Rope Diameter

[Roundtrip Raven]

So I'm seeing a lot of people using 1.75mm Zing It for the tarp/ hammock ridgeline. On the other hand, I do not use a lot of people using the 2.2mm. Is it mainly for weight savings? Or that the extra 200-ish increase in breaking strength is still overkill? I understand that when rigging up a tarp, you want the rope to break first before the tarp does. Does that mean 1.75mm Zing It was selected because it has the weakest breaking strength?

In that case when would you ever use the 2.2mm rope?

As a separate related topic, when would you use the 1/8" Amsteel, besides trying to hang with a medium-sized 500 lb tiger?

[Phantom Grappler]

I use 1/8 amsteel--for added safety margin--I also use knots with amsteel, and since knots weaken rope more than splices, 1/8 gives me peace of mind. Also I hang a little flatter than 30 degrees--this keeps my combo hammock tarp ridge line tight--it also stresses suspension more than regular. My suspension uses knots and splices and is called Kokomo as seen on YouTube. It is what it it is and it ain't for everybody.


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[SilvrSurfr]

No matter how bad the wind, 1.75 mm Zing-It is not going to break. I reckon you would need winds in excess of 100 mph to even consider such a thing. Therefore, Zing-It 2.2 mm is just overkill. For either diameter, your tarp would shred before the line did.

As for 1/8 Amsteel, I find very little use for it. I weigh 165 lbs. and I have nearly a 10-1 safety ratio using 7/64 whoopie slings. If I weighed twice as much, I'd probably consider using 1/8 Amsteel. I do prefer 1/8 Amsteel for soft shackles, but that's just 'cause it's easier to work with than 7/64, and I had to find somewhere to use the 1/8 Amsteel I got on a clearance sale!

Right now, I have two 180 ft. rolls of Zing-It 1.75 (yellow and Gray), maybe 100 ft. of 1/8 Amsteel and 200 ft. of 7/64 Amsteel in various colors. Those are the only three kinds of cord I use with my hammocks and tarps.

[Luke Benson]

I use 1/8 amsteel for my continuous loops to larks on the end of my gathered end hammock. Also 1/8 for the whoopies ,but I also weigh 275+.

As far as tarp I use 1.7 reflect it for everything from pull outs to CRL w/bling. I splice all my ends and continuous loops. Its strong and when light hits it at night it is very well seen.

[kev138]

I used 2.2 on a structural ridgeline in my first diy hammock. No real reason that I can think of. Just thought it would be easier to work with than the 1.75 ( it is a little easier, but the 1.75 is by no means difficult). As far as weight go's I am not that worried about shaving off grams. Some people are though.

[johnspenn]

I went from 2.2 down to 1.75 because the thinner diameter works better with my Dutch bling. I've never weighed them side by side, I can't imagine that there is an appreciable amount of difference in the relatively short lengths we work with.

[zukiguy]

I'm using 2.2mm for my tarp ridgelines but that's it. I have no Dutch bling so that wasn't really a concern. At the time for some reason it was on sale and the 1.75mm was a little more (and I'm cheap). I also use it for my bear bagging rope and the little extra size was welcome. Some folks have no problem splicing eyes into the 1.75 but the 2.2 I'm sure was a bit easier.

I could use a lot of lighter weight cord for the ridgeline but I like the zing-it/lash-it because it has virtually no stretch and won't sag when wet. A fringe benefit might be that it could help deflect a falling branch. I know that's a bit of science fiction but the possibility is there. I have had a branch fall and luckily bounce off my superfly with no damage. I heard it crash down (I wasn't under the tarp at the time) and found it laying next to my setup. The tarp was unscathed but I don't know what all it hit (smaller than wrist sized).

For the guy lines I use much smaller/weaker cord (1.1mm micro cord). I want those to be the "weak link" and hopefully snap or pull loose rather than tearing a corner off my tarp. I've had kids running through the campground trip over my guylines twice now. Both times it snapped the cord right at the knot rather than snapping the d-ring or even pulling the stake out of the ground. That's my "fuse" in the system. I just tie the pieces back together and replace it when I get home.

[gfortune]

I use 1.75mm for tarp ridgeline and tie outs. I use dynaglide for the hammock structural ridgeline because I wanted the extra strength for times when I have to make bad decisions and the weight difference is tiny. If I didn't have the dynaglide, I'd probably just use 7/64 (same as my suspension)

[Heber Hammock]

I use the 1.75mm because it was cheaper, and it was more than strong enough for my tarp. It also works well with my Dutch bling, but that was a happy accident, not excellent planning.


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[GadgetUK437]

I use 1.2mm dyneema on my ridgeline tieouts, although they are technically doubled (from the tarp, round the tree, back to the tarp). It's 300lb break.
My guylines are 1mm.

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Gadget