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  1. #1

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    Quick adjustable ridgeline using almost any carabiner - no knots required

    I recently wanted to explore whether shortening my WBBB ridgeline would improve my comfort. I thought about making another whoopie sling for this (which I find is fun in itself), but then hit upon a quicker and easier solution. I simply wrapped the existing ridgeline around a carabiner to shorten it. The line makes a spiral around the biner which doesn't really stress either the ridgeline or the carabiner, and the spiral can't unwrap because the carabiner is closed. For my big carabiner in the photo, each wrap around the carabiner shortens the ridgeline by an inch or so. If you use a smaller carabiner, like the 1100-lb rated one that Warbonnet sells with the BB, each wrap equates to roughly half an inch of ridgeline length. You'll have to do your own measurements for whatever carabiner you might have, but you get the idea. Once you find the ideal ridgeline length, you can then replace the original ridgeline with a new shorter one. Of course, this won't work if you want to explore a longer ridgeline than you already have, but you could start by switching to a longer ridgeline first, and then shortening it with the carabiner trick to find the right length for you.

    In hindsight it seems like an obvious solution to creating an adjustable ridgeline, but despite some searching, I haven't seen any other references to it in the forums (maybe somebody else can find it). Anyway, this technique has worked great for me -- hope it helps somebody else!

    Note: most people use an adjustable ridgeline temporarily -- to find the best length and then replace the ridgeline with a new fixed length. If you really want an adjustable ridgeline all the time, a whoopie sling would probably weigh less.

    Attached Images Attached Images
    "I'll circle in the helicopter with the camera while Jim flushes out the wild rhino on foot." -Marlin Perkins

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Thanks for posting

    I've done similar things but don't remember anyone posting the idea. I'm sure it will help others.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Scotty Von Porkchop's Avatar
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    Thats how I do mine, Its great as you still have rope and hardware available when out trekking etc

  4. #4
    TallPaul's Avatar
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    Solid idea.
    And thanks for the pics for us visual learners.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    my first indoor suspension was just a wee bit long, so I tied a simple knot in it. The 7/64th amsteel never snapped on me, but weary eyed one evening on my way to bed, as I stretched out the hammock I noticed a whole bunch of fraying around the knot. So I was up for another half hour tieing dogbones. Took a year of constant hanging but man, was I lucky.

    This would be a much better solution, especially with a smooth carabiner and especially on a low load item as the ridgeline.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Madman4049's Avatar
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    Sweet idea, I have a ton of those exact carabiners laying around from my climbing days. Built in ridgeline hanger too, love it. On a separate note seeing as you have carabiners I am guessing you have nuts too, do you take them backpacking with you to hang one end of your hammock from a rock face? I have considered it but not sure if I want to pack the weight.
    I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me... Philippians 4:13

  7. #7
    Senior Member oldpappy's Avatar
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    I never thought of this - thank-you for sharing this idea.
    Enjoying the simple things in life -
    Own less, live more.

  8. #8

    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Madman4049 View Post
    Sweet idea, I have a ton of those exact carabiners laying around from my climbing days. Built in ridgeline hanger too, love it. On a separate note seeing as you have carabiners I am guessing you have nuts too, do you take them backpacking with you to hang one end of your hammock from a rock face? I have considered it but not sure if I want to pack the weight.
    Sorry, I'm not a rock climber -- that's probably my only serious carabiner shown in the photo. For load-bearing tasks, I mostly try to use the smaller ones (like Warbonnet's) that are rated at 500kg/1100lbs. But this adjustable ridgeline trick works with a cheap $1 carabiner too -- it really doesn't take any load that would bend it. I think the force from the spiraled line is mostly trying to squeeze/compress the aluminum rather than bend it.
    "I'll circle in the helicopter with the camera while Jim flushes out the wild rhino on foot." -Marlin Perkins

  9. #9
    Senior Member Redpath's Avatar
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    Great idea, thanks! Could just leave one up there too, good for clipping lightweight things to the line.
    You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows~Bob Dylan
    http://carnegies-restaurant.com

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Neat idea! This will help as my ridgeline organizer keeps wanting to travel.

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