Newbie Hammock Setups.

[toferj]

I thought I'd give this challenge a go... not entirely sure that my list of items hasn't already been mentioned by someone else, and I used Amazon.com exclusively so there'd be shipping costs involved. Also prices I quote are based on being a Prime Member.

Hammock: Grand Trunk Ultralight Hammock (Blue is cheapest) $18.46 from Amazon.com

Tarp: 8ft. x 10ft. tarp from Outdoor Products $8.11 from Amazon

Pad: Silver folding car sun shade (will get you down into the low 60s to upper 50s, 4.2ft x 1.9ft) $10.98 from Amazon

Roll of nylon webbing (2,000 lbs tensile strength) 25 yards of 1" wide webbing $12.95 from Amazon

Total: $50.50

I missed the $50 mark by fifty-cents! Also, there would be shipping... but this would fit in the under $100 category. And with my suggestion of webbing by the roll, you'd have well more than enough for two straps.

[meckelangelo]

I thought I'd give this challenge a go... not entirely sure that my list of items hasn't already been mentioned by someone else, and I used Amazon.com exclusively so there'd be shipping costs involved. Also prices I quote are based on being a Prime Member.

Hammock: Grand Trunk Ultralight Hammock (Blue is cheapest) $18.46 from Amazon.com

Tarp: 8ft. x 10ft. tarp from Outdoor Products $8.11 from Amazon

Pad: Silver folding car sun shade (will get you down into the low 60s to upper 50s, 4.2ft x 1.9ft) $10.98 from Amazon

Roll of nylon webbing (2,000 lbs tensile strength) 25 yards of 1" wide webbing $12.95 from Amazon

Total: $50.50

I missed the $50 mark by fifty-cents! Also, there would be shipping... but this would fit in the under $100 category. And with my suggestion of webbing by the roll, you'd have well more than enough for two straps.

Everything there looks pretty good except the webbing. Nylon stretches, and most people find it difficult to get a good consistent lay with it. You may even end up on the ground, depending how much it stretches. I would suggest polyester or polypropylene for your webbing.

[toferj]

Yeah, I saw that about nylon, but at least so far it hasn't stretched, and I don't know what kind of load you would have to put on it before it did. Since it's rated for 2k lbs. I figured it was safe. Still, it's probably better to go with the poly webbing.

[toferj]

Did some more looking at that and it appears that nylon will stretch up to 2% of its length when saturated (wet)... So yeah, definitely better to use poly webbing. One downpour of rain, and you could be looking at stretched out webbing! Bah!

[Mikes]

I just setup a walmart Equip hammock and an over large blue poly tarp.
The hammock cost me $25 in store but I've seen it online for less.
A small poly tarp costs ~$10.
I used 2 light weather sleeping bags to keep warm, I didn't plan for them, it was just what I found around the house.
I used the suspension that came with it.
Great first time hang for less than $50. Really the only thing I bought was the hammock, everything else has been and will be used elsewhere.
It was getting cold out so no bugs to worry about.

[chickenbig]

Good way to start out!

If you play on hanging in the winter...nothing beats a good down underquilt though.

One step at a time.

ChickenBig

[meckelangelo]

Did some more looking at that and it appears that nylon will stretch up to 2% of its length when saturated (wet)... So yeah, definitely better to use poly webbing. One downpour of rain, and you could be looking at stretched out webbing! Bah!

Did you mean 2% or 20%? I've read that Nylon can stretch 10% of it's length at 30% of it's break strength load, and up to double that if wet.

[toferj]

Did you mean 2% or 20%? I've read that Nylon can stretch 10% of it's length at 30% of it's break strength load, and up to double that if wet.

The 20% - 30% stretch appears to be on "type 9 webbing" when the webbing reaches a load of 2500 lbs. Here's what wikipedia has to say:

The nylon commercial type 9 webbing generally used in racing harnesses stretches approximately 20 to 30 percent of its initial length at 2500 lb (11.1 Kn) while polyester only stretches 5 to 15 percent.

Note that polyester webbing also stretches... just less, and these numbers are measured at what I assume are their max loads (2500 lbs. is a lot!)

