my suspension

[johne]

ok... i think i got my suspension all dialed in, but i wanted feedback in case i'm doing something that'll dump me on my butt or break a tree or something.

here are my design goals (in no particular order):

- short tree straps (not dutch/grizz short, but just enough to go around most trees)
- very adjustable hang length (basically from close to ridgeline length to some distance that i'd have to reach up to put the straps on)
- very adjustable tree girth
- keep straps all setup but also make them easily detachable (i don't want to keep putting everything back together each time i hang, but i want to be able to take it all apart if it is wet)
- no crazy knots to tie/untie
- no pokey sharp metal clips or biners to snag my hammock
- no extra amsteel (as in with whoopie slings)

so here is my setup:

4' tree straps with 2" loop sewn in one end and free other end
amsteel soft shackle in the 2" loop (to attach around the tree)
1" cinch buckles from warbonnett outdoors (https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/product/1-buckle-set/)
6' length of amsteel with fixed eye on one end and back spliced other end
the fixed eye side is attached to my continuous loop with a larkshead. the other end is looped through the buckle

here are some pics:

IMG_4291.jpg
IMG_4292.jpg
IMG_4294.jpg

so now, it is very easy to attach this around the tree. i never have to detach anything from anything else. i just open the soft shackle and run the webbing around the tree. if the tree is big, i move the buckle down on the webbing to give me more webbing (up to about 3.5' circumference tree). then i have the open end of the amsteel looped through the buckle and around on itself. i saw this in a video somewhere with descender rings. i have two ways to adjust the length of my suspension either with the webbing or with the amsteel. i can get almost right up to the continuous loop (unlike with a ucr that i tried which has a huge minimum distance there). so for a short hang, the buckle is very close to the tree and the amsteel is almost all the way through the buckle and so my suspension length is not much more than the length of my continuous loop. admittedly, the amsteel through the cinch buckle isn't as easy to adjust as a ucr (which i had before), but the ability to get in between close together trees seems a good trade off.

anyway, i have yet to spend the night this way; only some short test hangs. is there anything here i'm gonna regret doing? what is it i'm not seeing? any feedback would be appreciated.

thanks,

john

[trick420]

Looks good. I find the soft shackles to be very aggravating sometimes to open and close. I use a Grappler's hitch on mine and LOVE it. Very easy to open up, and tension holds it shut, constricting upon itself.



Cheers,
Jeff

[johne]

that looks great! i've never heard of it. it solves the annoying problem that every time i open them and then put the strap around the tree, the soft shackle falls to the ground. i will check into that right now!

[trick420]

I think this is the definitive video.. Phantom Grappler came up with it...



It really is brilliant.

[skyjacker]

I'm not a fan of sliding the amsteel through the buckles like rap rings. I think it would be a lot safer with a continuous loop or dog bone attached to the buckles and longer tree straps. Like the way they come from warbonnet. Try the dyneema/poly straps ($10 for 10 ft). A think the smallest safe continuous loop you can make is 5 in (they normally come in lengths of 8 in). If you larks headed that around the hammock ball you would have the buckles about 2 to 3 inches away from the ball of the hammock. Then slide them up all the way to the tree. Doesn't get much shorter than that.

[skyjacker]

that looks great! i've never heard of it. it solves the annoying problem that every time i open them and then put the strap around the tree, the soft shackle falls to the ground. i will check into that right now!

Grapplers hitch is the way to go.

[johne]

I'm not a fan of sliding the amsteel through the buckles like rap rings. I think it would be a lot safer with a continuous loop or dog bone attached to the buckles. Like the way they come from warbonnet. A think the smallest safe continuous loop you can make is 5 in (they normally come in lengths of 8 in). If you larks headed that around the hammock ball you would have the buckles about 2 to 3 inches away from the ball of the hammock. Then slide them up all the way to the tree. Doesn't get much shorter than that.

Except then the webbing is the length of the adjustment I want. Plus I have a channel not a whipped hammock.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[skyjacker]

Got it. I don't think your setup is unsafe at all (especially if you tie a half hitch on the loose end of the amsteel). You'll just need to keep an eye on that amsteel for fraying and compression. If you want to spend a few bucks. The dutch dyneema/poly straps are light weight and cheap ($10 for 10 ft). They will accept any of his hardware including the warbonnet tri buckles. You'll get the same length as your setup above and will be able to get real close to the tree. It may be a little heavier since 6ft of your suspension is amsteel. They'll be a lot more durable then the amsteel sliding through the buckles.

[GreatBigDave]

I'd be concerned about the tight radius and compression of the amsteel in the buckles. I'd also be concerned about using a lark's head(girth hitch) amsteel onto amsteel, it can cut the line. A Square(handshake) knot might cause less wear.

[skyjacker]

Using amsteel, when you make a hitch or have friction against metal it's going to wear. There's no way around it. It's not unsafe just something you need to watch. Whoopie slings and UCR's are more durable because there is no contact with any hardware to stop the slip. The constriction comes from amsteel on amsteel which is both really slick. Whoopie hooks are more durable because the amsteel is not sliding on the metal it bends around it and doesn't move.