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  1. #1
    New Member
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    Confused by all these options?

    Hi,

    I am perplexed by all these slings and hooks, webbing straps and buckles etc...

    Whenever i have hung my hammock i just have a decent length of twine tied to either end of my hammock.. I then go around the tree and tie what i guess is a marlin spike hitch and just put a pre-selected stick through it from off the ground. this way i can have it as long or as short a distance as i like trees dont like to grow pre-determined distances apart in my experience...

    Am I missing something by not having a ridge line does it make sleeping more comfortable? Maybe this is why i find some hammocks pull in at the shoulders?

    Does anyone use something similar to me but in potential a more comfortable and well sought out manner?


    Thanks a lot happy hanging!

  2. #2
    Senior Member Cali's Avatar
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    First off we use straps around the trees to protect the trees. I use 12' straps I get from Harbor Freight (not sure you have them in Australia)and use an Elephant Trunk hooked into the amsteel dogbone that is run around my whipped end hammock. Being new, this may all sound confusing to you. Sorry, I don't have pics to help. The Elephant Trunks are adjustable, so setting up the hammock is very easy.
    "No whining in the woods"

  3. #3
    Senior Member Pipsissewa's Avatar
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    Hammockers strongly urge using straps around trees to protect the bark. Twine and rope cut into the trees and leave scars. This is one of the perceived issues park officials have that sometimes leads to banning hammocks.

    The ridgeline allows you to set the sag of the hammock the same way every time without having to try, readjust, try again, readjust, etc. Hanging the hammock too tight is often the cause of the shoulder squeeze you have experienced. A ridgeline will help you avoid that.

    The buckles, whoopie slings, toggles, etc. are the topics of endless discussion because we love to tinker, practice, perfect, experiment. There are many ways to connect the cordage on the hammock (which backpackers want to be ultra-light with as little bulk as possible) to the straps we carry to protect the trees.

    The subjects of comfort, adjustability, ease of set up, weight and bulk are our obsessions. Welcome to the madness!
    "Pips"
    Mountains have a dreamy way
    Of folding up a noisy day
    In quiet covers, cool and gray.

    ---Leigh Buckner Hanes

    Surely, God could have made a better way to sleep.

    Surely, God never did.

  4. #4
    Senior Member oldgringo's Avatar
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    If it makes you feel any better, I lost interest about two years ago, and don't even try to keep up with all of this. I hang my hammock and go to sleep. The end.
    Dave

    "Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton

  5. #5
    Senior Member SmokeHouse's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldgringo View Post
    If it makes you feel any better, I lost interest about two years ago, and don't even try to keep up with all of this. I hang my hammock and go to sleep. The end.
    ditto,,, just keep it simple

  6. #6
    New Member
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    Yeh i think you guys are right...Dont think suspension systems are my main concern... already found a good system that looks perfect for me posted below...Tree huggers are a good idea for fine ropes the stuff i use is pretty heavy and soft so no trees are harmed in the hanging of my hammock... .

    I have had a quick dig through the suspension stickies and think that this is probably my style:

    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=4719

    It looks like what i already do + a ridge line which seems about right the plus being the rope is removable.

    Any thought on lighter rope than the amsteel? something ridged that easy to undo knots from a dynamic rope preferably with a core...

    Happy hanging!

  7. #7
    Senior Member Pipsissewa's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AquaExp View Post
    Any thought on lighter rope than the amsteel? ...

    Happy hanging!
    At 4.8 ounces per 100 feet and strength-rated at 1,600 pounds, you're not going to find anything lighter than 7/64th amsteel blue. True, it's slippery and doesn't hold knots well. Splicing is the way to go. Good luck!
    Last edited by Pipsissewa; 01-29-2013 at 10:35.
    "Pips"
    Mountains have a dreamy way
    Of folding up a noisy day
    In quiet covers, cool and gray.

    ---Leigh Buckner Hanes

    Surely, God could have made a better way to sleep.

    Surely, God never did.

  8. #8
    Senior Member vwgerald's Avatar
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    i too fell into the latest and greatest rage in hammock suspension groove for a while, now i just use what i like and is simple for me on all of my hammocks. like others have said ,I suggest using straps of some sort on the trees though. at first i had no idea about them either, but then i noticed how much damage just using cordage or rope did to the bark on the trees.

  9. #9
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    1. Don't let all these options confuse you. They are just there for your enjoyment. That's why I try them all.

    2. (This should be #1) use 1" wide polyester tree straps on the part of the suspension that's in contact with the tree. This is important! The trees support us, we need to take care of the trees. How much does this help? It doesn't matter, because many public and private lands prohibit hammocks due to the perceived damage to trees. In order to keep the WHOLE community hanging in as many places as possible, we use the tree straps.
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

  10. #10
    Senior Member OldRagFreeze's Avatar
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    In my opinion, and for a backpacker, the simplest and lightest set up is the marlin spike hitch with toggle to whoopies set up. There are some modifications to this that can add various advantages, but as far as buying something ready-to-hang I'd say this is the best.

    If you are not a backpacker, or simply don't care too much about a few extra ounces (in my mind these add up to pounds) then the other common method is using webbing straps for the entire suspension system and adjusting with cinch buckles. This is probably simpler than whoopies, but also heavier.

    Those are really the two major schools of thought here. There are tons of other systems, but most of them are catered to one end user by trial and error on their part... I'd say start with one of the above then decide what you like or dislike and then the fun begins. Good luck.
    "We're the Sultans of Swing."

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