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  1. #1
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    Replace Ridgerunner dogbones with whoopee slings?

    I have the Ridgerunner, and I have a Tensa4 stand.

    I haven't been able to get the hammock to work with the stand. Reading other people's mixed experience, the length of the dogbones that form the end triangles seems to be an issue - some people are removing the single loop that combines them to attach to the tree suspension, others write of looping the dogbones around the Tensa poles.

    If a whoopee sling is strong enough that one alone can connect between the hammock and support (tree, etc.), why would it not be a replacement for the dogbones? Two or four are required, but that leads to adjustable dogbones to switch between short (for the Tensa, presumably) and longer for hanging outdoors.

    Experience? Thoughts?

  2. #2
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    I've gotten my ridge runner to work on my Tensa 4. I don't recall doing anything special to the RR suspension. It is a matter of not having the RR spreader bars hitting the Tensa. Fiddling required until you get it.
    Tomorrow I'll see if i can find all my measurements.
    Shug





    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shug View Post
    I've gotten my ridge runner to work on my Tensa 4.
    Well, sure.
    But you're smart and strong and good looking. I can't compete with that.

    I've only spent a day at it so far - there's room for improvement.

    But for the sake of future generations, your measurements and anyone's thoughts about using a whoopee sling for this are of interest. I do have a set of those slings, and it's all just lark-headed together so I can do the experiment after we put on our Conference this week.

    I did post my dogbone measurements as there was some question about older and newer versions of the hammock - clearing up if that has changed over time might help someone. https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...=1#post2088338

  4. #4
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    Widen the stance and lengthen the ridgeline until your spreader bars aren't hitting. Mine works fine.

  5. #5
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    offGridDownUnder - a word of caution ... because you mentioned whoopie slings, I'm guessing you are thinking of something adjustable. And because it's adjustable, and your issue seems to be with the length of the original dogbones, I'm guessing you are thinking of trying a shorter dogbone line length. There's the rub - a different rub from the Tensa4 and your spreader bars.

    The shorter the length of the dogbones, the more compression force on the spreader bars. If you search posts, you my find reports of the spreader bars breaking when using them with sorter than designed dogbones. I don't recall the nature of the "break", so let's just call it "equipment failure". And I don't recall how much the dogbones were shortened. I'm guessing the failure point is related to the weight in the hammock.

    If you are considering dogbones of shorter length than came with the RR, I'd see if you can get WarBonnet's blessing first. Remember, WarBonnet - or any manufacturer for that matter - probably doesn't want to use any more material than necessary in the RidgeRunner. So there's a reason for the length of the dogbones that came with it.

    Now if you knew someone with a cutting torch, and they could cut some lengths of 1/4th inch re-bar for you to fashion as spreader bars, you might get away with shorter dogbone lengths.

    I'm not saying no one has been successful with using shorter dogbones. I'm saying some haven't. And "haven't" meant damaged spreader bars.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 05-29-2023 at 17:03.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  6. #6
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Here are the measurements I have written down for my WB Ridgerunner on my Tensa4.
    Baseline 77 inches
    Ridgeline 146 inches
    Hope that gives you some sort of starting point.
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shug View Post
    Hope that gives you some sort of starting point.
    Thanks. I'll work with that.

    I notice the stock dogbones are the same length for both the head and foot end. But the base of the foot triangle (the bar) is less than the head. However the load on each is the same.

    From vectors I know then that the load on the foot bar is less than on the head. The foot bar is also a bit smaller - the cross-section of the metal, as well as the leverage provided by the cross-section diameter is less (resistance to buckling comes in here).

    Shortening the foot end dogbones to create a triangle with the same proportions as the head end will result in the same load on the foot end bar - given the diameter of the foot end bar, I might want to proportion the foot end triangle a bit longer compared to the head end to compensate. But I suspect the reason for having dogbones of the same length may be for simplicity and inventory rather than need. I'm busy the next few days, but I'll do an analysis - I suspect the foot end dogbones can be shortened significantly - perhaps reducing the overall length by 30cm or so, without exceeding the limits.

    I've ordered some 1/8" dyneema cord, but again, I'll need some time to try all of this (including setting up the Tensa4 stand again).

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