View Full Version : Will I regret a 4' tree strap (for hammock) on a thru-hike?
I have one 8' and one 4' tree strap. The 4' strap means a tree no larger than 14" in diameter. Will I regret this? In theory I suppose it wouldn't be a deal breaker because the cord I attach to the hammock is made out of Amsteel and that could go through the open end of the strap without breaking if the strap won't go all the way around the tree.
perdidochas
03-04-2016, 18:10
I have one 8' and one 4' tree strap. The 4' strap means a tree no larger than 14" in diameter. Will I regret this? In theory I suppose it wouldn't be a deal breaker because the cord I attach to the hammock is made out of Amsteel and that could go through the open end of the strap without breaking if the strap won't go all the way around the tree.
Why risk it for the weight of 4' of strap?
Because I have to make another one if the 4 footer won't do. I don't mind doing it if I need to but I just wondering what my odds are of having difficulty finding a tree that small. I figured maybe some folks who have hiked already could chime in. I've only hiked around MD and there doesn't seem to be any shortage of smaller trees around here.
Rain Man
03-04-2016, 19:26
In my experience, 4' is too short for a proper tree strap. However, if you are set on taking it, you might carry a "dogbone" of Amsteel to lengthen it when needed (almost all the time) or as I think you have in mind, pass your whoopie sling through the eye of the 4' strap and around a part of the tree. HOWEVER, if you do, place a series of small sticks upright against the tree under the whoopie so the whoopie won't crush the cambiun layer under the bark and kill or injure the tree.
I think you are in the right track- don't bring more, just figure out how to use what you have in various configurations.
bigcranky
03-04-2016, 20:03
Not only does it limit the diameter of the tree, it limits how far apart the trees can be. I carry two ten foot straps when I go solo and hammock. I think 4 feet is awfully short.
I live in north Georgia and hike a lot on the AT. Although 4ft straps will not be enough for some trees; it's still doable. It kind of depends on the rest of your suspension though. If those straps are attached to whoopie slings, then it can be a little difficult when the strap loop falls on the whoopie part, but it is doable. I'm sure you are trying to save every penny possible, but I think paying for 6 foot Kevlar straps from dutchwaregear.com is worth every penny for a thruhike and you will even save weight over your older straps. The weight difference is pretty amazing.
kayak karl
03-04-2016, 20:14
why not 12' Kevlar straps and be done with it.
I went with 5 Kevlar 2.2 tree huggers on two long AT section hikes. I did it to save wt. I didn't find it all that restricting but I like to hang usually in solitude or very small parties away from the AT shelter fray so don't mind finding/searching for my own appropriate treed LNT sites AND leaving it that way. But, I'm also of the very non expert hammocker opinion it depends on the rest of your suspension. I use whoopie slings on the two hammocks I have. Regardless if their is 2" law IF I feel I must hang on a larger diam tree I will protect the tree from the thinner Whoopie sling by doing as Rain Man suggested or pick a tree species with thick bark such as older cedar, hemlock, shagbark hickory, etc. I've also spaced an extra pr of socks out under whoppie slings to protect the trees cambium on larger diam trees.
bigcranky
03-04-2016, 23:03
OK, I forgot about the other suspension parts; I use one set of 1-inch webbing for my entire suspension, including the tree strap - it goes around the tree, back to the hammock, and is adjusted for length with a tri-glide. So I need longer straps.
If you have whoopie slings, 4 foot tree straps are plenty.
why not 12' Kevlar straps and be done with it.
I considered that. Again, I'm no hammock expert. It gets expensive. As Dutch says Kevlar does start to degrade in regards to tensile strength over time from UV rays. I hammock in some intensely sunny locations quite a bit of the time. I also hang in some very dangerous situations where a hammock/hammock suspension failure would cause me serious injury or death. I sometimes will hammock using climbing cams, chocks to hang from when trees aren't present in some rather unusual places tree only hammockers might not think of hammocking.
fastfoxengineering
03-05-2016, 00:45
All though not the lightest. I've been hammocking my all my backpacking career. Right now, I'm exclusively using dutch's 4' kevlar huggers and a mule tape suspension. I becket hitch the mule tape to a continuous loop on my hammock. If my strap isn't large enough, the mule tape picks up the slack and the 1" kevlar is the only part putting stress on the tree and therefore safe.
