tablecloth hammock failed - next hammock plan?

**GDM** · 04-19-2015, 21:08

Made a tablecloth hammock a couple years ago - worked fine for maybe a total of 25 nights, plus daytime lounging etc. A couple of scouts were chilling in it on a backpacking trip this weekend (not abusing it), and the bottom ripped out..

One more reason for pitching it low to the ground..

I'm not a small guy (6'2", 250#), and I loved the lay of the nice long, wide, soft, polyester hammock (it was literally a 90x132 blank). Felt 'warm', and stretchy enough for comfort. OK, maybe it was wider than I really needed, but I appreciated the 11' length and I never felt like the extra width bothered me.

Question is, do you think it lived as long as it should have, or failed due to some overlooked damage I didn't see? Or should I be searching for something better suited to my weight - different material, double layer..? I know I like the 'warmth' of the poly, and disliked an earlier project made from ripstop nylon (too slippery for my tastes). I supposed I could double layer a hammock using 2x tablecloths...?

Maybe I need 2 different hammocks - a comfy bulletproof one for 'car camping' with two layers, and a lighter but more fragile (single layer?) one for backpacking..?

Thoughts?

**Debi Jaytee** · 04-19-2015, 21:37

I've made countless tablecloth hammocks and only had one fail. The one I sleep in now I made over a year ago and it's still going strong. You may have just had a tablecloth with a flaw in the construction, try another and see what happens, they're inexpensive enough to warrant a try. Just hang low as you suggested. Good luck!

**zooshooter** · 04-20-2015, 08:49

Originally Posted by GDM

A couple of scouts were chilling in it on a backpacking trip this weekend (not abusing it), and the bottom ripped out..

Question is, do you think it lived as long as it should have, or failed due to some overlooked damage I didn't see?

Maybe I need 2 different hammocks - a comfy bulletproof one for 'car camping' with two layers, and a lighter but more fragile (single layer?) one for backpacking..?

Thoughts?

I make TC hammocks as well. Made 3 for Christmas. I have a few rules for them.

1 person at a time, no swinging, no sharp objects in pockets.

The 1 person at a time rule is absolute regardless of the weight of the people who want to be in hammocks. This, to me, is common sense the same way you don't want someone standing up in a canoe. It may not cause problems right away, but eventually something is going to go wrong. Aside from that, I know that TC hammocks can take the weight. I made a double layer as my first hammock and I've never been afraid that the fabric was being strained. I'm more worried about the tree straps breaking than the hammock or the suspension with a double layer. I'm heading in the direction that you mentioned for having multiple hammocks. I still have the double layer, I also have a single layer TC and I have fabric at home to make a single layer HyperD hammock. I made a spectra yellow single layer HyperD for the gf and tested it in the basement. All I can say is that despite the fabric being thin, if you follow the no sharp objects rule, you likely won't have any troubles with it.

**dkurfiss** · 04-20-2015, 08:54

I have a couple of TC and one is used by my brother who is heavier and taller than you are. He "borrows" it every summer and this will be his 3rd summer using it

That being said, for the price I would go with a Dutchware blank instead of the TC if I had it to do over. I like the Argon material better and I like that it comes with the channels already sewn in. Price is not outrageous and I just reused my suspension from the TC.

**SteveJJ** · 04-20-2015, 12:55

I have a DangerBird 72 made of double layer taffeta I believe from tablecloth blanks. I'm 220 and have well over 300 nights in it in and outdoors. Only in warm muggy weather do I wish for lighter fabric but a ridge line fan helps! Just for your consideration, the double layer is tough.

**MrClean417** · 04-20-2015, 14:12

I spent a year in one, I sleep in it every night. I'd bet somebody had something sharp on their body and it cut through the thing. I still swap my year old one out with multiple others now. I pull one, stick it in the wash and put another in it's place. My daughter has one I made her and it has failed. Pit bulls you know, they love to drag things around. interesting to see a hammock and portable stand sliding around the back yard.

**BuckeyeFan** · 04-20-2015, 16:42

I made 2 last year for my kids and they're still good. Planning more outings this year and they will be used.

**GDM** · 04-21-2015, 16:20

Thanks for the thoughts/input, folks. Rip could have been due to a sharp pocket-object, or a underlying weakness in the fabric itself, will never really know I guess.

Trying to decide on what to try first - 2x tablecloths, 2x of Dutch's Argon blanks, some hybrid of both (tablecloth plus Argon), something else...?

Question for anyone with experience on a double-layer DIY hammock - will it be appreciably warmer than a single layer? I sure do love the breeze flowing under me during hot nights at scout camp...

**boulderv7** · 04-21-2015, 20:12

I've made them and used them with no incidents. I do keep seeing these threads pop up from time to time.... IMO, the TC blanks may not go through a comprehensive QC program, they are meant to cover tables, not be used as hammocks. Thus, there most likely are TC blanks that are not suited to weight bearing. It is sort of a Russian roulette when you make a TC hammock.

A double layer *may* cut down on the amount of wind you feel, but IMO nothing particularly noticeable. My double layers all require insulation, but I never hang in the dead of the summer heat either.