View Full Version : new hammocker
landcruzr
08-20-2006, 22:41
I recently joined the hammock frenzy, but have only lounged around in it until just now- i got one of those tarps that neo has talked about again and again and set the whole thing up today- and as my luck would have it- it is pouring out right now- so, I ran out to my hammock and pulled myself in- and to my surprise I was comfortable and dry. I could have fallen asleep right then if I didnt have a house full fo sleeping kids...
I do have a bunch of questions that might make my life on the trail a little easier-(and please be kind-I am new to this hangin' thing:) ).
1) I'm not totally sure, but I think I'm a little heavier than the average backpacker- weighing in at a stealthy 220, I seem to get quite a bit of sag out of my hammock- what should i be using to tie the thing up with; could someone explaine the system to me- and
2) I dont know alot of knots- are there a couple good ones I should learn so that I can undo them without swearing so much:eek: I dont need the entire schematic- just the names and I'll look them up
last but not least
3)- does it matter which surface of the tarp faces out- I realize there are two sides but the reason I ask is that if I can turn the tarp over without negative effects- it will allow me to tie my mosquito netting to the nylon loops that came on the tarp- which will keep the netting off my face- which will in turn lower the amount of awake time in the hammock-
If I dont see many responses to these questions, then I'll know they must have been pretty stupid questions- but alittle help would be greatly appreciated
thanks
Landcruzr
peter_pan
08-20-2006, 22:45
Welcome to the hanging crowd....
Sag will settle with a couple of uses for most hammocks....
Just figure out how you want to insulate the bottom and sides, before you spend a miserable nite, when it is only 50*
Pan
1 and 2) You can Google up all the knots you'll ever need. I try to use a half hitch followed by a slippery half hitch. The Hennessey Hammock website has a good section on the knot that they prefer. As far as rope is concerned, I use 6mm climbing cord with my basic hammock, and my Hennessey came with polyester sheathed Spectra cord (Spectra is very slippery and doesn't hold non-permanent knots well, so the sheathing allows the knots to "stick" together). Also the use of "tree huggers" (a Hennessey product) results in less damage to the tree bark.
3) If you have a tarp with a shiny (coated) and dull (uncoated) side, hanging it with the coated (shiny) side up will minimize the amount of water it absorbs when it rains. Silnylon is shiny on both sides, is lighter than coated nylon, and absorbs very little water (but both stretch when wet).
I recently joined the hammock frenzy, but have only lounged around in it until just now- i got one of those tarps that neo has talked about again and again and set the whole thing up today- and as my luck would have it- it is pouring out right now- so, I ran out to my hammock and pulled myself in- and to my surprise I was comfortable and dry. I could have fallen asleep right then if I didnt have a house full fo sleeping kids...
I do have a bunch of questions that might make my life on the trail a little easier-(and please be kind-I am new to this hangin' thing:) ).
1) I'm not totally sure, but I think I'm a little heavier than the average backpacker- weighing in at a stealthy 220, I seem to get quite a bit of sag out of my hammock- what should i be using to tie the thing up with; could someone explaine the system to me- and
2) I dont know alot of knots- are there a couple good ones I should learn so that I can undo them without swearing so much:eek: I dont need the entire schematic- just the names and I'll look them up
last but not least
3)- does it matter which surface of the tarp faces out- I realize there are two sides but the reason I ask is that if I can turn the tarp over without negative effects- it will allow me to tie my mosquito netting to the nylon loops that came on the tarp- which will keep the netting off my face- which will in turn lower the amount of awake time in the hammock-
If I dont see many responses to these questions, then I'll know they must have been pretty stupid questions- but alittle help would be greatly appreciated
thanks
Landcruzr
:) happy hammock hanging to ya:cool: neo
What hammock do you have. I have had the same tarp as you just got for a while now. I really like it. Shinny side down is how I use it. This winter I plan on tying the front and back closed and using the side pull outs to tie it down. Kind of like Young Bloods winter tarp setup. I hope it will keep some of the winter air out.
Oh yeah, welcome to the elite. Happy Hanging.
landcruzr
08-21-2006, 10:33
I went all out- and spent big money on my hammock-being new I wanted to jump in head first(<----thats sarcasm) so I bought the "skeeter beater" from sportsmans guide- for a whopping total of $39.99- the tarp set me back a whole $30 bucks or so and I had an old military ground pad, compliments of uncle sam-(I knew I would use it someday)- So for a grand total of about $70 bucks- I'm hangin'!!!!:sun
I went all out- and spent big money on my hammock-being new I wanted to jump in head first(<----thats sarcasm) so I bought the "skeeter beater" from sportsmans guide- for a whopping total of $39.99- the tarp set me back a whole $30 bucks or so and I had an old military ground pad, compliments of uncle sam-(I knew I would use it someday)- So for a grand total of about $70 bucks- I'm hangin'!!!!:sun
can you post a few pictures of your set up:cool: nro
hammock engineer
08-21-2006, 13:33
Welcome to the crowd.