After about one hundred nights using this setup, I wont go back until I see a hardware improvement such as speed hook 2.0's. Plenty durable for a thru hike of the AT. I wanna try dutch's newest LIGHTER straps.
4 foot straps is fine, depending on the rest of your setup. IF I was using whoopie slings, I would opt for 5 footers. However the simplicity of the mule tape and becket hitch are my preference nowadays.
fastfoxengineering
03-05-2016, 00:50
I considered that. Again, I'm no hammock expert. It gets expensive. As Dutch says Kevlar does start to degrade in regards to tensile strength over time from UV rays. I hammock in some intensely sunny locations quite a bit of the time. I also hang in some very dangerous situations where a hammock/hammock suspension failure would cause me serious injury or death. I sometimes will hammock using climbing cams, chocks to hang from when trees aren't present in some rather unusual places tree only hammockers might not think of hammocking.
Dogwood, in your case, I would advise to stay away from the Kevlar for a little while. I've used mine for over a hundred nights on different trees but that's regular old campin without much risk.
They still need to be proven long term. It's like cuben. Yeah there's some good data on long term use, but its still in speculation. Silnylon has been used successfully for decades. It'll be while before we say cuben and kevlar are "tried and true".
However, I love me my cuben and kevlar.
All though not the lightest. I've been hammocking my all my backpacking career. Right now, I'm exclusively using dutch's 4' kevlar huggers and a mule tape suspension. I becket hitch the mule tape to a continuous loop on my hammock. If my strap isn't large enough, the mule tape picks up the slack and the 1" kevlar is the only part putting stress on the tree and therefore safe.
After about one hundred nights using this setup, I wont go back until I see a hardware improvement such as speed hook 2.0's. Plenty durable for a thru hike of the AT. I wanna try dutch's newest LIGHTER straps.
4 foot straps is fine, depending on the rest of your setup. IF I was using whoopie slings, I would opt for 5 footers. However the simplicity of the mule tape and becket hitch are my preference nowadays.
Yeah, every time I think I have it dialed in another hammocker wonk comes along pissing on my hammocking parade, umm enlightening me, to a better way. You're all like Zelph with the alchy stoves. That's a nice suspension set up. I've been looking for something with no added hardware, easy to employ and break down, and not requiring a 2nd mortgage. I think I might go with that set up. It fits my goals. I like it alot. antigravity gears straps also. By then my GF will have cut me off from the credit cards. If she's not happy......
Dogwood, in your case, I would advise to stay away from the Kevlar for a little while. I've used mine for over a hundred nights on different trees but that's regular old campin without much risk.
They still need to be proven long term. It's like cuben. Yeah there's some good data on long term use, but its still in speculation. Silnylon has been used successfully for decades. It'll be while before we say cuben and kevlar are "tried and true".
However, I love me my cuben and kevlar.
I'm going to switch to antigravitygear tree straps for sunny environs. By then my GF will have cut me off from the credit cards. If she's not happy......
It's like cuben. Yeah there's some good data on long term use, but its still in speculation. Silnylon has been used successfully for decades. It'll be while before we say cuben and kevlar are "tried and true".
This is not related to the OP question at all, but the above brought a smile to my face. I had to check the poster's age, that explained it.
Having started backpacking in the days of canvas and polyurethane coated nylon, I still consider Silnylon to be "new-age". Yes it has been around quite a while now, but I just hadn't ever thought of it as "tried and true". Just realizing I'm getting OLD. :)
No dispute or offense intended to fastfoxengineering. Just brought a smile to my face.
