Easy to be overwhelmed when getting your rigs together.
You might value light weight, durable suspensions, that give you ease of use.
I like suspensions that do not slip, do not jam, do not wear out easily, with no small parts to lose, modular yet somewhat attached to prevent losing parts and lightweight.
I’m a car camper and beginning backpacker short miles.
Highly recommend you go to at least two group hangs to see lots of rigs in use. Possibly a group hang that has a short hike in. Backpackers will tend to have lighter suspensions, lighter tarps, lighter total pack weight
Watch Shug’s videos on hammock suspensions and packs loaded with gear for a trek through the woods.
I have no room to talk, as my pack weight and physical condition limit me to short miles. Ima heading that way...Lol
Read and watch videos from AT hikers, backpack a section of AT with some AT pros to get specific firsthand experience.
Good Luck ATGIRL2028
Last edited by Phantom Grappler; 11-07-2019 at 04:21.
If you are already using whoopie slings and are only worried about short hanging distances, my suggestion would be:
- continuous loops or Evo Loops on the hammock
- whoopie slings when you need the distance
- a pair of 8' Spider/Poly treestraps with Beetle Buckles
With short distances, you just hang the continuous loop over the Beetle Buckle and skip the whoopie slings. With longer distances, you simply attach the whoopie sling to the continuous loop* to gain more length.
* Evo Loops make this step simpler and faster
There are lighter suspension systems, but none is as easily and micro-adjustable as whoopies and Beetle Buckles.
Thanks for your help! I actually have a daisy chain now with my Hennessey and it works ok, but it's not my favorite. It's a lot of hooking and unhooking each side to get it right. I'm 'lazy' and would rather just pull instead of unhook everytime. I have been working on those knots actually, funny you mentioned them. I'm just not quite comfortable in my ability to do them in pouring down rain or freezing cold weather or when it got dark. However, I know with 6 months on the trail, tying these knots everyday, I'd become a pro at it. But until then, I need something I can put my confidence in while still practicing these knots (in case I lose my hardware on the trail). So I poked around Dutch's site and I think I landed on beetle buckles. A little heavy, but I just need the security blanket of simplicity and ease right now as a newbie Thanks for your help!
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad!
Lol! I know, right?! SO MUCh will change in 8 years, but I'm so excited to hang now, I can't wait to see what will happen in 8 years..lol. I'm trying to drag all my boys out there too, I think they'll love it. My family thinks I'm a nut. Oh well, I'm a nut in a tree, right?!
Have a great Thursday!
Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad!
Mega ditto.
Start off with car camping and then wander a little farther into the woods and then deep into the hills as confidence and skills develop.
I know this the place people come for advice—and that's great!—but there's also a lot of paralysis-by-analysis with some folks trying to arrive at the ideal solution without actually using it in the field.
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
I'd say you are overthinking it. If your fully cinched whoopies are too long then your tarp is definitely going to be too long. The hammock is the shortest part of the equation. As noted, you can always go direct to the loop on the end of the hammock on one or both sides. I've got lots of nights in all kinds of environments and its never been my hammock that was the challenge in the equation unless it was a really long hang and I couldn't get my straps high enough up the tree. It's always the tarp that's too big. Even on a really short hang you can sag the hammock and get by. It won't be as comfortable, but it'll still work.
The fastest most versatile suspension is Dutchs beetle buckle on the poly strap. Your 7/64 amsteel continuous loops clip right onto those things perfectly. That being said, the are plenty of lighter options, i.e. smaller width webbing, soft shackles, whoopies, or a combination or these. Being on a long hike every ounce matters. My favorite go to light weight setup is integrated 7/64 amsteel CL whoopies with an integrated tree hugger and soft shackle.
also take a look at these: https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...pension-option
I started out using whoopies and then dutch spiders and then dutch beetle buckle and then cinch buckles and now using the turtle ties and really like then.
There's magic in the woods,
if you know where to look for it.-Pete's Dragon
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