Is this fabric okay for a hammock?

Newbie here....

I've done a lot of searching online for what rip stop nylon looks like and I found this at my local wally world today. I ended up buying 9.5 yards of it hoping it's the rip stop that everyone talks about.

I can blow through it, so it's breathable for sure. I asked the lady at the store and she told me that it was either nylon or polyester. From what I see others use, this fabric is not shinny like the others, but that maybe the coating that this one doesn't have.

I've ordered a Skeeter Beeter Pro and it should be here tomorrow, but I want to make a double layer hammock for my daughter (145 lbs) and I'm hoping this will work.

Thanks in advance.

How stretchy is it? If it dosen't stretch to badly and is breathable it Should work great.

I'll have to check the stretch to see. One of the Wally worlds I went into had about 20 different bolts of various nylon material. Some shinny and some see through, but I couldn't find any with these little squares throughout the fabric. Does all the coated nylons and the breathable nylons suitable for hammocks, quilts and tarps shows these ripstop squares as dominate like the material in the pic above? If not, can someone please explain how to look for these particular materials.

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by zigzag3337

If not, can someone please explain how to look for these particular materials.
Thanks.

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It's a tricky thing (for me, at least) do describe in words, or even with a picture.
It's one of those 'once you've seen it, you will know' things.:)
My suggestion would be to buy some known fabric from a supplier like DIYGearSupply, or OWF for a first project, or get some (labelled) samples from a reputable supplier. Buying 'unknown fiber, unknown fabric' stuff from
places like Walmart or remnant stores is lots of fun, but more enjoyable if you know what you are looking at! (It can be tricky to tell the difference between coated and calendered fabric at first, for example...)

Scott @ DIYGearSupply would probably mail you some samples for a very small cost, and I notice that OWF has sample packs for sale.
http://www.owfinc.com/samples.html

Good luck with the DIY! Before you know it, you will have a plastic bin full of 'scraps' and 'just a bit extra' fabric!:D

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Originally Posted by zigzag3337

Does all the coated nylons and the breathable nylons suitable for hammocks, quilts and tarps shows these ripstop squares as dominant like the material in the pic above?

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Yes, all ripstop has heavier threads evenly spaced in a 'grid' pattern of some sort. It's a method of avoiding catastrophic failures (think parachute, or hammock!) when a small tear starts, in lightweight fabrics.
But...
Ripstop isn't essential for all your projects.

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Originally Posted by zigzag3337

I've done a lot of searching online for what rip stop nylon looks like and I found this at my local wally world today. I ended up buying 9.5 yards of it hoping it's the rip stop that everyone talks about.

I can blow through it, so it's breathable for sure. I asked the lady at the store and she told me that it was either nylon or polyester.

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As suggested by 'nuttysquirrel' checking the stretch will help tell you something about the fabric. Cut a square of the fabric and test the stretch length-wise and width-wise, and on the diagonal i.e. on the bias. Posting pics will probably help.
That fabric looks a bit loosely woven, and my guess is that it will be quite stretchy on the bias.
Loosely woven fabrics can be very strong (try to rip a piece of cheesecloth some time) since forces are even distributed among many threads, but they tend to get 'baggy' quite easily (again think of cheesecloth as an extreme example).

So, my guess is that the fabric will be plenty strong enough for a DL hammock for a 145# person, but it may not hold its shape very well.

As I said, hard to tell from a picture. But, 'experiments' are part of the fun of DIY, right??:D

To test whether it is nylon or polyester, do a (Google) search on 'fabric burn test' or 'nylon polyester tell difference' and you should get some info. (Not extremely important in this particular case, but handy, IMO.)

Thanks for everyone's help. I really appreciate it.

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Originally Posted by nuttysquirrel

How stretchy is it?

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From side to side "or" top to bottom, I couldn't get it to stretch at all and I pulled it pretty hard.

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Originally Posted by VictoriaGuy

Cut a square of the fabric and test the stretch length-wise and width-wise, and on the diagonal i.e. on the bias. That fabric looks a bit loosely woven, and my guess is that it will be quite stretchy on the bias.

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I cut a piece approx 12" x 12" and pulled it on a diagonal until the fabric got taut. When I pulled it, there was very little stretch. After I was done, I laid it flat on the table and it looks the same with no gathering. Keep in mind that this is only a 12" x 12" piece.

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Originally Posted by VictoriaGuy

So, my guess is that the fabric will be plenty strong enough for a DL hammock for a 145# person, but it may not hold its shape very well.

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I think I will go ahead and make it. Before I let my daughter lay in it, I will try it out. I'm 300 lbs, so if it will hold me, then she will be okay. I've read that the double layer will be good for installing a foam pad for insulation.

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Originally Posted by VictoriaGuy

To test whether it is nylon or polyester, do a (Google) search on 'fabric burn test' or 'nylon polyester tell difference' and you should get some info. (Not extremely important in this particular case, but handy, IMO.)

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Thanks for this info. I will have to try it out.


I did stop by West Marine today and when I walked by their Columbia shirt display, I saw some shirts made out of ripstop material. I have a couple of those fishing shirts and water repels off of them pretty good. So, after seeing the shirt, I now have a better idea of what I'm looking for.

My Skeeter Beeter Pro hammock came today. I'm not sure what material they use to make them, but I don't see a ripstop grid through out the fabric, so I'm thinking it's something else.

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Originally Posted by zigzag3337

Thanks for everyone's help. I really appreciate it.

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Glad to help!

But, you must post pics of your DIY project!:D:D

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Originally Posted by VictoriaGuy

Glad to help!

But, you must post pics of your DIY project!:D:D

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Will do......However, my wife says I never finish anything....lol

That fabric doesn't look very substantial to me - looks like something you'd make curtains with, not hammocks.