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The space overhead has proven to be a killer for me. The RR came with them (well, I ordered the hammock with them). And the RR takes up more space already.
Though the precision, ‘analog’ control is super nice. I also have ENO atlas straps and as others have said, they are heavy and the adjustment increments must be like 3”. That increment is just too big for getting the height and tension just right.
So after almost switching everything over to whoopie slings I am sticking with becket straps for ‘my’ hammock. 15’ gives lots of flexibility for tree size and distance. And at 2oz they are hard to beat on weight and simplicity.
I will also add here that the tree straps that came with both my Chameleon and the RR are pretty short. On a recent trip I had to take one of the tree straps from the RR and swap it out to my XLC as I was in a pretty tight spot and only using about a foot of the becket strap on the foot end and the tree the RR was going to on one end was too big for the strap. Fortunately both were the dynaweave so I was easily able to tie a becket hitch in the tree strap. This would not have been true for the straps from dutchware (which have been in a storage bin in the closet since I first set up the hammock as I already had a second set of dynaweave straps).
But yeah. Love the easy setup and adjustment. My partner and my kid are a bit knot adverse so it makes them more independent. But I just don’t love that they make me hang in a wider space. Which also means higher on the tree.
And I have gotten pretty good with the becket hitch. Though to adjust you have to get in the hammock, let everything tighten up and potentially readjust. This tightens the hitch and when you pull out the knot you will ‘lose your place’ and have to kind of guess for where will be “one inch less”. So the whoopie sling is way more precise.
I have not played with DWs daisy chain so no basis for opinion on that one. It sounds like it is perhaps a middle ground.
P.S. I use the whoopie slings with a marlin spike. Just fyi.
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For me, the daisy chain loop gap is usually more like 5 to 6 inches. So carry a small Amsteel loop I can double over to make a "half step" between the daisy chain steps. It's been close enough, but sometimes I have the urge to really dial it in. I've tried Whoopies - too much distance requirement overhead for me. So I'm slowly moving back to webbing. There are much lighter daisy chain alternatives to ENO's Atlas straps and Kammock's Python straps. I ended up with a very light chain from an "Ultimate" Kickstarter group (along with some of DW's chains).
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Another huge fan of 15 foot Dynaweave Beckett straps. Just as [mention]Sean McC [/mention]said they are one of the most flexible options, extremely light, and with my RR I can hang between trees that are nearly 30-40 feet apart (I’ve never measured but i feel like I’ve pushed them that far).
I will say I also struggled a bit learning to tie the Beckett hitch properly so that there is no slip yet still making it easy to untie. I use a toggle along with the Beckett hitch for safety, as recommended by Warbonnet. The trick is to find your perfect hang angle and then add the toggles. It definitely is one of the suspension options that requires a little more practice but extremely rewarding once it’s become second nature. I prefer them after trying daisy chains, Dutch’s cinch buckles, and whoopies.
I do still sometimes use my atlas straps when car camping for fast setup (especially in rain/at night) but am always reminded how much I prefer the Becketts for their adaptability to tree distances and adjustability. I just like switching it up sometimes…I will note that I once had a tear on the outer edge of one of my dynaweave straps. I suspect from years of rubbing against rough bark on trees in the Smokies. It was only a few mm wide, and the strap still supported me in my hammock just fine, however I didn’t feel safe having a tear going into longer trips so I just bought a new set.
Curious to see how my current set of Dynaweave will last over time. I imagine the atlas straps will last a lifetime.
HYOH :)