Blackbird Shelf Zipper Pocket Mod and more

[GrizzlyAdams]

AS - I want to do the same thing on my BB. I have the adjustable slings made but I'm wondering about the best way to attach to the hammock. Did you replace the amsteel that originally came on the hammock, or tie a short loop in it and attach the whoopie sling to it? I can't tell exactly how Brandon tied the ends and I don't want to take it apart and not be able to get it back like it was.

I put UCRs on my BB. I removed the original amsteel first, and put on the new suspension emulating the original attachment. Here's the procedure for putting it on.

1. Make a loop at the end of your cord. This could be an eye-splice, in the photos it is a bowline on Vectrus whose end has been finished with a bury (btw, a very nice way to finish the ends of these weaved cords!)

2. Pass the loop through the lightweight black loop sewn to the bugnet (I think).



3. Bring the working end of the suspension cord around the whipped hammock end, and pass through the loop in the suspension.



4. Finally, bring the working end of the suspension cord through the ridgeline loop that sticks out of the whipped hammock end.



That's all there is to it. So don't be afraid to work the stock suspension apart and put your whoopie sling on. It's a very easy mod.

Grizz

[greggg3]

Grizz, you are the man - this exactly answers my question. I couldn't understand what the loop sticking out the end was - which had me pretty confused as to how it was tied. Those 3 pictures are worth a thousand words (or I guess 3 thousand is the actual conversion - but you're the mathematician). Many thanks!

[angrysparrow]

Yes, I replaced the BlackBird Amsteel just as Grizz's pictures show...except instead of the bowline, I made a fixed eye bury and used that to form the lark's head on the fabric.

[greggg3]

Switched mine over last night. Super easy like you guys said. Thanks to everyone for all the detailed descriptions / pictures which made it really simple.

The whoopie slings helped me eliminate 4 biners - I was using spyderline and the garda hitch - with absolutely no loss in ease of adjustability. Also I started using the marlin hitch with the tree huggers (griz's video convinced me) and this was a big improvement for me for smaller trees. Now I don't have to deal with wrapping the tail around the tree several times, the rope to hugger point is always snug up against the tree.

I cut the ends off some larger knitting needles (the bigger ones are hollow) for the spikes. Brightly colored anodized aluminum, they weight next to nothing, $2.64 at Wally's, and the pointed end makes it easy to do the hitch in the "glove/mitten" fashion that Griz demonstrated. They also make a pretty loud whistle if you blow across the open end - not sure why that matters, just thought I'd mention it.

Thanks again to everyone for all the instructions / pictures. You gotta love this forum.

[Bankheadboy]

Great Job! Looks factory made!

[fin]

I didn't even bother replacing the Amsteel on my BB, I just added the adjustable part of the whoopie sling to it. No fixed eye on one end of the sling, just the hammock whipping and an adjustable loop where I would have normally connected my hitchcraft or tied a knot. It works well, especially with the triangle on the Warbonnet tree slings and a marlin spike made from an aluminum arrow shaft that I cut down. The only issue is that you have to move the marlin spike if you adjust the sling, but that is easy.

[ChillinOut]

Sorry I don't have pics folks but I did a different mod to mine...

The two wee loops that hold the zipper side guyline to the hammock - I sewed two more just like them to the hammock body just under the lower zipper directly below the existing loops.

If I clip the hammock body and the bugnet to S-biners I can then unhook the bugnet & throw it over the ridgline & the BB still retains it's shape as the hammock body is still kept under tension by the guyline.

Simple & quick mod.

Hope this helps

[Boomer]

Nice mods, Angrysparrow. Zipper's a great idea.

[kgmm00]

That is a great idea!

[LazyBee]

Nice looking mod and now I'm wanting to make one too. Was considering making a gear loft thing for the ridge one until I saw this, thank you!