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  1. #31
    Senior Member FanaticFringer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TeeDee View Post
    I think the zig zag cleats are good.

    The cleats are slightly heavier than the rings, but (there's always a but) you can use the spectra, or some other line, and less webbing. Webbing is heavier than the 1/8" spectra and the spectra equals most webbing for strength. Well the 1" webbing from Strapworks is much stronger, but also much, much heavier. For a given strength, the 1/8" spectra rope is lighter than webbing. Even 1/4" spectra is probably lighter than webbing. So from a weight perspective, the cleats with spectra may be about the same or slightly lighter than rings with equal strength webbing. I would still use the polyester webbing for tree huggers instead of the nylon that Hennessy supplies. The convenience of a biner with the webbing as used with the rings can still be obtained with the cleats - just clip the biner to loops on the ends of the tree huggers instead of threading the spectra through, then clip the spectra in the biner. No threading - quick setup and take down.

    For convenience, the rings and the cleats may be about equal. Although the cleats may actually win given the trouble people have had with slipping rings, myself included. ALHikerGal hasn't had any trouble with slippage and if the cleats had a history of slippage, they wouldn't be used in the marine industry. So that speaks volumes about their no-slip feature.

    With the rings you have to be more careful in setup with the knot used to attach the rings. You have to be more careful in the alignment of the webbing through the rings - very careful and/or else always tie a half hitch (slipped or not) after the rings.

    The cleats would appear to be more convenient than the rings in that respect: run through the zig zag, to the tree huggers, clip in the biner, back to the zig zag, pull tight and through the zig zag. You don't have any concern about attaching the cleat to the rope, no concern about aligning the rope before and after. The use of the cleat itself is obvious and simple. Their use in the hammock suspension, like everything else, is obvious in hindsight. It just takes someone like ALHikerGal with the great idea then it becomes obvious.

    The number of parts to keep track of may be the same in each case depending on how each is used.

    For beginners, I would think the cleats are probably simpler than the rings. No concern about how to attach the cleats as with the rings, which knot holds best or at all, etc . No concern about getting the webbing aligned and tying a slipped half hitch (well I would probably use the slipped half hitch with the cleats also). If the hammock was supplied with rope instead of webbing as the suspension, then the cleats would definitely be simpler for a beginner IMO.

    Very interesting post. A good friend just got a Hennessy Explorer Ultralight and I might suggest the cleats to him and see how it works for him. Not sure he would be into cutting his rope for the ring/buckles system. The one drawback I see in your idea is the limitation of the tree huggers as far as fitting around certain size trees. Bigger tree huggers perhaps or make your own polyester
    webbing tree huggers as you suggested. Not near as sweet as just wrapping the webbing around the tree and clipping the biner like the ring/buckle system. Might prevent some bruised bums though.
    www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0001551018030a.shtml
    Last edited by FanaticFringer; 06-04-2007 at 18:39.
    "Every day above ground is a good day"

  2. #32
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FanaticFringer View Post
    .... The one drawback I see in your idea is the limitation of the tree huggers as far as fitting around certain size trees.
    Not my idea. That belongs to ALHikerGal.

    I just like it a whole bunch.

    Quote Originally Posted by FanaticFringer View Post
    Not near as sweet as just wrapping the webbing around the tree and clipping the biner like the ring/buckle system. Might prevent some bruised bums though.
    www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0001551018030a.shtml
    You can still use the biner with the cleats and keep the convenience of just clicking instead of threading.

    Yeah, that's where I ordered mine from. Lowest price I could find - too bad there isn't a marine supplier locally, then I could skip the shipping and pay the lower tax. Checked the order today and they claim it is "pending". Don't know if that means they aren't in stock or if they just haven't gotten around to filling the order yet. They have usually been pretty prompt in the past.

  3. #33
    Senior Member Cuffs's Avatar
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    I found my "cleats" at Academy Sports. They ran less than $4.00 for the pair.
    Get busy living, or get busy dying.

  4. #34
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    They also offer these
    http://panthermarineproducts.com/pma...php?sku=558400

    and these
    http://panthermarineproducts.com/pma...php?sku=558200

    But I am surprised to see that all have the same 200lb load limit. I suppose the nylon would have to be lighter than either of the metal ones, but I have been unable to find weight listings for any of them, other thann the weight figures supplied at this forum for the nylon.
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 06-06-2007 at 11:58.

  5. #35
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ALHikerGal View Post
    I found my "cleats" at Academy Sports. They ran less than $4.00 for the pair.

    Do you have a link for that? I can't find it with a search at Academy Sports.
    Thanks
    Bill

  6. #36
    Senior Member Cuffs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Do you have a link for that? I can't find it with a search at Academy Sports.
    Thanks
    Bill

    No link to be found... sorry! And I have to change some of my info... I misquoted the price... they were $6.50ish for the pair. I just found my receipt... (it was some fishin stuff that was $4!)

    They nylon pair does weigh less than either of the other 2 that Panther produces. I held both of them in the store, but I cant quote you a weight...
    Get busy living, or get busy dying.

  7. #37
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
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    Okay - I got the nylon rope cleats from Cabelas today. Finished mowing the lawn, and had lunch (I know I was getting anxious too ). Then I finally got to the hammock.

