Thoroughly defeated...

[Detman101]

To the OP, do you have tree straps or tree huggers?

Straps are typically longer and have a loop just at one end - the tree end. The strap goes around the tree and the non-loop end passes through the loop, or a carabiner/Dutch clip is used to attach the loop to the main section of the strap in a way that's easily removable from the tree. The non-loop end is used for a cinch buckle system, a marlinspike hitch, or a Becket hitch, to name a few.
Huggers are typically shorter and have loops at both ends. Typically a whoopie sling or some other suspension option will lark's head to the loop that's not holding the strap to the tree. Huggers are meant to be just long enough to get around the tree, but if you're dealing with large diameter trees, they might not be long enough.

If you have huggers, you can lark's head the fixed eye of the whoopie sling to the loop at the free end of the hugger. The adjustable loop of the sling can attach to the continuous loop of your hammock using the carabiner.

If straps are what you want, and you'd like longer ones, you can have them made to any length using the custom strap builder at Warbonnet. You have the option to choose the material, length, and whether you want the loops sewn at one or both ends. Polyester is the cheaper option, and it won't stretch much at all. Dynaweave is significantly lighter and it's more expensive. It won't stretch either, but it bunches up like rope when you use it to tie a Becket hitch, and some people don't really seem to like that aspect of it. You have to take care to make sure it's flat as it goes around the tree, otherwise it puts just as much pressure on the bark as any rope. You can't use the Dynaweave with cinch buckles.

https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/pr...strap-builder/

If you want to use whoopie slings with your straps, you may want to try the marlinspike hitch with a toggle. If you want to use the Becket hitch, you don't need anything other than a strap that's long enough and the continuous loops on your hammock.

As japoly mentioned, Shug has a whole video series on hammock suspensions, and there a couple vids in that series that for sure will help you out.

Thank you so much for that info.
I currently use 20-foot straps with a carabiner on one end. What I do is swing the carabinered end of the strap around like a batarang and swing it up and around the tree so that it wraps around about 6-7 feet up. Then I catch the carabiner and clip it to the rest of the strap and pull it tight before it falls down below 6-7 feet. I've been using the Warbonnet cinch buckles with continuous loops on the straps to connect my hammock.

The whole reason I aimed to try the Whoopie Slings was to save space and weight and also use something more durable than the straps. I've had to replace them yearly due to wear and tear and finding 20foot straps has only gotten more difficult and expensive over the years.
I figured I could switch to tree huggers and whoopie slings and not have to worry about carrying bulky straps and god forbid they get wet in the rain...
The whoopie slings seemed to be an elegant, strong and lightweight solution to "varying-distance" hanging needs. The ones I built can go from 2 feet to 15 feet. It's beautiful!

Because amsteel-blue is so strong I hoped I could just set the tree huggers at 6ft or head-height and not have to worry so much about the 30 degree pitch on longer hangs. I know that's more stress on the hammock ridgeline, but it's amsteel too...and the thick stuff!!
The straps have always been the weak-point in my setup. My current set are fraying and I don't feel safe on them anymore. I also don't feel like finding another set of 20foot straps and sawing off the metal hardware to get them free. Almost cut my finger off the last time.

The J-Bend hitch gave me good hope for not needing any toggles or extra hardware if I could get the tree-hugger/strap setup correct. Preferably shorter straps. No point in carrying 20 foot straps AND 15 foot whoopies...lol

I guess I can try that strap-builder you linked and see if the cost for straps is any better than amazon or ebay.
Sorry everyone for being in such a craptatic mood...it's been one of those days.

[Shug]

Hey...enjoy the suspension quest. I tried almost every suspension until I went back to what I just preferred the most.
Also Just so you know, I have been using the same whoopies and tree straps for years. They get inspected by me once in a while but I just keep using the same ones.
Carry forth,
Shug

[Detman101]

Hmmm....strap builder has Total: $12.70 for the 6-foot dual loop-end dynaweave tree huggers.
I think this might work.