Also strapworks.com has this to say:

Flat nylon webbing is great for high abrasion applications, or for use with larger buckles with higher breaking strengths. It is ideally suited for leashes, collars, leads, ratchet straps, D-ring belts, etc. Nylon webbing is not particularly good in applications around water. Nylon stretches when it gets wet, so a nylon strap will not stay tight in the rain or on a river trip. Also, nylon absorbs water quickly causing rot & mildew if not dried properly. Please note that all Polyester webbing sold under Flat Nylon is Colorfast, meaning it will not bleed.

1 Inch Flat Nylon facts:
Thickness of 0.070 to 0.075 of an inch
Breaking strength of 3000 pounds (maximum recommended working load 1000 pounds)
Melting point of 380 degrees Fahrenheit
Available in 24 colors
Flat nylon 1 inch works great for medium to heavy duty applications. Please keep in mind that once the webbing is made into a strap with a piece of hardware, it's working load is based on the weakest point of the strap.

also from the same site's page on their 2" nylon webbing (this is where the 2% number comes from):

Nylon webbing is not particularly good in applications around water because it stretches about 2% over time,when it gets wet.

It should be noted that I added the bold in the above quotes just to point out the parts that I thought were most relevant to the conversation. Also, the whole "absorbs water quickly causing rot & mildew if not dried properly" seems to me that it would be the main reason to use poly webbing over nylon.

I will say however, that I went out and hung using my nylon straps, and didn't notice any stretching, but the straps stayed dry too, and didn't come anywhere close to the 2000 lb. weight they're rated for.

Also, just for grins here's what strapsworks.com has to say about their 1" polyester webbing:

Polyester combines many of the benefits of both polypro and nylon without some of the negatives. It has a 3800 lb breaking strength, low water absorption, rot and mildew resistance, and has 5 times the abrasion resistance of polypro with a softer feel. (not as soft as nylon). The 1 inch polyester is perfect for cam straps and ratchet straps.

[meckelangelo]

The 20% - 30% stretch appears to be on "type 9 webbing" when the webbing reaches a load of 2500 lbs. Here's what wikipedia has to say:



Note that polyester webbing also stretches... just less, and these numbers are measured at what I assume are their max loads (2500 lbs. is a lot!)

Also strapworks.com has this to say:


also from the same site's page on their 2" nylon webbing (this is where the 2% number comes from):


It should be noted that I added the bold in the above quotes just to point out the parts that I thought were most relevant to the conversation. Also, the whole "absorbs water quickly causing rot & mildew if not dried properly" seems to me that it would be the main reason to use poly webbing over nylon.

I will say however, that I went out and hung using my nylon straps, and didn't notice any stretching, but the straps stayed dry too, and didn't come anywhere close to the 2000 lb. weight they're rated for.

Also, just for grins here's what strapsworks.com has to say about their 1" polyester webbing:

Gotcha, yeah I see now where Strapworks says 2%. There's actually very little information that I can find concerning stretch percentages. Most are all over the map. I see one website saying 10%, another saying 20% to 30%. It likely varies by manufacturer and rated strength.

In my experience, when I used tubular nylon webbing for straps, the stretch was much more than 2%, and they were not at all wet. By the time I could actually get in my hammock without it coming to rest on the ground, I had hung it shoulder high. I'm 6' 3", so that's at least 5 feet off the ground. I ended up sagging to a mere few inches off of the ground. I did read here (http://www.nwslackline.org/114/webbing) that tubular webbing stretches more than flat, so that may also contribute to my experience.

I see an opportunity for some scientific testing here, and reporting back to HF. I'll add it to my want-to-do list... Hopefully I can get around to it sometime soon. I know Dutch has a fancy break strength tester - maybe we could convince him to do some stretch testing with it.

[toferj]

I agree. Finding solid info on this is really tough. It's probably best to go with the conventional wisdom and stick to polyester webbing. That's why I ordered some from AHE and am remaking my straps from it. I'd love to see some actual scientific testing done (maybe Mythbusters?)