Poly vs. Nylon Tree huggers w/whoopie slings

[Mountainfitter]

>>>>"I've used both, and I don't find a dynamic one any more comfortable than a static one."

Have you done a back to back test??? Even doing a test a few hours between the two would skew your results let alone weeks to months..

I could see how using an all nylon webbing system might present a problem, especially if using an underrated webbing. It would make sense in this situation to use 100% polyester. But this isn't the case in my system. I wrap my 3/4" 3000lb nylon tree huggers around the tree as many times as it takes so my anchor point/strap loop is only about 18" off the tree. This means my whoopie slings make up most of my suspension system. When I change the strap out to polyester I notice my hammock isn't as comfortable.

I have many hammocks. My current favorite is a silnylon one I made.

[Festus Hagen]

Nylon webbing suspensions stretching to the ground isn't propaganda, it has been independently confirmed by several people including myself. But those examples were all using a full 1" nylon webbing suspension, and not just short tree huggers.

My Eno Slap-Straps "Pro" are made of nylon, and I absolutely did wake up "*** on the ground" with them. I think they are in my gear closet, somewhere. I never tried using them as huggers with whoopies, I guess I could. With their length and a sewn eye on one end, I'm thinking I could cut a 6' piece off and use them with the MSH/toggle.

Sad to think they could be underrated straps, as they are sold as hammock suspension. Maybe I'm just fat.

[Mountainfitter]

I don't think anyone is reading my original post... I am not here to debate the stretchiness of nylon vs polyester. As I said in all my previous posts I use nylon tree huggers thats all.. My nylon straps stop roughly 18" away from the tree. I do this by wrapping the tree huggers around the tree as many time as it takes so my anchor point/loop is roughly 18" away from the tree. I attach my whoopie slings to the webbing and then attach my whoopie slings to my CAMP Nano23 biners that are attached to the channel on my hammock. Most of my system has no stretch so its pretty static. But when I change it out for polyester straps or attach the whoopie slings directly to the tree I notice my hammock isn't as comfortable. So my question is why do the nylon slings make my hammock feel flatter and more comfortable???

[MacEntyre]

If you read my original post, you will find that I said, "I suspect that you have become used to the shock absorbing feel of the stretchy nylon."

Do you think the answer lies somewhere else?

[Festus Hagen]

I don't think anyone has asked you to debate stretchiness of one material vs. another, rather to acknowledge it. All other things being equal (which they seldom are) the only difference *I* can think of between a hammock hung as you describe with nylon vs. poly huggers is that the suspension will give a little more when loaded in the nylon setup. Some might like that feeling, some might not- you do.

I don't think it equates to anything like suspension on a motorcycle or car. Bringing body movement, wind drag, and gravity into it is kinda... out there, imo.

I doubt it really lays any flatter either. Having straps that stretch more contributes a little bit to sag, but given equal total sag you should have equally flat lay. I'm wrong a minimum of 50 times per day and this could well be one of them, but these are my thoughts on the subject.

[Cannibal]

I've never noticed any differences in initial comfort between the two, but then again I wasn't really paying attention to that aspect.

Does the hammock you were trying this with have a structural ridgeline? I could see how the stretchiness of your 3/4" 3000lb nylon tree huggers might change the sag of the hammock...ever so slightly. If this is the case, then there should be no difference at all on a hammock using a structural ridgeline. At least, that's my thinking.

[TZBrown]

This debate has been going on for a bit. Good to see the discussion.

Possibly, what may be happening, when the nylon tree straps are used, the "hang" may be lower, adding to the sag. allowing for a flatter lay.

Mountainfitter, if you care, assemble your system using the nylon straps. Add a fixed line tree to tree above the hammock straps for a reference line. Figure in tree deflection, or flex, if necessary. Measure carefully the distance from the reference line to the whoopie connector at the tree strap, from one end, and at the other tree strap connector to the whoopie sling, and record it.

Add a body to the hammock, measure carefully the distances again, note difference.

Complete task again using poly straps and note difference in distance weighted and un weighted.

If you could get the distances to be the same from one set of straps to another it would be neat but you could always calculate the amount of difference.

It really doesn't matter as long as you are happy with it.

When I used Nylon straps I noticed a difference during the night and had to adjust when I got up in the night.

TZ

[sclittlefield]

I use both nylon and polyester tree huggers, just depends on which hammock bag I grab when I head out. When the webbing is that short, I haven't noticed any stretch issues with the nylon (butt on ground, or even significant droop). Nor have I noticed any comfort benefit to poly over nylon, but I also hadn't been really paying attention to that.

Since hammocks have their own differing stretch levels, depending on the hammock, I think there actually could be a comfort increase with a very slight dynamic suspension (nylon huggers only). I wouldn't be so quick to write it off.

It really doesn't matter as long as you are happy with it.

And that's the only truly important part.

[angrysparrow]

Have you done a back to back test??? Even doing a test a few hours between the two would skew your results let alone weeks to months..

I just did a back to back comparison, for the sake of curiosity. I put up both nylon and polyester webbing as huggers (right next to each other, 1/2" gap between them on the tree, same 12" length from tree to my toggle and whoopie sling), and hung from each for one half hour (polyester first, then nylon). I couldn't tell any appreciable difference between them.

[Mountainfitter]

Hey Mac,
I am sure the stretchiness helps but I feel the flatness the most. Another thing I noticed is the edges of my hammock have more tension when I use a poly strap or when the whoopie slings are hung on the tree so there has to be a scientific reason this is happening.

Hey Cannibal,
No it doesn't have a structural ridgeline and as you pointed out nylon does stretch and you would think that it would make my hammock have more sag but it doesnt. Its makes it feel flatter. Is it an illusion?? I thought so at first but once I had my brother do a blind test he thought so too. I actually had a friend do a test today and he said the exact same thing so we all can't be crazy.

Hey TZ,
Thats the best idea I have heard all day. I will have to give that a try. I am thinking I will run a line across and have someone measure me laying in my hammock at my head, waist, and feet and then compare both to see whats going on.

Hey Scott,
I am glad to see you also use nylon tree huggers

Hey AngrySparrow,
If you don't mind me asking, what kind of strap material did you use? Did you notice any difference at all???