If I were car camping I would go with straps all the way and not slings. Hiking I would go with the whoopies for weight savings.
If I were car camping I would go with straps all the way and not slings. Hiking I would go with the whoopies for weight savings.
I started with webbing and rings. Because of operator head space and timing, aka inexperience, I got dumped twice. I learned how to use them quickly, but I guess I didn't get over being dumped. Anyway I went with cinch buckles and love them. I've never had one slip. They really couldn't be simpler to use. They are on a continuous loop threaded through the end channels. Not an uber heavy setup at all.
Me too on nearly all counts.
For my wife and son it's webbing and buckles all the way. I want there to be simplicity for their set ups so that they are comfortable, safe and able to set up themselves. They car camp or only short hike backpack so weight is not an issue.
I too am a whoopie sling user but use webbing hugggers and either a biner or Dutch Clip.
I use webbing huggers for tree protection and am interested in simpler options if the result is the same.
I like the idea of the all rope set up. Do you have any pics of the rope huggers and nacras in use? If they are in your gallery, I missed them.
If you hang in national/state/local parks I suggest staying with webbing. Others may not understand and copy you using rope - not good.
If you hang where no else has been for a long time and won't be again for a long time, rope works fine. I just make it a practice not to hang from the same trees for more than 2 or 3 nights and inspect the trees every morning. Move if I see any indication of damage. Have never seen any yet.
The rope huggers are simplicity in itself - a length of rope with a fixed eye spliced on one end. Wrap tree once or more times and secure free end to spliced eye with a slipped Becket Hitch - actually in my use it is a bend and not a hitch . The Becket Bend is shown here - just substitute a spliced fixed eye for his temporary eye in the blue rope. Or you could forget the spliced eye and just use his Becket Bend - just slip it. Okay, it's technically a sheet bend, but I learned it as a Becket Hitch and continue that terminaology . If you are unsure of the Becket/Sheet Hitch/Bend, just make it double by bringing the free end around and under a second time. Slipping it isn't essential since the rope hugger will have been pulled pretty loose under the force of the hang which will enable you to undo the Becket/Sheet Hitch/Bend.
The nacrabiner is looped around the rope hugger and then through the adjustable loop of the Whoopie Sling and secured. I prefer the nacrabiner form with the scarab lock since I can free that form even with the nacrabiner under full tension. Impossible to do with the usual form or with a carabiner.
I tried the Marlin Spike on the rope huggers I have used and use - 3 mm Amsteel and AS-78 from Samson Rope. With the Samthane coating the Marlin Spike is nearly impossible to undo after one nights use. Tried some New England Rope company stuff once, but their coating does the same as Samson's Samthane. The coatings become pretty well welded together, thus it is not usually possible to just pull the knot out as you can with webbing. Thus, the nacrabiner.
Have toyed with the idea of using some Spyderline for a rope hugger since the polyester sheath would not have the same problem, but have decided to stick to the use of one rope throughout: suspension, suspension triangles and rope hugger. Makes things simpler.
I have used the same rope huggers and nacrabiners on a Bridge in my basement hammock lab for over a year now and have not noticed any wear due to abrasion or anything else. It's been used daily.
Those who sacrifice freedom for safety, have neither.
Do not dig your grave with your teeth. (Unknown)
Don't see what's wrong with Whoopies. Very fast and easy to set up. Then you don't have to change suspensions when you do want to save weight. Plus you get the "coolness" factor.
"You can fight, fight without ever winning,
But you can never, ever win without a fight"
-Rush
What is the best way to get pitch out of webbing?
For Sale:
Grand Trunk Hammock Sleepig Bag - $150
used once inside - PM for pictues
Whoopies and tree straps are light, but after trying Warbonnet's strap setup, I have to say you can't get easier. You just put the strap around the tree with a dutch clip or carabiner and adjust to suit. Less to lose or fiddle with, strong, and it doesn't have that "nick me and I'll drop you in the dirt" feeling that a skinny little Amsteel string does.
That said, I didn't rush to change the Whoopies I put on my Hennessy either. They both work.
I went from the Warbonnet straps to Whoopies not really for the weight savings (there is some) but because the whoopies are far less bulky in the bishop bag and everything just goes in there alot easier now.
But to each his own.
Bookmarks