Beetle Buckles, suspension what I like, dislike, and looking for suggestions.

[NJHeart2Heart]

I have beetle buckles, but also recently purchased the Superior Hammock suspension, which seems a close cousin to beetle buckles. The slots for the continuous loop on the Superior suspension is actually deeper and slightly narrower, and may perhaps solve the problem of the loop coming undone. I'm not sure of the weight difference (maybe I'll check that tonight), and if weight is critical, this might not be the best idea, but it may be worth it for you if it resolves your issues.

The buckle also has a hole in it that is specifically designed to accommodate alternative attachment techniques, so you could attach your loop permanently, while maintaining adjustability.

Sadly I didn't take closeups of each at this weekend's hang but here is a stock photo from the superiorgear.com site:

Superior Suspension Buckle.png

FYI, in the newest version of this, the inside hole of the piece shaped like an arrowhead is curved to make it more comfortable to pull the buckle and release the suspension to adjust.

Hope that gives you some food for thought. FYI I love and have purchased a lot of stuff from Dutch, so it's not a knock on him - just an alternate idea!

[mmachenry]

There are a lot of suspension options out there so maybe you have not found your personal suspension muse as of yet.
My suspension Playlist for your perusal if interested.....https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...RN4_MaZ8UAyzWm
Shug

Yeah, I haven't necessarily found my muse yet. I have seen your suspension series already and it did help. Thanks. I guess what's going on with me is I imagined setting up in a certain way, and storing suspension in a certain way. I know cinch buckles work with that. I got beetle buckles and didn't realize they differ in an important way. And now I'm wondering how I should adapt. I might stick with if through a few trips and see how it goes.

[MikekiM]

Yeah, I haven't necessarily found my muse yet. I have seen your suspension series already and it did help. Thanks. I guess what's going on with me is I imagined setting up in a certain way, and storing suspension in a certain way. I know cinch buckles work with that. I got beetle buckles and didn't realize they differ in an important way. And now I'm wondering how I should adapt. I might stick with if through a few trips and see how it goes.

It is my experience, and likely that of many others here, that suspensions (and hammocks, and tarps and...) will change many times as you try different options, new ideas evolve and your style & needs morph. I can't count the number of suspension options I have tried over the years.

Have fun with it. Go to a group hang and check out what the others are using. That could be a time saver.

[mmachenry]

As an update to this, I went backpacking in the White Mountains this weekend. It was pouring rain today during pack out and I was *very* happy that my hammock came right off my Beetle Buckles so easily and I stored my suspension on the outside of my pack on the way out. The minor annoyance of the suspension sometimes coming apart from the hammock inside the stuff sack hasn't been *that* bad but it has happened on the last few trips I've been on. The paranoia I have about being able to forget my suspension on the tree is not really big deal. The ability to attach and detach really quickly was amazing in the rain and I think experiencing it first hand has me coming away a lot more positive on the system. It's also really nice to be able to use the beetle buckles as dual purpose as underquilt hangers rather than an extra s-biner. Not that they weight all that much.

[MikekiM]

Kudos to you...

What did you end up doing at the tree end, where you were regretting not getting the dutch clips?

[Immortalviking]

I love my Beetle Buckles.
I switched over from cinch buckles because i wanted my suspension seperate after getting tree sap all over them and didnt want it all over my hammock.
The last time i hung, i woke in the morning and found that one of my CL was only hanging on one hook of the Beetle Buckle.
It held fine, but now i gotta double check before i go to bed just to make sure.

[reznix]

The last time i hung, i woke in the morning and found that one of my CL was only hanging on one hook of the Beetle Buckle.
It held fine, but now i gotta double check before i go to bed just to make sure.

This is an area of paranoia for me. The last thing I do before my first sit-down is check both beetles to confirm they are attached properly. When rushing, it is certainly easy enough to only attach one side of the buckle. Caught myself enough that I now double-check. Besides that, the ease of use and spreader bar capability have me sold for awhile now.

[mmachenry]

Kudos to you...

What did you end up doing at the tree end, where you were regretting not getting the dutch clips?

I got a pair of Dutch clips and made a pair of evo loops. There's currently one on each. Honestly, they're so similar that it's hard to make a decision. The evo loops are harder to close and open. But only a tiny bit. The dutch clips are heavier, but only a tiny bit. I have heard that the Dutchclips wear on the straps more than evo loops but I'm unsure how much more. So far I like the dutch clips a little bit better.

[GilligansWorld]

Sold mine - Had the spider straps and they slipped. Dutch sent me poly at no charge to replace the spider straps and they held but I could never adjust them after they were under load - I mean I could adjust but not easily and I noticed almost immediate wear. I suspect I would have frayed the straps badly after a dozen hangs or so. Autumn light sells some buckles that look like what I thought I originally wanted but TBH A simple Marlin spike hitch is my go to.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[MikekiM]

I got a pair of Dutch clips and made a pair of evo loops. There's currently one on each. Honestly, they're so similar that it's hard to make a decision. The evo loops are harder to close and open. But only a tiny bit. The dutch clips are heavier, but only a tiny bit. I have heard that the Dutchclips wear on the straps more than evo loops but I'm unsure how much more. So far I like the dutch clips a little bit better.

I've had a pair of Dutch Clips for a lonnnng time, and have used them exactly once. I use Kevlar straps and those clips look like the are going to slice through the strap at first loading.

The Evo loops... I can't find anything easier to use. One handed, cold, wet, dark... so easy. There's a tree-end knot I've seen cmoulder use, that is quicker and lighter.. I just haven't taken time to learn it. He sets up so fast, it's over before it began! I am using one set of Amsteel loops for about a year and it's the loop that is showing signs of wear ( same loading compression in the same spot every use) rather than the strap. I have multiple sets progressively lighter.. Amsteel, Dynaglide and NE Rope E12.. Arguably far lighter than the clips.