DIY hammock fabric comfort

**Kevinslotten** · 10-18-2016, 10:28

I do have dd superlight hammock. But that one is only 9 feet, but comfy. But first i am making a bridge hammock when i haveordered fabric. Thanks for all help and info. Ceep coming with more

**Billy Goat** · 10-18-2016, 12:24

My 3 kids have 1.1hyperD hammocks. They are all <90lbs. I have even slept in them and I'm more than twice their weight. It will hold you fine. Durability IS in fact an issue, though. All 3 of them have small runs in them that will eventually fail. I will grant that my kids are hard on stuff... Especially our middle son. He could wreck an anvil with a marshmallow. You will absolutely need to take care to remove shoes, keys, pocket knives, or anything in your pockets and pants with rivets or snaps on them before getting into the hammock. That being said I found it quite comfortable and fairly liked the stretch to it. I started with a 1.0 Robic hammock and it failed after less than a year of moderate use. I've since moved to a 1.6 HyperD and have been very happy with it.

Cheers,
the Goat

**Beeip** · 10-20-2016, 00:30

You can make a hammock from 1.1 ripstop, and pin it all you'd like. My first gathered-end-turned-integrated-net hammock is 1.1 and I haven't had so much as a weak spot appear. I will say that I make sure I get in it without accessories in my pocket, as one missed pocketknife or key would decrease its longevity significantly!

**hutzelbein** · 10-20-2016, 01:27

Originally Posted by Kroma

I disagree with Hutz that it's delicate. There seems to be quite a few people on here that go out of their way to discourage others from trying single layer hammocks in 1.0 or 1.1 material. Don't listen to the nay-sayers. I have 4 diy single-layer hammocks in the 1.0-1.1 range. Never had the slightest hint of an issue with durability.

I did NOT say don't make a single layer hammock from "1.0 or 1.1 material". I DID say I would not advise making a single layer hammock from the 1.1oz ripstop RbtR sells. I don't trust it because I worked with it, and compared to e.g. the 1.0oz HyperD or the 1.0oz Hexon it is quite fragile. I tried making a double layer hammock, and before I could even finish sewing, I managed to get several holes in the fabric. I have no idea how this happened, it must have snagged somewhere, but I didn't notice anything. I have made several double layer hammocks from 1.0oz HyperD, 1.0oz Hexon and even a 0.9oz Ripstop Nylon, and I didn't have problems with those fabrics. Hence I would not recommend this 1.1oz Ripstop Nylon for a single layer hammock.

**ripstopbytheroll** · 10-20-2016, 19:10

Originally Posted by hutzelbein

I did NOT say don't make a single layer hammock from "1.0 or 1.1 material". I DID say I would not advise making a single layer hammock from the 1.1oz ripstop RbtR sells. I don't trust it because I worked with it, and compared to e.g. the 1.0oz HyperD or the 1.0oz Hexon it is quite fragile. I tried making a double layer hammock, and before I could even finish sewing, I managed to get several holes in the fabric. I have no idea how this happened, it must have snagged somewhere, but I didn't notice anything. I have made several double layer hammocks from 1.0oz HyperD, 1.0oz Hexon and even a 0.9oz Ripstop Nylon, and I didn't have problems with those fabrics. Hence I would not recommend this 1.1oz Ripstop Nylon for a single layer hammock.

Your experience with the 1.1 ripstop nylon is interesting. And I don't mean "interesting" in a "I know the true way of things and you don't haha" type of way

. I'm genuinely interested in your feedback since it doesn't line up with what I've seen.

I work with these fabrics everyday, so I'm quite familiar with the pros/cons and comparisons between them all. If you take the 1.1 vs 1.0 HyperD, the 1.1 has both a higher total thread count and more balanced weave. It should have higher abrasion resistance, better tear strength, less thread slippage, and overall just be a bit more robust than the 1.0 HyperD.

In practice, I've found all these things to be true. The standard 1.1 ripstop nylon is just a bit more robust than the 1.0 HyperD IMO. Granted the 1.0 HyperD is actually a hair under 1.0 osy too.

