I'm a becket hitch convert!

[Scott8691]

Yep, agree... I was referring to the slipped 1/2 hitch. Jeff Myers' video is the 'Becket Bible' lol. (I stumbled across some posts of his here and discovered he is a banned bad boy!)

I do not know anything about Jeff Myers history in the Forum, but he has been great to work with when I had a boat load of questions before I placed my order.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BillyBob58]

Maybe I am more visual, but if I understand this you are creating a large continuous loop that passes around only the back side of the tree... not completely around the circumference of the tree. If I am correct, that uses far more strap than any other configuration.. and how does it not slip down the tree? I must be missing something..

And 1/2" Strap?



edit...... I just looked at the link. Sure does take a lot of strap to make that double turn... and I see 'once or twice around the tree addresses that concern.

That is correct, it normally only goes around the back side of the tree, though if the tree is small- and I normally choose the smallest trees available that are big enough, due to a paranoia about large trees or the branches of large trees falling on me- I have wrapped it around those trees more than once to assure no slippage. But mostly just around the back of the tree and back to the hammock. It has amazingly never slipped and I have some how always had enough.

I actually put a harbor freight 1" strap and cinch buckle set/carabiner up on the head end many years ago. I can't remember why I did that, maybe I did not trust the Claytor suspension completely and only had 1 cinch buckle available? But, I have recently considered putting it back in stock condition on the cinch buckle end. Since:
1: I have had no issues over all these years,
2:and if anything my HF strap looks the worse for wear and dropped me to the ground once when I failed to make sure the cinch buckle was lined up straight
3: and since my son and his buddy used the the stock Claytor on both ends and had no issues
4: and the Claytor requires no hardwear ( carabiner ) but seems about as quick and easy as the cinch buckle
5: I have not measured or weighed, but the Claytor webbing seems lighter and less voluminous.

I have not switched it yet, but I have considered it. For one thing, I don't have enough carabiners for all my hammocks and sometimes go to use this Claytor and realize I don't have a biner on it and have to go find one.

[Vanhalo]

I was just thinking about the becket hitch this week.
I still prefer it because of it's simplicity.

[W8lkinUSA]

I used the J-Bend last weekend with whoopie slings since I needed the carabiner that acted as my toggle. I liked it since I swapped to the J-Bend in mere seconds.

Carbon fiber webbing will finally work for me. Thinking about 1x 12' one-inch head webbing, 1x 8' one-inch foot webbing, and 2x 4' two-inch tree huggers for car-camping extensions.

Couldn't be happier about getting rid of difficult buckles. I'll use the Becket Hitch at first, then switch to J-Bend when I can deploy on first attempts.

I learn so much here that I've just renewed my membership for two years! GO TEAM!!

[Phantom Grappler]

Carolina Red—-I used a slip knot completely below larks head. Slip knot is tied by itself on strap below larks head.
Then larks head on end of continuous loop is slid down to the slip knot.
That’s how I tie it—-you can tie anything you want
like a slipped half hitch—or if you tie same thing I tied in video then you tied a slip knot and called it a slipped half hitch?
Thousand ways to make it work for you.

[BackcountryBowhunting]

My youngest son and I have gone with 4' 1.5 Spider straps with UCR's tied via becket hitches. The 4' straps have only come up short on one occasion due to the tree diameter. To remedy that I've made a couple of 2' dog bones for those times when we can't find 8-12" diameter trees.

[wvumountaineer52]

You're on your way!! The Becket Hitch is really simple. It might prove a challenge to untie, but truth told, it just needs a firm tug. Your tree straps might not be long enough to go straight to the continuous loops, but that is the next level of simplicity. Eliminate the whoopie and tie the kevlar strap right to the hammocks CL. I still carry a pair of dynaglide UCR's and a few dog bones, but with more often than not, I don't need them. 15' kevlar straps right to the CL's via becket hitch and I am done.



I have been using kevlar straps for years. I do rotate them depending on which setup I am going to use.. I have 6', 8' and 15'. I see no degradation in any of them.. yet. Why the kevlar straps? I do have a set of MeyersTech dyneema straps and Dutch Spider straps, both in 15' and they are just a bit lighter than the kevlar, but I still prefer the kevlar because it stays flat and doesn't bunch up into a rope when they are loaded. Drives me nuts to have to flatten them out to lay around a tree or to stow them neatly.

How long do the kevlar straps last. I don't have any experience with them but I've read they degraded from the elements. Are we talking 10 days of use in the sun or 200? Do they break down if store for long periods in the house... say over the summer but only used in the winter?

[cougarmeat]

I read that Kevlar is more susceptible to UV degradation than other materials. I have some Kevlar guy line for Ham radio mast and comes in a sleeve of polyester to protect the kevlar from UV. But that assumes a situation with daily exposure. Everything (except plastic straws, etc.) wears out. My hammock is mostly up as evening comes and a lot of the suspension is under a tarp. So it is not "all day in the sun; day after day". If you are worried about the straps, it might be time to replace them or use something different instead of Kevlar. I wouldn't want to be going to sleep in my hammock - my fortress of comfortude - with thought of, "Is that suspension going to break?" floating in my head.

[MikekiM]

How long do the kevlar straps last. I don't have any experience with them but I've read they degraded from the elements. Are we talking 10 days of use in the sun or 200? Do they break down if store for long periods in the house... say over the summer but only used in the winter?

Cougarmeat is spot on..

I'll add that my oldest set of Kevlar straps have to be three or four years old. None of my four sets show any sign of wear other than a bit of darkening from use. No runs, no pulls, no fraying. The thought that might fail has never entered my mind... until now... and... poof, now it's gone!!

[Slack Packhiker]

Fast easy effective

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XA8xdm8LIs8