    Took the hammock down, took the rings off one end, got some short polyester webbing with loops on the ends and wrapped the webbing around the vertical supports for the hammock stand, clipped a carabiner through the end loops, wrapped the 1/8" Spyderline suspension cord through the cleat zig zag, clipped into the carabiner, pulled really tight and wrapped through the cleat zig zag again and the left loose end hanging (on purpose).

    I left the rings on the other end of the hammock.

    Laid the padding on the floor under the hammock and gently sat on the hammock. I wasn't dumped and the suspension felt solid. Bounced a few times and the suspension was solid.

    Tied a slipped half hitch on the loose end, then replaced the rings on the other end of the hammock with a zig zag cleat and tied a slipped half hitch in the loose end. Again sat gently on the hammock and bounced a few times. The suspension was really solid. Laid in the hammock - great.

    Got up and undid the cleats on both ends, then redid them, pulling the suspension tight. Tied a slipped half hitch in one end and forgot the other end.

    Got in the hammock and was very gently lowered to the ground.

    My observer reported that on the end in which I had forgotten to tie the slipped half hitch, the cleat had rotated around the suspension line axis and the unsecured loose end had then fallen free of the end post and one of the cleats. Only one cleat was then holding the suspension line and that clearly wasn't sufficient.

    Pulled tight again and tied a slipped half hitch. END OF PROBLEM.

    A person could probably hang the hammock with the cleats many times and NOT have that happen. I got lucky to find the problem on the second hang.

    So, are the cleats idiot proof - clearly not - I proved that.

    Are they nearly idiot proof - very definitely YES.

    Are they easier to use than the rings? Very definitely YES.

    A couple things I learned fast:

    1. the end posts on the cleat are not really cleats, but what I call "snubbing posts". They are there not to "grip" the rope, but simply to offset the rope for gripping by the first cleat. There are 2 cleats and 2 snubbing posts.

    2. ALWAYS tie a slipped half hitch with the loose end of the rope. That keeps the loose end from falling out of the cleats. I don't suppose that would be a problem if the cleat was fastened to a horizontal surface.

    3. An alternative to tying the slipped half hitch, would be to wrap the loose end back through the zig zag again. That would also keep the loose end secured. I very quickly developed the habit of wrapping the loose end of the line all the way around the last snubbing post and then tying a slipped half hitch - faster than going back through the zig zag and a little more secure than just a slipped half hitch.

    I have altered my gear to use the cleats and dropped the rings. The 1/8" Spyderline (or even the 1/8" spectra used by Hennessy) is lighter than webbing and just as strong. I have then taken the carabiner I was using on the webbing end for the rings and still use it - I clip it through one end loop, wrap the tree and clip the second end in the carabiner and then clip the suspension rope through the carabiner. Quicker and easier than threading the suspension rope through the tree hugger end loops.

    For weight, the move from rings to cleats is probably a wash - a cleat is heavier than a pair of rings, but the spectra is much lighter than webbing for equal strength. I used the carabiner in both cases.

    In the short use I have had already, I find the cleats easier to use than the rings. And so long as I remember to tie the slipped half hitch, they present fewer problems - no concern about what knot in the suspension rope with which to tie the rings, and no concern whatsoever about keeping the webbing aligned. Simply pull tight and wrap through the cleats, fully around end snubbing post and tie slipped half hitch. Quick and simple.

    Thanks ALHikerGal - Great idea.

  8. #38
    Senior Member Cuffs's Avatar
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    Thanks for such a thorough report TD!

    Just for clarification (for me)... when you had your slow drop to the ground, did you zig zag the spectra in both directions, but no knot? OR did you just zig, no sag, and no knot?

    I found there were no problems (I did not tie a knot) but did zig and zag. I thinks I will go hang and take sequential photos of my process, and you can then help me with any short cuts available!
    Get busy living, or get busy dying.

  9. #39
    Senior Member TeeDee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ALHikerGal View Post
    Thanks for such a thorough report TD!

    Just for clarification (for me)... when you had your slow drop to the ground, did you zig zag the spectra in both directions, but no knot? OR did you just zig, no sag, and no knot?

    I found there were no problems (I did not tie a knot) but did zig and zag. I thinks I will go hang and take sequential photos of my process, and you can then help me with any short cuts available!
    I zig zagged and zag zigged

    Does that make sense? I like this, a whole new vocabulary for hammocks!!

    In other words, I wrapped on one side of the cleats and then on the opposite side coming back just like you showed in your pic. I think that is probably essential to keep the forces balanced and canceled.

    The big difference was the absence of the slipped half hitch which allowed the unsecured loose end to come out of the cleats when the thing rotated and gravity pulled the loose end free. I was aware this might happen going into the tests and was actually glad it happened as soon as it did, so that I was made aware that it could really happen. The solution is very simple as I wrote - a half hitch or just back through the zig zag a third time or fourth time or fifth time or ..... just to clean up the hanging loose end - I don't like hanging loose ends

    As you have done, a person could go a long time without the cleats rotating and letting a loose end drop free.

  10. #40
    Senior Member Cuffs's Avatar
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    Alright!!!

    OK, now heres my next question...

    Drip rings/lines... do you think the cleats would act in that capacity? Would they prevent water/rain from running down the line?
    Get busy living, or get busy dying.

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