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

[mmachenry]

Some people seem a bit confused so I'm going to clear up a few things that I didn't communicate well in my original post.

1) The need for Dutch clips, a carabiner, or adutchable clips is completely separate from the Beetle Buckles detaching in storage.

This is just my review of the suspension. It's cool that the Beetle Buckles can detach quickly, so that if you don't use Dutch Clips, you can easily put the strap through its own loop and tighten it around the tree. But I would like something much quicker. So I'm going to get some Dutch Clips. that you for all the experience reports on how well they stay on, etc.

2) It seems like many of you don't ever store your suspension with your hammock. This lead some people to not even understand my issue. I'll clear it up. Perhaps it's not something that anyone thinks is valuable but regardless of how you feel about it, this is just to clear up what I'm doing and why I wanted to try to fix the Beetle Buckles more tightly to the continuous loop.

I tend to like to pull the suspension out of one end of my double sided stuff sack, wrap it around the tree, and then walk away, allowing the suspension to unravel out of the bag. When I'm about half way, I open the other end, pull out the other suspension, and walk to the other tree to hang it up. In the process, the hammock spreads out between the trees, stays off the possibly wet, muddy, or sticky ground. Then pull the stuff sack to one side and adjust the buckles.

This process gets interrupted if the continuous loop has separated from the beetle buckle in the suff sack, which I find happens about half the time. This means that when I pull away to setup the second suspension, the first one drops off, I need to reach in the bag, find where the continuous loop is, and put it on the buckle. I know this is a minor issue but this is hammock camping after all. Tons of us love to fiddle with our process and customize it until it's perfect.

Anyway, it's possible I'll switch to hanging up my straps on both trees before getting the hammock out of my pack and storing them separately always. I'm just going to have to see what works best for me.

[brutalguyracing]

This is so confusing
I use cinch bugs for years, which is essentially the same
I use a bishop bag, close to a double ended stuff sack
Here is how i set up
Strapss to trees, attach one end to straps and open the bag and walk to other tree strap and attach
Your going wrong by storing the buckle inside the bag
Defeats the purpose of detachable straps
You my want different suspension if that's your intentions

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

[cmoulder]

In that case, simply larkshead the CL around the little "T" on the beetles. Hang on it for a few minutes and the CL will take a set and it probably won't come off again. Maybe some knots you can try but if you need to replace the CL you might have to cut them off.

[TominMN]

Some people seem a bit confused so I'm going to clear up a few things that I didn't communicate well in my original post.

…

2) It seems like many of you don't ever store your suspension with your hammock. This lead some people to not even understand my issue. I'll clear it up. Perhaps it's not something that anyone thinks is valuable but regardless of how you feel about it, this is just to clear up what I'm doing and why I wanted to try to fix the Beetle Buckles more tightly to the continuous loop.

I tend to like to pull the suspension out of one end of my double sided stuff sack, wrap it around the tree, and then walk away, allowing the suspension to unravel out of the bag. When I'm about half way, I open the other end, pull out the other suspension, and walk to the other tree to hang it up. In the process, the hammock spreads out between the trees, stays off the possibly wet, muddy, or sticky ground. Then pull the stuff sack to one side and adjust the buckles.

This process gets interrupted if the continuous loop has separated from the beetle buckle in the suff sack, which I find happens about half the time. This means that when I pull away to setup the second suspension, the first one drops off, I need to reach in the bag, find where the continuous loop is, and put it on the buckle. I know this is a minor issue but this is hammock camping after all. Tons of us love to fiddle with our process and customize it until it's perfect.

Anyway, it's possible I'll switch to hanging up my straps on both trees before getting the hammock out of my pack and storing them separately always. I'm just going to have to see what works best for me.

I think I understand completely what you do.

Here's what I do when using a double-ended stuff sack in essentially the same way:

I attach a strap to the first tree. Walk toward the other tree until I get to the BB. I then hook the CL, which is sticking out of one end of the stuff sack, to the BB. Open that end, grab the CL sticking out of the other end and keep walking until it's time to hook on the second BB. Put the strap around the second tree and make adjustments as needed. Essentially the same process with the straps NOT stored in the stuff sack. There are lots of folks that use this method.

I believe this is saying essentially the same thing as brutalracingguy. Works with a double-end sack or a bishop bag.

