Pay Dirt?

[dscotthep]

I received a gift of fabric this week from a woman I attend church with. I had mentioned that I was going to try integrating hammock camping into our Boy Scout troop and she said she had a bolt of white nylon fabric I could have. "Cool! I'll take!" I said.

I had no idea what I was getting.

The fabric is a snow white heavy weight Cordura-like nylon pack cloth with no discernible coating (it readily absorbs water). It is ~72" wide. The two long sides have been finished so that the material won't fray (it's not a hem, it looks like it was woven into the fabric at the mill). The roll is 8+ inches in diameter, I think I have 35 or more yards of fabric.

And at the risk of sending some of you running screaming from the forum, the whole thing weighs 65 pounds.

While it's not my first choice, am I crazy to think I can make a bunch of extra wide, pack cloth hammocks for my Scouts? They would certainly be more durable than the tablecloth hammocks I've been planning for, and some of these boys *need* durable. And, of course, it's budget friendly! I just don't know if this fabric would be a bad idea for hammocks or not. Any words of wisdom from those who have experience with this stuff?

If hammocks are a bad idea, what CAN I do with it? I can't think of anything else I could do with this much heavy weight nylon.

Here's a shot of the end of the roll, which has picked up some garage floor dirt.

[johnspenn]

Try one and see. Another fun idea- the scouts could decorate them, personalize them. Some RIT dye or something, if they work out as hoped.

[Double]

I would cut a foot by roll width off and have the scouts play tug a war with it. If it rips easy you know its not meant for hammocks. I have a feeling it will be great for hammocks tho. Once the scouts learn the basics and want to hammock they can move to lighter weight gear.

[Girlshangbetter]

Make one, bounce in it and swing. Test it. If it holds up well then have them do some cool tie die, or camo dip die with their new hammocks. A easy and strong whipping is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJlEQpcbM1I. Use a sewn nylon loop instead of rope though because a rope will damage the fabric.