Then again, I dunno...I could just get them to make me a set of 20 foot poly straps with an end loop and keep the easy setup I have now...

[cmc4free]

With other strap suppliers, check to see what material they are selling. If they are polyester, they won't stretch much (you mentioned stretch in your OP). UHMWPE or Kevlar also don't really stretch. Other materials like nylon may stretch more than you'd like.

[Detman101]

Yes, it works great with straps to CL but also Amsteel to CL.

However, straps are IMO better... a little easier to handle and to untie.

No buckles and carabiners... hmm.... welcome to the dark side of no-bling hanging.

Since you're using straps to CL, might want to putz around with the Lapp Hitch. When I first stumbled across this I didn't know what it was and wasn't sure at all that it was a good idea, going so far as to call it the Death Hitch... it just seemed too simple to actually work. Thankfully, Leiavoia figured out what it was and it is now my primary strap-to-CL hitch which has proven rock solid for a good many hangs.

Oh wow...that feels so familiar...but I know i haven't tied that particular hitch before...
lapp.jpg

I'll have to give that a try.
Looks like a winner for sure!

[Detman101]

Hey...enjoy the suspension quest. I tried almost every suspension until I went back to what I just preferred the most.
Also Just so you know, I have been using the same whoopies and tree straps for years. They get inspected by me once in a while but I just keep using the same ones.
Carry forth,
Shug

See, that's why I wanted to swap to the tree straps and whoopies. I feel like it's a more durable setup than full straps and cinch buckles.
That's the ringing endorsement I needed to hear.

One question though, what kind of setup on your tree straps do you use...One carabiner or two?

I'm thinking two would work for me and provide an alternate setup should the tree be too big around for a 5-6foot tree strap.
I could just run the whoopie through each carabiner on the short strap and still get to reach my hammock (since they've got a 2foot-15foot adjustment zone).

[jeff-oh]

Here is a picture of the system I use. I have a 5.5" foot UHMWPE strap the is attached to my whoopie sling. I used 1″ UHMWPE WEBBING – 10 FEET from Dutch- cut in half with loops sew in each end.

For larger trees I carry a dogbone to extend the free end of the strap.

Strap.png

[leiavoia]

On straps: $0.35/ft at any hardware store. Cut any length you like. Boom. Done.

You don't generally need both long straps and whoopies, but in the PNW old growth areas i will carry both. I end up using most of the strap just to get around the tree, then the whoopie to get to the hammock.

Whoopies are indeed a smidge lighter than your current system, but also more fiddly. Your current system is dead simple and puts up fast. There is no "one best system".

My current system is just straps and CLs, no hardware, no moving parts. I keep whoopies in the bag as backups.

[MAD777]

There's no right way to suspend a hammock, as long as it keeps you off the ground and can easily be taken down.

Whoopies do work with straps. Simply tie a Marlin spike hitch in the strap and hang the whoopie on the knot. This is my preferred method. The fixed eye of the whoopie is attached to a continuous loop on the hammock with a Dutch whoopie hook. For really close tree spacing, I bypass the whoopie and hang the continuous loop on the knot of the Marlin spike hitch.

I use this because it's lightweight and packs small using Kevlar straps and Dynaglide rope. It's not the simplist system.

Playing around with various suspesions is all part of the fun.


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[Shug]

See, that's why I wanted to swap to the tree straps and whoopies. I feel like it's a more durable setup than full straps and cinch buckles.
That's the ringing endorsement I needed to hear.

One question though, what kind of setup on your tree straps do you use...One carabiner or two?

I'm thinking two would work for me and provide an alternate setup should the tree be too big around for a 5-6foot tree strap.
I could just run the whoopie through each carabiner on the short strap and still get to reach my hammock (since they've got a 2foot-15foot adjustment zone).

Tree strap....toggle/MSH....whoopie sling.
Shug