Basically a trucker's hitch with hardware assist. My suspension cord has a large (say, 4") bowline loop that goes over the toggle. About 6" down the cord from that I put an SMC ring on the cord using a clove hitch. The cord then goes to the hammock, where on most of my bridge hammocks there there is a ring of some king at the apex of the suspension triangle. If trees are close enough then the cord goes back and forth between the suspension apex and the SMC ring, and gets tied off with a slippery half hitch. If the trees are too far apart for the suspension cord to go all the way back to the SMC ring, I can either move the ring down the cord, or tie off at the suspension apex with a round turn and two half hitches.
This has the weight advantage of using one fewer ring on each end. There is a bit more fussing about needed to adjust the length though.
Much as I like the Garda hitch, I did not like the looks of the Vectran where it had been mashed several times by the rings in the same place. Fortunately the cord seems to be more-or-less self-healing. Also, my son's hammock has similar cord and that seems to be holding up better. So I dunno what's going on.
oh geez, I added so little to these ideas I'd be embarassed to have it named after me! I'd call it "Rings for COTS hammock suspensions" where COTS is an acyronm for "Common Off The Shelf" (a term used in computer system design, what I do), but that's no title to base an acyronm on.Is there a name for this or will it now be know as the GRT suspension for the Grizz Rings/Toggle suspension?
how about TS (Tracy's Suspension )
Grizz
Last edited by GrizzlyAdams; 08-24-2008 at 20:25.
I don't see any benefit to replacing them. But I finally got tired of fighting the mess of all that stuff. I knew I was going to stay with the ring buckles so I just tied the rope off securely and used it as the attachment point for the ring buckles. Yeah there is a weight penalty. When I become a gram weenie I'll do something about that.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
I'm with ya on that one, Ramblinrev!
I have trouble centering between the trees sometimes and it sure is a pain to keep serving up the spaghetti
Thanks for posting your photos and the info!
Grizz, are you talking about dowels like you would find at Wallys in the craft department?
I think I might like to give this a whirl. Thanks !
Thanks for the heads up, HappyCamper!
I really appreciate it when people show photos of their suspension systems along with their descriptions. I'm not sure yet what I will go with when I get to making more hammocks, but anythings got to be better than tying and untying these lines over and over!
Thanks everyone, for all the good info!
Perkolady
Tried this the other day and darned if it didn't work... Hang the tarp fist... string it separate..... Then if you are like me and you have the rings real close to the whipping. Set the one end of the hammock rings under the ridge tie out for the tarp, ( I have the 12' hex)
That should be very close to centered for the hammock. If not... then cneter your tarp and futz with the hammock once. Mark the suspension rope so you know where the hammock goes under the tarp. Bingo... next time line up the one end and you gots it down... Booo yah...
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
That's a great idea to mark it! Why didn't I think of that? LOL
That could really save some futzing time, esp when its "omg I gotta hurry up and get this set up in a hurry" kinda weather!
Thanks again, Ramblingrev!
Perkolady
Absolutely! Just pay attention to those pictures of Grizz's and do his knots and you won't have any problems. Me, I'm always the slow learner.
The cool thing is that now that I've been hammocking for over a year and making my own stuff, I've gotten pretty at good falling. I've got some real style points going. Another 4 years and I'm trying out for the next Olympics.
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