Which rope for structural ridgeline?

**domromer** · 04-03-2009, 19:02

Im heading to the climbing shop to get rope for my ridge line. What kind should I get? It's not a real big shop so I'm looking for something that is fairly common. Also which knots do you guys use for your ridgelines?

**Roadtorque** · 04-03-2009, 19:10

I dont have a ridge line so I'm probably not the one to take advice from. However I dont know if you will get another reply by the time you go to the shop. I BELIEVE amsteal blue is a common one.

**Mustardman** · 04-03-2009, 19:22

Originally Posted by Roadtorque

I BELIEVE amsteal blue is a common one.

It's common, but VERY unlikely to be sold at a climbing shop.

You will want something in a tech cord - spectra or dyneema or the like. Stay away from the nylon cords as they will stretch too much. Others can weigh in on exactly how strong it should be, but realize that a structural ridgeline won't take a lot of force IF you don't hang your hammock crazy tight. If you DO hang it crazy tight, you will want something stronger.

**domromer** · 04-03-2009, 19:56

I hang mine pretty loose.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 04-03-2009, 20:08

If you don't crank the tension then all a structural ridgeline does is tell you when your suspension is just right. At which point you stop tightening the suspension!

The hammock will sag when you get in and the tension on the ridgeline will drop. So the trick is to tighten just a little past the point when the ridgeline stops sagging, so that when you get in there will be no sag, but no strong tension either.

If you think about the ridgeline this way you don't need fancy expensive cord. You can use braided mason's line, get a roll for < $5 at a big box place. Go crazy, use a doubled loop of it for your ridgeline.

Grizz

**domromer** · 04-03-2009, 23:28

I always thought the tension on the ridge line is what set the sag. I didn't realize it as really just for measurement.

I also thought it was so if you really had far apart trees and tight lines it would still enable a comfortable hang.

**Mustardman** · 04-03-2009, 23:54

Originally Posted by domromer

I always thought the tension on the ridge line is what set the sag. I didn't realize it as really just for measurement.

I also thought it was so if you really had far apart trees and tight lines it would still enable a comfortable hang.

It will accomplish both of these things if yanked super tight, but that puts unnecessary strain on your suspension system. People have snapped ridgelines in commercial hammocks by cranking them too tight. The forces involved become pretty ridiculous when you have a hammock strung super-tight.

Think of it this way - the ridgeline sets a limit on the sag in one direction. No matter how tight you go, there will be at least as much sag as you have with a guitar-string tight ridgeline. However, you can have more sag if you keep things a little looser, and you can get REALLY REALLY close to the same amount of sag without pulling things super taut, so in that sense it makes a great measuring stick.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 04-04-2009, 00:20

Originally Posted by domromer

I always thought the tension on the ridge line is what set the sag. I didn't realize it as really just for measurement.

I also thought it was so if you really had far apart trees and tight lines it would still enable a comfortable hang.

yes, with distant trees you can pull off a hang without needing to get a step ladder to attach to the trees....pulling the suspension more tightly allows you to have the tree-huggers lower. In this situation "comfortable hang" just means "hammock off the ground".

Grizz