No hardware, hybrid, micro-adjustable, UL suspension

[cmoulder]

As some folks here know, I am not shy about my adoration of the J-bend and to a lesser extent the Becket hitch as no-hardware suspension alternatives.

However, I must admit that their one weak point, especially for the beginner, is getting that last, teensy bit of adjustment juuuust right in order to achieve perfect hammock height. An inch or two of suspension length can make a significant difference, and it really is annoying to have to untie these after test loading and tie the knot a little higher on the strap or Amsteel cord.

So I had an idea that probably isn't new but which I haven't been able to find elsewhere, which is to put a small 'mini-whoopie' at the foot end of the suspension in order to make very fine adjustments in a much smaller range than required by a full-sized whoopie. I already had some 5-foot, 2" wide Kevlar huggers that I got for my trip earlier this fall to Baxter State Park (where they are required!), so I figured while I was at it I would use these for the tree straps and use 7/64" Amsteel for the remainder of the suspension. (I also carry a 6' dog bone and a couple of Evo loops for other possible challenges/options, but that is a separate issue.)

The suspension at the head end is simply a length (about 10') of Amsteel that is eye spliced into one of the hugger's sewn loops. It attaches normally to the hammock's head-end CL with a J-bend.

The 'fun' is at the foot end, where that hugger has a small 'mini-whoopie loop' with about 10 inches of adjustment that loops thru the sewn loop on the hugger. The free end of the mini-whoopie doesn't need an eye splice because it, like the head end Amsteel extension, attaches directly to the hammock CL with a J-bend.

To deploy this setup, put the fixed-length hugger/cord on the tree at the head end and the adjustable mini-whoopie at the foot and adjust the height as you normally would for any suspension. Attach the head end of the hammock CL with a J-bend, and then attach the foot end, getting the hammock height as close as you can by eyeballing it. Sit on the hammock to load the system and get all the various knots and bits to settle. If the hammock is a bit too low, pull the mini-whoopie's tail and push the bury section up the cord a little to take up some slack, 'milk' the bury to set, and test again. When first setting up — and before getting the height as best you can with the J-bend alone — it is best to extend the mini-whoopie to near its full length because it is almost always going to need to be shortened, not lengthened. It is now easy to adjust the height in 1/2" increments... or even smaller!

I tested this today and was extremely happy with the result... all held fine with a 7" finished bury in the mini-whoopie loop. I gave it a pretty thorough bouncing for a couple of minutes and then took a brief nap. There was no change in hammock height. The combined weight of head and foot suspension is 2.14 oz (60.7g), which even a gram weenie can love!

Head end (fixed-length suspension) is on the left, adjustable mini-whoopie on the right.
hybrid_suspension_05.jpg

Foot end with the mini-whoopie... hugger is used in strap mode, attached to the small tree with a slipped buntline hitch.
hybrid_suspension_03.jpg

Close-up showing the mini-whoopie, which has about a 10" range, with a 7" finished bury.
hybrid_suspension_04.jpg

[Winnie]

Do you have any problems with the j-bend slipping?

[MikekiM]

Great job.

I agree that more often than not it's the foot end that needs adjustment and it's usually up...

Fine adjustment at just one end is a great idea.


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[cmoulder]

I have never had any problem with J-bends slipping or capsizing, having field tested and used j-bend with kevlar, polyester, UHMWPE (Venom and Myerstech), Amsteel, mule tape, and maybe something else I'm forgetting.

I read a report here on HF recently where someone mentioned a failure experienced by someone else, but I did not get follow-up details about materials or how it happened.

However, when you think about it — and actually play around with it and use it — there are very few things that could possibly cause a failure, and none of them relate to the J-bend itself.

If the hang angle is correct and the materials are not worn, it is possible to tie the MSH without cranking it down enough to dress (or cinch down) the bend, thereby permitting the CL to suck the strap tail through the bend. This is user error.

As alluded to above, a too-shallow hang angle could apply enough force to exceed the material's strength rating. This is also user error.

Also, the suspension strap or CL material might have been in use for a long time and has lost strength through abrasion, UV exposure, stored wet, or exposed to some other substance. Again, user error because these are things that need to be inspected and replaced when they become suspect.

We always have to leave a little room for "stuff happens," but beyond these failure modes there just isn't much left. Maybe others have some stories they can share with us... I'd wager there aren't many of them.

[cmoulder]

Great job.

I agree that more often than not it's the foot end that needs adjustment and it's usually up...

Fine adjustment at just one end is a great idea.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks, MikekiM, and I'm going to get a real test tomorrow night... heading over to Harriman for a hike and some cold camping.

And a big thanks for convincing me to finally learn a bit about splicing. This is really a fabulous skill that doesn't require many tools to do a lot, basically a knife and some wire, a ruler and a sharpie.

[Phantom Grappler]

Cmoulder, your idea is interesting. I’d like to see a video of this suspension if you make videos. I’m gonna try to look at photos first—thanks!

[TxAggie]

Very nice setup. The fine adjustment is the one thing that has kept me away from a suspension sans hardware. This might be worth looking into. Since I’ve recently developed an interest in UCR’s, I might go that route.

[Phantom Grappler]

TxAggie, I wonder if UCR could use a fail safe.
Fail safe can be placed on loose amsteel an inch from bury exit. Fail safe would be a slip knot on loose inner amsteel an inch from bury exit. Most of time it would hang doing nothing. If UCR suddenly slipped—slip knot would travel one inch and stop—it would be too big to enter bury.
All supposition on my part—Good Luck

[Snaps]

TxAggie, I wonder if UCR could use a fail safe.

If there's enough slack available, I like a prusik.

Also, Baxter requires 2" huggers? Good to know, thanks.

[MikekiM]

Thanks, MikekiM, and I'm going to get a real test tomorrow night... heading over to Harriman for a hike and some cold camping.

And a big thanks for convincing me to finally learn a bit about splicing. This is really a fabulous skill that doesn't require many tools to do a lot, basically a knife and some wire, a ruler and a sharpie.

Wish I could head out with you. Still not able to nail down days for next week.. between the holidays, my daughters sports commitments and family coming in I can't seem to find two days free while remaining married. ;-)

Interested in how the tarp works out. and how the ridge line cordage/prussik responds in the cold.