Finally got a chance to try out my new hammock on a car camping trip to Samuel P Taylor State Park near Marin, CA. I got a good deal on the Grand Trunk Tree Slinger hammock purchased from REI. Although the hammock setup came with a set of 7mm ropes for suspension, I decided to use Harbor Freight webbing straps and re-purposed the cord to create a ring buckle connection system.
I used Home Depot welded rings for the buckle system and although I'm not nuts that the working load on the rings is listed at 200lbs, I figure at 175lbs, I'm probably doing ok. I know decender rings are probably more robust, but these seemed fine for my usage.
The ring buckle make it a cinch to adjust the tension to get the hang right, and I just used a simple half hitch after the buckle which held fine. (After learning the comical way that the buckle itself will not hold your weight on its own.)
The hammock itself was extremely comfortable and it seemed possible to get a fairly flat lay. The hammock itself is rated at 400lbs, and easily held the weight of myself (175lbs) and 3 kids sitting on me (~180lbs). Given that the temps over the weekend were in the high 90's it was very relaxing in the shade and I suspect I could have napped quite well, if the 5 in our camping group had been so inclined to let me.
There isn't anything particularly fancy about this particular hammock (standard HAAB style), but it packs small and relatively light and is comfortable for my needs. I'm looking forward to future hangs.
Sean
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