Field repair kit and strategies

[theaj42]

Howdy folks!

I just got back from five nights of paddling in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area with my DIY gathered-end (tableclothesfactory)hammock.

Here's one of my hangs:

The drama:
As I was waking up on day three, I heard a ripping sound from behind my head; You better believe I got my (not-so-skinny) butt out of the hammock ASAP! Once my heart rate calmed down a little and my adrenaline stopped spiking, I checked the hammock and found two wide longitudinal tears about 18 inches from the end of the hammock. Nooooooooooo!

The tears:

The only thing I can think of that may have caused that tear is snagging the hammock on something (a thorn, maybe? or a zipper?) when I was hanging it. That was probably the 20th night I've spent in it, and with no previous problems.

The fix:
At first, I thought I was going to have to spend three nights on the ground which, while do-able, wouldn't be a very comfortable prospect. After looking things over, I decided to use my camp knife to slice off the torn part, then I used Gorilla Tape (it's uber duct tape) to "hem" the raw end. I re-gathered and whipped the end, did a mini test hang, caught some northerns and one lake trout, and spent the rest of the trip hanging with no problem (other than mosquitoes biting me through my bug net, but that's another story ).

The fix:

The question:
What do you all take in your repair kits that's hammock-specific? I always carry strong tape. I'm a knot-y guy, but if you prefer hardware for your suspension, I imagine you might want a spare 'biner/dutch clip/descending ring/whatever. What else do you bring?

Best!

-aj

[nothermark]

Other than a spare hammock or inflatable pad....

The one thing I can think of I would have done different would have been to not cut off the end. I would have been inclined to fold at the bottom of the slits and whip it there or tie a knot there then try it as a shorter hammock.