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  1. #1
    Senior Member DaleW's Avatar
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    Weight ratings and durability of various brands???

    I've been looking at specs on various models and I assume that some manufacturers like to stretch the weight ratings more than others. It's hard to tell which ones are truly stouter/more durable for the weight than others when shopping on line. I weigh about 220. Are there any of the less expensive models that I should be wary of? Byer seems to be too good a deal and the prices on some of the lighter ENO rigs makes me wary. I have gathered that some of the lighter/cheaper hammocks are also smaller.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Cannibal's Avatar
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    Byer of Maine are OK, not great, but OK. I haven't had any wear issues with the two that I own, but I do keep a close eye on them because they do seem on the flimsy side. ENO rigs are pretty solid IMO. I've got a couple that have 100+ nights on them and countless hours of just 'vegging' in the yard or next to a lake; no problems.

    If you pay less than $30 for your hammock, you should probably be a little concerned with the quality. However, the vast majority of commercial hammocks seem to be able to hold up for a year, or better, of use without concern. For the record, I weight about 10 to 20 pounds more than you, depending on where my sweet tooth is at the time.
    Trust nobody!

  3. #3
    Senior Member TadTheTinker's Avatar
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    I am using a Hammock Bliss w/ No See Um. Purchased for $60.00 at CampMor.com. I have been pleased with it so far and it holds me just fine. No complaints.
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  4. #4
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    Hi Dale,

    Glad to see you here on Hammock Forums! I've always enjoyed your contributions at BPL.

    Any hammocks can hold up just about anybody. The difference is the more load there is in the hammock, the more the material stretches which can affect the lay of the hammock. It's best to go with the hammock builder's suggestion, unless you can make it to a group hang and try out different rigs.

    There is a good mix of car campers and backpackers here. The backpackers do get into some good discussions of lightweight hammocking.

    Welcome to the neighborhood!
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

  5. #5
    Senior Member DaleW's Avatar
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    Thanks, Mike

    I'm liking the idea of hammocks a lot and I'm finding plenty of good information here. I've been looking at campsites with hammocks in mind and the possibilities are endless. It's great not having to worry about slopes, rocks and the rest.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaleW View Post
    It's great not having to worry about slopes, rocks and the rest.
    In the spirit of "Never hang higher than you are willing to fall" is the corollary. "Never hang over anything you are unwilling to fall onto." Not all widow makers are above. I've seen some rocks that would do a good job of it as well.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

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  7. #7
    Senior Member DaleW's Avatar
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    Good advice! Chair height suits me just fine. I didn't have anything too drastic in mind. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir when talking about hammocks opening up a lot more territory for campsites and no more impact than my footprints. You know how it goes: you are hiking along a nice river and looking down from the trail to see places that would be wonderful to spend the night, but not a level or rock-free place to be found. Likewise, less buggy sites up from a favorite lake, or everyone else has taken the available campsites. I'm really enjoying the prospect of not having a little river running under my ground cloth or waking up in the bottom of my shelter, or halfway out of it for that matter There are the opportunities of "a room with a view" too. I'm stoked and waiting for the mailman to arrive with the new toys

  8. #8
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    Sounds like you've go it figured out, Dale
    Mike
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  9. #9
    Senior Member Curt's Avatar
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    Hi Dale,

    I've found that suspension is actually more the critical strength piece than the hammocks themselves. Rope stretch, webbing stretch, etc. has been more of a problem for me. The only hammock I've ever been a little scared in was a Grand Truck Nano. It was rated at 225 or something like that and I had almost 300 in it. It held fine, but I was nervous

    I have a GT Ultralight, a couple of GT other hammocks (400 lb parachute variety), and my favorite - a GT Hybrid Hammock. I'm running at about 245 these days. I'd be happy to meet up somewhere local and set up each hammock and let you play with them and try them out and see what you think. There's nothing like actually flopping down in a hammock to learn whether you'll trust it enough to go to sleep in it.

    I also have a well-used double hammock (a lot of big guys' favorite for camping) you are more than happy to use and abuse for the summer if you want.

    Let me know if you want to check them out. I'm in North Bend, but will be in Seattle M-F every week in July. August and September I'll be a lot more hit or miss as hopefully I'll be out in the woods

    -Curt

    ps - Full tarp, underquilt, and bug netting setup designed for Cascade happiness I could bring along as well if you want to see a full-on rig.

  10. #10
    Senior Member DaleW's Avatar
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    Thanks for your kind offer, Curt. I have the Grand Trunk Ultralight on the way and I just sprung for a Hennessey Expedition Zip as well as some slings and straps from Arrowhead. I'm an ultralight hiking gear junkie already, so this is just another little facet.

    I'm working a deal on an 8x10 tarp that I can use for ground camping or extra protection for a hammock. The only thing left is to work out my insulation. I have several kinds of CCF and self-inflating pads. I also have a big roll of EVA foam that I have some ideas to use as a hybrid pad along with a Therm-a-rest Prolite.

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