help on ridgeline

[shanewalker10]

thanks buffalo skipper, that helps alot, i keep reading about them but just trying to get the jist of how to set it all up and what not...would a boat rope work or do you need more of a cord?

[Buffalo Skipper]

Anything will work. Others here can explain it better, but the structural ridge line (SRL) does not hold the full weight of the hammock (and its occupant); it does take tension, but only a fraction. And the main purpose of the SRL is to provide a set amount of sag, which allows for a flatter lay. So whether the trees are 13' appart or 19', or whether the angle of the suspension off the tree is 20° or 40° (30° is recomended), the hammock is hung and the amount of sag is constant from this time to the next.

I use 7/64" amsteel, which has a 1600 lb load capacity. This is overkill. Many use paracord (which only has a 500ish lb load, I believe). Obviously if you backpack, you want to have the lightest weight possible. The day after my hammock arrived, I set it up for the first time to try it out, the only rope I had available was a 7/16 sailing line (from a halyard?). It was over 75' long and way overkill. But setting it up and trying out different lengths of ridgeline, and thus different amounts of sag, helped me alot. FWIW, the "standard" ridgeline lenght should be 83% of your hammock lenght. Your comfort level may be longer or shorter than that, and it may vary with your hammock model and width as well. YMMV.

[shanewalker10]

thanks that helped alot, i cant wait to get home this weekend and try it all out now