Back to the previously scheduled discussion...
greensleep
03-05-2016, 11:02
Dogwood, in your case, I would advise to stay away from the Kevlar for a little while. I've used mine for over a hundred nights on different trees but that's regular old campin without much risk.
They still need to be proven long term. It's like cuben. Yeah there's some good data on long term use, but its still in speculation. Silnylon has been used successfully for decades. It'll be while before we say cuben and kevlar are "tried and true".
However, I love me my cuben and kevlar.
I have been skipper and crew on racing sailing craft for quite a few decades now. I can attest to the strength, versatility, and durability of both Kevlar and cuben fiber sails (usually spinnakers and mainsails) in extreme sunny conditions under extreme tensile strain for days on end. Packed away wet, then used again and again over months or even years. A little more care may be required in those sails, the payoff in weight and ease of handling is worth it. Definitely pricy, but the gains in manufacture of these materials over these decades is significant. I, also, began my hiking and camping experiences in the 50's with canvas tents(no floors), canvas packs (ruck sacks with leather straps), leather hiking boots, and heavy wool. Mess kits of aluminum were considered high tech., water was filtered thru t-shirts and boiled, metal canteens, sleeping rolls instead of bags, and oil cloth rain jackets. Anything plastic was considered too cheap and fragile for outdoor use. 40 to 50 lbs was average pack weight for a 5 day hike with no dehydrated nor freeze dried foods to carry. Dinty Moore beef stew in a can was a typical dinner. Kool Ade was our only drink additive, all coffee was "cowboy", and all rope and lines were woven natural fabric. I love our technologically "advanced" attire, packs, tents, tools, cooking gear, etc. and am having a great time using them. When I start to feel overburdened with gear, I just hark back to my youth and remember what a 10 to 15 mile day meant then.
Feral Bill
03-05-2016, 13:50
Two twelve foot lengths of 1" tubular webbing costs 8 ounces and <$10. Is their any reason not to go that way?
fastfoxengineering
03-05-2016, 16:46
Yeah, every time I think I have it dialed in another hammocker wonk comes along pissing on my hammocking parade, umm enlightening me, to a better way. You're all like Zelph with the alchy stoves. That's a nice suspension set up. I've been looking for something with no added hardware, easy to employ and break down, and not requiring a 2nd mortgage. I think I might go with that set up. It fits my goals. I like it alot. antigravity gears straps also. By then my GF will have cut me off from the credit cards. If she's not happy......
I'm going to switch to antigravitygear tree straps for sunny environs. By then my GF will have cut me off from the credit cards. If she's not happy......
Are you into DIY? Dutch sells tree strap webbing and mule tape on the cheap. However, the antigravity gear mule tape straps are the ones I have a ton of nights in. They are dirty, have some pilling, and a few loose threads here and there but I honestly think these are gonna keep going for a few hundred more nights. I'm satisfied. The great thing about the beckett hitch suspension is you dont have a bury like in a whoopie which gives you more of a cushion to hang in a tight space. It takes a few times hitchin the hitch to be able to set your suspension exactly where you want it. Practice makes perfect and I was able to set my hitches in the exact spot after about a dozen hangs.
Two twelve foot lengths of 1" tubular webbing costs 8 ounces and <$10. Is their any reason not to go that way?
That's the cheap, simple, yet on the heavy end of the spectrum solution. My suspension weighs about 3.5oz and cost $25. I've spent more to save less weight in the past. As you know, when we all start talking about the weight of something, things get out of hand. So i'll shut up now.
How do you attach your suspension to your hammock Feral Bill? Just curious
Feral Bill
03-05-2016, 18:16
At present I'm tying line, looking to go to webbing. Knots work for me. I'll see how things go this summer. Coming from a sailing background, I find the complications of hammoking a bit baffling.
I am using whoopie slings that are adjustable to a considerable length, probably close to 10' of adjustment if necessary. Sounds like I can get away with my 4' tree strap and just pass the whoopie sling through it, if necessary. Thank you for the feedback!