Dedicated hammock suspension for kids to swing

**AVatorL** · 07-25-2022, 16:18

There was a Facebook post in a hammock group today about 7/64" Amsteel rope melted through metal hook / rope friction and broken by kids swinging in a hammock. I usually use ultralight titanium hardware for hammock suspension (either double hammock hooks with whoopie slings or beetle buckles with spider/poly straps), but I don't trust it when kids start swinging hard.

This is why I made a dedicated hammock for kids to swing.

Hammock: 12' wide, 1.7 oz MTN XL Hybrid Ripstop Nylon fabric.

Suspension: spider/poly straps + 2 pairs wire-gate climbing carabiners. One pair to make loops around the trees, one pair to join spider/poly straps with continuous loops.

On the video only one pair of the carabiners was used (to make loops around the trees) and the straps were joined with the continuous loops using J-Bend knots, but I then added a second pair of the carabiners (joined with the straps using Unfinished Figure 9 knot).

While I was deciding what knot to use I found this article: https://slacktivity.com/webbing-knots/ about webbing knots strength. Testing results probably not 100% accurate because of different webbing, but the article gives good estimations and helps to choose a knot. The Unfinished Figure 9 knot seems to be very strong and easy to untie knot.

My backpacking suspension weighs only about 62 grams, this hammock is not for backpacking, so I don't care about the weight (about 300 grams).

**Phantom Grappler** · 07-25-2022, 18:11

AVatori, impressive knot, new to me, unfinished 9 aka knotty 9. Your daughter was having fun, swinging in hammock!

I like an Alpine Butterfly Loop, learning new knots keeps my brain from knotting up.

Your knot looks unlikely to jam—easy to untie.
Somewhere in video, knotty 9 was said to be easy to tie wrong, but that can happen with any knot.
If slackliners use knotty 9, then it must be reliable enough to use at heights.

Phantom skeeerd of heights
Hahahaha Lol

Amsteel usually does ok for hammock suspensions.
Even amsteel on amsteel is ok
Main problem with any rope and particularly amsteel is friction caused by movement—rope sliding on rope or even rope sliding on hardware—can cause failure.