More Hammock q's

[WhiteMtns]

This was spurred by the HH adventure racer thread in the Hammock camping forum.


What is the lightest material you've built a hammock with? Single layer? Double layer?


Most of the online ideas I've read seem to indicate using 1.9oz ripstop and doubling it up to two layers. It seems that HH uses 2.2oz taffeta (non-ripstop) for their ultralight series...and I'm still trying to figure out what they're using in the Racer series. 30D ripstop = 1.1oz? I'm guessing

If the racers are a single layer, and lighter then the 2.2oz taffeta ultralights, It would seem a single layer of 1.9 would hold for a homebuilt. But I've never gotten my hands on a racer to see....it may be doubled up also. but that wouldn't make it lighter than the expedition or ultralights.


P.S. I threw together my first simple hammock at work yesterday. For fisheries sampling we have 1/4" nylon mesh net. 10 Feet of it, neatly bunched, and tied off to opposite corners of our equipment cage supported me easily. I left it there with s-hooks on the ends instead of suspension rope so I can stretch it across the cage anytime I get downtime...(read...no fish)

[hungryhowie]

I posted this reply in the thread in which you originally brought these questions to light. In case you don't read that thread, however, I've pasted the answers here as well.

1.1oz ripstop is 30 denier. Whether its the same fabric or whether Hennessy has a special fabric milled, I couldn't tell you for sure, although from what I've seen from the company previously, I'd bet that it was plain ole' 1.1oz ripstop. That's not saying anything bad about the company, I just don't think they have a great need to develop new fabrics for their products.

You've got to understand that many people are used to gear and the way it is made by manufacturers. Companies like Marmot or Golite have a Warranty to stand behind. They can't afford to put out a product with an expected life of 50 or 100 nights (or whatever the expected life is), because their marketing departments have boxed them into a "build it tougher" corner. Even many of the Golite packs are made from a 4oz Spectra ripstop fabric...a fabric that you could litterally drag from GA to ME a couple of times its so durable. Most products that we buy are so overbuilt and overengineered its beyond funny.

I've made several hammocks from a single layer of 1.1oz ripstop. I haven't really tested them for long-term durability as they were all prototypes, but I've never had one completely fail on me (except for the first time I tried Hennessy's method of attaching the hammock to the suspension line...It's tricky, although I can do it correctly now, but whipped ends are superior).

The hardest part, at least from my perspective, is creating the Hennessy entry/exit in such a lightweight material. It's just a slit, but even the usualy amount of reinforcement seems not to be enough.

For those who have the Extreme Light racer or Adventure racer, what type of reinforcement material is used for the entry/exit? Is it the same as the fabric used for the hammock, or is the same as what's used on the Ultralight Backpacker?

-howie

[peter_pan]

Howie and White Mtns et al,

My Extreme light Racer appears to be regular 1.1...We have a fair experience with 1.1 and it sure seem like 1.1...if it is different, it is darn close....

As to the slit....It is made and reinforced the same, style and apparent materiel as my Backpacler UL Asym...And yes it is a heavier materiel...my guess some 2-3 oz range stuff...just a "key hole" shaped piece of it though.

BTW, this model has velcro on the slit....The Adventure Racer does not have the velcro...it is also cut smallerand has a smaller fly. neither have the sliding ridge line pouch....the AR I once examined seemed to be of the same material as the Extreme Light Racer...given the smaller size and lower rating I would not recommend the AR unless you are short and under the specified weight...The Extreme Light Racer is a lot more hammock for very little penalty in weight and money.

[WhiteMtns]

Didn't mean to make anyone repeat themselves. But thank you for the input.

I don't plan to replicate the bottom entrance...yet. I'd like to try a side entrance with a velcro closure for the no see um.

I just made a quilt of 1.1oz. I bought a Jardine kit (cheapest way I could find to obtain the materials.) That stuff is extremely thin. I look forward to working on a hammock with it if I can find some really cheap. Luckily I don't weigh much.


While I'd feel better with ripstop, there is light taffeta on sale at Quest. Hennessy uses 70D nylon 160 x 90 for their ultralights = 2.2oz taffeta...the stuff on sale is 86 x 104 = 1.9oz. not as light as 1.1, but also non-ripstop. Slightly lighter than the ultralights, seems like it would hold. Might be the material of choice for me.

