Whoopi sling right to tree

[xsp222]

Hello all.... thinking of replacing my Web straps on my bb xlc with Whoopie slings but without tree straps....looking for sling to be connected to hammock and then just wrap the sling around the tree.....thoughts??

[daneaustin3]

Just to be clear you are wanting to wrap a piece of amsteel directly around the tree? The reason you don't see this done is due to the damage it will cause the tree. Also in a few states it would be illegal on public grounds. You need to have at least a 1" tree strap around the tree. Unless you are in Florida where it has to be 2".

[pgibson]

No, please do not just use rope on the trees. It can cause internal damage to the inner growth (cabrium) layer of the tree that will not be visibly evident but can cause lasting damage. Using a minimum size of 1 inch wide tree straps is done to help spread out the load on the tree and reduce the chances of damaging those growth layers.

A big part of this is also the perceived damage that land managers view hammock campers as possibly creating. We want to do everything possible to keep hammocks and us the users on the good side of land managers. There are a growing number of cities, states, state parks systems and other managers that have banned or considered banning hammocks all together because of the perception that we will damage the trees and that becomes a public safety issue ....should a tree need cut down from it dying that expense and safety issue is on the land managers to deal with, if they believe we caused the issue then the simplest corse of action is to ban hammocks to prevent further issue.

Please, please use the straps that were provided with the hammock, there is a reason they are included by reputable manufactures like Warbonnet when you order their hammock. You can make the weight difference in your pack by eating your Snickers bar at the trail head rather than 3 miles in.

[mophead]

You would need something like vertical trail sticks around the tree between the Amsteel to prevent damage to the tree. I find this to be too much of a hassle.

[SpitballJedi]

Yes, please use straps for the reasons everyone has stated.

[99Star]

substitute the tree trunk with your arm(let's assume arm strong as tree trunk), wrap belt/strap vs wrap thin rope/amsteel with heavy load, pain factor and damage can easily feel.

[Chigger]

Of the 40,000 members here I don't think you would get even one vote to put amsteel around a tree for the reasons stated by these folks. I see you are very new to HF. Do not take this as negative toward you. Keep reading the forum and keep posting your questions and also post your experiences. We all started at 0 in knowledge and experience and are learning from each other. Welcome to the most comfortable camping in the woods one can have.

[DrPhun]

I will give you another reason. The bark on some trees is very rough and you may find your Amsteel fraying and snagging the tree rather quickly. When splicing, it is easy to pull out individual threads.

[mophead]

Noticed this was your first post when this got bumped back to the top. Thought a little lore info might help. The damage to the tree is a real concern. But if you are really attached to this idea you could put sticks around the tree so that they lift the whoopie sling off the surface and prevent the internal damage pgibson described. But this can more work than it sounds. When I have tried they tend to slip out unless there is weight in the hammock so it makes it inconvenient if you are in and out of your hammock.

[Country Roads]

If you are worried about the weight of straps, try switching to the 1" Kevlar straps. Either way, use tree straps.