small holes in ENO DN

**JJ_Cottonwood** · 02-19-2012, 19:30

I searched several phrases trying to locate some info but thus far have been unsuccessful. I've had my ENO DN out about 6 times this year and I noticed tonight there are four or five small tears / holes along the middle toward the outsides. I'm not sure what caused this. I pulled on the material around the holes and they don't seem to get much bigger or run.

Is this out of the ordinary to happen or is this just what happens with wear and tear with the type of Eno's material. If I don't do something about it am I headed to a catastrophic failure some night in the piney woods ?

Thanks for any information you can give a newbie hanger.

Jay

**ernesthemmingway** · 02-19-2012, 19:37

Have you had the hammock near any campfires lately? the material in the ENO will burn very easily, even if only a small ember from a fire happens to float its way over to your hammock. If the holes are burns, they might not get any bigger because the edges of the holes will be singed together. (kinda like how you burn the end of a nylon rope to keep it from unwravelling) You could inspect the edges of the holes and see if they appear to be melted and burned. That being said, Im not sure if the hammock's structural integrity is still sound. That would probably depend on how big the holes are. I hope that helps.

**JJ_Cottonwood** · 02-19-2012, 19:40

Upon closer inspection the holes appear almost oval or linear. I'm wondering if using a sleeping bag in top quilt fashion with the zipper down against the hammock may have caused this. Although I do not know for sure.

Thanks for the reply.

**ernesthemmingway** · 02-19-2012, 19:47

That could certaintly be a culprit. maybe put the sleeping bag in the hammock they way you normally use it, and see if the zipper lines up with where the holes are. Either way, thats got to be frustrating.

**gmcttr** · 02-19-2012, 21:34

Have the individual threads of the fabric been torn or just spread apart?

**redhawktx** · 02-20-2012, 00:15

I have been using an ENO DN for a dozen or so nights spread out over a year. I would say the holes you see are likely from the zipper of the sleeping bag. I use a mod sleeping bag as an UQ and made sure to remove the zipper before use. Others on the forum have reported damage to their hammock due to zippers.

**oldgringo** · 02-20-2012, 17:05

Those are bite marks.

They're caused by those lovely biners that come on an ENO. When stuffed and compressed, the fabric gets pushed into the gate, and pinched between the gate and the body of the biner.

Use a product called Tear Aid to repair the holes.

**jbrianb** · 02-20-2012, 17:48

Originally Posted by oldgringo

Those are bite marks.

They're caused by those lovely biners that come on an ENO. When stuffed and compressed, the fabric gets pushed into the gate, and pinched between the gate and the body of the biner.

Use a product called Tear Aid to repair the holes.

I'm betting this is the culprit. The hardware under the gates on the biners that come with these and other hammocks is very sharp. Try packing them separately from the hammock.

**eflat7** · 02-20-2012, 21:18

I had a few of those. One was especially large since I dropped my benchmade tip first into it! I just folded it over and sewed a seam over it. Have used it 5 or 10 times since then and no progression. I dont think it'll drop you unless you put an unusual amount of stress right on that area.

**ernesthemmingway** · 02-22-2012, 23:35

Thanks for bringing up the danger of those carabiners cutting the fabric. I hadnt thought about that. I'll be storing those seperate from the hammock from now on.