fixed ridgeline for a monopod setup

[hove64]

hi.
i am experimenting with a full (2) monopod hang, and i noticed that my fixed structural ridgeline creates a problem since i can only stretch the monopods away from each other, as far as the ridgeline will let me, but once i get into the hammock, my weight will always pull the polls closer, making the ridgeline sag, narrowing the angle.
yes, i can remove the ridgeline, or readjust it , but it is a bit of a hassle in my diy hammock, and i wonder if anyone developed a "smoother" system.
thanks

[seanholio]

Have you tried adding a small hook or carabiner to the ridgeline? If the 'biner connects above your head, you lay down, which brings the poles together, and then join the ridgeline sections.

It may take a little effort, strength, or jiggering, but I think most people could do that.

Let us know how it works. I was considering how to do a double monopod hang, myself.

[hove64]

Have you tried adding a small hook or carabiner to the ridgeline? If the 'biner connects above your head, you lay down, which brings the poles together, and then join the ridgeline sections.

It may take a little effort, strength, or jiggering, but I think most people could do that.

Let us know how it works. I was considering how to do a double monopod hang, myself.

thanks.
i am sorry i am not clear about your idea.

i did a number of monopod hangs (without a ridgeline) and it worked great.
its very stable, and easy to do.
its wonderful to go to the woods with only ropes and a knife, cut 2, 6 foot or so, monopods, and few stakes, and you can hang anywhere you like.
as i said, my only problem is that i want an easy smooth way to use the ridgeline hammock without the need to change it, or take it off

[seanholio]

What I envision is a two-piece ridgeline, using something similar to a Dutchware Ridgeline Biner, which allows you to have each piece attached in the normal ridgeline anchorpoints. The biner allows you to disconnect/reconnect those two pieces with relative ease.

To better describe this (because I can't draw anything right now), imagine cutting your existing ridgeline in two. Where you cut it, add a loop to each side. Now use a biner to connect those two loops.

During the setup of your double monopods, you can disconnect the biner. When you lay down, just reconnect the two pieces with the biner.

[hove64]

What I envision is a two-piece ridgeline, using something similar to a Dutchware Ridgeline Biner, which allows you to have each piece attached in the normal ridgeline anchorpoints. The biner allows you to disconnect/reconnect those two pieces with relative ease.

To better describe this (because I can't draw anything right now), imagine cutting your existing ridgeline in two. Where you cut it, add a loop to each side. Now use a biner to connect those two loops.

During the setup of your double monopods, you can disconnect the biner. When you lay down, just reconnect the two pieces with the biner.

got it.
i like the idea.
i will ponder what is the best way to implement it, in my case.
one thing coming to mind is that when i disconnect the ridgeline and then adjust the monopod, i loose the ''automatic angle-ing provided by the fixed ridgeline.
then, when i lay down and want to re connect the RL back to the ''angle'', i may be limited by the monopods.
its a bit complicated for my limited brain. I'll have to try it, because it depends on few parameters of the specific hang, such as the height and distance of the monopods, etc.
...i think.... (:

suggestions welcome.
cheers.

[hove64]

Having reconsidered it virtually, this is what I came up with :
Actually, normally when the hammock sags under your weight, by pulling the monopods closer, the angle will not change do to the fixed RL, but rather the hammock's height from the ground, will.
But in my case, since the length of my monopods was minimal, I had to tie the hammock directly to the pods (without the whoopies) , to gain maximum height from the ground, thus having to tighten the RL to the maximum, from the start, and that is why the whole problem arose.
When I sat on the hammock, there were no whoopies to sink down, and immediately the angle was effected.
So in such a specific case of too short monopods, I believe the forcefully reconnecting idea, can work.
You just need to make sure that when you initially adjust the monopods, you will get an angle that is just a little bit more than the desired angle , so later when you lay on the hammock and it sags under your weight, this angle will be just a little bit more than what you need, and then you can forcefully reconnect the RL to the desired angle.
The difficulty is needing to guess the initial angle, which is not so easy.

Sorry it came out a little complicated, at least for me.

[hove64]

These are just few monopod hang pics from my small, no ridgline hammock, with long monopods. So no problem here. (The ridgline you see is just a rope that keeps the structure from collapsing, when the hammock is empty)

[Pipsissewa]

Thanks for the cool pictures, Hove. Just put a taut line hitch in your ridge line. All my ridge lines have taut line hitches (a fixed knot on one side, doubled through a loop on the other side to the taut line hitch somewhere in the middle.)

Taut line hitch.png

I adjust my ridge line all the time; and I do it while laying in the hammock. Sometimes to make it tighter to hold heavier stuff hanging off it, sometimes to make it looser to let it flop under my hammock altogether. I have the perfect sag for the hammock marked on the adjustable end with a marker. If I've made some adjustment, I try to remember to put the mark back at the loop when I'm breaking down, so that it's at the right length for the next set up. Good luck!

[hove64]

Thanks for the cool pictures, Hove. Just put a taut line hitch in your ridge line. All my ridge lines have taut line hitches (a fixed knot on one side, doubled through a loop on the other side to the taut line hitch somewhere in the middle.)

Taut line hitch.png

I adjust my ridge line all the time; and I do it while laying in the hammock. Sometimes to make it tighter to hold heavier stuff hanging off it, sometimes to make it looser to let it flop under my hammock altogether. I have the perfect sag for the hammock marked on the adjustable end with a marker. If I've made some adjustment, I try to remember to put the mark back at the loop when I'm breaking down, so that it's at the right length for the next set up. Good luck!

thanks.
i do have a whoopie style ridgeline, but it is locked under the tight whoopie that is doubly larks-head looped to the hammock end.
that means that every time i want to change the RL length, i need to loosen a bit the larks head tension (to allow the LR to slide through ), which is what i was hopping to avoid, because of the the way my hammock is attached to the whoopies.

(the gathered end of my diy hammock is lopped around a rubber coated hook and the larks head "chokes" the (so called) standing and working ends, meeting point, thus, the hook acts as a stopper).

it's not a big deal, i guess , but in my set up, i definitely can't adjust the RL, under tension.
if i understand you correctly, you have a two parts RL.
it's possible, i guess, though i try to avoid rope over rope friction point, since my RL is a thin Dynaglide , and due to the tree distance in my area, it often takes a lot of load. i am afraid it will ware off at the point of friction between the 2 ropes, and create a weak spot.

i never before considered changing the sag angle, for different situations, but it's sounds interesting. definitely something i will consider .
thanks