**Kevinslotten** · 10-21-2016, 01:21

Thanks Kyle. I made a topcover with the 1.1 ripstop nylon. It was a great fabric to work with. Soon im order some more 1.6 hyper D to make a bridge hammock with carbonfiber spreader bars��

**hutzelbein** · 10-21-2016, 01:24

Originally Posted by ripstopbytheroll

Your experience with the 1.1 ripstop nylon is interesting. And I don't mean "interesting" in a "I know the true way of things and you don't haha" type of way

. I'm genuinely interested in your feedback since it doesn't line up with what I've seen.

I work with these fabrics everyday, so I'm quite familiar with the pros/cons and comparisons between them all. If you take the 1.1 vs 1.0 HyperD, the 1.1 has both a higher total thread count and more balanced weave. It should have higher abrasion resistance, better tear strength, less thread slippage, and overall just be a bit more robust than the 1.0 HyperD.

In practice, I've found all these things to be true. The standard 1.1 ripstop nylon is just a bit more robust than the 1.0 HyperD IMO. Granted the 1.0 HyperD is actually a hair under 1.0 osy too.

That's interesting feedback for me, too. Maybe I'll give the 1.1oz ripstop another try. After I got the holes into the first hammock and pulled a thread on the second hammock, I had decided to use the rest of that ripstop for top covers or other non-structural applications. But maybe I was just unlucky. I could never figure out what caused the holes, and I haven't gotten holes into any of the other lightweight hammocks I have made. Maybe I'll give it another try.

That said, your 1.1oz ripstop feels quite a bit less substantial than the 1.1oz ripstop of my Warbonnet Blackbird hammocks. I'm not sure if there's a difference in the weave, or if it's a different nylon. But the WB ripstop gives the impression of being bombproof. Not sure if this is actually the case, though.

**Kroma** · 10-21-2016, 06:03

Kyle, what about your 1.1 ripstop poly? Does it share the characteristics you just mentioned about the 1.1 ripstop nylon?

**Caminante** · 10-21-2016, 07:44

I made my hammock from the 1.1 poly in MARPAT (which is listed as 20d x 20d versus 20d x 50d for the other 1.1 poly's). I've been using that hammock for more than a year both backpacking, car camping, and backyard camping with nary an issue. No issues with snags, weave, etc. I'm relatively careful not to get in with anything in my pockets or anything that could snag.

I like to use HyperD 1.0 for quilts, it's just a super fabric, but my experience is that I have to be more careful with it in terms of it snagging on the corner of a table or something similar while sewing as compared to the 1.1 poly which seems to glide more robustly over potential snags.

**ripstopbytheroll** · 10-21-2016, 08:20

Originally Posted by hutzelbein

That's interesting feedback for me, too. Maybe I'll give the 1.1oz ripstop another try. After I got the holes into the first hammock and pulled a thread on the second hammock, I had decided to use the rest of that ripstop for top covers or other non-structural applications. But maybe I was just unlucky. I could never figure out what caused the holes, and I haven't gotten holes into any of the other lightweight hammocks I have made. Maybe I'll give it another try.

That said, your 1.1oz ripstop feels quite a bit less substantial than the 1.1oz ripstop of my Warbonnet Blackbird hammocks. I'm not sure if there's a difference in the weave, or if it's a different nylon. But the WB ripstop gives the impression of being bombproof. Not sure if this is actually the case, though.

Cool. Yeah again not discrediting your experience at all, more just interested in gathering user feedback. My testing is mostly based on fabric to fabric comparisons in the shop, but in the case of the 1.1 I have made and used a couple hammocks with it. It's been in our lineup for a while.

The 1.1 from WB is a 30D nylon 6.6 whereas ours is a 20D nylon 6. Sight unseen, the 30D nylon 6.6 will win on durability. Granted it's probably a tad heavier as well, but I'm not certain on that. I've also seen/felt the 1.1 from WB first hand and it's very nice.