Preventive Maintenance Plan

[Hang Williams]

I'm curious what everyone's preventive maintenance/replacement schedule is like with their hammock equipment. I'm still new to this, so havent really had to do much myself so trying to plan out when I need to do some upkeep. What's on your list for upkeep tasks?

In my head, here's what I would think would be on the list:
1) Replace continuous loops - every year
(maybe this is paranoid, but I got dropped early on and keep a close eye on these. After about a year of backpacking trips they start to look a little fuzzy so I've swapped them out for peace of mind)

2) Replace suspension straps - ???
Haven't needed to yet, but there's a couple spots on some of my straps that are showing wear

3) Replace hammock body - ???
How many nights would you expect before these fabrics need replacement?

4) Wash down quilts - Every other year for top quilts
I've been putting this off on my top quilt which seems to be taking longer to loft up, though it hasn't failed to keep me warm yet. Has anyone ever needed to wash their UQ? I haven't seen any sign of loft issues with mine.

5) Tarp weatherproofing - ???
How long does seam sealing and the silpoly coating last?

[FLTurtle]

Good topic, I haven't really thought it about it but I only got started with all my gear back in 2018.

1. I haven't replaced them on any of my hammocks. I do carry a spare CL just in case something did happen. I notice that the colors change on the stress point where they hook onto my beetle buckles, so I periodically remove, inspect, rotate, then reinstall the CLs...usually when I get my gear together to pack for a trip.

2. Haven't yet, but do inspect them for any stretches, cuts or tears.

3. All my hammocks are heavy weight rated, the Hexon 1.6 is like 350 lbs and I forget what the WB 70d nylon was rated for. I did see some issues where my velcro on my shorts back pockets would snag the material on the Hexon, so I made sure that those pockets are closed when I sit in the hammock. I switch out to gym shorts or track pants for sleeping.

4. All my gear is stored in my home office, so when I get back from trips I might hit them with Febreeze and hang the quilts to air out before I put them in their storage bags. Haven't washed my underquilts at all. My primary top quilt (its a 40F) gets most of the action here in Florida, so I've washed it once when it got gamey. After a few days hanging and it was still smelly, so it got washed (followed the hand wash instructions on the HG site). Haven't had to wash any of my hammocks but I found that wiping it down with a damp cloth then hitting it with some Febreeze and hanging it open in my office to air out for a day or two does the trick.

5. I assume at some point the coating will start to fail on a sil tarp so maybe you could reapply it? I would imagine the seam sealing I did to the ridgeline and tieouts would probably last longer since I tend to apply it pretty thick.

[LowTech]

1 - I replaced CLs to get lighter, Beckett hitch ones from Myers Tech and I had one of those get fuzzy in a spot when I was using Beetle Buckles and I replaced it. Since then it's been Beckett hitches or carabineers and I haven't changed them for 500-600 hangs.

2 - I have a few different straps and huggers. None have worn enough that I feel I need to replace them. But of course I use them differently. My nicer poly ones I use on trees, the poly daisy chain is mostly on my pole stands, and some heavy lowgrade daisy chains for hanging of rusty pipes and such.

3 - still using the same hammock which might have 50-75 hangs before I put in the CLs that I have now. I put it in a net bag or hand wash it every so often.

4 - I haven't washed my down quilts mostly because drying them in a dryer at a laundry mat for that long w/ tennis balls just sounds like hell.
I did wash my SLD Trail winder once after being in multiple lake bed white-outs. I think it actually shrunk a bit when I did that, though I did it as suggested.

5 - still using the tarp that I got when I picked up this hammock and I've only ever seen it leak once around a side pullout. True being in the desert I don't use it as much , in fact my mesh snake skin is starting to come apart from exposure and my tarp spends more time in that then out. I do try to cut down on the amount of time my tarp is exposed to the desert sun and have been pitching a shade cloth over it. Never the less it's dealt w/ more gusty wind and rain storms than gental rain.

"Sent w/o me knowing"

[LowTech]

I guess no one wanted to talk about how poorly they care for their gear, or maybe they're really picky about every little stain and mark and would feel embarrassed to let everyone else know.

"Sent w/o me knowing"

[PopcornFool]

Solid list. I would add that I also wash my hammocks and apply Permethrin to my hammocks and bug nets once each year (usually in the Spring).

It's good to be paranoid about CLs since they are such a crucial part of your suspension, take a lot of abuse, and are the most likely component to break. They are easy enough to splice and replace so there is really no reason not to replace them frequently.

I replace my straps at the first sign of fraying or other damage. I buy long lengths of webbing so I always have enough around to cut and sew my own straps whenever I feel the need. I do wash my straps periodically when they get dirty or sappy.