I'll just have to watch out for the sharp objects I have a habit of keeping in my pockets. I'd hate to have a small hole turn into a long slit, dumping me out.


Note on Insulating:

I'm planning to attach a bathtub 2'nd bottom to hold a couple of inches of synthetic insul. I'm hoping the bathtub corners allow the insul to loft up, the inner hammock body carrying all the weight.

I can picture it having difficulty in the middle however. Compressed insul under the ass would make for an unfortunate cold spot. If I run in to this problem, I was thinking about a single sleave running across the middle. In this I would slide a two inch plastic tube filled with leftover insul...self inflate, tie it off...and there's a 2" inflated rib that would hold the rest of the insul away from the hammock body and retain loft.

______________________________/
\~~~~~~~~~|O|~~~~~~~~~/

Something like that.

Anybody try it? Success? Failure? ...better to pick some brains before I suffer my own failures (of those I'll have plenty enough.:o )

[hungryhowie]

If price is a major factor, I often find ~2oz/yd nylon taffeta at Wal*Mart for $1/yd. It feels and looks just like the stuff Hennessy uses, but I haven't compared them next to each other (I've got an Ultralight Backpacker, just haven't stuck them next to each other). I've made a couple of prototypes out of the stuff and it's OK. It's certainly something to keep in mind, especially if you want to prototype, which I recommend, because I rarely get things right on the first go-around.

-howie

[WhiteMtns]

unfortunately not all WalMarts are alike...

I've checked Boston to Portsmouth to Portland...Nada.

WalMarts up in the frozen NorthEast have small fabric sections...and carry no Nylons nor have Dollar Tables. When I ask...they look at me funny. The folks that work the stores up here never heard of such a thing.

If you find a score like that...snatch it up. If you can't use it all up...I'll buy some off of you...150% + shipping.

[WhiteMtns]

Thanks all for the tips.

I have found some Nylon Taffeta (non ripstop) on ebay...

...but have also found some 1.9 oz (40 D) 1/8th in. ripstop polyester relatively cheap. I'm thinking I'll go with that.

I've seen knotted and whipped ends for hammocks...but I'm going to try something a little different...maybe something that doesn't use up as much of the end material.

After carefully gathering the edges, I think I'll fold 8 inches of the end bundle in half around a decent sized plastic button, then use a plastic cable tie (Zip Tie) just inside the bulge the button would make. I'll wrap the suspension line a half dozen times, then zip tie the tag end in place with a couple more. These hold tight and can be cut off really short. Without bulky knots, I think this will make a sleeker terminus that I intend to cover with a small conical boot, and it will use up only about eight inches on either end, allowing me to have oversized hammock room without starting with a significantly large piece of material. Most seem to use ten feet, the HH explorer models use 11...I'm thinking 11 or 11.5 might be nice to have. More of a pocket in the middle to loll around in. Flatter lie at an angle with a larger hammock.

[flyfisher]

Thanks all for the tips.

I have found some Nylon Taffeta (non ripstop) on ebay...

...but have also found some 1.9 oz (40 D) 1/8th in. ripstop polyester relatively cheap. I'm thinking I'll go with that.

I've seen knotted and whipped ends for hammocks...but I'm going to try something a little different...maybe something that doesn't use up as much of the end material.

After carefully gathering the edges, I think I'll fold 8 inches of the end bundle in half around a decent sized plastic button, then use a plastic cable tie (Zip Tie) just inside the bulge the button would make. I'll wrap the suspension line a half dozen times, then zip tie the tag end in place with a couple more. These hold tight and can be cut off really short. Without bulky knots, I think this will make a sleeker terminus that I intend to cover with a small conical boot, and it will use up only about eight inches on either end, allowing me to have oversized hammock room without starting with a significantly large piece of material. Most seem to use ten feet, the HH explorer models use 11...I'm thinking 11 or 11.5 might be nice to have. More of a pocket in the middle to loll around in. Flatter lie at an angle with a larger hammock.


Whipping, after sewing a hem across the end, takes up less material than what you describe. I would also hazard to guess that unless you hem the end, the end of the material may end up pulling through the cable tie. I discovered that slippery tendency by attempting to just use a whipping without a hem, the whipping slipped right off.

Have fun experimenting.