I've been lurking the forums and watching Shug's videos for a couple weeks now and was really surprised how easy it can be to make your own hammock. I decided to try and make simple "no-sew" hammock today just for kicks. The main inspiration was the you-tube video below.

https://youtu.be/AJlEQpcbM1I

I already had a twin size bed sheet laying around, and I was at the local home improvement center when I saw these "cheap" straps for $2. I wouldn't bet my life on them, but how bad can it hurt to fall 12" onto my butt if they break?

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I used a slight variation on the sheet bend shown in the video to attach them to the sheet as shown below. By placing the buckles just right, the strap is both the whipping and the adjustable suspension. I also bought a second pair of straps to use as tree straps if needed. I plan to cut the metal buckles off and leave the loop at the end, then connect the tree strap to the suspension strap with a marlinespike and a toggle.

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I tried it myself first, and it held my 200 lbs. just fine. Its a bit small but I'm sure I could spend 1 or two nights in it if I had to. Fortunately it's just right if your only 4' tall and 50 lbs.

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So now my son has lounger hammock and I have a proof-of-concept for making a larger no-sew hammock & suspension with some fabric and ratchet-type straps. There are a couple of things I would try to improve for "the real thing." First, those straps would have to be upgraded. I'm thinking you could use a single whoopie to accomplish both the whipping and suspension like the strap. Also, the sides are a bit floppy. I didn't do anything special when gathering the ends of the sheet, so maybe some more attention to that step (pulling them further out of the "gather") would help that. And obviously, different fabric.