When your straps are too short.....

[dakotaross]

If you're talking about what I would do in that situation - not what would be done to resolve it going forward, which is somewhat obvious - then...

Actually, I forgot the simplest answer, which is to just keep walking. But, I guess you're probably "camping" at a specific location, not hiking.

[SilvrSurfr]

You are happy and carefree. You are listening to beautiful birdsong, breathing in deeply the smell of pine and fallen leaves, and you are CONVINCED that the trees will all magically be the perfect diameter to wrap the tree straps 1.5 times around the most unsappiest tree in the forest so that you can lash your figure 8.

Why do you think you need to wrap the tree straps 1.5 times? I've never heard that. Even Tom Hennessy says, "On a bigger tree it (the tree straps) will only go around once."



For here in the Northeast, the Hennessy 1.5" x 40" tree straps are my favorites. I rarely encounter trees where these straps don't work, but when I do, I have Amsteel continuous loops to extend the tree straps.

[SLCpod]

I just put the rope through the loops. No big deal.

[naperica]

Why do you think you need to wrap the tree straps 1.5 times? I've never heard that. Even Tom Hennessy says, "On a bigger tree it (the tree straps) will only go around once."


For here in the Northeast, the Hennessy 1.5" x 40" tree straps are my favorites. I rarely encounter trees where these straps don't work, but when I do, I have Amsteel continuous loops to extend the tree straps.

Ha! I was just adding in the 1.5 times to make the scenario a little anal retentive and sarcastic. I will have to look up continuous loops to extend straps.

SLCpod, when you put the rope through the loops, how do you do the lashing?

[1csleptonkayak]

+2 on dogbones to extend the length of tree straps. I have used dynaglide dogbone extensions for marlin spike hitches without fail, although I've heard some warn against it. I do make a point to check them each time I remount my hammock.

[SLCpod]

Ha! I was just adding in the 1.5 times to make the scenario a little anal retentive and sarcastic. I will have to look up continuous loops to extend straps.

SLCpod, when you put the rope through the loops, how do you do the lashing?

I pull the rope as tight as I can and then just do some figure eights. So basically how you would do it normally. I wish I took some pics of it when I did it like this. It has been awhile.

[Jpfam]

+2 on dogbones to extend the length of tree straps. I have used dynaglide dogbone extensions for marlin spike hitches without fail, although I've heard some warn against it. I do make a point to check them each time I remount my hammock.

Do you have a link to where we can see what you mean by a dogbone?

[SLCpod]

Here are a couple dogbone examples.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk1-6NX84Yk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygCS1FI1gsw

You can also do some searches on the forums and finds some good examples of what they are used for.

[1csleptonkayak]

Do you have a link to where we can see what you mean by a dogbone?

A dogbone is just a length of cord with spliced loops at both ends (making a dog bone shape). To extend the length of tree straps, just larks-head on to a sewn loop in the straps.

[cougarmeat]

Naperica, You mean trees like these: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...this-is-a-tree

Here are two videos below address your large tree "made up" scenario. They do assume you'd have some extra gear, like a ring or carabiner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iJTjful66M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBg5zgAgrKU

This video shows the "double ring at the tree" method I switched to almost immediately when I got my HH.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLsHF359g3w

Amazing but true, and proof that the world is unfair, at some time you will incur a camping situation where there are no trees (or only one). For that reason, I usually carry two collapsable poles. See: http://www.rei.com/product/845322/re...rp-pole-single The smaller size of the two options is great.

I can use one or both of them to hold up a corner of the trap in mild weather. I also carry a light plastic sheet "ground cloth" about the length/width of the hammock. If I have to go to ground, I use the two poles to hold the ridge line of the tarp, then put the hammock on the plastic sheet on the ground under the tarp and tie the bug net to the poles to keep it off my face. Then I just use the hammock like a Bivi bag. Note, that means you are also carrying a Therm-a-rest or some pad. I don't know what method you are using to prevent the convection heat loss (pad/under quilt, under cover, etc.) at the bottom of your hammock, but if you just have an under quilt, you may want to consider bringing some kind of pad. These days they fold up pretty small - not like the wide blue closed cell foam (CCF) that were at the top of every backpack in yesteryear.

see photo 12 at:
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/comm...hp?f=11&t=5737

I usually carry some extra dog bones (Calendar in learning to make your own loops with AmSteel) for adjustments. On a recent hike, I had changed my tarp setup, keeping the guy lines separate, not in the tarp bag. So I ended up with a rainy day and no tarp guy lines. But I had two dog bones about a foot long and they were enough to put on one side of the tarp giving a tight/steep pitch against the weather. On the other side, I had a third tree and my tarp ridge line is a cord about 50 ft long - usually about 20 ft too long. Now I could have just cut guy lines out of that cord but it cost all of $4.00 for a 50ft hank at REI. Not wanted to cut the cord (mother issues?) I just came around that third three and back to the pole I was using to pick up one side/edge of the tarp. The other guy point just hung free - worked great.

While brushing my teeth at the end of the night (mother issues?) I realized that I had 25 yds of dental floss that could have also been used to make guy lines. I'm mentioning that because you asked, "What would you do .... " As others have said, once back home there are lots of options, so it is good that you were asking about "on the spot" wisdom, not so much "after the fact" solutions. I'm not suggesting that dental floss would could make up some extra length in you hanging suspension, but you might have had and extra strap somewhere about your other gear that could have been added to your tree straps to make up the extra length.

If it was a camp site, sometimes they have a picnic table and sometimes that picnic table can be moved (of course moved back afterwards) so though it would be low to the ground, you might have one end of the hammock to a tree and the other end to the picnic table.