I've never had a hammock body wear out, although I did have one rip when a CL broke and dumped me unceremoniously on the ground one time. To be fair, I do rotate among several hammocks so no one hammock had gotten an undue amount of use. The hammock fabrics used by most quality vendors (e.g. Hexon, Argon, HyperD, Mtn, etc.) are very durable and your hammock body should last a lifetime if you take care of it. I don't have any experience with the lighter weight fabrics like Cloud, however, and I wonder if they might stretch out over time. Of course my observation is based on the assumption that you don't sleep in yours every night and it's not hung outside year around. Others who do use their hammocks like that would be better able to answer the longevity question under those circumstances.

I'm guilty of waiting as long as I can before I wash quilts. I've never washed an UQ. I'll admit that I've gone 4-5 years before washing a TQ. They really are a bear to get completely dry and fluffed back up like new again. But when the loft starts go, or when they start to stink, you really have no choice.

I've never had to seam seal a tarp after the initial application. I've found that I'm more likely to get pinholes long before the seam seal degrades. When the pinholes become too numerous to patch, I replace the tarp. When I was still in tents, I found I needed to replace the seam seal after about 8-10 years, but those were in the old days when the stuff would start to flake off after awhile. I suspect that the seam sealant you get today from Gear Aid, Coleman, Coghlan's, and the like is probably much better. How you store your tarps will have an impact on how long the seam seal will last. Cool and dry is best. Hot and humid will cause the seam sealant to degrade quicker. If you are going to reapply seam sealant, to be truly effective, you should remove all the old sealant using rubbing alcohol before you apply new sealant. Removing the old sealant is a chore! Having done this before on tents, I would be personally inclined to delay that chore as long as possible.

[sidneyhornblower]

What's on your list for upkeep tasks?

1) Replace continuous loops -

I've never done that. My oldest ones are coming up on 9 years old. My main hammock's loops are, I think, 3 years old and I've been using it a lot this year. No plans to replace them unless/until I notice wearing.

2) Replace suspension straps -

I've got some from Hennessey that are 10 years old and still in use. On the other hand my kevlar straps, now about 5 years old, are showing serious wear despite my efforts to be gentle with them and use them ONLY for backpacking trips, never on back yard hangs. One frayed nearly in half on the sewn loop, so I cut it off and made a new loop. But both show a lot of fraying in various places and will soon be retired. Since kevlar isn't as available as it once was, I'll get something else. But my other nylon straps have never been replaced.

3) Replace hammock body -

I've never done this, but I've only owned a few hammocks in the last ten years. My Hennessey is still around. My next oldest one is 8 years old. My current hammock is, I think, 3 years old, made of MTN 1.2 and I just came back from a trip yesterday, so it's still going strong. Other than visual inspection on a casual basis, I don't do anything in terms of maintenance.

4) Wash down quilts -

Done it once in 5-6 years. Probably ought to do it more often, but as you say it's a pain. I'm terrified of damaging one.

5) Tarp weatherproofing -

Didn't even know that was a thing.

[sideshowraheem]

Wow I feel lazy compared to a lot of you!

Really I just double check the loops and my suspension prior to a trip, make sure theres no major fraying or anything. I do slightly lubricate zippers here and there if I notice them sticking a bit. Beyond that I just try to keep stuff clean and dry between trips and before storage.

[Recalc]

1. Reading this thread sent me straight to my gear closet to check the condition of my CL. Larks headed loop on my CL for Lapp hitch removal will hopefully lengthen life of the CL.

2. Hand wash suspension straps in Woolite every year. Care is taken to minimize exposure to sunlight for the Kevlar 3.3 straps, which are my default. Lesser used Spider straps are showing signs of fraying.

3. Hammock body is washed only if there is a reason, such as hot weather hiking. Have only done this once.

4. Down quilts are hand washed and low heat laundromat dried only for loft issues. Perhaps this is excess, but I do it every few years.

5. Inspect the DCF tarp after each outing. This became important after seeing an abrasion spot from the attached mitten hooks.

[Salt]

I'm similar to sideshowraheem, haven't replaced anything and avoid washing gear. I suppose I've done a hammock hand wash before with sportswear detergent after a real funky trip.

I did recently have the seamtape peel off a tarp and have avoided addressing it by moving to a different tarp... suggestions on re-taping the seam on a tarp? :P

[cmc4free]

I did recently have the seamtape peel off a tarp and have avoided addressing it by moving to a different tarp... suggestions on re-taping the seam on a tarp? :P

Mine would be to remove all the tape and then seal all those seams by hand.

If the tarp is silpoly or silnylon, use Seam Grip +SIL or 100% silicone (diluted with mineral spirits makes it easier to apply a thin layer, and being diluted it will penetrate the seams a little better). If it's PU coated nylon, which it probably is since it's taped, Seam Grip WP is the one you need.

This assumes the rest of the tarp is in good enough condition to justify the effort of removing the tape and resealing. OTOH, if the shabby tape doesn't bother you too much, you could probably leave it, since the seam sealer is better applied to the outside of a shelter.