I am thinking I need to replace (lengthen) my secondary suspension on my Phoenix to fit my 11 foot hammock. I am pretty sure the primary suspension is 1/8. Do you know what size is on the secondary? Is it 3/32? I am thinking that I might try Dutch's glow in the dark or reflective stuff. Thanks
Homer: Sir, I need to know where I can get some business hammocks.
Hank Scorpio: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that? Hammocks!
I just got a 60" 30° Phincubator and I noticed it has the smaller shockcord on both the main and secondary. I though that was strange but maybe something they do with the Phoenix? It looks like 3/32 or 2mm to me
My experience with my diy under quilt, I started off with the 3/32 shock cord but it was just way too stretchy, I ended up having to stretch it almost completely out to get it to snug up enough to keep me warm.after switching over to 1/8 it adjusted much better. I have sense switch to using just a Loop of 1/8 around the foot end turning into lash it which runs through the channel and then up over the head end. This gives me enough stretch to get in and out of the hammock without tearing anything but allows me to snug it up quite well or lower it down to vent without having to deal with the excess stretch from all the shock cord. Of course that's just my primary suspension, the only secondary I have are prusik knots attached to all four corners tied around the main suspension line.
By all means, let's argue about whether or not a hammock will hurt a tree. All the while ignoring the fact that there is an island of garbage the size of Texas floating in the Pacific ocean. Or how about the fact that over 75% of the world's nuclear reactors are leaking...
My Incubators all have/had 3/32" shock cord for the primary and 1/16" for the secondary suspension. 1/8" shock cord is really beefy and unless your underquilt is very heavy (long/wide winter down underquilt or synthetic underquilt) it's not necessary. I have had bad quality shock cord that did stretch way too much, though, that's why I like the quality of the shock cord Dutch sells.
We use 1/8 shock cord for most of the primary suspensions. We do this for a couple of reasons.
- Due to their nature, Incubators are just heavier and therefore require a little more lift
- Elastic can tend to be less....well, elastic cold temperatures. This can be especially noticed on heavier quilts in subfreezing temps.
3/32 is reserved for secondary suspension. The Phoenix 20 and 40 both have 3/32 for the primary suspension because they are lighter and the cold weather tends to affect the suspension less. We use 1/16 for all of the draft collar cinches. Hope this helps!
~Stormcrow
P.S. NOT all shock cord is the same! We have found that out the hard way over the years. We have finally found a good supplier with high standards for the elasticity in their products. I am pretty sure Dutch and I share that supplier.
Owner/Founder at Hammockgear.com - Hammock Camping Outfitters
Home of the Burrow, the Incubator, and the Phoenix
I use high-quality 1/8" shock cord for just about every hammock gear application that requires elastic cordage. It's strong enough for all my DIY quilts, locks positively in my LineLoc 3 hardware, and takes the guesswork out of builds. For me, any weight or cost savings related to downsizing to 3/32" is really quite negligible unless you're going for bragging rights.
Very true! I bought some bulk on ebay and it was the cheapest junk ever. It had a "crispy" feel to it, like something that was left out in the sun for 20 years. And while it stretched well, it didn't spring back much at all.Originally Posted by stormcrow
P.S. NOT all shock cord is the same! We have found that out the hard way over the years. We have finally found a good supplier with high standards for the elasticity in their products. I am pretty sure Dutch and I share that supplier.
I've also noticed considerable difference in shock cord quality. The stuff from a local supplier was far too limber, plus it has an outer sheath that becomes very "gritty" when stretched a bit. Trying to slide a prusik on that is a lesson in frustration. I'd have to agree that Dutch's is faaar better quality in all aspects.
I'll only mention this here because it seems kinda relevant. I made some modular full length cdt uq"s recently. By nature of this type of build, it's somewhat heavier than an equivalent temp rated single layer quilt. I found that even with 1/8 cord for the main suspension on both inner and outer, the weight dictates the use of 1/8 for the secondary as well. This is with the secondary only on the inner quilt though. The 3/32 worked, but it was obvious that I was asking too much from it.
Thanks for the info. Nothing like getting answers right from the source! I appreciate your time. I just switched to an 11 foot hammock, and think the secondary suspension on my 20 degree Phoenix is a little snug. I know it is supposed to be tight, but I think it needs a little more length. It fit perfectly on my 10 foot hammock with no slack to spare, so adding some length should help. Since I can take up any excess with the line lock, I figure longer is better than too short, and even my limited DIY skills can tie on a piece of shock cord. Thanks again.We use 1/8 shock cord for most of the primary suspensions. We do this for a couple of reasons.
- Due to their nature, Incubators are just heavier and therefore require a little more lift
- Elastic can tend to be less....well, elastic cold temperatures. This can be especially noticed on heavier quilts in subfreezing temps.
3/32 is reserved for secondary suspension. The Phoenix 20 and 40 both have 3/32 for the primary suspension because they are lighter and the cold weather tends to affect the suspension less. We use 1/16 for all of the draft collar cinches. Hope this helps!
~Stormcrow
P.S. NOT all shock cord is the same! We have found that out the hard way over the years. We have finally found a good supplier with high standards for the elasticity in their products. I am pretty sure Dutch and I share that supplier.
Homer: Sir, I need to know where I can get some business hammocks.
Hank Scorpio: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that? Hammocks!
I can't say for sure without seeing it, but the UQ doesn't necessarily need to hang under the hammock without some pulling. What I mean is, the UQ will actually lift the hammock. So the UQ is pulling the ends of the hammock together in a sense. It will look wrong, but that's what keeps it nice and snug against your back. The down won't get compressed because of how it's designed. But I haven't used an 11' hammock yet, so I could be wrong. But I believe that tight UQ is a misconception at first. It took me a while to get used to that.
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