Old Boot: Thanks for the burn chart, It'll be tomorrow till I can try it though.
Deacon: Good point on simply asking them. Email sent.
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
Well, no response yet from Hanes, so in an attempt to figure out what the heck I've got here, I've started some testing . . .
I cut 1-yd off the beginning of the roll yielding a piece 36" x 82" unstretched. Stamped near the leading edge is "FACE", and this side is smoother and somewhat shinier than the other. This would be the outside of the garment, putting the softer side against the skin. Here are my first observations:
- This is not for gram-wheenies! The 1-yd piece is heavier than I 'd expected. (no scale yet, but I will weigh it . . .)
- The stuff is tuff!!! Cutting it takes work, can't just slide the scissors thru. I tried repeatedly to tear the edge or rip a piece off, but could not. My 17-year old son and I tried together with both hands and couldn't even rip the raw edge. The "face" surface has main threads running the 82" direction, while the other side runs lengthwise down the roll. This can only be seen when stretched.
- It stretches, but not endlessly. I whipped one end and clamped it in my bench vise. Gathered the other end in my hands and pulled as far as I could across the shop. My 82" piece got to a measured 117" and I could go no further. Oddly enough, it returned to original length with no "stretch residue." My math says that's an additional 42% of it's original length.
- Took several seconds with a match underneath it before the fire had any effect. Finally, once lit, the burn test takes it thru the chart like this: Burns & melts (not sure if it really self extinguished or not), had a strong sharp chemical smell (don't know what Tumeric smells like), and ended with a hard brown round bead, similar to melted plastic. According to the chart, my guess is polyester or a hi-tech blend thereof.
- Pulling it across your face and blowing results in "mouth farts" as the air escapes out the sides rather than thru it. I can feel warmth coming thru when I hold my hand on the other side and blow against it, but not really air movement.
Here's the roll and a close-up shot.
And now, to answer the question that all hammock-heads are asking: "Will it hold my lard-butt?!?"
Here's yer answer... (unedited, straight from my phone)
In case you're wondering, I weigh in at 205, so that's pretty incredible for just 36" of single layer stretchy stuff!
Interesting to note even after laying in it for about 10-minutes, it snapped back up to almost original length, and returned completely after another few minutes. I noticed a more even spread of support pressure (not that hammocks have pressure points) but imagine how it would feel if your 1.7 ripstop or M50 would give just a little more at your shoulders, butt, and head - that's what this felt like. REALLY NICE in that regard. I can see already I'm gonna have to sacrifice a 50" piece to test out more realistic dimensions Also gotta make a sock to try out one of these chilly nights. Wondering if this stuff could breathe water vapor yet hold heat?!?
Ahhh, the fun begins . . .
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
Could be the material for a heavy weight under armour base layer. I would expect it would serve well as a Winter Sock. With that much stretch, I wouldn't think it would make a good Hammock, but I'm new to this and could easily be wrong. Clothing and a Hammock Sock seem to be your best options, although IF it's downproof, it would make a nifty Pea Pod or UQ.
Looking forward to seeing more as you continue to experiment with it.
Eagle Scout, June 1987
Eagle Patrol--SR830
"A man stands tallest when he stoops to help a boy."
Bump...
Gonna borrow a postal scale from work and see what a yd of this stuff weighs.
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
Couldn't get the scale yesterday, but I did retire to the shop around 11pm to fiddle with a crazy idea . . . I was curious about the potential of a 1-pc hammock/sock. It could only work with material that stretches, so I figured I'd test the idea.
I cut a 3-yd pc. off the roll and then folded it in half so I now had a pc 54" x 82" with the fold running the 82" direction. I gathered the ends, tied them off, and hung it with the two edges up (where the RL would be). When pulled taut before getting in, the stretch worked fine to keep me off the shop floor. It did indeed act as a hammock with continuous sides that met together at the would-be RL. Comfortable? Ehhhhh, so-so. Now with all the vertical pull of the side material, it forced me to lay straight inline, or else fight to stay on the diagonal. Oh well, experience gained. However, if you leave it folded in half and use it as a dbl-layer hammock, it works and feels awesome!
By this time of the night (or morning?!?) I had committed myself to sleeping in the shop, since trying to sneak back into the house would be likened to suicide. So, on to the next idea: how to stay warm tonight . . .
I took it all down and rigged up my normal DIY hammock & IX-UQ, and proceeded to turn this odd pc of material into a hammock sock. My hammock measures 117" knot-to-knot laid flat, so a RL should be +/- 94". My material is 82" wide unstretched. I left it folded in half along the 82" direction, and used my UQ hooks to secure the two corners at each end to my suspension, just above the knots. Since it had to stretch to reach both knots, the two cut edges of material were now snug against each other where the RL would be, and the rest of the material wrapped down around below my UQ. As for the vertical opening at each end, I just rolled it in toward the hammock and put a clip on it to hold it shut. Now I could just grab an edge at the top and pull it sown to get in, then let it snap back up to meet the other edge (kinda like the TED sock?) The advantage here is that instead of shock cord, the material itself does the stretching. Instant hammock sock!
First impressions?
- Well, it's very easy to use in terms of entry & exit - couldn't be simpler.
- I'm not in love with the smell of the material, but I'm sure that will lesson quickly now that it's off the roll and out in the open.
- It definitely creates a micro-environment of warmer air inside.
- Even though it's completely sealed up (no vent holes or gaps) it breathes fine and was not the least bit stuffy.
So I opened all the shop doors to balance the inside/outside temperature, grabbed my DIY TQ and spent the night in my stretch-sock, wearing just a t-shirt w/ long sleeved shirt over it, jeans, and socks. Woke up sometime during the night, sweating! I took off the long sleeved shirt (and of course now I had to pee.) Wow, it felt cold stepping out of the sock into the shop! Not sure of the temp difference, but it was significant. Went back to bed and slept great until the alarm went off.
Found absolutely no sign of any condensation or wetness anywhere on the sock or quilts. Didn't have a way to measure temps inside the sock, but the nighttime low was 33º outside, may have been just a few degrees above that inside the open shop. One factor to consider is I wasn't dealing with any wind, so that'll be the next test . . . maybe tonight.
Still no response from HaneBrands yet. I've come up with my own name for it, but will wait till I'm sure the material is viable for sock use before spilling the beans . . . I think I may be on to something here!
-Klauss
Last edited by Klaussinator; 12-13-2012 at 09:48. Reason: title
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
Sounds like a fun night Klauss!
Where are the pics of the sock and everything?
It was so late till I got to the sock idea that I didn't get pics. Lemme fine-tune it and I'll definitely post pics and an outdoor review once I try it in the wind . . .
I wasn't gonna post this, hey you asked for it: Having a little fun with the original 1-pc hammock/sock idea. We'll call it "Hammockery" with all credit to Shug, the only true hammock artist who I believe coined that title.
It's tough stuff! The right side is tied-off to the roof rack of my `73 VW bus - watch the bus when my fat-butt hits the material.
Alright, there's your laugh for the day - NOW GET BACK TO WORK!
-Klauss
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rexmichaelson
"But hey, 2 trees anywhere is a bedroom waiting to happen, right?"
Hummm... looks like enough for BVD with extra large "Oh Crap" storage for the hike Rev and others are looking at
Pan
Ounces to Grams.
www.jacksrbetter.com ... Largest supplier of camping quilts and under quilts...Home of the Original Nest Under Quilt, and Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock. 800 595 0413
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