, I had a little tighter than 30 degrees, but not much, maybe 25?

**Speedogomer** · 12-30-2015, 18:58

I use the atlas straps, with some Neutrino carabiners on my hammock. About the easiest way to hang a hammock, if not the lightest or best. Just very simple. I've used mine almost a year, maybe 7 trips, and they have held up fine.

I'd wouldn't hesitate to use the hammock, but you could always upgrade to something better.