[mmachenry]

I think I understand completely what you do.

Here's what I do when using a double-ended stuff sack in essentially the same way:

I attach a strap to the first tree. Walk toward the other tree until I get to the BB. I then hook the CL, which is sticking out of one end of the stuff sack, to the BB. Open that end, grab the CL sticking out of the other end and keep walking until it's time to hook on the second BB. Put the strap around the second tree and make adjustments as needed. Essentially the same process with the straps NOT stored in the stuff sack. There are lots of folks that use this method.

I believe this is saying essentially the same thing as brutalracingguy. Works with a double-end sack or a bishop bag.

Yeah that's a good method. Maybe what brutal was saying. He doesn't seem to understand it though. I'm effectively doing exactly what Frozen from Outdoor Adventures does. The only difference between my setup and his is that I have Beetle Buckles and he has cinch buckles. So mine detach so easily it happens by mistake. Whereas Frozen would need to unloop the lark's head to get his suspension off his hammock. He stores his suspension with his hammock.

It seems like lots of folks in this thread think storing suspension with hammock is not a great idea. I'll have to revisit this strategy. I really like leaving them together for the simplicity. I have Beetle Buckles which lend themselves to not doing this. I am basically asking should I:

A) Switch to hardware that is going to work with storing suspension with hammock better
B) Find a hack that enables the beetle buckles to act more permanently since I already have them.
C) Not store my suspension with my hammock because it's not a good idea.

[cmc4free]

Yeah that's a good method. Maybe what brutal was saying. He doesn't seem to understand it though. I'm effectively doing exactly what Frozen from Outdoor Adventures does. The only difference between my setup and his is that I have Beetle Buckles and he has cinch buckles. So mine detach so easily it happens by mistake. Whereas Frozen would need to unloop the lark's head to get his suspension off his hammock. He stores his suspension with his hammock.

It seems like lots of folks in this thread think storing suspension with hammock is not a great idea. I'll have to revisit this strategy. I really like leaving them together for the simplicity. I have Beetle Buckles which lend themselves to not doing this. I am basically asking should I:

A) Switch to hardware that is going to work with storing suspension with hammock better
B) Find a hack that enables the beetle buckles to act more permanently since I already have them.
C) Not store my suspension with my hammock because it's not a good idea.

B) As TominMN mentioned earlier in the thread you could add a sliding lock to your CL's that would keep them from falling off your Beetle Buckles, so you can keep using them the way you are without the problem you're having.

Try searching "whipping knot," "Paracord ranger bead," or " Celtic button knot" and add those to each of the CL's. Then slide them up against the Beetle Buckles after attaching them to the CL's.

[TominMN]

B) As TominMN mentioned earlier in the thread you could add a sliding lock to your CL's that would keep them from falling off your Beetle Buckles, so you can keep using them the way you are without the problem you're having.

Try searching "whipping knot," "Paracord ranger bead," or " Celtic button knot" and add those to each of the CL's. Then slide them up against the Beetle Buckles after attaching them to the CL's.

Yup, that's exactly what I was getting at. Never would have come up with the knot names though...

Then again, the larks head idea, using the spreader bar hole, is about as simple of a solution there is for continuing to use the BBs and not have them come off the CLs.

[MikekiM]

I apologize.. I didn't understand...

This is what is being suggested, only I use a button knot where you're using the Beetle Buckle. Go here for more pictures...



I've always called it a Blocked End Whipping Knot Slider... here is the vid from Grizz showing it. Go to 3:32

[hutzelbein]

If you want to leave the suspension attached to the hammock, you simply picked the wrong hardware. The Beetle Buckles were specifically designed to be taken off; that's is essentially their unique selling point. If you want cinch buckles that won't fall off, you have a lot of alternatives:

• Steel Cinch Buckles
• Titanium Cinch Buckles
• Aluminum June Bug Buckles
• Aluminum Cinch Buckles
• Aluminum Breeze Buckles

If you want to make the Beetle Buckles work, you could always larkshead the continuous loop onto the anchors, like cmoulder already suggested. Or you could add small prusiks (maybe doubling as drip lines?). Or you could switch from continous loops to dog bones with one small eye (that doesn't slip over the anchors easily). Or you could put a piece of tape around the end of the loop. You can probably come up with more possibilities.

[Shug]

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