Hummingbird split in half on the first hang!

[Ratatosk]

I got a single+ hammock from hummingbird and took it out to lounge while I was canoeing a local lake. I put a 105" ridgeline on it from dutchware (not exactly 83% but very close) on it, hung it, and got maybe thirty minutes of hang time before it split the entirety of its width and dumped me. Nothing sharp in my pockets (the split happened roughly shoulder-level, and i didn't even have a shirt on), no prior use, no strain...just straight up broke. The one odd thing I noticed was as I was sweaty, it was actively difficult to shift my body around, and each movement came with an odd screeching noise. Is that normal? Are they really that fragile?

That was a lot of time and effort and disappointment to save an ounce. I took pics but have to text them to someone and get them emailed back before I can post them up.

[TominMN]

You should have probably taken it up with them before posting this. No point giving them a bad rap before you see how they respond. It may have been something as simple as a flawed piece of cloth.

Do that and THEN you might want to share how you were treated.

[SilvrSurfr]

Well, I got no respect for Hummingbird hammocks, never have, so I'm not particularly offended by your post giving them a bad rap. They don't make a great product, but I suppose if you look at a weight of 7.6 ounces it could be enticing.

But I rate a 7.6 oz. hammock as a "disposable" hammock. You're not gonna get many miles out of it.

[Ratatosk]

You should have probably taken it up with them before posting this. No point giving them a bad rap before you see how they respond. It may have been something as simple as a flawed piece of cloth.

Do that and THEN you might want to share how you were treated.

I described the situation to figure out what went wrong. I want to know if there was some flaw in my lay that would have been my fault, not theirs.

You want to assume that's me dumping on someone, you go right ahead.

[Ratatosk]

*double post*

[Ratatosk]

Well, I got no respect for Hummingbird hammocks, never have, so I'm not particularly offended by your post giving them a bad rap. They don't make a great product, but I suppose if you look at a weight of 7.6 ounces it could be enticing.

But I rate a 7.6 oz. hammock as a "disposable" hammock. You're not gonna get many miles out of it.

I feel you. If I can learn what went wrong, if anything, I'll be a better hammocker tomorrow, but at this point I'll call it a lesson learned.

[Phantom Grappler]

You might like a hammock made with 1.6 Hexon, or 1.7 MTN
Contact two or three reputable vendors…maybe Dutchwaregear.com or SimplyLightDesigns, Dream Hammock, Trailheadz.
They have made and sold thousands of hammocks, and will be able to help you choose.

Good luck, no matter what you decide!

[sideshowraheem]

I wonder if it was just to short to handle a ridgeline? Looks like they use 1.1 oz rip stop nylon, not weak by any means but not the thickest most robust either.

[Ratatosk]

You might like a hammock made with 1.6 Hexon, or 1.7 MTN
Contact two or three reputable vendors…maybe Dutchwaregear.com or SimplyLightDesigns, Dream Hammock, Trailheadz.
They have made and sold thousands of hammocks, and will be able to help you choose.

Good luck, no matter what you decide!

Thank you sir! I've got two chameleons in 1.6, a Darien in 1.6, and a Darien in 1.7 working through the custom pipeline. Also whatever ENO makes their hammocks out of; their Junglenest is not a bad hundred-buck night's sleep.

I wonder if it was just to short to handle a ridgeline? Looks like they use 1.1 oz rip stop nylon, not weak by any means but not the thickest most robust either.

The Single+ is 10.5 feet long, if I recall, and I can't imagine that's too short for a ridgeline if Dream Hammock and others make eleven-footers with ridgelines. Kammock and ENO certainly make ten-ish-footers with ridgelines. Is too much structural sag a thing? I'd guess more sag = more forgiving to the fabric, and expect an overly-stretched hammock without a structural ridgeline to rip first, but I'm new to this game.

[Otter1]

You should have probably taken it up with them before posting this. No point giving them a bad rap before you see how they respond. It may have been something as simple as a flawed piece of cloth.

Do that and THEN you might want to share how you were treated.

Well I see nothing at all that speaks negatively about the manufacturer. Not sure what you read that I missed. Odd response to the posts wording.

Back to the OP: you may be onto something with the squeak. With no shirt on, especially with some sweat, it's entirely possible that you stuck to the fabric and when you shifted it pulled. An Ultralight fabric could definitely rip in this case. Not conclusive, but I believe this could be it.