There are a couple of other threads out there on the subject of using straps instead of ropes. This eliminates the need for seperate tree huggers. If you use straps, look at Speers website for the 4 wrap knot. It seems to work petty well.
As the sag. It will disappear after a while. One thing that helped me was to hang the hammock, get in it for a few seconds. Then get out and retighten it.
landcruzr
08-21-2006, 13:49
OK- I'm trying all the suggestions- thanks to all- neo, I'll get a couple of pics up soon- and keep the suggestions coming- Its very appreciated
landcruzr
08-21-2006, 14:35
I'm even worse at computer stuff than I am in tha hammock- but heres an attempt to post some pics of the set up
hammock engineer
08-21-2006, 14:40
nice pics. A couple of suggestions. I have not used either your tarp or hammock, but I can't think the concept would be that much different.
Try to hang the foot and head end the same distance from the tree.
It looks as if the trees are a little far apart (this maybe caused by the prospective of the pic). The larger the distance, the more sag.
I wouldn't leave the one corner of the tarp loose. It will probibly blow around in the wind.
Having said that, it looks better than my first few attempts in my hammock.
landcruzr
08-21-2006, 15:02
yes- the trees are a little far apart- but its all that was available before the rain came in last night- also- it must be the angle of the picture- the hammock is centered between the trees- or as close as my eye would get it without a ruler- but it isnt level- thats something I missed because I was on a hill
as for the hanging corner- it actually is tied off using the loop that is located in from the corner- because the tree was too close to pull the corner out- I do understand that it would otherwise blow around- thank you very much for the reply- I also am using a combinaton of rope and strap- wrapping the strap and tying a water knot, then attaching the rope to the strap using a figure eight follow thru-these knots seem to limit the amount of frustration when it comes time to take it all down
blackbishop351
08-21-2006, 19:30
My method for stretching my Hennessy when it was new(er):
Find the longest hanging distance I can. Tension the HELL out of the hammock. Get in and stay for a minimum of 15-20 minutes. Get out, retension. Repeat.
The long hanging distance ensures you're stretching every bit of your suspension, whatever it's made of of. The extra tension and repetition ensure you get every bit of slack out of the suspension before you hit the trail with it.
This worked so well on the hammock that I repeated the process on my ENO slapstraps after I got them. And I'll be doing it again when I get my own strap suspension together.
As always, just my .02 :D
Good info so far, so I'll just add some from my POV.
1) I'm not totally sure, but I think I'm a little heavier than the average backpacker- weighing in at a stealthy 220, I seem to get quite a bit of sag out of my hammock- what should i be using to tie the thing up with; could someone explaine the system to me- and
Look for a "Safe Working Load" (SWL) of around 700 lbs or so. Material that is the least stretchy {<--- Technical Term} is best. For me, the best solution is the Poly (NOT Nylon) webbing that Ed Speers sells on his website. Of course there are tons of other options, and half the fun is trying them out and deciding what is best for you! Just remeber, you can easily put 2 or 3 times your weight on the support rope/webbing of your hammock.
2) I dont know alot of knots- are there a couple good ones I should learn so that I can undo them without swearing so much:eek: I dont need the entire schematic- just the names and I'll look them up
last but not least
The knots and websites posted above are good recommendations for your hammock supports. But, there are several knots every outdoorsman/woman should know. They are handy for a variety of uses and they are lightweight! They are a Bowline (Pronounced Bowlin), Taught-line Hitch (or Midshipman's hitch), Driver's Hitch and Clove Hitch. Also Google Exploding Knots, I use the Highwayman Hitch and the Mooring Hitch alot, they are easy to learn and tie, and even easier to untie! Animatedknots.com has most of them.
3)- does it matter which surface of the tarp faces out- I realize there are two sides but the reason I ask is that if I can turn the tarp over without negative effects- it will allow me to tie my mosquito netting to the nylon loops that came on the tarp- which will keep the netting off my face- which will in turn lower the amount of awake time in the hammock-
It doesn't matter from a stay dry standpoint. However, as pointed out, if the dull side is up it will absorb more water (weight). But, Nylon dries pretty fast also. You can also add a ridgeline to keep the netting off of your face, that's what I do.
And I agree with Pan, start thinking about your insulation now!
And :welcome
landcruzr
08-22-2006, 07:44
Well I just bought a bunch "stuff" from wal- mart,(there is another thread about that issue) which may be silnyl..anyone got plans for a quilt that I can make myself?
hammock engineer
08-22-2006, 10:02
Well I just bought a bunch "stuff" from wal- mart,(there is another thread about that issue) which may be silnyl..anyone got plans for a quilt that I can make myself?
Patrick has really good plans on his website for an underquilt. Should be the same concept if you want a top quilt.
www.kickassquilts.com (http://www.kickassquilts.com)
hammock engineer
08-22-2006, 10:05
Well I just bought a bunch "stuff" from wal- mart,(there is another thread about that issue) which may be silnyl..anyone got plans for a quilt that I can make myself?
I forgot to add. I would not use sil-nylon for a quilt. You are going to want something that is breathable. Someone who knows more on this than me can comment more. But I believe that the sil-nylon will trap in the mositure from you body.